aFrite opened on the Halifax waterfront a matter of months after I left Halifax, and in the seven…read moreyears since, chef Andrew Al-Khouri's restaurant has made that magical transition from the new kid on the block to a neighbourhood stalwart. The airy, but cozy, space is in the perfect location for me, in between my office and the spot I'd be hitting for pub trivia later that evening. We weren't sat at the bar, but our table had a nice view of the action in the kitchen. The menu is compact and efficient, but still has a broad enough selection that there's going to be something for you no matter your tastes. Creative insertions of Middle Eastern influence show up in the likes of kafta meatballs, za'atar fries and arugula fattoush, while the rest of the menu takes inspiration from around the globe to freshen up comfort food classics. You can only hope that you're in for a treat when you're confronted with a menu that you wish you could have in its entirety, and we weren't disappointed for our first taste of aFrite. Our meal started off with an order of the kafta meatballs. The herbacious hit of their seasoning was just like that of their skewered brethren, and the meatballs had a fantastic sear on them from their cast iron cooking. Veg and flatbread accoutrements and a tzatziki drizzle prettied up the plate and added flavour and contrast, but let's not kid ourselves, you're getting this dish for dem balls. I opted for the fried chicken katsu for my main, and while less technically involved than some of its peers on the menu, the dish was well-executed and hit the spot. The cutlet of fried chicken a thick, but not too thick, breading whose crispiness held up in the face of multiple sauces and the steam of the rice below. Gochujang mayo brought a hint of hint and creaminess, some sweet-savoury contrast came care of the kecap manis, while the ponzu cucumbers brightened things up. My wife's wild mushroom falafel burger was a fun and creative vegetarian dish in an age of forgettable Beyond/Impossible offerings used to check the 'vegetarian dish' column on a menu. The mushrooms added some umami to the falafel patty, and the overall package with the fresh veg was like a fancy falafel wrap. The fries that came with the falafel burger almost stole the show for me. They were peak-frite with an ultra-crispy exterior that told a tale of a blanching plus double fry cook. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, there was no room for dessert! aFrite is a great little neighbourhood joint with the heart and soul to match its creative and well-executed menu, and in an age of corporatized, Instagram-bait restaurants, it deserves your dollars and your taste buds deserve their food.

Cute, small place with creative and thoughtful dishes and friendly service…read more Stopped in for an early lunch/brunch and service was attentive. Husband got the donair eggs benny which we both liked, though donair meat could have been a bit more seasoned. I got the salt cod cake which was served over delicious bbq stewed chickpeas that were very lovely. Place was cozy and had a basket of blankets for colder days. A bit pricey, but would recommend.

Drift was once on the list of top 100 Canadian restaurant, and we've decided to have lunch here…read moreduring our trip to Halifax. Reservation is easy and there's still plenty of spots for Friday lunch with same day booking. The vibe here is relaxing and quiet with the restaurant entrance hidden inside a hotel. Service is good too. The chef has demonstrated quite solid cooking skil and my suggestion is to go with the fancier dish here where the chef clearly pays more attention to, compared to dishes like fish and chips. I tried a classic cocktail with gin as the base. It turned out to be very refreshing. For food, Caesar salad was delicious. Pan fried cod fillet was cooked perfectly, very tender and went well with the roots vegetables. It was my favorite dish here. Lobster pasta was also delicious. Fish and chips were average, definitely not comparable to some of the food truck places. Fries were dry and tasted bitter. Overall, this is a good restaurant with great food quality, good service and nice environment. I would consider revisiting if I'm in Halifax again.

