This is a really cool speakeasy. In order to get in you need to find the email address to request…read morethe secret phrase. When you get that you are given admission thru the "cover" restaurant. We came in on a Saturday night when they opened at 7pm. We were escorted down around 7:15pm. Neat way to enter the actual speakeasy. Once in you are greeted in a dimly lit "library" with a bar. There was 50's jazz which added to the ambiance. Bar tender and servers were very friendly and attentive. Ordered a few special drinks. (See pictures). Overall a great speakeasy experience. Glad to have found one in Halifax.

You can't get in unless you know the password that is delivered via email when you are on the email…read morelist. We walked in said our password and they were 40 mins late on setting up on Saturday Halloween eve. Only servers can allow you in. Atmosphere is dungeon library with 1950s music. Drinks are $15-17 each. We ordered: - Grandma's Boy ($17): 3/5 similar to Old Fashioned. A very simple straight up old fashioned that didn't have much complexity. - The Last Barman Poet ($17): 3/5 tequila based sour. A bit savoury because of the spices. Not that complex either. Overall: Such as shame as the atmosphere is amazing. Compared to a lot of restaurants with cocktails, this one is pricier and less amazingly prepared. We were disappointed with the selections and that's why we only tried 2 and left.

We heard good things about The Beach Pea and had the opportunity to make reservations during our…read morestay in Lunenburg. The food was exceptional. We started with a refreshing arugula salad with parmesan shavings. It had a subtle lemon and olive oil dressing. I had the duck, but the star of the dish was the risotto with chanterelle and porcini mushrooms. The flavors blew me away. The tender duck was cooked perfectly. My wife had the seared local halibut with pearl couscous. Can't go wrong with locally caught fish and it was cooked to perfection. Our servers were attentive and knowledgeable about the entire menu. The room was tight, but it had a nice vibe typical of a coastal restaurant.

This was the highlight of my most recent trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia. On the Main Street of…read moreLunenburg - ate on the patio on a gorgeous late Spring day. The star of this restaurant is the seafood - all sourced from Lunenburg and surrounding areas. The scallops are from across the street. Generous portions - completely full sharing three sides and having a main and half a dessert. This place gets busy so reservations are essential. Definitely will go back - the halibut looked amazing!!

Happy hour drop in. At the bar. Very nice staff, great service. Comfortable. Nice music, good…read moreoysters (happy hour deal) and delicious beef tartar

Sat at the bar and had lunch. It's more of a tapas menu and the food was excellent. Enjoyed…read morewatching the impressive drink making skills of the bartender. Nice casual bar vibe but not divey. Well run establishment.

Decided to check out one of the top bars in Canada in my hometown of Dartmouth. Downtown…read moreDartmouth had changed so much since growing up - it's now the cool place to eat and drink as opposed to somewhat sketchy in the past. Located mid way up Portland Street. Very cozy, intimate environment with an energetic crowd the night I went. Mostly bar seating although there are about 4-5 tables - the most you could probably seat are four people. Had a couple of cocktails - amazing. Food was mostly seafood and extremely fresh, prepared well and innovative - see pictures. Price was reasonable for food of this quality. Will definitely return. Tip - you should probably make reservations. There's a patio in the Summer as well

