aFrite opened on the Halifax waterfront a matter of months after I left Halifax, and in the seven years since, chef Andrew Al-Khouri's restaurant has made that magical transition from the new kid on the block to a neighbourhood stalwart. The airy, but cozy, space is in the perfect location for me, in between my office and the spot I'd be hitting for pub trivia later that evening. We weren't sat at the bar, but our table had a nice view of the action in the kitchen. The menu is compact and efficient, but still has a broad enough selection that there's going to be something for you no matter your tastes. Creative insertions of Middle Eastern influence show up in the likes of kafta meatballs, za'atar fries and arugula fattoush, while the rest of the menu takes inspiration from around the globe to freshen up comfort food classics. You can only hope that you're in for a treat when you're confronted with a menu that you wish you could have in its entirety, and we weren't disappointed for our first taste of aFrite. Our meal started off with an order of the kafta meatballs. The herbacious hit of their seasoning was just like that of their skewered brethren, and the meatballs had a fantastic sear on them from their cast iron cooking. Veg and flatbread accoutrements and a tzatziki drizzle prettied up the plate and added flavour and contrast, but let's not kid ourselves, you're getting this dish for dem balls. I opted for the fried chicken katsu for my main, and while less technically involved than some of its peers on the menu, the dish was well-executed and hit the spot. The cutlet of fried chicken a thick, but not too thick, breading whose crispiness held up in the face of multiple sauces and the steam of the rice below. Gochujang mayo brought a hint of hint and creaminess, some sweet-savoury contrast came care of the kecap manis, while the ponzu cucumbers brightened things up. My wife's wild mushroom falafel burger was a fun and creative vegetarian dish in an age of forgettable Beyond/Impossible offerings used to check the 'vegetarian dish' column on a menu. The mushrooms added some umami to the falafel patty, and the overall package with the fresh veg was like a fancy falafel wrap. The fries that came with the falafel burger almost stole the show for me. They were peak-frite with an ultra-crispy exterior that told a tale of a blanching plus double fry cook. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, there was no room for dessert! aFrite is a great little neighbourhood joint with the heart and soul to match its creative and well-executed menu, and in an age of corporatized, Instagram-bait restaurants, it deserves your dollars and your taste buds deserve their food. read more

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Cute, small place with creative and thoughtful dishes and friendly service. Stopped in for an early lunch/brunch and service was attentive. Husband got the donair eggs benny which we both liked, though donair meat could have been a bit more seasoned. I got the salt cod cake which was served over delicious bbq stewed chickpeas that were very lovely. Place was cozy and had a basket of blankets for colder days. A bit pricey, but would recommend. read more

The food & service were amazing. We shared tacos,fries, and a burger. Everything was cooked to perfection. And our server, Lavilla, was beyond the best! We sat outside and enjoyed people watching! A memorable experience for sure! read more

it was okay. To be honest we had about 8th other seafood restaurants that we wanted to have supper at and they all had hour long wait lists. So we went here. It was my least favourite place to eat at in Halifax. Service was shitty. Maybe because we had kids (and they were perfectly quiet) but I felt like a foriengers who paid $130.00 bucks for okay food and worse service. We had the meze board which was terribly overpriced for the smears fo hummus etc that we recieved on the board. The oysters were delicous. But all fresh oysters are delicous and fresh here and these were the same price. My daughter and me got the cod and couscous. Cod was delcious. The couscous was prepared terribly. The couscous stuck together and seamed like it sat in water for awhile. My husband shrugged and said that the cod bits were okay. They were out of a lot of the drink items so I had a lake city cider after the other 3 things were out. Sad. Pick somewhere else to eat. read more

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Very nice quaint place with great service, great food and love the coffee. We recommend taking a stop and enjoy the atmosphere

One of the best meals we have had in a while. The kimchi poutine was such a great combination and the donair gnocchi was so flavourful. Great service and cool atmosphere. Can't wait to go back. read more

We went for brunch on a Sunday. Been meaning to go for a long time. It is an open kitchen with a small to medium sized dining room. Everything we had was tremendous! Chicken and waffles who knew? French toast yes! Mimosa flight great! On our top brunch list with Bistro & Cheeky Neighbour. Looking forward to dinner. read more

Lovely place with a great vibe. Interesting items on the menu for everyone. I had the donair gnocchi based on the recommendation of the server. This was an excellent choice! The server also warned us to "stay off the black rocks" when going to Peggy's Cove the next day. Good food and safety recommendations all around! read more

Great local breakfast spot with a Mediterranean twist. Had the chicken and waffles and Mimosa Flight. A/C needs work, little warm in the restaurant. read more

aFrite Restaurant - aFrite Restaurant - Canadian (New) Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Extremely underwhelming. The service we had wasn't great and the food wasn't worth what we paid for. I was super excited to see beef fatayer on the menu but was so disappointed when they arrived. They were extremely dry and bland. The toum made them more palatable, but I would expect a little more effort and a larger portion when you're paying $15+ for four small fatayer. We had ordered other sides and a main to share, but none of it was memorable. There are many other restaurants in the area worth going to that are better than aFrite. read more