What do you think of when you're heading out east ? Seafood of course ! Let me tell you... I've got…read morea new appreciation for it after my trip last week. We've had a trip planned to golf Cabot for the last few years. The texts and emails were flying delays, cancelled trips and in general , I never thought it would happen. Surprisingly, Halifax was a quick little flight from Toronto and am I ever glad we did it. First off, we talked about getting lobster on the side of the road at shacks etc, blah blah blah but as soon as we landed we headed to meet a friend who said we must try this lobster croissant sandwich at The Drift. OMG OMG OMG ! Could be one of the best sandwiches I've ever tasted but you know what was even better, the Chablis, no, the lobster pasta, no... It was the lobster fritters. They were insane ! The fritters are a bit like a conch if you've ever had that in the BVIs but they are battered so perfectly with a zesty hint of like that is so perfect, it's too hard to describe. Over the top crispy timbit deliciousness with lobster. The drift is a MAJOR win, it's along the water in Halifaxs best hotel the Muir and it's just perfect. Our trip was filled with Oysters and I have to say, each place had slightly different variations but I will NEVER say I had a better Oyster than in Halifax. If you hear me say it, just call me out because we had at least 4 Oysters each at around 6 places and they were all better than anywhere I've ever eaten in the world, almost to the point where I didn't need the sides (almost). I am so glad I visited Halifax, oh and by the way, the golf at Cabot was insane ! INSANE ! Was it better than Cabot St Lucia ? Nope, but I give Cabot St Lucia a 9.8 and I give Cabot Cape Breton a 9.6. STOP right there ! I had the crab shack , I had the crab shack and oh my gosh was it good. Just outside Cabot is the best little shack with the freshest little sandwiches on fluffy buns. Check it out right here- get the mainlander sandwich and the crab bretoner. The mainlander is warm lobster spiced up on the bun, heaven ! And the crab bretoner is chilled crab, mix up perfectly with aioli, green on and a few other things. If you're near Inverness you better stop there. Ok ok ok , I'm writing all of this as I go but on the Sunday we end up at the 5 fishermen. Order the lobster, the carbonara lobster , the chowder and Oysters at every single place you go in Halifax and thank me later. I wasn't expecting to love the food this much, wow ! If you're there on a Sunday, hit Durty Nellys. In my Opinion it's the best pub in the world- yep ! See ya next week :)

My husband and I had dinner at Tempo on our recent trip to Halifax. They had a Summer Lobster…read moreSpecial - a pound-and-a-quarter lobster, coleslaw, potato salad and a roll for $25. We loved it! We started with the Tempo House Greens ($9) which was mixed greens, beets, poached pears, goat cheese and pecan brittle crumbs. We wanted to share the salad as our appetizer and they actually split it and put it into 2 bowls for us. How nice is that? Most other places that we've been to just put the dish in the middle and give us 2 forks. I also forgot to tell our server when we ordered that I wanted the dressing on the side. I asked her a little while after ordering if it was too late to make that request and it turned out that the kitchen already made it, but they gladly remade it for me with the dressing on the side. What excellent customer service!! We both got the lobster special (obviously). The lobster was delicious and it was pre-cracked for us. The potato salad was good - and that's coming from someone who doesn't usually like potato salad. This one wasn't too "mayonnaisey" and it had peas in it which was cool. The coleslaw was vinaigrette based, not cream based, so I was a fan since I hate creamy coleslaw. I didn't eat my roll; it looked really dry. My husband ate both his roll and mine. He is a man of few words when it comes to describing food. When I asked him about it, he said "it was an ordinary roll." Whatever that means, lol. Our server was Arden, and she was great. She was really nice, refilled our waters without us having to ask and checked up on us appropriately. Decor is simple and clean. Tempo is attached to the Delta Barrington Hotel. In term of taste, value, and service, Tempo is my new favourite restaurant in Halifax.

I had breakfast this morning at Tempo Food + Drink…read more I don't usually eat breakfast but I had time and I won't be able to have lunch 'til later this afternoon. I ordered two eggs (easy over) and a glass of milk. It was good until I came across a bit piece of egg shell. Accidents happen and I'm glad I found it on the plate and not while I was chewing it. It put me off the eggs so I ate the toast and some home fries. I let Lisa, my server, know about it when I was ready to pay. She handled it well and asked me if I wanted something else instead (I didn't). She didn't charge me for the meal.

Took the short ferry ride from downtown Halifax across the harbor and walked up the street to this…read morefantastic little place in Dartmouth. We were lucky to get a table in the small outdoor patio and enjoyed Seafood Chowder, Cobb Salad and the star of the show, the Crobster Roll. Everything was fresh and well prepared. Great way to spend the afternoon, highly recommended!

