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Mad Hatter Wine Bar

4.0 (1 review)
Closed 12:00 pm - 6:00 PM

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3 years ago

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Le Caveau Restaurant - Beet pasta

Le Caveau Restaurant

4.4(29 reviews)
103.3 km
$$$

Located on the bucolic grounds of the Grand Pré winery, Le Caveau was the natural choice for mine…read moreand my wife's tenth (!) anniversary while staying at the winery's gorgeous inn. We've been once before, dining on the patio with friends last summer, but our host suggested dining inside to avoid a buggy spring evening. The quaint interior has the feel of an old world, European restaurant thanks to the stucco-slatgered walls, wood paneling and arches windows which looked out to the stone-paved courtyard. I was drawn to the tasting menu, which at four courses gives you a good chunk of the menu to enjoy, but it isn't a three to four hour commitment like larger tasting menus. At $80 and $35 extra for the estate wine pairing, it felt like a good value too! Up first were the lobster croquettes. The crisp exteriors of the croquettes contrasted sharply against the soft, lightly lobster-y goodness within. A marinated lobster and tomato salad brought some refreshing acidity to the dish as well, and the marinated lobster meat had to have been some of the most tender lobster that I've ever had. Next for me was the fazzoletti. This cut of pasta, named for its form which is similar to a handkerchief, was topped with a tomato and mint "tartare", confit garlic and a whipped cod sauce. The house-made pasta had a great, toothsome texture, although the flavours of its accoutrements were a little flat. The mint didn't really figure, and I'm not sure what a tomato tartare is supposed to be other than some diced tomato? Look, I'm all for fine dining, but sometimes the effort that's put in to punch-up the verbiage on the menu can be eye roll inducing. The whipped cod was creamy and rich, but again, the cod was not prominent at all. While I was gorging, my wife did have her own appetizer, the pan roasted asparagus. The verdant spears of asparagus had a little touch of char from the pan, and they paired well with a creamy burrata, and sweet and tangy relish of cherry tomatoes and lemon. The bright flavours and creamy burrata were a great way to highlight some of early pieces of the harvest. For my main, it was a confit lamb leg adobo. The thick slices of lamb were some of the most tender, succulent lamb I've ever had. I'm a big, big fan of Filipino food, but no flavours of vinegar, soy or garlic really made themselves known here. A smooth potato puree doubled down on the richness, while a mix of crisp kale and pea shoots brought some textural contrast and balanced out the palate. My wife had the gnocchi Parisienne for her main course, which had the pillowy bundles of carbs in a luscious sauce of Grand Pre's L'Acadie Blanc, cream and scallion butter, with an almond crumble for a little crispness. For the last of my four courses, chocolate marquise filled the dessert slot. The decadent slice of chocolate was similar to fudge, but not *quite* that dense, although it was certainly just as rich and indulgent. A pool of crème anglaise added to said indulgence, while ginger cookies brought some crunch and the bite of ginger to cut through it all. The dish with the most "wow" factor was definitely my wife's zeppole. These deep-fried balls of dough were wonderfully crisp on the outside, with moist and pleasantly doughy interiors. Dusted with sugar and nutmeg, they put Timbits to absolute shame. Sorry, not sorry, Canada. It didn't stop there though, as they came with almond ice cream, whipped cream, and a sour cherry compote that had that delicious mix of sweet and tart. I was lucky that it was a generous portion, because I was able to do my husbandly duties and finish off the dish. Service was warm and attentive, and the atmosphere is such a unique little getaway. I hold them to a high bar due to reputation, expectation and to be honest, pricing, and while perfection may not have been met, it was still a delicious meal and great experience. There's a reason Le Caveau has been around for so long, and will continue to be for years to come.

There is a reason Curated magazine rated this place #9 out of the '50 Best Places to Eat' in Nova…read moreScotia (see photo of write up from 2023 edition)! We came for a birthday celebration which we were very happy about because Le Caveau doesn't traditionally do winter dinners. They are open during January and February for weekends only. I was sad to learn that they will close in March and April but hopefully that changes in the future as early spring would be awesome here. We chose the 5:00 pm seating (open 5-730 pm currently) and it was a great choice because we were the only ones in the restaurant. Of note, the restaurant is located at The Inn (across the actual restaurant, on the same property) during the winter months. Our server was lovely and let us choose our seats in one of two rooms - the 'kitchen' room or the side dining room. We chose the dining room and that's our only regret; the other room would have allowed us to watch the chef which would have been awesome. We took a while with the menu because we couldn't decide with everything looking so good. The server brought us a birthday drink to toast while we decided which was really nice. While the portions may look small in the photos, choosing one item from each course makes this just perfect. We decided to share a second and if we had each had our own, we agreed we'd be overly full before dessert arrived. Some folks may find this over-priced, but you're paying for quality local ingredients that are made to order as you sit. There are no Sysco products or pre-bottled ingredients in the kitchen. You really get what you pay for while supporting local farmers. Seating is VERY limited so you definitely need reservations. We will definitely be back in the summer to check out the actual restaurant. We would really love to visit when the pergola patio is open because a cocktail or glass of wine with all of the blooms would be just stunning. Skip the garbage fast food for a month and save up to try this place out. You will love the service, quality and the atmosphere.

Photos
Le Caveau Restaurant - Interior shot

Interior shot

Le Caveau Restaurant - Lamb adobo

Lamb adobo

Le Caveau Restaurant - Lobster croquettes

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Lobster croquettes

Captains Cabin Restaurant - The bar

Captains Cabin Restaurant

2.9(10 reviews)
22.9 km
$$

We had just gotten off a whale watch, and it was close to many restaurants' closing times…read more Everywhere we tried to go was too close to closing to let us in or they were closed. This was our only option before a 2 1/2 hour drive to Halifax. The service was good. Our server was very nice. But the food was... mediocre. The salad dressing came in little Kraft packets. The meals came with two veggie sides and mashed potatoes. The veggies -- carrots and parsnips -- tasted either canned or boiled or both. The mashed potatoes were clearly instant. I can't remember the last time I went to a restaurant and had food that was lower quality than I make in my own kitchen. The scallops were decent which was the only consolation as we had been looking forward to scallops from Digby since before our trip. The restaurant could also use a refresh. The inside looks like it's 1986. The air conditioning was also messed up and the inside of the restaurant was so cold I had to go get a long sleeved shirt from the car. And I am never cold. I rarely leave bad reviews, but I had to tell my honest opinion. I didn't even take pictures of our food which goes to show how disappointed I was.

The original owner/chef passed away last year and now is apparently run by a friendly Mexican. I…read morehad a pretty good 2-piece haddock and chips, and my wife enjoyed her scallop roll. We ate on the diner side, open for lunch, but there is a much larger dining room as well. Recommended!

Photos
Captains Cabin Restaurant - Full bar!

Full bar!

Captains Cabin Restaurant - Bar area and decor

Bar area and decor

Captains Cabin Restaurant - Kitchen side and decor

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Kitchen side and decor

Mad Hatter Wine Bar - wine_bars - Updated May 2026

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