I'd been living in Dartmouth for a couple months before I finally made my first visit (cut me some…read moreslack, unpacking takes time!), with my wife and I stopping by after work on a Friday. I'd call it happy hour, but Dear Friend is too popular and upscale to bother offering a happy hour, so let's go with the Quebecois term, cinq à sept. I began my weekend wind-down with one of their house creations, All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down). It seemed fitting giving my age demographic, and it was one of the few specialty cocktails with whisk(e)y in it. With an ingredient list even longer than its irreverent title, it combines Jim Beam rye, Hennessey VS cognac, beef tallow (!!), cedar and bayberry leaf. After an impressive rundown from the bartender on the work that went into creating this drink, I thoroughly appreciated it's warmth and depth of flavour on a cool fall evening. The beef tallow made for a velvety smooth mouthfeel, without having globs of fat floating in the drink, and the cedar and bayberry added herbal undertones that contributed without overpowering. For some solid sustenance, we stuck to the bar bites section of the menu, although they do have bigger apps and full-size entrees. Marinated olives were an easy choice, while the falafels beckoned with their deep-fried crispness. To round out our trio, we had to go with the house Party Mix. The Party Mix came out first, and deviates from the classic chip mix by combining sweet and savoury, with caramel popcorn, spiced cashews and mini chocolate truffles. It was endlessly snackable, and great for having a drink at the bar over great conversation with your significant other. I'm not one for the standard black or green olives that come out of ungodly large food service containers, but I've been slowly warming up to higher tier olives, and Dear Friend's very generous bowl was a great bar snack, bordering on small meal. The dish that disappeared the quickest was the falafels. This was partially because they were so damn good and there waere four pieces, as opposed to the other two dishes. They came in finger-form, as opposed to the small pucks/balls that are more commonly seen, and the extra surface area allowed for an even crispier bite, while a delicious cashew tahini cream that lent to the familiar falafel flavour, but with a certain je ne sais quoi. That's right, French twice in one review - I'm fancy AF! Small bits of pickled cauliflower and a delicate layer of microgreens brought brighter flavours to play off the richer note of the falafel and tahini. It's now a local cliché to talk about how much downtown Dartmouth has changed over the past decade or so, and Dear Friend has been one of the standard bearers of that continued change these past few years with their thoughtfully crafted beverages and shareable bites.

Oysters were some of the freshest I've tried, service was very friendly. Elevated but relaxed…read moreatmosphere.

do not let at here. We had a dozen oysters which were good…read moreand a bottle of wine which was also good but it goes downhill from here. unfortunately our server was not knowledgeable, she had to check with any questions we had. we had to ask for our wine. she did not pour it for myself. I ordered the fish tacos which we're supposed to have halibut but it was as literally minuscule serving of it. The tacos were very small. we ordered a mac n cheese wth chicken chicken. it was supposed to be a main course but it was as a very small portion and just ok. we also ordered a kale ceaser which was very salty. o very disappointing as it claimed to be high end. Not so! Would not recommend. So many other restaurants to enjoy.

The Naked Oyster is only about a year old, located in a great space along Mahone Bay's main drag,…read morewith a open and inviting atmosphere and a great patio overlooking the bay. Service was excellent, professional and quick. Maybe too quick, our appetizers arrived before our drinks. The menu is innovative but still traditional. Fish and Chips, mussels, oysters, chowder along with burgers and sandwiches, including a lobster roll on a locally made croissant. But also Pad Thai and a Bulgogi Rice Bowl. All of our dishes were wonderful. But what most impressed me is the extensive gluten free menu, complete with a fryer and gf batter for the fish & chips and fish tacos.

The seafood chowder is incredible. mote like a stew, full of lobster, fish, mussels. We really…read moreenjoyed it!

The Drawing Room has become almost a regular piece of conversation and an assumed destination for…read moreme lately, thanks to the discovery of this secret bar on Yelp a month ago. Not yet is known about the upstairs-from-the-Henry-House bar yet other than it's wonderful decor and fancy drink menu. This isn't a beer-drinking spot, folks. This is where you go to feel important, share some drinks with a few friends and enjoy a couple hours of elegancy without feeling out of place. The Drawing Room has a timeless feel to it. You could be having a flashback to any period over the last hundred years and know that no matter what year you're in, you're enjoying it like royalty. The drink menu offers martinis, wines, and drinks of all sorts. I ordered a Burie'd Mojito, which was white rum, an assortment of berry juices and mint leaves. It was fantastic! My second drink was a vodka-based green lime drink that was just as delicious. Mind you, the drinks are $10+ so unless your wallet is loaded, don't come here to join it. Of course, the Drawing Room isn't the type of environment to get drunk but the drinks are made strong so be wary of your perception because you may be surprised once you stand up.

This place really is as good as it gets. You walk into the Henry House and there are no signs to…read morelead you in the direction of this hidden upstair gem. Either go through the front door and keep going up or walk through the main dining room and go to the left to the staircase and go to the top and you are there. The room is dark, atmospheric and filled with exposed beams, dark leather chairs, a cozy fireplace and a menu inspired by different time periods. The bar staff is friendly and know their drinks. My favourite is a Negroni, a delicious blend of campari, gin and vermouth. A perfect place for a date night or a few drinks with some close friends.

