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.

We were walking around the boardwalk and decided to give this place a try. Since it was empty, we…read moreexpected a quick meal, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. The waitress who took care of us was very nice and attentive. She took our drink and food orders, but it seemed like she was the only one handling the tables and making drinks, so everything took quite a while to come out. They also had Bad Bunny music playing pretty loudly in the restaurant, and I believe another customer asked for the volume to be lowered, which she did. The food was okay, not quite the authentic Spanish food we were expecting, but still enjoyable. The waitress apologized for the delay and explained that she was the only one working, which we understood and appreciated.

Our first time at Bar Sofia had us swinging by for a friend's birthday. There was a good dinner…read morecrowd although it ebbed before a switchover to the late night crowd. The interior design is fun and bright, with splashes of colour and fake plants, and on-brand for their target audience of millennial and Gen-Z women. The fully open kitchen is a nice touch, and I regret not having a view of it, but that's what happens when you show up last! The menu has an assortment of Latin American dishes like yucca fries, empanadas and tacos, as well as local/contemporary fare that gets a Latin touch like aguachile oysters, bravas Brussels sprouts and adobo-roasted cauliflower. My wife and I went for a mix of big and small plates, ordering the beef empanadas, Brussels sprouts, and the cauliflower. For an adult beverage, I had the Oaxaca old fashioned. It was adequate cocktail, although a smokier mezcal would have made it more memorable. Someone who I assume was a manager had spotted the gifts on the table and not only brought over a shot for the birthday girl and her partner, but for the whole table! While it was a low ABV liqueur, it was a lovely gesture and savvy business move. We must have arrived in between seatings, as despite a fairly full dining room, all our dishes came out surprisingly quickly and all together. I started out with the smaller plates. Some variation of fried Brussels sprouts has been a common sight on restaurant menus for a decade, but hey, it works! Bar Sofia's iteration gets a dose of savoury and tomato-y bravas sauce, and also gets topped with a colourful assortment of thinly sliced veg - radish, carrot, pickled red onion, jalapeno, and some sprigs of cilantro. The sauced-up sprouts lost a good bit of their crispness, but the bravas sauce was undeniably tasty, with a balance of richness and acidity. The veg accoutrements added welcome splashes of colour and texture. The empanadas come two to an order, so perfect for sharing with my wife! The hearty beef was cooked to perfection, and the olives and egg completed the traditional filling. The pastry itself was supple and flaky, with a golden brown and crisp exterior. When we swapped dishes, I was glad to get my hands on the cauliflower. The generous portion of half a head of roasted brassica came with rice, a cashew crema and the aforementioned veg toppings. The char of the cauliflower played well with the nutty sauce, and although a bit repetitive, the veg accoutrements brightened up the flavour profile. While Bar Sofia's origins as a Toronto-based restaurant company's idea to fill the commercial space at Queen's Marque isn't exactly a stamp of authenticity, they are bringing some dishes that aren't common in Halifax (other than the Brussels sprouts). I enjoyed my meal there and it's a fun vibe, but there was no 'wow' factor for me. I'm sure I'll tackle more of the menu and patio some day, but as I continue to catch up on the Halifax food scene, I'm not rushing back either.

This review is the only one you need to read. Choosing a restaurant on the Halifax Waterfront isn't…read moreeasy. Lots of good choices. The vibe and reasonable prices are what drew me into Bar Sofia when I was walking the boardwalk to decide on a place to grab dinner. The restaurant was half full when I arrived and quickly filled up. I received excellent service from both the bartender, Lance, and one of the servers (or manager) who was making his way through the room offering constant help to his teammates. I ordered the mixed grill although it had a fancier Spanish name that I don't recall. It had a little bit of everything with the perfect amount of spice. When I return, do I get it again, or pick something new to try? It's a really tough decision. Might need to make multiple trips back! They have a great drink list. I landed on a local IPA which had a lovely flavour and I would order again.

Stumbled upon this quaint restaurant / shop while looking for brunch but unfortunately left hungry…read more As other reviewers have pointed out, the menu is chock full of Latin American eats but the portions are miniscule. For instance, tostadas are pictured in the menu resembling the size of a large fist but arrive closer to the size of a two bite brownie. The plate in my picture costs nearly $35! This place has potential, but you'll have to be sure to order lots if you want to leave full.

