City Annx, a new low-lit, high-energy bar from the City at Night family, is getting ready to open in Ottawa at 221 Rideau Street, above its sibling venue Gridwrks.
The new concept will move into the space formerly occupied by Café Dekcuf, with renovations already underway to transform it into what owner Farid Dagher calls “a low-lit, high-energy bar built for the underground.” The new venue is expected to open in late November, following the success of his nearby music venues, City at Night and Afterlight, according to the Ottawa Citizen. Guests can expect a nightlife space that bridges the intimacy of a lounge with the pulse of an electronic club.
City Annx will be the third venue operated by Dagher’s team, extending a decade-long effort to grow Ottawa’s electronic music community through venues and creative spaces. His first concept, City at Night, opened in 2016 and quickly became one of the capital’s premier spots for house and techno. It was followed by Afterlight, a speakeasy-style lounge and cultural venue launched in 2022, and most recently Gridwrks, which opened this past March in the former Mavericks Bar space.
The new bar’s location above Gridwrks allows the team to program both venues collaboratively, with complementary events that cater to Ottawa’s growing base of electronic music fans. The two spaces will work together to serve as a downtown hub for late-night entertainment, offering a range of experiences from DJ-driven club nights to cultural programming.
“After more than a decade building events and spaces where people connect through music and creativity, from City at Night to Afterlight and most recently Gridwrks, we’re taking the next step with Annx, opening soon on Rideau,” Dagher recently said on a LinkedIn post. “A low-lit, high-energy space built for the underground, with the soul of a lounge… a project that brings together years of lessons about what makes nightlife meaningful: intention, community, and connection.”