Our friends have spent time in Spain and they were so excited to see this restaurant right when we…read moregot off the ferry. We had been planning to go somewhere else but so glad we didn't! We've never been to Spain but we will take their word that this food was the real deal -- it was delicious. We really enjoyed our server -- she was a lot of fun but also knew when to be there and when not to, if you know what I mean. We started with a few tapas and then had seafood paella, along with Spanish wines and sangria. Next time this restaurant will be our destination and not a happy accident.

I was curious about this place. So I took the family here. The food for the most part tasted good…read more The pappardelle con pollo was tasty and creamy, but the chicken felt a bit lacking. It came with two pieces of bread that were decent. The family shared a paella, and they said it was good. The place had one server, who was also the bartender. She was kind. Thursday night there wasn't much business going on. They had bad bunny playing in the background.

Nut allergy friendly: Their rotating menu has some nuts (almond, hazelnut, salsa macha with peanut)…read morebut the staff had no issue highlighting dishes for me. Quaint on the outside, I almost walked by thinking it was a residential home until I verified on Maps. But, packed with ambiance inside! I got a reservation for 1 two weeks ahead or so for 9PM and was seated promptly on arrival. Spent about 1.5 hours here but most of the dishes came out within 45mins, and I put in an extra order for the cheese and bread. I ordered: 3 oysters (2.5/5): from New Brunswick and served with horseradish, lemon, and a sherry sauce. I had one plain, one with lemon, and one decked out. I think the oysters were very small. The lemon and sherry were the best combo. The horseradish is overpowering to the natural flavor. Honestly I'd skip, this, because you can get very good oysters elsewhere in Halifax. (I learned later in my visit that oysters in the Atlantic have had a very bad season due to disease, so this may just be particularly unlucky timing). Tuna Tartare with Allumettes Frites (5/5): Definitely the highlight of my meal and the only thing I'd order again solo. The shoestring Allumettes Frites were crispy, and the tuna Tartare was excellently balanced. I'd definitely recommend this dish. Raw Scallop, Tomato Water, Green Olive (4/5) - a very unique dish that almost reminds me of elevated sashimi of scallop. It was about six scallops with garnishes and they were very flavorful with the natural scallop richness. I would share it, I got a good sense of the flavor profile with 1-2 pieces personally. Cloud Ten (mezcal, ube pineapple foam, and vermouth) (4.5/5): Genius cocktail. I'm a huge fan of mezcal and the pineapple foam is a great offset to the smokiness. I sipped the foam at first and then let it melt into the mezcal and got totally different flavor profiles. Great job on this one. On recommendation from a fellow solo diner, I got the Grey Owl goat milk cheese to finish my meal, along with a side of bread (+$4). This ended up being my second favorite dish of the night (4.5/5). The cheese was excellent and the bread had an excellent char and chewiness. Shout-out to my awesome waitress Kenzie for her recommendations and hospitality. Excellent service in keeping my water and utensils fresh, and the recommendations for dishes and local things in Halifax. It is decently loud inside with an intimate small plate setting. I don't think I'd go again as a solo because my preference would definitely be to share apps with at least one other person. Overall, a great date setting or for someone who wants an elevated experience of seafood. Service was very friendly and the tuna Tartare and Cloud Ten were standouts.

Bar Kismet was my favorite meal in Halifax! The ambiance was lovely with the dimly lit light and…read morecozy atmosphere. The servers were nice and recommended a bar we should go to in the area afterwards. Our favorite was the Spaghetti alla chittara al limone, summer squash ($32) - the dish was creamy and delicious with a nice zest of lemon. Bar Kismet is definitely a spot to visit in Halifax, but make sure to make reservations ahead of time!

Very good food. I had the haddock which was flaky and delicious. My wife had chicken fingers and…read morefries. Also very good. Service was excellent and waiter was attentive.

July 1, 2026 - Maple Curry Chicken Penne - overcooked chicken seems to be how they make it, tonight…read morewas not the first time I've had it, but absolutely is the last. I would have told the waitress had she come back to the table to ask how our meals were or asked why I didn't eat the chicken when she cleared the plate or paused longer than to ask if we wanted the bill. Considering the place was not very busy, the service wasn't great.