My wife and I were luckily able to get a spot in Townhouse while in the 'Nish despite our lack of a…read morereservation, thanks to the poor weather and coming in at old people, early bird-esque hours. On the upside, we were there for a good stretch of happy hour! The space is cozy, with a pub-like feel from the bar counter you can sit at, as well as a stunning main bar with lovingly detailed, darkly-stained wood. Dark wainscoting rings the room, but the charm of its previous tenants fades away from there, with a generic tile floor and basic acoustic tile ceiling. We indulged in both the liquid and solid offerings on the happy hour menu, with the salt cod fritters ($9) a couple bucks under the regular menu price. Being in town to try things out and not just go for the cheapest items, we ordered from the whole menu, tacking on the beet salad and burrata toast. We decided we'd re-assess our appetites after those three apps. The beet salad ($10) was a colourful display of Nova Scotia's late harvest season, with beautiful, thin slices of purple, pink and golden beets. The kaleidoscope of root vegetables was topped with dots of whipped ricotta, blue cheese, popcorn and pea shoots. Delicate and lightly tart, with contrasting textures of the salty and smooth whipped ricotta and the airy crunch of the popcorn added dimensionality to the dish. Also, it's impossible to go wrong with pea shoots in my books! As my wife isn't a big seafood fan, I had most of the salt cod fritters to myself, and I wasn't complaining. An herby, crisp exterior encased a pleasantly doughy and lightly fishy interior, which was amped up by the fantastic sun-dried tomato and chili oil. The burrata toast ($14) didn't have a whole, massive blob of Italian cheesy goodness, but I should have guessed that would be the case given the price. A guy can dream, right? Crisp buttery focaccia held up well to its caprese-like toppings - roasted tomatoes, pesto and, of course, a slathering of creamy burrata. Bee pollen was noted on the menu and visible on the toast, but didn't register amongst the other flavours. After three very good starters, we decided that we had room for one main between the two of us, and landed on the ricotta gnocchi ($27). I was pleasantly surprised when the plate was put before us, and I saw that the fluffy bundles of carbs and cheese were pan fried, lending a light crispness and more flavour. Most gnocchi dishes aren't too meaty, but Townhouse had a decent portion of bresaola (dry-cured beef) and guanciale (cured pork cheek), letting the thinly-sliced, but big flavours, of the Italian cured meats punch above their weight. Pesto and pea shoots reappeared to bring some vegetal balance to the dish, and a salty hit of Pecorino-Romano rounded things out nicely. Not to be outdone by the savoury parts of the menu, Townhouse's desserts are far from an afterthought. The sticky toffee ($13) was wildly decadent, with the lightly spiced sponge cake begging to sop up the heavenly caramel cream sauce and French vanilla ice cream. Although they could stand to invest in their interior design, Townhouse's kitchen speaks for itself and the well-deserved accolades it has received. A definite 'must' when in Antigonish!

This is a lovely place that we found unexpectedly. We were looking for a restaurant and some people…read moresuggested this place. We thought it'll be an A-pk bar food but we were pleasantly surprised with the quality and the flavors in these dishes! We started with a creative scallops croquettes on a Fuccacia bread, so rich in amazing flavors! The wedge salad was fresh and had a good quality blue cheese on with excellent pieces of bacon. The chicken Karrage with lettuce wraps and couscous salmon were both devine! Had a great chat with the owner and she ensured we ´re enjoying our food and ensured that they do their best to get local products. The Ambiance was great with candles everywhere and service was good too especially the place was completely fully booked. Highly recommend!

Seafood chowder isn't the sexiest food to photograph, but the chowder at Harbour House was a…read morepleasant surprise when a power outage last year forced a change of plans for mine and my wife's lunch. The chowder had tender chunks of lobster, haddock and scallops, and the creamy broth was in the Goldilocks zone of not too thick and not too thin. A lovely roll that was crisp on the outside and had a light crumb was made for dipping! My wife's chicken and brie roll with a tomato and feta soup was a light but flavourful lunch, and a solid deal at just $15. Bonus points to HH for having GF options for all of their buns and pizzas too! On a return visit after we had moved back to the county, I leaned into the pub side of the menu, and tried the house burger, which comes topped with the usual suspects, plus cheese and bacon. It was a good burger - a thick, pub-style patty, melty cheese, crisp bacon, and the bun held up well. Solid fundamentals, if no real standout elements. The fries were of the crispy-coated variety, which I'm a fan of. Oddly, the ends of each fry were much more browned than the rest, which reminded me of fries that you bake at home. Not a strike against them, it just seemed odd. My wife's shepherd's pie was a hearty plate. The spacious casserole dish was packed with meat and potatoes, and given a non-traditional slathering of melted cheese for good measure. I did my husband due diligence and finished off what my wife didn't have room for. Harbour House is doing some above average grub, especially when you know the right dishes to get.

