My wife and I were luckily able to get a spot in Townhouse while in the 'Nish despite our lack of a…read morereservation, thanks to the poor weather and coming in at old people, early bird-esque hours. On the upside, we were there for a good stretch of happy hour! The space is cozy, with a pub-like feel from the bar counter you can sit at, as well as a stunning main bar with lovingly detailed, darkly-stained wood. Dark wainscoting rings the room, but the charm of its previous tenants fades away from there, with a generic tile floor and basic acoustic tile ceiling. We indulged in both the liquid and solid offerings on the happy hour menu, with the salt cod fritters ($9) a couple bucks under the regular menu price. Being in town to try things out and not just go for the cheapest items, we ordered from the whole menu, tacking on the beet salad and burrata toast. We decided we'd re-assess our appetites after those three apps. The beet salad ($10) was a colourful display of Nova Scotia's late harvest season, with beautiful, thin slices of purple, pink and golden beets. The kaleidoscope of root vegetables was topped with dots of whipped ricotta, blue cheese, popcorn and pea shoots. Delicate and lightly tart, with contrasting textures of the salty and smooth whipped ricotta and the airy crunch of the popcorn added dimensionality to the dish. Also, it's impossible to go wrong with pea shoots in my books! As my wife isn't a big seafood fan, I had most of the salt cod fritters to myself, and I wasn't complaining. An herby, crisp exterior encased a pleasantly doughy and lightly fishy interior, which was amped up by the fantastic sun-dried tomato and chili oil. The burrata toast ($14) didn't have a whole, massive blob of Italian cheesy goodness, but I should have guessed that would be the case given the price. A guy can dream, right? Crisp buttery focaccia held up well to its caprese-like toppings - roasted tomatoes, pesto and, of course, a slathering of creamy burrata. Bee pollen was noted on the menu and visible on the toast, but didn't register amongst the other flavours. After three very good starters, we decided that we had room for one main between the two of us, and landed on the ricotta gnocchi ($27). I was pleasantly surprised when the plate was put before us, and I saw that the fluffy bundles of carbs and cheese were pan fried, lending a light crispness and more flavour. Most gnocchi dishes aren't too meaty, but Townhouse had a decent portion of bresaola (dry-cured beef) and guanciale (cured pork cheek), letting the thinly-sliced, but big flavours, of the Italian cured meats punch above their weight. Pesto and pea shoots reappeared to bring some vegetal balance to the dish, and a salty hit of Pecorino-Romano rounded things out nicely. Not to be outdone by the savoury parts of the menu, Townhouse's desserts are far from an afterthought. The sticky toffee ($13) was wildly decadent, with the lightly spiced sponge cake begging to sop up the heavenly caramel cream sauce and French vanilla ice cream. Although they could stand to invest in their interior design, Townhouse's kitchen speaks for itself and the well-deserved accolades it has received. A definite 'must' when in Antigonish!

This is a lovely place that we found unexpectedly. We were looking for a restaurant and some people…read moresuggested this place. We thought it'll be an A-pk bar food but we were pleasantly surprised with the quality and the flavors in these dishes! We started with a creative scallops croquettes on a Fuccacia bread, so rich in amazing flavors! The wedge salad was fresh and had a good quality blue cheese on with excellent pieces of bacon. The chicken Karrage with lettuce wraps and couscous salmon were both devine! Had a great chat with the owner and she ensured we ´re enjoying our food and ensured that they do their best to get local products. The Ambiance was great with candles everywhere and service was good too especially the place was completely fully booked. Highly recommend!

Seafood chowder isn't the sexiest food to photograph, but the chowder at Harbour House was a…read morepleasant surprise when a power outage last year forced a change of plans for mine and my wife's lunch. The chowder had tender chunks of lobster, haddock and scallops, and the creamy broth was in the Goldilocks zone of not too thick and not too thin. A lovely roll that was crisp on the outside and had a light crumb was made for dipping! My wife's chicken and brie roll with a tomato and feta soup was a light but flavourful lunch, and a solid deal at just $15. Bonus points to HH for having GF options for all of their buns and pizzas too! On a return visit after we had moved back to the county, I leaned into the pub side of the menu, and tried the house burger, which comes topped with the usual suspects, plus cheese and bacon. It was a good burger - a thick, pub-style patty, melty cheese, crisp bacon, and the bun held up well. Solid fundamentals, if no real standout elements. The fries were of the crispy-coated variety, which I'm a fan of. Oddly, the ends of each fry were much more browned than the rest, which reminded me of fries that you bake at home. Not a strike against them, it just seemed odd. My wife's shepherd's pie was a hearty plate. The spacious casserole dish was packed with meat and potatoes, and given a non-traditional slathering of melted cheese for good measure. I did my husband due diligence and finished off what my wife didn't have room for. Harbour House is doing some above average grub, especially when you know the right dishes to get.

