Ive been to Niche plenty of times before and have always enjoyed it, but this time was different: Walking in, the decor has changed and it no longer feels like a classy yet comfortable dinner spot- now it's leaning more towards sports bar. There are plenty of TVs on the walls and they have the Budweiser red lights that go off whenever there's an NHL goal. We were seated near a very large (20-25) group of beer drinkers- now I love beer as well, but to me this didn't used to be the place to go yelling about how much you like beer. Maybe that's just me though. The seats were also quite uncomfortable for eating or chatting- they would have been nice if I was just sitting back with a drink, but I was there for a meal- and I had to lean forward to even hear the other person across the table. The service started out okay, though I could hardly hear the poor waiter. I decided to order a drink, but was told they no longer offer that particular martini since one of the liquors was not available. Okay, fine, but update the menus to reflect that please. The drink I settled on was actually quite good, and was not disappointed. It was probably the best part of the meal. Our first course of mozzarella sticks, came out very quickly, though for 8 pieces at 9$, I was hoping for something better than a frozen product. It's not a large menu, so quality should not be too difficult to maintain. Mains came decently quick afterwards, he had a pizza and I the ravioli. We both agreed that the pizza tasted like a poor quality frozen variety. The sauce on the ravioli was decent but very salty. I had to wait several minutes before drink refills, and several minutes before dishes were cleared. In the meantime, we yelled at each other across the table in an effort to have a decent conversation. The bill was only justifiable because of the 3 drinks I had. I think what used to be a more upscale yet casual dining spot has become a confused sports bar lounge and the quality in food and service reflects that. read more

We were quite lucky to get a table immediately when we arrived on a Friday evening. Their happy hour specials for cocktails, wine and beer are really good considering it lasts the entire evening. I ordered the Cowboy Burger which was big and delicious. The atmosphere is like a sports bar, but with a lot of seating. I would probably return for the happy hour and snacks rather than eat a meal there. read more

Awful food and even worse staff.. I don't quite understand the power trip of their bouncers and the ignorance of their staff but its a great way to deter customers. Managers need to have a chat with their employees and rethink their menu. We got the calamari to share and it was the worst I have had in the city. You'd expect better especially from the east coast. With the new location, prices have gone up, yet quality has gone down. Drink prices are now the same as other places in the city, so happy hour is no longer as appealing. The entire place is dark and you're basically screaming trying to talk to someone right beside you. If you're looking for a nice place to eat and drink, seek out other places, you'll have a better experience and enjoy your food.. Tell your employees to smile, or just hire a whole new staff. read more

Went in for breakfast today (May 24), arrived at 7:30, put our order in by 7:35, by 8:00 am no meal yet although two tables that came in after we did received their meals. There were only 5 tables with customers in the place. We both ordered their breakfast special, one egg with toast, home fries and meat choice. We both asked for poached medium, when order arrived (after asking about it) at 8:02 am, eggs were super runny. Server knew we were unhappy. Location is newly renovated and that is nice but I would not recommend based on this experience. Also, we ate there one other day, about 4 months ago, and service was slow then too but we thought it was a one-off but sadly was not. read more

Went here for breakfast and it was truly awful. It really seemed like they are mainly a dinner place and wanted to try for the breakfast crowd without fully committing to being a breakfast restaurant. We were given the room service menus from the fourpoints. There weren't many options and most stuff on the menu wasn't available anyways. I finally opted for Eggs Benedict and it was really really bad (and salty!). There was something really weird going on with the coffee cause it was thick. Additionally, it was WAY overpriced. The service was great though and the waiter was very apologetic. read more

I WILL NEVER PATRON THIS ESTABLISHMENT AGAIN! I paid over $21 for a sub-par steak last night that was all gristle - with one small scoop of potatoes and literally a zuchinni slice on the side. I never felt so ripped off in all my life. I will be telling everyone how horrible this overpriced dive's food is - Niche should be ashamed to serve such terrible fare for such outrageous prices. Worst restaurant in Halifax, underscored. I wasted $60 for crap. read more

I'm giving it 4 stars mostly for the price. They have great happy hour specials. $3.25 beers on a fairly nice patio are prices you can't beat. They also have half price apps. Perogies weren't anything super. Most likely just regular frozen ones. Fried calamari was really awesome both times I had it. Nachos I guess can be a toss up. Had really great nachos one time and over done ones another. The potato skins are actually tator tots covered in toppings but still not bad. Prices are good. Beer is good. Food is good bar food and its a convenient location read more