My husband and I walked into aFrite for brunch. We saw two tables free, one of which had a reservation sign on it. The waitress behind the bar shouted "have you got a reservation". when we responded "no". She said "I'm full." Nothing else, no sorry I'm full, we can fit you in in an hour, or whatever. So rude and so unexpected for a Sunday morning. We live in the west end and we will not ever be going back. read more

So far..impressed I've eaten here once before but only had the Shawarma salad and shared the poutine. Both were tasty but a little over-priced compared to many other restaurants that offer similar fare. That being said, I decided to go for dinner with my wife and sprung for the most expensive dish on the menu. The Cote Du Boeuf n' Frites is a 20 oz sous vide striploin w/chimichurri, frites, and arugula salad. $48 may seem pretty steep but there's a catch...it's for 2! So it's actually not a bad rate for what you're getting, and I have to say it was impressive. The beef was so tender and perfectly cooked med-rare all the way through. It's served on a wooden plank along with the fries and salad. Service was good but it was not that busy. It's a small place with 8-10 tables and a small patio with only 3 tables. Wine and beer menu is limited so I don't think this is the best place to go for drinks downtown. But so far the food is 10 times better than that over crowded joke across the street. I'll be back! read more

I really want this place to work, set an example for other restaurants especially when the owner was a top 10 on MasterChef! Saying that, we expected a high quality experience in a laid back atmosphere. Observations: Love the location! Interior is relaxed and welcoming but small space No actual menu/ you have to read it on a wall Very small menu and not great for dietary needs or picky eaters Portions are ridiculously small for the price they are charging, this has to change as it's just a travesty and actually ludicrous $27 for donair gnocci??? The shawarma salad is so small- again feed your guests please! Meze board- great selection, tasty but again for $21 put some substance in as its mostly small smears of dips Fries are fantastic, crisp, well seasoned Drink selection blows-easy fix-ADD DRINKS THE SERVERS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE FOOD/ that is so not acceptable for a restaurant Fried chicken is tasty -nice glaze on it but small size peices with tons of skin/fat The brunch- chicken and waffles: super dissapointed!!! Small dark meat peices with lots of skin and fat... and tbe waffle had no flavour at all! Water and flour..thats all you could taste. Plus it was paper thin and the server brought us a teaspoon of maple syrup.... I dont know whats happening but its all easy fixes read more

Amazing food!!! Every dish has layers of flavor with each taste still maintaining its own identity. I would encourage you to try the more special things on the menu; the Donair Gnocchi, Syrian beef tacos, fattoush salad, and cauliflower and beets were all delicious. Truly spectacular food, more special than most places I've had in a while. It's a cute restaurant with a pleasant patio as well. read more

I had chicken waffle, the waffle is undercooked when it was served. Got it somewhat fixed the second time, but still not restaurant quality I expected, more like a waffle anyone can cook at home. Overall, if you decided to pay $16-$22 for an individual brunch, one would expect better food quality. read more

Third visit: made reservations for two at 6pm on a rainy Sunday before going to a show downtown. Parked in the Bishop's Landing lot and we were only the 2nd table taken when we arrived, so guess reservations weren't necessary. Within the hour there, two more tables got taken, and the place is pretty small, so that felt about half full. Anyway, I'm glad I finally tried here for dinner because I loved it. We split a bucket of the truffle fries, which had a strong flavor, topped with parsley and some shredded cheese, side of a curry mayo? My donair gnocchi entrée was delicious - served in a bowl to make it only look half full, but think that was intentional and the serving size was just right actually. The small bits of donair meat, green onion, cherry tomato, red onion and donair sauce were the perfect combination of flavors with the gnocchi itself. My friend had the pork belly jambalaya (purposely picked due to its expected heat/comfort quality as he had a bad cold). His taste buds were obviously not 100% but he enjoyed it fully, and I sampled a taste, which impressed me as much as my entrée, for flavor. We each got crème brulees for dessert, which were simple but done very well and tasty. I look forward to coming back here soon. read more

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Ordered takeout brunch yesterday (fried chicken and waffles). The fried chicken had no flavour other than burnt oil and the waffles were hard as rock and not edible. Very disappointed - hope the in restaurant experience is better. Servers are always nice but the food has been pretty mediocre given the price you pay. read more

This place was absolutely fantastic. Had the Toom burger, truffle fries, and cucumber mojito. All amazing and wonderful service. The guy cooking even came out and said he made one for himself after we said we loved the burgers. Will go again! read more

aFrite Restaurant - Toom burger with truffle fries - Canadian (New) Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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The don air gnocchi was delicious and the waitress delightful. Went twice that day. Once to try out the brunch but they had fun out of breakfast food. ( how does that happen!) and just by chance for a snack later in the evening. Glad we did as this gnocchi was delicious!!! read more

Excellent delicious food. Menu selection was enticing. Service friendly and efficient. Definitely would love to come back.

