We were in Lunenberg to the evening and saw this very inviting restaurant up above the harbor area. We arrived just as the sun was setting enjoyed a great evening of food and conversation over our dinner. This outdoor eating experience was the perfect cap to a beautiful day. While only open seasonally, this restaurant focuses on fresh seafood. They had six different types of oysters that you could get served on the half shell, broiled or done Rockefeller style. I had two of two different kinds of oysters, the Chebooktook from New Brunswick and the Gowanbrae from Prince Edward Island. They were served on ice with a slice of lemon and cocktail sauce in a cute little squeeze bottle. The oysters were perfectly shucked and delicious. For entrees, I got the seafood paella which was packed with a ton of seafood. There were shrimp clams in the shell, mussels, scallops and fish. The flavors were great and it was a definite treat. The price point was very fair based on the amount of seafood you got. The dish came out very hot and looked beautiful. We also got the Scallop Carbonara which was also delicious. It had all the traits of a perfectly executed carbonara with the addition of perfectly seared sea scallops. This dish was rich in its flavors and generous with the scallops. The team at The Half Shell was small but extremely efficient. Everyone jumped in and worked together to make for a great dining experience. The tables are fairly close together up by the bar, but frankly, we enjoyed that was we met a very nice couple from Dartmouth and had a great conversation over dinner like we were old friends. We would could highly recommend dinner here if you are in Lunenberg. read more

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Disappointed after being sat at bar to wait for table no eye contact or service beyond water for 20 min. Left and went next door. We lucked out on that choice. read more

The menu here is eclectic, mostly featuring oysters and other seafood prepared in the "raw bar" style. In addition to oysters there is also crab and lobster. At places like this it's customary to offer several kinds of oysters identified by place of origin but I've never seen that before for lobster, of which they had four, from Cape Breton, PEI, and New Brunswick. In addition to the raw bar there are a few hot items, but don't expect the typical fish&chips or boiled lobster. It was crowded and too sunny on the outside deck so we elected to sit inside at the bar, which was surprisingly empty when we arrived. Behind the bar was a bustle of activity, the three bartenders busy shucking oysters and arranging plates of crab legs and lobster. (Is a raw bar worker still called a bartender?) I ordered the tuna tostadas, the wife a Baja from the tacos section, and we shared a Coctel De Camerones. Between the two small plates and the shared shrimp cocktail it was easily enough for lunch. The three tostadas were tuna, cilantro, jalapeno, pickled onion, green onions, and avocado crema served open-faced on the crispy corn tortillas. The taco was battered haddock, tequila-cilantro crema, chili mayo, cabbage, and pickled onion. Both excellent. The shrimp cocktail was enormous, and not what we expected - but in a good way. More like a thick gazpacho than the typical style. The shrimp were mixed into the thick, tomato-based sauce, sweet, spicy, and tangy, made with ketchup, Tabasco, Worcestershire, onions, and garlic. Topped with avocado and lime wedges, and served with saltine crackers. That's my only complaint: swap the saltines for a better cracker, or maybe tortilla chips. The unexpectedly tiny shrimp were not a flaw really; this way you can have a shrimp in every bite. I never did decide whether the fork or the spoon was the appropriate utensil. The cocktails were innovative, with curious names, many made with local liqueurs and intriguing ingredients (what, for example, is "grilled corn syrup", used in the "Dad Jokes" - and what the reason for its name?) My Pourly Fraised was Signal Hill whiskey from Newfoundland, Aperol, grapefruit, strawberry (thus "Fraised") and hibiscus syrups, and lemon was so refreshing, though perhaps not as strong at it should have been. A great meal, and for a very reasonable price. Lobster was "market price" but I didn't inquire. And the Seafood Tower at $140 or the Caviar & Pringles at $100 are available for those who want to splurge. Fortunately I'm not a fan of either so I wasn't tempted. read more

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Outdoor restaurant overlooking the Lunenburg landscape with the boats, water, and greenery. Enjoyed the outdoor seating on a beautiful day. The staff are very nice and attentive. The oysters were good and varied; would recommend the Puffin Rock oyster as it's the biggest and one of the tastiest. The mezcal cocktail was fantastic. read more

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Great patio with a waterfront view, pretty good food. Stopped by for lunch and got the mussels (standard garlic and white wine sauce, pretty fresh, pretty good value at $9 for 1/2 pound) and lobster club (good lobster chunks, interesting bacon strip, nice soft bun, tasty side salad, a tad pricey at $25). While maybe not worthy of the hype, Half Shell wasn't half bad. read more

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Good place for oysters and scallops Price is slightly high Definitely would recommend it if you got a chance to visite Lunenburg read more

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The food was pretty good! The oysters and raw scallops are must-haves. The paella was also really good but was quite expensive for the size although it came with a lot of seafood on top. It's much smaller than a regular paella order and has some type of ground meat in it, which we didn't know before ordering. The calamari was pretty good too! Again, a small portion but we also ordered it with the sauce on the side. The clams weren't my favourite. read more