This review is for the breakfast at Niche, which is a perk for SPG Platinum members staying at the Four Points Sheraton connected to the restaurant. First, the mall to which this restaurant is connected is clearly on its last legs; every other restaurant seems to have flown the coop. It is deserted. Apparently, Niche continues to operate because of a bar crowd in the evenings. For breakfast, however, it is simply horrible. Their pancakes were the absolute worst I have EVER had; clearly a bad recipe. Looking around, everybody who ordered it felt the same way obviously. Not 1 single diner ate more than half a pancake out of the 3 on the plate. They were so dense you could probably throw them around as frisbees. The omelet was equally inedible. The egg was so thin it was like a crepe. The ham, cheese and mushroom filling we ordered were actually still cold inside the omelet. Blech!! I'll pay for my own breakfast someplace else, TYVM... read more

First time since they changed to a new location on Saturday night. It was still very busy, packed and noisy. The drinks continue to be cheap and good, food was good and staff were great. Will return again for cheap drinks for sure! read more

Great happy hour, fun place to watch the World Cup. They have great food, and lots of gluten-free options. It can be hard to get a table, since it does get busy, especially on weekends. One of my favourite places to hang out, lots of happy hour specials, and Martini night is the best! read more

The tall bonde who was working the patio on Aug 19th was a complete GEM, what amazing service and such cheap drinks! Keith's are $3.25 after 4pm. We didn't have anything to eat but the service and atmosphere was great. read more

Great for Happy Hour and Sporting event coverage. That's about it.

Went here in December. We had a buy one entre get one free coupon but we ended up ordering the prix fix menu. Drinks were on for happy hour prices as well. It was very much a'sports bar' in a mall atmosphere. The menu looked quite impressive so I orderd a starter of coconut shrimp and entre of steak with risotto. Well the coconut shrimp were very good. It was a great starter served with a nice curry mayo dipping sauce. Then the dissapointing entre appeared. Gristly cold steak, cut in random pieces that made it look like dog food. And the risotto - cold and glue like consistensy. Very dissapointed. I would go for the starter and drinks but never ever for the entre. read more

Don't order the wine on tap. I am a wino and love good wine but you can't find it here. The staff is great at the bar so order a Keith's or a blue halgoon. read more

As far as I'm concerned, there is only one reason to visit Niche, and that reason is Happy Hour everyday after 4 p.m. 18 oz of draft for $3.25 is a hard price to beat, and I can respect that. However, if you're interested in memorable food, this is the wrong place, and you're better off going elsewhere. If you're hungry and can settle for mediocre, I find the best value for your money is the Nachos Grandes, which works out to around $7 after happy hour, and is large enough to split with a friend. I don't usually comment on service, but the service at Niche can be a mixed bag. Generally, the service around happy hour can be quite good. However, I find that the place tends to be understaffed around lunchtime, and the service tends to be a bit more disorganized as a result. Come here during happy hour if you: a) want cheap drinks b) don't mind mediocre food c) can forgive slow service. Otherwise, avoid. read more

I've been a fan of Niche for a few years now. Servings are well sized, drinks are delicious and the service is always fast. A nice place to go with the girls before a night out on the town, or for a date. If you're into it, I beleive you get free admission or VIP into Pacifico Night Club as well. read more

Currently waiting in hour two for a proper table for 8 to have a bite to eat while watching the manager seat table for 4 instead of saving 2 tables for us. Not to mention the tasty but rather pricey martinis, this will most likely be my last visit! read more

Ok, I will start by saying that the cheap beer and 1/2 price apps for the Happy Hour special can't be beat. I have eaten here many times. The food and service is ok but it can be a bit loud and slow when it is busy. read more

Ok drinks were good and the service was great. The massive disappointment was the mouse running out of the dinning room heading for the kitchen. I think the health department needs to pay a visit to this establishment. read more