The service was friendly and scenery is nice. The chowder and lobster roll were ok. The burger was…read moreordinary and the fries are not good. The beer selection was fine

We are on a boat and were able to have drinks and dinner at the Groundswell Pub - the owner is a…read morereally nice man and his two beautiful daughters helped serve our meals. Lovely deck overlooking the harbor, a nice menu with something for everyone - it was a great find! We highly recommend stopping here!

Groundswell is a gem in the crown of Madame Isle. Sure it has great local beers, a full bar, and a…read moregorgeous location; but Groundswell has more.... The owners love their lovely tavern and they care for their guests. A visitor is not just another punter in for a drink, but a welcome friend. The food is excellent, the interior is cozy while the beer garden is a veritable playground replete with a beautiful coast. Do yourself a favor. When you are near Madame Isle, stop by Groundswell, you will not be disappointed.

Great food Great timing…read more Great service , very friendly. Little loud but didn't feel unwelcome.

Somehow, I've forgotten about The Thistle since I've been back in town and it was time to rectify…read morethat with a revisit to this rebranded mainstay of New Glasgow's food and bar scene. I'm not sure when The Thistle rebranded as a "gastropub", but not too much seems to have changed with their menu or interior. Their food offerings certainly aren't the chef-driven, creative stylings of a true gastropub. That all said, I still appreciate that these guys are open seven days a week, and are actually open beyond 7-8:00pm, unlike many other places in town. I ordered the Farmhouse burger, a now-longtime fixture of The Thistle's menu, which harkens back to the Man vs Food days of food eating challenges and mash-ups of over-the-top (and belt) menus. Comprised of a 6oz patty, two chicken fingers, bacon and cheese, it's all your day's recommended calories in one meal - so efficient! My wife went with one of her go-to choices, the pulled pork sandwich. It wasn't too too busy for a weekend evening, with a wet spring day keeping some people home, so we got our food in good time. Gastropub moniker or no, pub burgers can be a bit hit or miss, depending on how much the cooks actually give a damn about their job, but my Farmhouse turned out quite well. The patty had a nice char and wasn't dry and overcooked, while the chicken fingers and bacon added some savoury crunch. I'd generally not a fan of BBQ sauces on burgers, as the cloying sweetness really isn't necessary, but the chipotle BBQ sauce had a good flavour. The cheese was good and melty, and the bun toasted - checking some more boxes in Burger 101. The fries were *incredibly* plentiful. Like Five Guys amounts of fries! They could cut back a good 20% and no one in their right mind should complain. They were on the oily side, however. I'm not sure if this is from the fryer not being up to temp after doing some orders, or just not having a proper double fry, but this was a missed opportunity for my mound of hand-cut spuds. My wife's pulled pork sandwich was a solid execution of what's now a very common sight on bar menus. Coleslaw and lettuce brought a little texture, while a large Caesar salad was shared between us (I shared fries too, I promise!). The Thistle may be trying to pull the wool over people's eyes with this rebranding, but this dependable bar is a town fixture for a reason. This meal was more hit than miss, and for that, I'll give them a star upgrade nearly 10 years (!!!) after I first reviewed them here.

Great Sunday Brunch menu, one of only a few places open on Sundays in the area. Excellent service…read morein an adorable cafe setting.

