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Rich farmland fringes Truro, and the menu makes the most of the fabulous produce grown around here. The 32-seat eatery has an upscale-casual feel and a small but mighty menu. Salads, sandwiches, and whole-grain pizzas dominate at lunch, while dinner includes meatier options such pork tenderloin, herbed chicken, and lobster fettucini. Desserts, always made in-house, come generously portioned.
16 Inglis Pl., Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N 4B4, Canada
Known For
- Bistro classics on the menu
- Extensive choice of Nova Scotia wines
- Intimate, welcoming atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No dinner Tues. and Wed.
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Chef-owner Roland Glauser whips up creative seafood, meat, and pasta dishes in a restored building that started out as a butcher shop in the mid-1800s. A Swiss influence is evident in many dishes on the extensive menu, including pork tenderloin Zurich-style (braised with mushrooms and demi-glace sauce). The café has a pleasant garden patio and a craft shop. Reservations aren't accepted at lunch but are requested for dinner.
13 Charlotte La., Shelburne, Nova Scotia, B0T 1W0, Canada
Known For
- <PRO>award-winning Taste of Nova Scotia chowder</PRO>
- <PRO>local ingredients</PRO>
- <PRO>intimate setting</PRO>
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. and mid-Dec.–early May
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Housed in a converted stone church complete with stained glass windows, Church Brewing produces tasty beers and has a fabulous menu of upscale pub grub with a farm-to-table focus. There's a huge patio out front that overlooks the hustle and bustle of Main Street, and there's often live music in the evenings and on the weekends.
329 Main St., Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 1C4, Canada
Known For
- Fun and friendly atmosphere
- Church Burger
- Reservations recommended in the summer
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations recommended
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This fabulous bakery opens at 7:30 am for breakfast, great coffee, and tasty treats. Their sandwiches and soups are excellent, and stocking up on cookies and oatcakes to take with you is highly advised. At peak times there can be long lines, but it is worth the wait.
6289 Cabot Trail Rd., Margaree Harbour, Nova Scotia, B0E 2C0, Canada
Known For
- Sandwiches made with fresh baked bread
- Delicious selection of cheesecakes
- Warm and friendly staff
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closes at 4 pm every day
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With a focus on fresh produce and local seafood, the Grand Banker is a great spot for a tasty lunch or dinner overlooking the harbor whether you're in the mood for wings and a craft beer, lobster mac ’n’ cheese, or rack of lamb. There's an impressive selection of Nova Scotian wines, and you can order a five 2-ounce glass sampler for C$22, as well as a cocktail list that embraces locally distilled liquors.
82 Montague St., Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, B0J 2C0, Canada
Known For
- Seafood-packed chowder
- Local craft brews
- Fun, lively atmosphere
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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This small, on-trend restaurant and bar serves a seafood-heavy Spanish-inspired menu and delicious cocktails. There's a selection of oysters on ice, as well as other chilled and cured seafood and meats, classic Spanish tapas, and bar snacks that make for a perfect evening of grazing, but also a menu of hearty pasta and meat dishes should you require something more robust. Reservations are highly recommended.
1673 Barrington St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 1Z9, Canada
Known For
- Seafood tower served with a dozen oysters
- Fun, lively atmosphere
- Exceptional and friendly service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch.
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Started as a pop-up restaurant by some of the city's most creative chefs, Hop Scotch has evolved into one of the city's most sophisticated dining rooms where incredible food and inventive cocktails are to be eagerly anticipated on each visit. The small menu changes often in order to showcase the best in seasonal, local ingredients, and brunch is always amazing.
1537 Barrington St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 1Z4, Canada
Known For
- Intimate and classy dining experience
- Delectable desserts such as their s'more tart
- Fantastic curated wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch but brunch on weekends.
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Located in a conference center on the Membertou First Nation's urban reserve, this spacious dining room serves up inspired global cuisine using fresh, local ingredients with many dishes having an Indigenous twist—and you can order a prix fixe three-course First Nation menu (CA$45) that changes with the seasons. Regular menu items range from lamb chops perfectly cooked with a pistachio pesto to a delicately spiced curry paella. The food is excellent, portions generous, and the space both inside the restaurant and in corridors outside features Indigenous art and artifacts.
50 Maillard St., Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1S 3W3, Canada
Known For
- Award-winning coconut cream pie
- Huge, heated patio
- Traditional luskinikn bread served with molasses
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Classic French cuisine with Acadian heart, this beautiful restaurant is filled with antiques and raw wood, with views out over the crashing ocean. Every carefully prepared dish is spectacular, from Acadian fricot to salt cod gratin to their upscale burger. L'Abri has a well-stocked selection of Nova Scotia wines and beers, as well as great cocktails. Be sure to save room for dessert. Bookings highly recommended.
15559 Cabot Trail Rd., Chéticamp, Nova Scotia, B0E 1H0, Canada
Known For
- Sophisticated atmosphere in an unexpected location
- Impressive selection of whiskeys
- Their Basque cheesecake with berry preserves
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Dinner only Mon. to Weds.
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Firmly established as the best place to eat along this stretch of the coast, La Cuisine Robicheau overlooks the ocean and specializes in seafood and Acadian cuisine. The excellent pâté à la râpure (rappie pie) is usually the first thing to sell out, so come early. Other good choices include the fricot aux poutines râpées à la poule (chicken soup with potato dumplings).
9651 Hwy. 1, Nova Scotia, B0W 2Z0, Canada
Known For
- Early closing at 7 pm
- Intimate dining experience, with five individually styled areas
- BYO wine policy
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues., Reservations essential
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The restaurant at the Domaine de Grand Pré vineyard has been showered with accolades, including being named "one of the world's 20 best winery restaurants" by Wine Access Magazine. Aside from the excellent wines, the interesting menu features local seafood, game, meat, and vegetarian options. Wines produced right here are joined on the list by a good international selection.
