27 Best Restaurants in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Chef Annie Brace-Lavoie does incredible things with local, sustainably caught seafood while her partner Jenner Cormier (long considered the best bartender in Halifax) makes delicious cocktails. The small but perfectly formed menu changes frequently, but expect dishes such as raw scallops with radish and black sesame, slow-roasted and broiled octopus tossed in chili oil and served on a bed of lentils.

From hearty upscale sandwiches at lunch to hearty dinners using locally sourced ingredients such as smoked pork chops and pan-seared haddock, this much-loved-by-locals neighborhood restaurant never disappoints. Chef and owner Renée Lavallée is a champion of the local food scene and has appeared as a contestant on Top Chef Canada. 

Specializing in superb breakfasts and upscale comfort foods for lunch, this fun and quirky spot is worth lining up for on weekends. 

As well as serving some of the absolute best cocktails in the city, Dear Friend serves a knockout menu of locally sourced seafood—including multitier seafood towers, topped with caviar should you want to take things that far, stellar mains, and delicious upscale "bar bites."

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. 

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$190 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.

Casual, boisterous, and hugely popular, this place has a patio right on the waterfront—look for the "tree" of old bicycles stacked outside. The Italian-influenced menu features showstopping dishes such as old-school lobster Thermador with truffle spaghettini and asparagus, or pistachio honey-crusted Atlantic Salmon, and uses the best local ingredients.

Come here for perfectly poured coffee drinks and excellent food. The menu offers everything from breakfast tacos to orange chai waffles to fried chicken sandwiches, and it is all delicious.

Come to this fab spot to grab breakfast where they serve authentic Central and South American dishes in a cozy location.

"Canadian" cuisine is broadly defined here (French, German, and Asian influences are all evident), but there is no mistaking the provenance of chef and cookbook author Craig Flinn's ingredients, which are fresh and local. Each meal begins with Chives's signature buttermilk biscuits—and each should end with maple crème brûlée. In between, enjoy starters such as yellowfin tuna tartar, warm summer kale salad, or Jamo's perogi, then make the difficult choice between dishes like braised beef Wellington, grilled Digby scallops, or the N.S. Heritage Pork cut of the day. Each dish on the menu has wine suggestions, and gluten-free and vegetarian options are available.

This Northern Italian restaurant is a classic big-night-out choice. Subdued lighting, elegant furnishings, fresh flowers: all the details have been attended to, and ditto the food, which is impressive and satisfying. Excellent seared scallops are always on the menu, as is veal scaloppine sautéed with mushrooms and topped with a creamy garlic-and-cognac sauce. Prices on the specialty wine list go as high as C$600, but there are also fine bottles for under C$50.

Every lick of the small-batch artisan ice cream made at Dee Dee's is pure pleasure whether you opt for classic vanilla, banana cardamom, Mexican chocolate, or one of the many other flavors on offer.

Tasty sushi, fresh sashimi, feather-light tempura, gyudon, and teriyaki are among the authentic Japanese dishes that are artfully presented here on the extensive menu. Seating is available both inside the pint-size eatery and, in summer, out on a small street-front patio, and takeout is another option. Vegetarians should note that meat-free dishes may include fish broth, so make your requirements known.

This cozy upscale restaurant in Halifax's North End serves up bistro-style fare focusing on local, seasonal ingredients. Start with oysters—fresh, fried, or baked—then move on to crispy beef with tamari lemongrass glaze, Prince Edward Island rib eye, or halibut cheeks with prosciutto and duck fat potatoes. Just be sure to save room for one of their incredible desserts. 

Installed in a heritage building across from the Grand Parade, this restaurant is splurge-worthy. While classics like oysters Rockefeller and seared scallops never disappoint, inventive seafood dishes such as lobster-crusted haddock and a 6-pound flash-fried lobster tower elevate the menu. This is also a great place for steak, wagyu burgers, and other delectable items from the grill. Tables are backlit through a wall of stained glass, and the seafood is so good locals keep coming back. 

At this pub in what was once the house of a prominent Canadian politician, Haligonian brewers uphold beer-making traditions dating back to 1754, and you can sample the results, along with craft and bottled beers from beyond the city. The food is impressive, too—especially the Nova Scotia salt cod fish cakes and beer-battered fish-and-chips. In winter fireplaces keep the ironstone building toasty.

Traditional Vietnamese subs, noodle soups and bowls, fusion tacos, and more at this fast-service spot just across from the Halifax Public Gardens.

Decadent pastries and excellent coffee are to be had at this authentic French bakery in the heart of downtown. 

History surrounds you in Privateer's Warehouse, where two eateries share old stone walls and hand-hewn beams. The main-floor pub sticks to pub grub, which is served at long trestle tables; the patrons here consider ale an entrée, so you can just order a beer and join the fun. The second-floor Beer Market is less casual, with more refined dishes on the menu. There's another branch in Clayton Park.

Delicious African stews—beef, goat, curry chicken, eggplant—with tasty sides such as jollof (a mix of rice, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other seasonings) and enjera (Ethiopian flatbread) are served in Mary's friendly downtown restaurant.

In a handsome 1906 firehouse across from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, McKelvie's is that rare find that hits the sweet spot between upscale and down-home. Though all the menu mainstays are here, from oysters Rockefeller to surf and turf, the best bets are the contemporary twists on seafood classics. Although the restaurant has been in business for over 30 years, its look is as fresh as the ingredients used here.

Casually cool yet warm and intimate, Morris East stakes its reputation on local artisanal ingredients. Gourmet wood-fired pizzas, topped with the region's best veggies, cheeses, and charcuterie and cooked using Annapolis Valley applewood, are the specialty. Libations have local flavor too: spirits handcrafted in the province go into the cocktails. There's a short wine list, or you can bring your own (corkage C$15).

Here you'll find sweet and savory crepes with unexpected fillings such as garlic mashed potato, or pesto with goat cheese and chicken, as well as classic flavors.

Overlooking Privateer's Wharf on the harbor, Salty's wins the prize for best location in Halifax. Steaming bowls of shellfish stew and curried scallops crown a menu sure to satisfy seafood lovers, though there are also meat and pasta options. There is a less expensive Bar & Grill on the ground level. Salty's serves meals outside on the wharf in summer, but be warned that it can be very windy.

This fun local café's slogan is "Eat Butter," so it's no surprise that their massive buttery croissants are amazing, and freshly roasted beans from the coffee roastery next door—Anchored—means that the caffeinated drinks are perfect, too. 

Considered by many locals to serve the best coffee in the city, this is an excellent spot to grab a cortado, espresso, or flat white to go—there are only a few stools to sit on in the window. 

This fun, funky spot attracts health-conscious diners with its macrobiotic and organic food, locally brewed beer and wines, and fair-trade coffee. Aside from being good for you, though, the food here is also just plain good. Menu mainstays (the lentil burger, grass-fed braised beef, and line-caught haddock) are bound to win over skeptics. There's a second branch in Dartmouth.