Awesome location as it's right downtown. The atmosphere is great. Happy hour is fantastic. Why such a low score then? I found the staff to be extremely rude the last time I was there. I had gone with a few people and when some people were ready to leave, we all paid our bills. One other person and I were going to stay, but we switched tables due to a draft. My friend went out to have a smoke and when she came back she grabbed her beer from our previous table and joined me at the new. The waitress then came over and accused her of having taken the beer outside - which is not allowed and ask ed us to leave. She was extremely hot tempered about supposedly being "lied" to even though I had witnessed my friend coming in from outside WITHOUT a glass; walk over to our previous table and grab her forgotten beer. We should have asked for the manager as well as to review the security cams because it would have clearly shown that the waitress did NOT completely clear the table and that my friend did NOT take a drink outside the bar. read more

I've only eaten here at lunch, so that's what this review is based on... I've gone to Niche a few times with co-workers because it's close to our office. At best, this is a typical "meal with a side of fries" type of place. I've tried a few different items in the hopes of finding something that would really catch my attention, but haven't been successful yet. The food isn't bad, but it isn't overly remarkable either. And then there's the service. Regardless of how empty the restaurant is, there is always a wait to be given menus, have our orders taken, get our food etc. Forget about trying to flag down a server if you need something as they all seem to disappear once they've served your food. Saying that, when you are served, the staff are generally polite. I've been told that the dinner menu and the service is a lot better, so it may be worthwhile going then. However, based on what I've seen from Niche, I'm not going to go out of my way to find out. read more

Niche has a great atmosphere, and if you go on the right nights they have cheap beer. I went for the first time with 3 friends to have a few drinks and appetizers on a Friday night. When we decided to get a couple plates of nachos, the server offered to get chicken, pulled pork and something else on the nachos for 'no extra charge'. He got the pork, and i got the chicken. Everything went great until we got the checks, only to find that the meat addition costed an extra 5$. To be fair, I would assume adding meat would be an extra 3-7$ at any restaurant, but all 4 of us at the table heard the waiter say "for no extra charge". Since I work a minimum wage job and was paying for my girlfriends drinks as well, I was less than impressed. When the waiter came by with the debit machine for us to pay, I tipped him 1$ and change to make the bill an even 40$. When the receipt came up he looked very p*ssed off, and threw the receipt on the table in front of me. I understand most of a waiter's' income comes from tips, and I usually tip 10-20% depending on the service, but he spent his tip away with the surprise 5$ add on. I know they (legally) have to be paid minimum wage, so I don't feel bad in the least for not tipping. Had everyone on the table not heard the exact same thing regarding the meat, and had the service been a step up from sub-par I would have likely given him 5-10$, but that was not the case this time. I would probably go again, but would have something to eat before I leave. No nachos on the planet are worth 20$ plus tax a plate. read more

We went to The Niche Saturday afternoon at 1:30... shown to our table with menus and later a waitress came over we asked for water and what the soup of the day was and never saw her again... another waitress was just sitting at the bar, other staff outside setting up tables, only a few customers in the restaurant... We got up and left and went to another restaurant.... would never go back there or tell anyone else to go there... read more

I had the worst dining experience of my life last night. I was in the bathroom at Niche when out of the stall comes one of the kitchen staff. He proceeded to leave the bathroom without washing his hands. I will never eat there again. read more

I've been to Niche a few times in the past - maybe once a year. I haven't gone more often because it's never struck me as being worth it. When I do go, it's because a group is going for some reason. I've never had good service, and the food has never been memorable. Well today was the WORST! Epic fail at being a World Cup bar. How could you set up a tv outside and advertise as a World Cup bar, and know that it's going to be a hot sunny, Sunday of a holiday weekend with lots of tourists in town, and not properly staff your establishment?! I felt bad for the servers, though none of them gave a care in the world for us. I was there for 1 hour, 20 minutes and asked 4 different servers if we could get a server for our table. The 4th one said, "when everyone shows up at once it takes a few extra seconds." Okay, on a normal day at Niche, nothing happens in a few extra seconds. When I said I had already asked 3 other servers, she gave me the snarkiest giggle then sneer. Shockingly, she came back about 5 minutes later and asked what we wanted. We ordered drinks and I asked for a food menu. She showed up with drinks about 20 minutes later, and never came back to take a food order. So I got there 45 minutes before the game, the first half of the game is over, and I still haven't been able to order food! I went inside and begged the bartender to let me order food from him and explained that it's impossible to get a server at our table outside. He apologized and agreed. I went back in to get our nachos about 20 minutes later. WORST nachos ever. RIDICULOUSLY overcooked with no salsa or sour cream, and a rather small plate for $14. The server walked by our table numerous times and refused to make eye contact. Throughout the entire game, nobody else ever came to ask if we wanted any other food or drinks. Horrible service. Simply horrible. Being busy on a hot, sunny Sunday of a long weekend is not a good enough excuse for this. A manager with a clue will properly staff the servers AND the kitchen. While I found the staff rather underwhelming, I did feel sorry for them that they were put in that position. Horrible management at this place, mediocre food at the best of times. read more

