The Short Version: Popular restaurants that makes their food from scratch and sources ingredients locally. Tasty food and friendly service. The Long Version: My husband and I had dinner at The Wooden Monkey and we enjoyed it. I always prefer organic and locally sourced ingredients as they are fresher and as a result usually taste better, so that's one of the reasons it was on our list of places to try. I initially wanted the haddock burger and was thrilled to hear that their bun (which they bake in-house) was a plain bun without sesame seeds or poppy seeds. However, our helpful server, Angie, informed me that the breading for the haddock contained sesame seeds, so I had to order something else :( My backup plan was the Fish Cakes ($17.50). The default side is "roasties" which is their famous roasted potatoes, but Angie recommended a side salad instead since the fish cakes contained potatoes and it would be a lot of starches without vegetables. This was a great suggestion. I did want to try their roasties so I got the half salad half roasties upgrade (an additional $5) and chose the Sweet Apple salad. My husband got the salmon ($29.25). He chose roasties as his side, but his salmon automatically came with some roasted vegetables too. My fish cakes were good, but I felt there could have been a bit more fish. The potato to fish ratio was high. They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I liked the homemade tartar sauce. The roasties were seasoned potato wedges. I liked the thin and crispy ones. The thicker and softer ones, not so much. However, my husband gladly ate them, lol. The Sweet Apple salad was delicious (Angie said it was her favourite when I was deciding on that one or the Beet salad). It had mixed greens, apples, carrots, daikon, goat cheese, walnuts and green onions. The dressing was a maple mustard dressing, which I requested on the side and it arrived as requested. The ingredients were fresh and I really liked the flavours of the salad. There was a tiny bit of coleslaw on my plate too. It was good (vinegar instead of mayo based) but was only a tiny mouthful. My husband enjoyed his salmon. I had a taste and agreed that it was great. My husband also got a beer (Propeller pilsner $9). The restaurant has a monkey motif so the decor is full of monkey stuff. Angie was a fabulous server. Friendly and attentive and helpful. They have indoor seating and patio seating when the weather is nice. Street parking only. Review #127 (2026) read more

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We stopped in to get lunch and the menu looked really good especially their specials with a cream of mushroom soup and a salmon pesto fettuccine. There was a couple in front of us. That had been waiting a long time for a table and two waitresses working in a gentleman. Unfortunately, we waited 15 minutes to even get acknowledged about getting seated at that point we decided to leave unfortunately we won't be back and now we understand why there's a four star rating. read more

Unique and delicious menu choices. Helpful and friendly staff. Nice decor, great location. Lentil burger, lamb burger and Korean tacos were all enjoyed. Bert salad was amazing! Very accommodating to special dietary requests. A great experience! read more

Our group of 4 stopped here for a late lunch on a Tuesday. The restaurant was not too crowded. I am providing this detail because it took quite a while to get our food. The carrot soup was so rich it was almost a puree, with a unique flavor. It paired well with the toasted focaccia. The Korean tacos had a fresh taste and were well filled. The burrito was too big to finish but was quite tasty. We also found the seafood chowder delicious. We all appreciated having the choice of a salad rather than roasties, which helped balance the quantity and richness of the entrees. read more

It was my last night in Halifax, and I really wanted to stop by The Wooden Monkey before I left. I arrived shortly before closing time, so I only had time for dessert and a cocktail. I had the maple cinnamon creme brulee which was accompanied by a whimsical crescent moon shaped sugar cookie. Both delicious. I also had a Dark N' Stormy cocktail which had a nice kick to it! The waiter was very professional, and personable. I felt very welcomed there. Nice, mellow,and relaxing atmosphere. I would definitely like to come back for lunch or dinner if I'm ever in Halifax again. read more

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Chickpea Salad was to die for! A burger was also had; devoured and delicious! Potato wedges were soft and not very exciting, could have been WAY crispier! Will definitely go back! Sever was happy but did take a tick to bring us water. The decor is always a pleasure. Notice something new every time. read more

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What a great meal. Came in on recommendation from friends. Everyone at the table enjoyed their food. I especially liked the Jerk Chicken Risotto. It was very flavourful without being extremely spicy hot. My wife had the Lamb Ravioli and enjoyed her meal as well. read more

The Wooden Monkey - Jerk Chicken Risotto - Bars Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Pizza is very good! Atmosphere is relaxing, servers are very nice and personable. Definitely a great spot to go to if you're in the area.