First time here. Easily the best brunch we've ever had. French toast is spectacular! Pesto mushroom eggs Benedict was incredible. Try the pomegranate mimosa! The restaurant is beautiful and very welcoming Sraff and owner went above and beyond. This us a must visit!!! Cant wait to come back for dinner! read more

Afrite is so yummy When I need food in my tummy The atmosphere is nice With just enough spice To satisfy your lips Don't worry about the hips It's worth every bite They make it just right Afrite for the win Not eating here would be a sin read more

Love the open concept, that andrew(the owner) is there almost every time I'm there. The fact they have the open concept kitchen where you can see everything that's going on is so unique! I love the atmosphere and wish the best to Andrew! The chicken and waffles are the best and they go BEST with the pomegranate mimosa! read more

So this is a place that has a master chef as an owner. What happened to this guy, overrated slightly pretentious for 3 star food hence the 2 star rating. I expected to be wowed but brunch was not that inspired. chicken and waffles apparently are a lost art here read more

Wow! Great spot. Friendly people. Chef came and spoke with us and was super kind. Every single thing we tried was delicious! Wheres the button for 6 stars? read more

Amazing! We ordered a bunch of dishes to share for the table, and each one was amazing. The chicken was my fave, but you can't go wrong. Service is amazing and the owner was hilarious. Highly recommend this place. Owner was on Master Chef, too! read more

This was a chance meeting my family and I found. Was looking for morning after brunch from wedding party the night before. Absolutely a mist if you are in town. Breakfast was outstanding. My wife had Lobster Benedict and i had Briskets and seafood Gravy. Both outstanding!! Check this place out for bariety of milkshakes both virgin and alcoholic. read more

This dining experience was mediocre at best. I came with a group of 8 friends. We sat at a long table. Annoyance #1: The menu only exists on a chalkboard on one wall of the restaurant. Those of us with our back to the wall had to turn around, which was uncomfortable and a little awkward, because it resulted in staring at the people at the table behind you (who are sitting directly under the chalkboard). Annoyance #2: The chalkboard menu does not have any descriptions of the dishes, and the server was not super helpful in this respect. What's "deconstructed babaganoush?" I asked. It's all the ingredients of babaganoush, just separated, you know, like deconstructed, she said. "What's in babaganoush besides eggplant?" I asked. She had no idea either, and had to go get a sheet of paper to read off of. I'm not criticizing her as much as I am pointing out that when your menu has fairly complex/unusual stuff on it, you probably need descriptions. Annoyance #3 was that there literally only 3 types of beer in the entire place, none of which were what I wanted. (I wanted an IPA or something hoppy. Nope. Did not exist.) Oh well, I thought, I'll just get a glass of pinot. Nope! None of that to be found either. I settled for a glass of sub-par Malbec. Annoyance #4 was the lack of a vegetarian main course. My choices were the teeny, tiny deconstructed babaganoush appetizer, which I ended up ordering, or an entire head of fried curried cauliflower--as if I want to eat that all to myself before a night out (or ever). Newsflash: just because I'm vegetarian doesn't mean I want to eat nothing but a whole head of cauliflower for dinner, geez. There was also a meze board, which we got for the table to start, and it was very good. The deconstructed babaganoush was decent, not delicious but pretty okay, but it was nowhere near enough food to count as a meal. I definitely left hungry, even after taking fries from the plates of friends who ordered the burger. Three people at the table got the burger and all agreed it was not very good. The people who got the sushi bowl thought it was pretty good, though. The service was good enough (despite the server not knowing a dish's basic ingredients and then suggesting with a straight face that an entire head of fried, curried cauliflower was a suitable main course). The little dessert they brought us was a nice touch. Overall, though, this was a really annoying dining experience and I wouldn't go back. Not one of the 8 of us would recommend it or return. Is it possible for a place to be trying way too hard and simultaneously not trying hard enough? After eating here, I think yes. read more

Love this restaurant, the food is so friggen good and it's such a nice location! Definitely coming back to try more items!

A group of 7 of us were all really disappointed in the whole experience. Immediately noticed the service was terrible, it seemed the waitress wished we weren't there. For some unknown reason she didn't ask if we wanted anything to drink, and when we asked she said it would be a while. (The restaurant was not busy). We said to each other "the food better be good!". Sadly, it was all very underwhelming. I didn't even feel like finishing mine. Too bad - I had higher hopes for this restaurant. I would never go back. read more