Tried the lunch special, Potato crusted Halibut with Citrus Tarragon Sauce. VERY good! Glad we stopped here.

The bread is fantastic and the food is solid. It also hosts a nice atmosphere but could use new furniture. The staff seemed polite and helpful. read more

The inside of this restaurant is beautiful with it's large windows full of character. But the food was a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. Especially for the price. If you love this food, then you either can't cook or have never eaten seafood properly cooked. The shrimp was obviously frozen, not fresh, and was very overcooked. The scallops were "okay" but not spectacular. I almost chocked on a bone left in the haddock, and the haddock itself tasted "old". This was NOT "fresh" seafood at its finest. If you think so, I have some swamp land to sell you. read more

Wife and I were traveling and went on a Friday which was St. Patrick's day. Happy hour menu was very affordable. Staff was attentive and friendly. The room has nice tropical sort of decor, comfortable, spacious, not cramped. Halibut was some of the best I have had. Wife enjoyed fish tacos. We would go back. read more

I like seafood, and McKelvie's is a good place to get nice fresh seafood. Maybe not the best place in Halifax, but good. The restaurant is big and open (and therefore, a bit on the noisy side). Servers are fast and friendly. I had the Crunchy Haddock the last time I was there, and it was tasty, although a bit expensive at $15.95. This restaurant seems to cater to the business and tourist crowds, so it's not the hippest place in town. Good, solid, tasty. Portions could probably be a bit larger to make it feel like better value. read more

I have been here for lunch a handful of times and it is probably the best "go to" place for seafood in town. The atmosphere is a little bit open and noisy for my taste, but the fish makes up for it every time. The trick here is to stick with the most simple fish dishes possible, the more complicated and non-fish things don't seem to be nearly as sure-fire. read more

The oysters were good but the lobster poutine was fantastic. I wish that it was easy to find fresh brewed iced tea in Halifax. Somewhere. Anywhere. read more

I honestly just found this place OK. It seemed a bit overrated. The service was awesome, but the food was mediocre. My chowder was good but my fish wasn't anything special. Not terrible, I might go again and try something else. read more

My goto for Delishes Fishes Dishes in Halifax. Every trip to Halifax must include a meal at McKelvies. Fresh seafood that melts in your mouth. Have frequented here perhaps 4 times and never have been disappointed. Moderately priced for an incredible experience! read more

First time here - nice atmosphere- good service. Started with a Keith's Light beer - finally a local beer that is actually light. The Nova Scotia chowder was very tasty - plenty of seafood in it. The stuffed mushrooms were delicious. I had the Digby scallops - I think there were 8 of them - wished they were a little bigger but still quite good. Nice place - would probably eat there again. read more

Fine dining, good food and service. Haddock seemed to be the only fish on the menu. My wife's lobster beautifully prepared and she appreciated the cracked back. Argentine wines were great read more

We picked this restaurant based on the reviews from Yelp and because it advertises delicious fishes dishes.....how can you go wrong. We shared calamari and the bacon wrapped scallops for appetizers. The scallops were amazing. The calamari a bit greasy. My husband had the fish tacos and I had the seafood au gratin. Both were ok. The fish and seafood in my au gratin was delicious but I found the sauce a bit bland. The service was only okay. The kids drinks were only about 6 oz so gone long before anything arrived. They did bring some colouring pages but after the appetizers arrived and our server didn't do a very good job of checking in with us. Service was VERY slow. There were a couple of large groups in the restaurant but we were there for two hours and left immediately after we finished eating our entrees. The kids meals took an hour and a half to get out to us. All in all it was worth a try but not the best place we have eaten in the maritimes. read more

Overpriced and small portions. Lacks originality. Stay away if you don't eat meat. I ordered a "Roma salad" and they served me with uncut romaine lettuce. With a steak knife. For 12 dollars. And Perrier was 5 dollars. Won't be going back. Ever. read more

Two of us went to the restaurant knowing it's was noted for its seafood. We are local but will not return soon as our seafood signature platter was cold and over cooked. Would have been shocked if we had out of town guests telling them of McKelvies fam for seafood. Neither the waitress or the on duty Manager offered anything regarding the food. Will continue too go to other seafood restaurants. SHOCKED!!!! read more

Had dinner with my partner here about a week ago and it was the worst experience I've ever had. The service was slow and unkind, took literally over a half hour for them to take my order and to top it all off I got food poisoning from the fish tacos. I've talked to some of my friends who've gone as well and said they had just as bad of an experience. I definitely would not recommend this restaurant at all. read more

My fiance and I were on a mission to eat some seafood while visiting Halifax, NS, and after reading the Yelp reviews we ended up here -- and boy are we glad we did! The server was knowledgeable and thorough, and the food was delicious. I had oysters on the half shell and Digby scallops, while my fiance had garlic shrimp and lobster dinner. I would totally go back here again in the future if I was in Halifax. read more

Took my wife to McKelvies, we want a seafood experience. She started with an entre of shrimp and I had the mussels. I have to say that the mussels were 10/10 - loved them. Not steamed in wine or anything else, just good garlic butter mussels the way they should be. My wife went with a fish dish and so did I. Only hers was tender and delicious. I went with the crispy fried haddock, unfortunately it was REALLY crispy, too crispy. Everything else, scallops, shrimps was great. Vegetables, over cooked. Overall it was a good meal though. read more