Dinning experience was excellent as was the service and food. I would recommend anyone interested in an authentic meal go to the Wooden Monkey. read more

Food is ok, meaning not bad but not very good that I can say, but the wait is long long time, not to be seated, the restaurant is not busy at all but waiting for the server to come and then wait for food to come on your table total is 45 minutes read more

Alice was a terrific server, great food recommendations and the food was sublime. I had the local salmon with sweet potatoes, and my wife had a chicken curry with rice. Both were excellent. Highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Great farm to table restaurant supporting local farmers and businesses. Great fresh food. Beer from local breweries and beer tasting. Great service in a pub style restaurant. Make sure you try the wild blueberry pie! Has options for vegan, vegetarian and gluten free needs. Make sure to make a reservation being it gets very crowded with locals. read more

Our worst meal experience in Halifax. We wanted a light meal near our hotel. Decent reviews and a 2 minute walk from our hotel led us to the Wooden Monkey. We were ignored for a time by the indifferent borderline rude staff as we entered the nearly empty place. Our waiter was ok but he did not actually serve nor checked on us during the meal. Vodka martini came in a large glass less than half full. Salad was ok but nothing special. Pizza was awful! Looked and tasted like a frozen supermarket pie. Little cheese and awful tomato sauce. Luckily we were not that hungry. Based on what we did have I'd never want to try their other dishes. Most interesting part of the experience was the exterior of the old building. read more

The Wooden Monkey - Bars Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Excellent service and food. The atmosphere was great and the price was reasonable. We had spent the weekend near here and the location was very convenient. read more

Excellent food and service is pleasant, if slow. They seemed understaffed, to be honest, but everything is designed and prepared thoughtfully and served deliciously. There are many options for people who are vegetarian, vegan, gluten or dairy free, or any combination there of. Even the "lighter" plates are plenty of food, as you can see from my fish cakes. read more

The Wooden Monkey - Fish cakes with roasties - Bars Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

The jambalya was delicious. Prompt and courteous service. Fun place to eat. Great fun place to go.

The food at The Wooden Monkey was ok, but someone decided to salt the food all over with tons of salt. It was a weekend and the place was packed which did kind of reduce the ambiance. read more

Decided to take the ferry to explore the other side of the harbor. Cute restaurant, farm to table style. I ordered a drink and side salad to eat while sitting on their porch enjoying the sun and waterfront views. Service was attentive and friendly. Worth checking out! read more

The Wooden Monkey - Raspberry drink - Bars Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

The restaurant has a great location near the Citadel. We enjoyed our food but it took a long time to receive our meals. If you have more time to spend and aren't in a hurry, it is a solid choice. They also have outdoor seating. read more

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After work myself and my co workers went here for dinner and drinks. If you want to sample the variety of beers, ales and lagers of The area this is a must stop. They carry over 50 different brands of beer. I had the classic shandy. As an ex-pat I have fond memories of shandies as a kid. This drink brought back those memories. This would make an excellent thirst quencher on a hot day. I downed the thing and ordered another. I had the nachos. While on the over done side it was still a decent portion. My co workers all had a range of seafood dishes and pastas. To a person they all enjoyed their meals. I even had a few staff try a shandy to see what the fuss was about. The place was very accommodating. As a party of 8 we had great seats and the staff provided separate bills. We all left happy and full. Cheers. read more

This restaurant has wonderful decor and a really fun vibe. Excellent service and well trained staff. Would love to give it five stars, but the food did not quite deliver. 4/5. Pasta and flavor combos were excellent but fish cakes were dry and pan seared scallops were overcooked and rubbery. Also odd that they have nice dinnerware, but use paper napkins. Still, glad we went and we enjoyed it. read more

Good combo of bar/tavern ambience with good food and drink selection. Jerk chicken was 10/10.

The service and food were both amazing. Our party could not eat gluten, dairy, or shellfish and left completely satisfied. Our server, Teddy, went above and beyond. 100% returning the next time in Halifax and recommend to all. read more

Great food. Great ambiance. Excellent service. Highly recommend. The chef focuses on locally sourced ingredients and beverages. Had the fish and chips and the 3 dips. All was great read more

Nice place to people watch and although a bit noisy, it's cheerful, welcoming noise. The server was wonderful to this solo traveler read more