After having been in the west end of Halifax for a few years now, I've been meaning to try out this…read morequaint Latin American restaurant for even longer, and recently righted my past indiscretions and came by on a warm winter day. The interior is split between a small grocery section, and seating for the restaurant. The grocery section has a respectable spread of canned and packaged Latin American staples, as well as dried whole peppers like the ancho and chipotle peppers I purchased here once before. Looking for some Mexican sodas? Get your Jarritos fix here! The restaurant area sits around 25 at a selection of small, but cool, little tables that have glass-covered insets filled with different dried beans in each of four quarters. Lots of plants and Latino art gave the place a cozy feel. Their menu is pretty small, with nine non-dessert items to chose from. There's signs on the tables and windows with some other options like tostadas, their Mexican breakfast, and Argentinian empanadas, so figuring out what you can order is a bit haphazard. For what is on the menu, their are very helpful descriptions of the ingredients and pictures to match, with items coming from all across Central and South America. Everything is quite shareable and priced at $2-4 each, that seems to be encouraged here. As such, for our first round my wife and I ordered two Colombian empanadas, a doblada, an arepa, and a chuchito, as well as guava and mango juices to drink. Our plate of new-to-us foods was soon before us, and we eagerly split up the spoils. My favourite of the day were the Colombian empanadas - their cornmeal shells were wonderfully crispy on the outside, and the chicken, onions and olives had a mild but enjoyable flavour. Not being a fan of olives, I was a little worried at first, but they aren't over done and added just a bit of saltiness and olive-y funk. They came with chimichurri, a parsley-based sauce, which lent some herby tang to them as well. I found the doblada to be quite similar to the empanadas, but filled with beef and topped with salsa and onions. The flavour was nice, but I preferred the crispiness of the empanadas. A bit less flashy than the other items, the unassuming arepa is effectively a white cornmeal and cheese pancake. It had a somewhat gooey consistency like solidified porridge, but it wasn't as bad as that sounds. With a nice char from the flat top, I enjoyed it, but wasn't wowed. The churchito is another dumpling-like item, with chicken in a corn flour dough that's cooked in a corn husk, and topped with tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. I wasn't a huge fan of the dough's grainy consistency, which is good in good ol' cornbread, but less so for something like this that just falls apart when you get into it. That said, it was tasty. We needed just a couple more things to get a filling lunch in, so we ordered two Argentinian empanadas, as well as a black bean pupusa - a refried bean patty topped with pickled cabbage and a tomato sauce. These empanadas were quite different from their Colombian cousins that we just had. The neatly braided dough was wheat flour-based instead of corn meal, and the filling had a much more pronounced flavour that made them my wife's favourite item of the meal. I was fairly indifferent on the pupusal; it had a bit of tartness from the pickled cabbage and tomato sauce, and the refried bean patty was fine, but not nearly as noteworthy as some of the other items we had tried. Oh, and trying all these cool foods put me back a mere $30. Cafe Aroma is an under-appreciated purveyor of some great food that is truly unique to Halifax, and really adds to its cultural diversity. I may not be able to come back with my limited time left in the city, but you definitely need to come here and load up on empanadas.

Picked up some goats milk fudge from here to take home/ absolutely melt in your mouth super smooth…read moreand delicious. I'll be back for a proper visit to try other things hopefully soon!

Short walk from our hotel, very easy to navigate to. Seater right away and server was friendly and…read moreapproachable. The wife and I had cocktails recommended by our son, all good here. Creative and well prepared mixed. I especially liked the bluelevadier. Only complaint, it's loud and the neighborhood could intimidate some.

Another joint highly praised online, so I dropped by for a late lunch…read more Ordered the lobster roll and crab ravioli. Lobster roll was fine, nothing to write home about but wouldn't order or recommend. However their crab ravioli was phenomenal, the lemon and cream sauce work perfectly. It was heavy from the cream but the citrus helped made it lighter. Service was friendly and they had patio and indoor seating.

While vacationing in Halifax, we made a point of visiting Bicycle Thief after hearing countless…read morerecommendations from friends. The restaurant is hard to miss, with several bright red bicycles decorating the entrance--a charming nod to its name and a great photo opportunity. We stopped by around 3 p.m. without a reservation and were pleasantly surprised to snag a table for two despite the restaurant being quite busy. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere felt warm, cozy, and inviting. The service was equally impressive--professional, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling my best that day, so I kept my order simple with a hot tea and the Beef Carpaccio. Our server immediately noticed I was under the weather and thoughtfully made sure I always had a fresh supply of hot water for my tea. It was such a small gesture, but it made a big difference and spoke volumes about the level of hospitality. The Beef Carpaccio was absolute perfection. Made with AAA beef tenderloin, it was delicate, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. I only wish I had been feeling better so I could have explored more of the menu. My boyfriend ordered the Linguine all'Aragosta, featuring local lobster, tomato, garlic, vino bianco, cream, and parmigiano. I managed to steal two bites, and it was heavenly--rich, fresh, and packed with flavor. The lobster was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was indulgent without being heavy. Lastly, we ordered the creme brulee and it was perfection! Creamy with the perfect brulee sugar top crack and not too sweet. It's easy to see why Bicycle Thief has become such a Halifax institution and why it's reportedly one of Sidney Crosby's favorite local restaurants. Between the exceptional food, attentive service, and inviting ambiance, it absolutely lived up to the hype. We can't wait to return on a future visit--and hopefully next time I'll be healthy enough to enjoy even more of the menu.

This restaurant is a gem! On a business trip we stumbled on…read morethis delightful spot located in strip area. Katrina a waitperson guided us through the menu The food and its presentation were excellent with an excellent wine list. The decor is subtle and not distracting.

So mad 2 doors down has closed on Barrington st! Their Kail…read moreCeaser salad was so good! Fresh crunchy kale/ lovely huge croutons/ parm cheese/ bacon and the dressing definitely house made!! Ugh I long for it!!