Unfortunately Niche is just average for food and drink, and the service tends to be below average, so that brings the rating down a bit. It is quite busy with the after-work crowd, and they do have some good drinks specials, but the cocktails are of the sweet variety, not the complex sort. There is a happy hour for drinks and appetizers, but it's just the fried cheaper appies, not the nicer ones. There's lots of space inside and out, so it's worth a stop if you want a cheap drink and a cheap appie and aren't worried about how long the service might take. It varies widely. We've had staff who come back to get another drink order as soon as you near the bottom of your glass, and the same staff who take 30 minutes to forget to put in your food order and not come back for a drink order. Very inconsistent, and not my first choice for downtown drinks, but it does have lots of space and decent decor. Buyer beware! read more

Need to step up food quality and staff shortcomings. Not terrible, not bad just needs some tuning.

A lot of my friends and colleagues started going to Niche because of their cheap drinks and intimate attractive environment. Unfortunately, the food and service are the worst I have had in a long time. The food is greasy and over cooked, the waitresses are slack, slow and snotty. My 2nd and definitely last experience I asked for a drink 3 times and ending up never getting it. The waitress, I could tell, had a bad hang over and didn't want to be there. I will never go there again, which is sad because the environment is great. read more

I've been here twice now and was very happy the first time. Happy hour drinks are well priced and the food was overall pretty good. Last night (Tuesday) I went back with two friends and it wasn't quite the same. We waited near the sign that says "please wait to be seated" for what felt like forever. We counted and 8 times the staff members had walked by us and not said a word. Eventually I asked someone if we would be able to get a table. She looked at us like we were below her standard of cliental and then said "they're clearing some". The woman behind us who was also waiting was fed up and went and approached another server seeing if someone could seat the people at the door. We still were not seated for probably 5 minutes. I understand they were mediocrely busy but that's not acceptable. No host? Nobody even approached us to say they would be with us shortly... Finally we were seated at an unset table, and the other lady waited at the door for at least 5 more minutes. Totally unimpressed. Food was alright. We got apps and drinks. The wings were good except there was no difference between the mild and medium sauce at all, even after we asked for another. (We assumed we may have gotten 2 hot sauce). The salmon app. (some type of samon on bread with cheese?) didn't suit us. The pierogis and drinks were good. Our waitress spilled an entire tray of beer on the table next to us, she may have been having an off night (happens to the best of us) but overall no host? no manager delegating at all? not overly happy. read more

OK there special's they have really good deals.. however the food not that greatest and in summer patio nice.

Went here last week for some food and drinks. The food was ok just very average. The servers are great there. Nothing that's really mind blowing to me.Ill try this place again to see if there is anything else that may tickle my taste buds. read more

Being new to Halifax, i was given tons of recommendations for places to check out, and Niche was one spot I recently tried. The atmosphere was nice, and the staff were friendly. Their drink menu was excellent (I may have tried a few too many) but the food was a bit disappointing. For such a chic looking place and extensive drink menu I expected more then the run-of-the-mill choices. I'd consider returning in the future, but probably just for a few more tasty drinks!! read more

We've gone to Niche many times almost every week, and we've always enjoyed the prices and the food. However, the past two times we've been there, there is one particular server( the tall brunette with tattoo on her back) who has ruined our experience. Our most recent experience was when the server hung out behind the bar distracting all the other servers in the place by screaming being really loud and making ice coffee for all the staff. When several of her tables, us included were waiting for our food and had empty water glasses were just sitting and watching five feet away she continue to scream and talk loud for at least 30 minutes before she ever bothered to come to our table. in this 30 min period she made several ice coffees "because its ice coffee season" as she screamed. The bartender even had to turn the music up to hopefully drown out her scream. we got our food packed up and it took her another 15 minutes to ask us if we wanted our bill, during that 15 min she was just texting and talking to other staff behind the bar. We go there to relax and enjoy not to hear someone talking loudly and being annoying.. Our meal was still good and tasted really nice, except the service.. read more