The service was friendly and scenery is nice. The chowder and lobster roll were ok. The burger was…read moreordinary and the fries are not good. The beer selection was fine

We are on a boat and were able to have drinks and dinner at the Groundswell Pub - the owner is a…read morereally nice man and his two beautiful daughters helped serve our meals. Lovely deck overlooking the harbor, a nice menu with something for everyone - it was a great find! We highly recommend stopping here!

Groundswell is a gem in the crown of Madame Isle. Sure it has great local beers, a full bar, and a…read moregorgeous location; but Groundswell has more.... The owners love their lovely tavern and they care for their guests. A visitor is not just another punter in for a drink, but a welcome friend. The food is excellent, the interior is cozy while the beer garden is a veritable playground replete with a beautiful coast. Do yourself a favor. When you are near Madame Isle, stop by Groundswell, you will not be disappointed.

It's a local bar. Good burgers and nice servers. It's loud but there's live music. Kara was sweet…read moreand helpful. It has a strong local feel.

Great food Great timing…read more Great service , very friendly. Little loud but didn't feel unwelcome.

Had a mushroom eggs Benedict and a lychee martini. Very good & fast service! Would've loved to eat…read moreoutside but the patio was closed.

Great Sunday Brunch menu, one of only a few places open on Sundays in the area. Excellent service…read morein an adorable cafe setting.

Solid spot right on the river. Love the roof deck - great spot in nice weather. Very friendly…read moreserver talked us thru all the local beers and food. Few of us did the haddock, I had the sun dried tomatoes pasta. All really tasty!

Always a treat to eat here. First time I ordered the Reuben. A little on the smaller side for a…read moreReuben but done nicely.

Walking in, it was inviting and the atmosphere was fun and the smells were mouth watering! We…read moreordered our drinks, found a seat and headed to the food ordering spot. Easy peasy, ordered grabbed waters and the food was up fast and hot! And oh man, mouth watering food was definitely what we got! You will see from the pics how delicious everything looked (and it tasted even better!) While we were there, a musician played and a pop up oyster bar arrived! The oysters were fresh and delicious as well! They have a taco food truck and fish food truck for those who did not find something on their menu! We will come back and grab a pizza next time!

Great food and comfortable, casual atmosphere with country music playing. Enjoyed the bacon…read morecheeseburger and Reuben with fries. Got the shandy and the blueberry cider to drink. Both were delicious. Service is good at the counter but a bit confusing. When you enter, walk to one of the counters - food or drink - and place your orders. Then find a seat anywhere. That's not clear when you walk in.

The Blue Lobster is in Stellarton NS…read more We had a fun night out with food and drinks. The mac and cheese was delicious. Enjoyed the Painted Boat (beer). They sell merch including some very nice sweat shirts! Service was great.

This is definitely a place for drinks on the patio in the summer, but it's trendy so expect long…read morewaits if you're not really in a hurry. We came in the early afternoon and it wasn't overly busy. Two servers didn't look overly interested in being there and were slow as slugs. There was a bartender mixing drinks who looked annoyed and a cook in the food truck who was the only one actually invested in what he was doing. Seating is flimsy and grinds on the concrete floors when you try to move. Tables were crammed quite close together because a musician eventually came in to set up. The space just generally looks poorly used. Our server took a long time coming over to bring us a pitcher of beer and then again to take our food order. The glassware was dirty so she apologized and brought new glasses. By the time we poured the beer, we noticed the pitcher was even filthier. Not sure if they ever wash them. The food is just ok. Nothing to write home about. Portions are on the smaller side. $14 was the Super Bowl special for a small bacon cheeseburger with nothing else, no side. $19 for fish and chips is a bit of a better deal because the fish is big but it's quite greasy. Fries were hard and stale and not really a generous portion - don't opt to pay $4 for them as a side! We watched the cook push out orders and wait around for the servers to pick them up. He'd look out trying to get their attention and seemed completely unimpressed with them. Other than brining our drinks and food, the server didn't bother to come by once in the hour + we sat at the table. When she finally came for us to pay, she seemed terrified to have to talk to a human. Overall, just a weird vibe for a place like this. This could be a great spot but it didn't leave a great first impression. Might give it one more shot next time we're in town, but we won't be ordering food. We'll see how long it takes to get an (overpriced) cocktail.

GREAT service with a smile, the pizza was amazing but what was the best is the lobster roll…read more... best i have ever had with a huge side of caesar salad. Good prices and nice to see that local artist are able to show and sell their artworks on the walls.... well done Papa's!

Every time visiting east coast it's a must stop , always like the food , service is always good ,…read moregreat place to take your family