After enjoying 11 years of McKelvie's , I am very disappointed after our visit last evening. Though from time to time we have tried some items on the menu that I probably could cook better, we are usually the happiest customers there. We know what we like, we order, we eat, we leave happy and always leave a great tip. We arrived to a very busy Sunday night and without looking at the menu we simply ordered two drinks and two lobster dinners which we have had countless times in the past. We were quickly & I mean quickly informed this meal is now served with a soup & a desert. The 20 seconds the waiter was at the table did not give us time to think. I will not elaborate further on the details of that as I am very annoyed. The biggest disappointment was the fact that after all these years I am told my dinner must included a salad or chowder plus a desert and the price will reflect that addition. Ok Too much food for both my husband and myself ! Eating extra food because that is now the way it comes is not my idea of fine dining !! As much as I loved our nights at McKelvie's, I think it is time for me to go to my kitchen and master the art of cooking Crab Bisque Soup ! The lobster, the haddock , the steak, the remainder of the menu I can easily cook in my own kitchen. Sorry McKelvie's last night was not a happy night for me and sorry young man you showed no class , nor any good service when I ask for the lobster to be served without any rice or vegetables. Your panic due to the unexpected rush of people , should not have meant we could not speak or ask a question when ordering, however that is exactly what happened. And McKelvie's, you may not have been expecting such a crowd on Sunday night, however the kitchen staff did a marvelous job in getting the meals out as usual. It was not an enjoyable meal for me and if I were alone and not with my husband I would have cancelled my meal, paid for the wine and left . read more

I have been to McKelvie's many times, over many, many years and it is consistently very good. The complimentary bread is wonderful--i am not sure what type it is. Crunchy haddock is a classic! Definitely recommend it and a great place to bring visitors. read more

love it .. deserves 5 stars.. had friends over and I went here after checking out the yelp reviews.. the food is nice and the service is even better!! will definitely come back to try more dishes read more

I thought McKelvie's was very good. I went here during a business trip with a large number of colleagues. I had the crusted haddock and thought it was cooked perfectly, but a little on the salty side. The mashed potatoes and broccoli was also cooked well and tasted good. If anything, I wish there was more on the plate! Everyone I talked to enjoyed their meal, even those who had steak. The service was good and the restaurant itself was vey nice - I loved the windows. read more

Tonight we went to McKelvie's for our anniversary and I loved my lobster and scallops spaghetti! :) I had two things in mind since the older people were in the 60's or older and we were the "young ones". :/ Also, we had a reservation tonight for our anniversary and they didn't make an effort to call the waitess. It was a sour end. Three and a half stars. read more

The restaurant is very clean with good ambience. My pasta dish was cooked al dente and very flavorful. The same can not be said for my wife's meal. She ordered fish and chips. It was a soggy, greasy mess. The waitress didn't charge us for it, but I doubt if we will return. read more

I am kinda bummed to write this. After weeks of recommendations and reading great reviews, I was excited to finally get to McKelvie's. We even invited out of town guests from New York to join us there. Verdict? It was okay. The quick rundown: hubs and I ordered the seafood chowder which tasted good, but we are pretty sure it's what caused us both to have stomach issues for the rest of the night. :( I then had the lobster sliders which were tiny but good, and a giant side Caesar which was pretty flavorless. Husband had the crispy beef tenderloin and shrimp stir fry. He liked it, but would probably not order it again. Mostly under the guise of, "you don't go to a place like that and get stir fry." He has regrets. Our friends ordered the bruschetta and oysters for apps. I had an oyster which was pretty delicious. Then they had the BBQ ribs and the crunchy haddock for entrees, both of which they seemed to enjoy. The best part for everyone was the creme brûlée and for me, the coconut cream pie. Maybe we should just go for dessert next time! McKelvie's, I will give you another shot someday but it will be awhile- most in part to whatever unsavory thing we ingested with our chowder. read more

Buzz off you pesky salepeople (AKA waitstaff) I really really really don't like when I say no to something and you keep asking.

I went to McKelvie's Friday night and it was a wonderful experience. The food was delicious and fresh and our server Neil, was fantastic. Other restaurants could certainly learn a lesson or two from the customer service at McKelvie's! read more

From western Canada looking for seafood. Bartender knows how to make a martini. Wonderful Nova Scotia oysters. The scallops were served with perfectly cooked orzo amd asparagus & green beans. Surprised at quality of local white wine. Friendly knowledgeable service. read more

Very disappointing meal. My husband's dish had a hair in it; the waitress apologized and brought a fresh meal, and offered a free dessert. We did not wish a dessert, but I did order an espresso, assuming that it would be free in lieu of the dessert. She forgot to bring the espresso, and some time later when I asked, she brought it. The bill included a $4 charge for the espresso. Other meals at our table were OK, but certainly not the fine quality you would expect. I had the daily halibut special ($32) which was overcooked and dry, as were the scallops a friend ordered. Subpar food and service - it will be a while before we go back. read more

Had supper here on a Monday night with my family & it was fantastic! Had the pan seared halibut with lobster cream, to die for. It was moist and cooked to perfection!!!! Like other people mentioned it is a little pricey but well worth the money! Enjoy if your in the area. read more

Oysters Rockefeller, yum, digby scallops, lobster stuffed haddock, crab cake, yum, yum yum. This was one of the best meals we have ever had! The prices were a little high, but the food was excellent! At these prices, it is definitely for special occasions or those who can afford whatever. It is not a weekly outing. read more

Wonderful dining experience from beginning to end. Special thanks to our waiter, Norm, who was knowledgeable, professional and fun!

I took a party of 6 to McKelvie's a few weeks ago and had an amazing experience. Our server, Neil, was very personable and knowledgeable, and made a few excellent recommendations. I have visited McKelvie's many times when I lived in Halifax and have never been disappointed, so I was very happy to have a similarly positive experience when entertaining guests from out of town. read more