Mouthwateringly delicious. This rather small restaurant in downtown Dartmouth has a big reputation…read morefor excellent cuisine. Prices are in line with other dining establishments in its genre. On to the food -- My spouse ordered seafood chowder and said the broth in particular had tremendous flavor. It was filled with haddock, 2 scallops, 4 mussels, and a bit of lobster along with potatoes, carrots, celery and onions. A tiny biscuit came with the chowder, which was a little disappointing. I ordered the scallop and pea risotto which offered an explosion of flavor in every bite. The creamy risotto came fused with mint and a dotting of fresh peas, and the 5 scallops topped with crème fresh and mini radish sticks and fresh pea pods added texture. Service was spot on, and since we did not have reservations yet were the first to enter when the establishment opened in the evening, the staff graciously gave us a 90-minute window to enjoy our meal. If we vacation in this quaint town again, The Canteen definitely will be among the first eateries we visit.

I went here to celebrate my birthday with my adult son and my girlfriend. The waiter was nice and…read morefriendly. I ordered whiskey and bacon smashburger with a side of Mac n cheese and a Garrison Georgia peach beer. The burger was delicious and the mac n cheese was some of the best I've ever had as well. It had a fairly quiet ambiance which was nice since it was the middle of the afternoon. My girlfriend had the chicken bacon ranch pizza which she said was good as well. We'll be coming back another time because there's other things on the menunI really wanted to try as well.

The Stubborn Goat Gastropub had all the ingredients for a great experience--an appealing concept,…read moredecent atmosphere, and attentive staff. However, the food simply did not deliver on what I expected from a gastropub, nor did it live up to the positive reviews I'd read beforehand. As a gastropub, one anticipates elevated, thoughtfully crafted dishes that showcase culinary skill and quality ingredients. What I encountered instead were dishes that fell short of those standards. The execution lacked the precision and care you'd expect at this price point, and the flavors didn't justify the gastropub positioning. I came with high expectations based on what others have praised here, but the food experience left me disappointed. While the service and ambiance have merit, they can't compensate for a fundamental letdown on the plate. For a gastropub to succeed, the food needs to be the star--and unfortunately, that's where The Stubborn Goat missed the mark for me.

Stayed around the corner and found this by accident for brunch. Had the best shakshuka I've tasted…read moreanywhere in the world here. The pita bread was outstanding and plentiful. The food quality was exceptional. The waitress was exceptional in her service and super friendly and kind. Food came up quickly. Cannot wait to return for other meals on future trips. Outdoor seating was terrific and the indoors looked cozy and inviting.

Solid higher end Lebanese fare in Halifax. Beautiful dining environment!! The star is the stained…read moreglass tree behind the bar - reminiscent of a cedar. Had a seafood and meat sharing tray. The seafood was the star - in particular the octopus that was extremely tender and not rubbery at all. I would skip the meat tray - it's pretty standard fare. The pricing is definitely on the upper end for Lebanese fare - I would stick with the seafood dishes that truly are unique versus most other middle eastern restaurants!!!

Located in a historical building and right next to Alexander Keith's, Black Sheep makes the perfect…read morepairing offering great food, drinks, and service. We came here right at opening for breakfast and there was already a decent amount of people starting their day here with a meal. The staff was warm and welcoming and seated us right away. Even though it was breakfast, I like that their menu offered some lunch options in case you're looking for something more heartier. The food is fresh, tasty and well-seasoned. I ordered the seafood chowder which was delicious and included tons of seafood. The breakfast options are plentiful, but whatever you do, be sure to try their blueberry lavender jam! It's so delicious and made fresh in-house with local blueberries. It was so good, that I wanted to buy a jar, but couldn't since I had a long flight afterwards and it needed refrigeration. I'd definitely recommend this spot to grab a bite and drinks and I hope they offer a shelf-stable blueberry lavender jam soon!

A beautiful restaurant with a rustic ambience. The seafood chowder was delicious, and do get the…read morefocaccia bread to go with it.

Service, meal and the atmosphere were absolutely wonderful. First time there and can't wait to go…read moreback.

We have long been fans of Resto and were very sad when they had to close due to flooding…read more Therefore, we were delighted when they reopened and heard that they had won an award Now, though, they have changed their menu! Our favorites have either been removed from the menu or altered so as to taste completely different. The salmon was my favorite. It used to be served with goat cheese - now it is served with a spicy chili sauce. The sausage pasta is no longer offered, nor is the sausage , pepperoni pizza. The service remains exemplary and the ambiance is the same. Sadly the food has gone down hill with this latest menu...