Salon Rouge ★9.5

Salon Rouge — a colour-award salon in the ByWard Market for over twenty years

Salon Rouge has been a fixture of the ByWard Market since 2004, when master stylist Amir opened it as a small studio and later doubled it into a full modern salon. Colour is the house specialty: Amir has been named Best Colourist of the Year by the Schwarzkopf Academy three times and trained through Vidal Sassoon, Toni & Guy, Wella and Redken. Unusually, the salon holds certification from Redken, Schwarzkopf and Wella at once.

Services

The work centres on cutting, colour and balayage, with babylights and fine dimensional highlighting alongside full-head colour and correction. Rounding out the menu are glossing and toning, keratin and amino-acid smoothing, extensions, and cut-and-style for men and women, with a consultation first on any colour change.

Technology and brands

The shelves read like a professional who-is-who — Olaplex, Kevin Murphy, Oribe, Moroccanoil, Redken, Wella, Sebastian, amika, Alfaparf Milano, Keratin Complex and Color Wow among them. The smoothing service uses a formaldehyde-free keratin, so clients get frizz control without harsh fumes, and lightening is bond-protected with tools cleaned between guests.

Team and stylists

Amir leads as master stylist and certified colourist, with a team of colour specialists and cutters who hold their own Redken, Schwarzkopf and Wella certifications. Because several colourists share the floor, a demanding correction can draw on more than one opinion, and busy clients usually find a chair without waiting weeks for one name.

The Space

What began as a small studio is now double the size — a modern room with multiple colour stations in the heart of the ByWard Market. The tone is upscale but unpretentious, the salon’s own line being about feeling like a star without the theatre, and it is walkable from downtown offices, condos and hotels.

Who it’s for

Anyone who takes colour seriously — blondes, brunettes going lighter, and clients who need a correction — plus Market residents, downtown workers and visitors who want an established, education-driven salon.

Questions and answers

Can I book online? Yes, through the salon’s online system or by phone during opening hours.

How long does a colour appointment take? A root colour with cut runs a couple of hours; balayage, babylights or a correction, a half-day.

Do you cut men’s and children’s hair? Yes, cut-and-style is offered for men and women, with family bookings welcome.

Can I combine colour with a treatment? Yes — smoothing, glossing and bond treatments are routinely added to a colour appointment.

Are gift cards available? Yes, gift cards can be purchased and redeemed on any service.

Opening hours