It's always a good thing when a new generation of restauranteurs injects life into a small town…read morewith their food and flavours, and this was the case last summer when Shoebox Cantina opened up on Provost Street. While the name has a Tex-Mex vibe, the menu reflects the broad base of appeal that is often necessary to succeed in smaller communities. As such, alongside their taco menu, you'll also find the likes of steak, bacon mac and cheese, and wings. My fingers were crossed that this wouldn't be a "Jack of all trades, master of none" scenario. Showing up for a lunch with my sister, we leaned into the Tex-Mex part of the menu and ordered the carnitas fries supreme ($13) and the taco sampler ($24). They've got a sizeable rotating tap list of local beers, so I went with a rye IPA from Tatamagouche Brewing. The pork carnitas fries supreme may not have evoked the flavours of Taco Bell's famous hot mess, but they stood tall on their own. A plate of moderately thick fries somehow supported a hefty layer of saucy pork, green onions and a lime crema. Rich and savoury, I found myself wishing for some tableside hot sauce, but was too busy demolishing these to ask. My sister and I, who have both languished for years under the yoke of higher priced food in bigger cities, were very impressed by the value for dollar on this as well. The taco sampler, which is comprised of Shoebox's chicken, carnitas, fish and sweet potato tacos, was both a literal and figurative mixed plate. I appreciated that all the tacos leaned in the minimalist direction of Mexican street tacos; I'm not interested in shredded lettuce and cheddar on my tacos. My two favourites were the fish and sweet potato. The beer battered fish was airy and crisp, and the fish itself was firm and flakey; pickled red cabbage added a lightly tart counterpoint to the deep fried haddock. The sweet potato taco was comprised of ultra-crisp, hash brown-esque pieces of sweet potato, as well as some avocado to add flavour and textural contrast. Sides of a few different salsas - pico, verde and roja - let you mix and match complementing flavours. The other proteins, while far from bad, didn't live up to their potential. The carnitas was oddly heavily sauced, and lacked the crisp bits that show up in this traditional hodge podge of chopped pork. As for the chicken mole, more mole sauce and its rich, lightly chocolatey depth would have been welcome. While I'm not a dessert person, I was blown away by how good the Spanish toast ($9) was. A brioche bun got the French toast treatment and was then topped with brulée sugar, dulce de leche, whipped cream and a blueberry compote. The crisp sugar was a pleasant contrast to an otherwise soft, albeit delicious dish, while the dulce de leche will have you forgetting about maple syrup completely. On a second visit, I hit the more pub-like section of their menu and got the buttermilk fried chicken burger and upgraded the fries to the bacon Caesar salad ($16 + $2). While the sandwich was solid, there's some room for improvement. The chicken itself was a winner - really crisp batter enveloped a moist and tender piece of chicken. The toasted brioche bun held things together well, and honey and a pickle added contrasting flavours to the sandwich. In the "cons" column, some hot sauce would have been welcome to amp up the flavour and there was an awkward amount of lettuce of the sandwich. In tandem with the shape of the chicken versus that of the bun, some bites were just bun and lettuce, which is...not great. The side salad wasn't the prettiest, but it hit the spot. Iceberg lettuce took the place of romaine, and I'm not sure if the croutons were forgotten or the ultra crispy bits of bacon were doing double duty, but it worked. Shoebox Cantina is bringing a lot to New Glasgow and beyond their generally well-executed menu, they host live music events and even have a recording studio upstairs. New businesses like this are just what small towns need, and the same can be said for Shoebox and your taste buds.

Always a treat to eat here. First time I ordered the Reuben. A little on the smaller side for a…read moreReuben but done nicely.

Best pub in NS! Food is always excellent especially the "chish & fips". Beer selection is also…read moreoutstanding. Kitchen Party is my favourite. Cozy, cheerful vibe with its stone walls and wood beams. First rate service. Located downtown , street parking on nearby Provost St.

Nice to see they have moved into the NA beer segment! This coupled with the variety of food on…read moreoffer and live entertainment makes Bogside a must when in the area!

Really good beers, did not try food as we were just passing through…read more Got a hoodie for gift as we liked their logo.

The Blue Lobster is in Stellarton NS…read more We had a fun night out with food and drinks. The mac and cheese was delicious. Enjoyed the Painted Boat (beer). They sell merch including some very nice sweat shirts! Service was great.

1‑Star Review: Blue Lobster Public House Our visit to Blue…read moreLobster Public House was disappointing. The restaurant was understaffed, and the service felt slow and chaotic. We ordered fish and chips with a switch to fries, were told there'd be no extra charge, yet later found a $4 fee on our $115 bill. The food didn't redeem the experience -- the fish batter was burnt, and the meal arrived barely warm. We were hungry and in a rush, so we ate it, but it wasn't worth it. Overall, the place was too busy, the quality was poor, and the value wasn't there. I wouldn't return unless they offered a full complimentary meal to make up for the experience.

GREAT service with a smile, the pizza was amazing but what was the best is the lobster roll…read more... best i have ever had with a huge side of caesar salad. Good prices and nice to see that local artist are able to show and sell their artworks on the walls.... well done Papa's!

Every time visiting east coast it's a must stop , always like the food , service is always good ,…read moregreat place to take your family