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It was the last day of the season for this waterfront seafood location so glad we didn't miss it. We ordered the Seafood platter which comes with half a lobster, one section of snow crab, three shrimp, three clams and 6 oysters (and usually 3 scallops but they were out of those) We also ordered an additional 6 oysters. There were three different oysters and all were tasty. This is the only spot we had oysters that they didn't come with fresh horseradish. All the seafood was delicious and the setting great by the water. It is outdoors so weather can be a factor. read more

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My partner and I had lunch here, and overall found it underwhelming versus other reviews. That said, it is a finer dining spot versus other (quicker) lunch options, if you're looking for that atmosphere. For food, we'd recommend the Seafood Chowder (lighter cream with perfect amount of dill; needed some salt) and Oyster Rockefeller. The steamed half lobster was well priced, but nothing special. The raw oyster was just that, whereas I was expecting some finish to elevate it. The grilled oyster with tomato is not recommended, nor is the calamari. Their toasted coconut drink (daily special) was delicious thought! read more

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This place is great. Sit at the bar--the staff is very engaging while they work. Everybody is cheerful. Last night I had the Salmon. It's surrounded by a baby potato and creamy leek sauce...fantastic! Tonight I had the Scallop Carbonara. It's to die for! read more

The Half Shell Oysters & Seafood - Scallop Carbonara - Seafood Near Me - Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

The flavors in the Chowder were out of this world. Best chowder I have ever had, hands down! Both main dishes were also delicious. We died over the carbonara, fabulous! Great spot for dinner, atmosphere was relaxed with beautiful views of the water. The staff were friendly and it was fun watching them work together in that galley kitchen! read more

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A little pricey, although that's what you would expect in Lunenburg. The oysters weren't as good as we had in Halifax or Portland, ME. Service was good and the views from the outdoor bar were lovely, especially as the sun was setting. Not a bad spot for dinner in town, just expect to pay a premium for the location. read more

Had the calamari, 1/2 lb mussels and scallops carbonara. Delicious! Service was fantastic. The water front view is incredible. Highly recommended. read more

We had a very nice dinner here while visiting Nova Scotia. The seafood was fresh and delicious. I would recommend this place .

Everything was great. Started with a dozen oysters - all the varieties, then fish tacos and the lobster sandwich. Ambiance and view worth the short wait. Staff super attentive and friendly. read more

After we came back from whale watching we came to this restaurant for dinner. We were a party of 7, the host told us there was no table big enough for us, we told him we can split up into 4 and 3, he came up with another excuse saying there were other people ahead of us. In the meantime, we can see there was nobody waiting aside from us. We left and went somewhere else. read more

wonderful view and service. fresh seafood prepared by competent kitchen. I had a great time. would recommend this place to anybody.

Ate lunch here yesterday. I had 18 fresh oysters on the half shell from Malpeque, PEI. The oysters were delicious. They had a good size to them. They even grated fresh horseradish for me. Partner had the chowder. When sitting at the outdoor bar you can see the cook making your food. Hence we saw him make the chowder. The chowder was creamy, with plenty of potatoes and fish and very tasty. The interaction with the bar staff was fun and I had my first bourbon sour. It was very smooth. The outdoor bar is a must do when in Lunenburg. read more

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Food preparation was excellent Great oysters Steamed mussels Salad was perfect z waitstaff was steady and professional under pressure. Really enjoyed it! read more

Thought we were arriving late, but our waitress told us"no we rock till midnight here." We had a tremendous lobster BLT and Indian Point mussels, which were both very tasty. We ordered one more lobster BLT, and two white wines, which our personable and efficient waitress promptly obliged; these guys are a 10 in my book! read more

Outstandingly fresh and delicious. Sat at the bar and ate delicious PEI and NS oysters, large shrimp and chowder, all at a good price. Be advised to go on a nice day only. No indoor seating. But on a day like ours it's a great view of the bay. read more

What an incredible find! We had planned to go to the Rum Runner to relive a memory from 15 years ago, but sadly they were closed for renovations. The owner recommended the Half Shell. Oh boy, what a find! It was a warm afternoon. A few in our group had oysters and raved about them. Then we had the fish taco appetizer and it was sooo ridiculously good! So good that we keep talking about them. We had the lobster club and scallop carbonara to share. Wow. The lobster club was seriously delicious and full of lobster. But the scallop carbonara was unreal. I will dream about that dish. The staff were amazing. The food was great. The view was iconic. We threw in some prosecco to toast the afternoon and the view. I cannot wait to go back the next time I'm in Lunenburg! read more

The worst meal I've had in Lunenburg. The restaurant kept running out of power and were behind on all the orders. My daughter orders mussels that were good and pork tacos. The server brought two tacos (menu said that there should be three) and said they were bigger that was why there were two, unfortunately there was hardly any meat, really just a tablespoon per taco. My other daughter order the seafood paella, it was just rice and some seafood not paella at all. My husbands pasta was good and my meal was forgettable. read more

Great patio for seafood and beer. Their oyster selection is good and the tuna tartare is fantastic. Would most definitely recommend. Only about 7 tables so space is limited. Service was excellent. read more

Horrible service. Got serious attitude from a rude female server when we asked about ordering chowder and taking it to our table with the umbrella - after being told it wasn't a problem by other servers. Then had an extraordinary wait time. Avoid at all costs. Definitely won't be back. read more