8 Best Restaurants in The Eastern Shore and Northern Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia

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, herb chicken, and lobster fettuccine. Desserts, always made in-house, come generously portioned.

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.

A locals' favorite serving craft beer, cocktails, and upscale modern food. Oysters, salt-cod fish cakes, and moules marinière (mussels in garlic and wine) showcase local seafood, and there's an excellent selection of carnivorous and vegetarian dishes to choose from.

This highly accoladed restaurant—voted Nova Scotia Restaurant of the Year for 2023—offers incredible tasting menus showcasing local, seasonal ingredients, in a warm and intimate setting. Every dish is a work of art, whether that's freshly made pasta with nettle, lovage, and green garlic, or seared scallops with sunchoke puree. The cocktails and wines available perfectly complement the amazing food. 

The 1860s building housing the restaurant has windows that overlook the wharf. 

Gabrieau's has earned a place in Antigonish hearts with its pleasant interior and an epicurean yet affordable menu that includes seafood, meat dishes, pasta, tapas, sushi, and various vegetarian dishes. There are also luscious desserts, and the wine list impresses, too. There's a sunny patio and a private room is also available.

Serving elevated pub grub with a focus on what's fresh and local, this spot right on the waterfront is always a good bet for classics like fish and chips, juicy burgers, and tacos. They serve their own craft beer, as well as a range of ciders and beers from other local brewers. 

This adorable locals' favorite café is filled with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and housed in a heritage building. They offer a fun selection of tasty caffeinated drinks named for literary characters, decadent baked goods, sandwiches, and salads. Lines can be long, but this place is worth the wait. 

The gourmet hard ice creams and milk shakes made by this ice-cream shop are heavenly whether you opt for dreamy strawberry or vanilla, or go with a more adventurous flavor. Expect long lines in the summer, but from the first lick you'll know it was worth the wait.