The Wooden Monkey - Garrison Tall Ship - Bars Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Beautiful location in Halifax. The restaurant wasn't very crowded so we were able to choose where we wanted to sit. Our waiter was super nice and friendly. They even had books and coloring books along with markers for kids. We ordered scallops pasta which was delicious and the scallops were so fresh and perfectly prepared. The rice bowl also had the incredible scallops and tons of vegetables which was nice. The tofu was bland but the dressing/sauce it came with gave it plenty of flavor. The fish and roasties weren't as impressive though. The fish was slightly dry but the fries were good. The parking was bit tricky as only street parking was available at the time. There was construction going on, so hopefully this isn't an ongoing issue. read more

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Sadly our experience was underwhelming. We were not overly pleased with our pizza or cocktails. The service was good and the ambience was nice though. I'd try it again, as we may have just ordered the wrong stuff. read more

Terrific location with a street patio. Enjoyed a breezy late dinner of bacon wrapped scallops with a ginger shandy. Excellent and thoughtful menu of gluten free/vegan/vegetarian dishes for everyone in your party. Attentive server provided great service and local info. read more

The Wooden Monkey - bacon wrapped scallops - Bars Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

The food was wonderful. The service was great. Nice quaint little restaurant. I'm vegan and need gluten-free. They had exactly what I needed. And it was very tasty. I was a happy girl. The best place I have eaten on this trip. read more

Surprisingly good food and pleasant service. Definitely worth a visit if you're nearby.

We arrived more than an hour before our rez but staff was so accommodating- we were seated after a few minutes at the cool upstairs bar. Interesting cocktails and yummy fish with fresh veggies. Great service. This was our only night in Halifax and we chose well. I would rate meal and service a 4+. read more

I like the idea behind the restaurant. Locally sourced foods and a good vegan selection. The location is super convenient. I came for lunch and had the soup of the day (sweet potato) and fish. I thought my breaded fish was not bad, but wasn't very good either. The soup sounded good from the description, but again tasted average (maybe even overly peppery). It quickly became a meal for sustenance after a long day of traveling. For the price, overall disappointing. read more

The Wooden Monkey - Bars Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

We just popped in for a drink and a snack, and we ended up splitting the mussels. They were delicious! Service was very good and attentive; it was clear that the woman serving us cared about us having a good experience and took pride in the food and drinks she served. If we had more time in Halifax, we certainly would have come back for a full meal, especially since the Wooden Monkey is one of a surprisingly limited number of full-service restaurants in Downtown Halifax that is open for lunch and through the afternoon. read more

Delicious food, great service! We had the cream of mushroom soup and haddock burger. Great selection of local beers.

The waiter was friendly although not very attentive. The pizza was among the worst I've ever had. The crust was thin and the dough seemed frozen and obviously pre-made (not homemade). The location of the restaurant was convenient to lots of attractions downtown though. read more

Located on the corner of Grafton and Prince. Very cozy setting. Our waiter Kyle was very personable, friendly and attentive. We ordered their soup of the day which was cream of broccoli and mussels. The soup was okay but the mussels is highly recommended. Good amount of mussels for less than $12. Also, soup and mussels came with delicious bread, too! read more

The Wooden Monkey - Bars Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

took a while but was so worth it. my server was also very awesome and nice. The surrounding is very nice vibes. And the food OMFG just the best. read more

Among the top 5 worst customer service I've ever experienced. It's one thing when a single member of the waitstaff or maybe two does it but for the entire restaurant to seemingly purposely ignore our presence is just insulting. Waited about twenty minutes for someone to receive us who had a reservation but instead wanted to wait on the lady in front of us who acknowledged she did not have a reservation. The most we got was an occasional glance our way and then they would all walk away. We left and went to Julep across the street where even in a packed restaurant we were greeted immediately with eye contact and smiles. I have a high respect for people in the food service industry. It is a hard job to do and I feel like I'm very forgiving because it's really tough. But ignoring people is not specific to the service industry. That's just damn rude. read more

we had a great dining experience at The Wooden Monkey! It's a very cool building with lots of wood and two floors. The staff was professional and friendly and food was great. Bonus-- fun classic oldies playing and not too loud. read more

We had heard of the wooden monkey and walked by it several times. One night we tried it. Our expectations were met and exceeded. The service was knowledgeable, professional and commeradic. Lots of recommendations were provided and the choices were left to us. After much back and forthing we landed on a couple of dips, bacon wrapped scallops and scallop quinoa-brown rice pasta. The restaurant offers many choices for all kinds of food preferences. If you happen to get a window seat the view is nice to have. Chairs are tables are wooden, warm and comfortable. read more

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