11611 Hwy. 1, Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, B0P 1M0, Canada
Known For
- Lovely patio shaded by grapevines
- Excellent wine list
- Inventive combinations of top-quality ingredients
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations recommended.
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More than a mere pub, this Cape Breton institution has evolved into an attraction, in part because it is owned by four of the Rankins, Canada's most celebrated singing siblings. Expect the usual pub favorites: fish-and-chips, pulled pork sandwiches, grilled salmon, and mussels steamed in ale, garlic, and bacon. There's music here most nights, and sometimes during the day (occasionally with a cover charge of C$10).
11533 Hwy. 19, Mabou, Nova Scotia, B0X 1X0, Canada
Known For
- Great music featuring the finest local fiddlers and step dancers
- Very busy, often with a line to get in
- Above-average pub food and good selection of beers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed mid-Oct.–late May
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In a gorgeous location by the water, this restaurant is much more than just a deli, with a long menu that includes an award-winning chowder, gourmet sandwiches, hand-rolled, thin-crust pizzas, inventive burgers with an international slant, and plenty of vegetarian choices. In the evening, chef Martin Ruiz Salvador adds a short dinner menu to the options, with dishes like scallop linguine and fisherman's stew. You'll find Nova Scotian and international wines on the drinks list, plus craft beers and cocktails.
124 Montague St., Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, B0J 2C0, Canada
Known For
- Good range of expertly prepared dishes
- Waterfront patio overlooking the harbor
- Local Nova Scotian wines
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This beautiful café filled with art and vintage furniture serves tasty breakfasts, sandwiches, and delectable baked goods, as well as perfect espresso drinks. With a focus on fresh and local, you'll find snowcrab and lobster rolls on the menu, as well as produce from the gardens out back. The attached gallery next door sells lovely crafts, art, and jewelry from local artisans.
36056 Cabot Trail Rd., Ingonish, Nova Scotia, B0C 1K0, Canada
Known For
- The Brekkie sandwich with lobster
- Warm, friendly atmosphere
- Ocean views from their patio
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Weds. Closed Nov.–May
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In the very elegant dining room of the historic Haliburton Hotel, just a few exquisitely set tables set the scene for a sophisticated meal. The menu is short, but is carefully devised to cater to various tastes, and everything, including inventive accompaniments, is very well executed. With friendly professional service, it's a perfect place for a special-occasion dinner, or just to make an ordinary day special.
5184 Morris St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 1B8, Canada
Known For
- Refined formal atmosphere
- Top quality ingredients
- Separate area for small groups
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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This sugar camp, store, and pancake house in the Cobequid Mountains, about 30 km (19 miles) north of Truro off Highway 311, is Nova Scotia's only year-round maple destination. You can tour the working facility and hike the sugar woods. In spring, when the sap is running, you can also watch demonstrations. Afterward, tuck into whole-grain buttermilk pancakes and waffles with maple syrup, local sausage, fresh biscuits, maple baked beans, and organic coffee at the log cabin lodge. Multiple times per year, a guest chef prepares a gourmet dinner that cleverly incorporates maple products. At the store, you can buy your own sweet souvenirs, among them maple syrup, maple cream, maple candy, and maple butter.
221 Alex MacDonald Rd., Earltown, Nova Scotia, B0K 1V0, Canada
Known For
- Hiking trails just outside the restaurant
- Sweet maple coffees
- Rib-sticking breakfasts
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You don't have to dine on the waterfront in Digby to enjoy great seafood and good views, and this friendly pub offers both. Just uphill from the main street, its two-story deck has great sea views, and the menu mostly features local seafood that couldn't be any fresher. There are other choices, too, including vegetarian and vegan options, and any dish can be downsized for children. All are made from locally sourced ingredients, cooked to perfection by the talented chef, and there's local beer, locally roasted coffee, and occasional local live music.
14 Sydney St., Digby, Nova Scotia, B0V 1A0, Canada
Known For
- Expertly cooked local scallops
- Beautifully restored historic building
- Local beer, coffee, and live music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues.
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Easily one of the city's hippest upscale establishments, the Press Gang prepares fish and meat with equal panache, with wines from the well-stocked cellar. A four-course tasting menu (C$160 for two) is also offered. Thick, cold stone walls testify to the building's era (1759), but comfy seating and intimate lighting soften the effect. Local musicians play on Friday and Saturday night.
5218 Prince St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 0B1, Canada
Known For
- Romantic date night favorite
- Exceptional array of oysters
- Thursday whiskey night
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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A locals' favorite serving craft beer, cocktails, and upscale modern food. Oysters, salt-cod fish cakes, and moules marinière showcase local seafood, and there's an excellent selection of carnivorous and vegetarian dishes to choose from.
76 College St., Nova Scotia, B2G 1X7, Canada
Known For
- Fun, warm, and friendly atmosphere
- Offers local beer tasting flights
- Interesting vegan options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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The lobster rolls served at this takeout-only spot are divine, filled with fat chunks of lobster and served with a pickle and potato chips on the side. Order a classic (with celery and mayo), cajun (spicier version of the classic), or naked (pure lobster) and sit by the water to enjoy. Tom's also serves a few other seafood dishes (smoked salmon bagels, seafood pasta, fishcakes) and all are delicious.
110 Peggys Point Rd., Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, B3Z 3S2, Canada
Known For
- Fast, friendly service
- Ice-cream cones
- Salted caramel chocolate pate dessert
