Eating Our Way Around Halifax, Nova Scotia

warning: do not read on an empty stomach

Nov 09, 2022

*POST UPDATED OCTOBER 2024.

Hiiii, friends! Welcome to my fourth and final Canadian travel guide for the foreseeable future: Eating Our Way Around Halifax, Nova Scotia! In case you missed it, Fiancé & I spent ten days in Atlantic Canada back at the end of August, where we took every opportunity to explore as much as possible. We flew in with his parents, headed to beautiful Lunenburg for two days, moved on to Summerside PEI for three days, and then rounded our visit off with a wonderful five days in Halifax. It was everything I had hoped it would be and so much more! I absolutely loved our time across the pond & am definitely eager to return someday soon – be a shame to let my visa go to waste, no?

As the title suggests, the guide below covers everything Halifax related. I didn’t realize I had so much to say about the city until I actually sat down to write this, it’s an absolute behemoth of a guide! Also as the title suggests, this guide is largely skewed towards food, covering every tasty morsel of deliciousness that crossed our paths during our visit. Shall we get down to it? Enjoy, friends!

before you visit

Just a few quick things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about visiting the Nova Scotia capital!

• there were a few different entry requirements in place at the time of our visit in August 2022. Namely: proof of vaccination, and an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) visa. I believe the proof of vaccination is now no longer necessary, but the eTA definitely is. The eTA was $7 CAD at the time of our visit, and it lasts for 5-years or until your passport expires. More info about requirements on the DFA website, here.

• Halifax is hilly! Like, exceptionally hilly! I would say the main street leading down to the waterfront – Sackville St, I think – is at like a 45/50° angle! We schlepped up and down said hill around four times every day and it sure did work up our appetites! It was mostly fine, but the worst was late at night, after a big meal and some drinks. Uyy.

• Halifax city centre is divided into the North End and the South End, kind of like Dublin’s North Side/South Side. From what I read online, the North End has a higher percentage of crime/poverty/drugs, and that visitors should be slightly more alert. However, I also read online that the area is becoming more and more gentrified etc. We only ventured into the NE once, but we did notice a higher number of homeless people, dodgy characters, and a larger police presence.

Oh, PS! This is the part of the post where I usually include a few fun facts about the destination, but not today. Instead, any appropriate fun facts have been lightly scattered throughout the recommendations below. You are welcome!

getting there

Here are the steps we took getting to and from Halifax:

• we flew direct from Dublin Airport to Halifax Stanfield Airport with WestJet Airlines. The flight took just over 6-hours, and was relatively painless. Fiancé’s parents rented a car from the Hertz in the airport, and we were off on our merry way!

• for our return to the airport, seeing as Fiancé’s parents left a few days before us, we used a company called Casino Taxi. The driver showed up on time – in fact, a little early! – was friendly, and it worked out at not too high a cost: ~$65 CAD. Would recommend.

• we were under the mistaken impression that there were no direct bus routes between the airport & the city, but I’ve since learned there are a few! Maritime Bus, Halifax Transit, and a seasonal Airport Express offer routes to/fro the airport. More info on buses & shuttles here.

where we stayed

We were incredibly fortunate during our time in Halifax because we were able to stay with Fiancé’s Canadian family. They very generously allowed us to set up camp in their house for four nights and it was so perfect for us! Details listed below:

• like I said, we were lucky to stay with Fiancé’s family. The house was extremely well located on Walnut Street, about a 20-30 minute leisurely walk into the city centre. It was quiet, beautiful, and yet so central! I see the Walnut Street area has a “walkability score of 80-85 out of 100”, which is quite good! Would recommend.

• if, however, you aren’t lucky enough to be staying with family, Fiancé’s parents stayed at The Lord Nelson Hotel, which they said was lovely. It is ideally located on South Park Street, which has a “walkability score of 89-96 out of 100”, which is basically as central as it gets!

where we had coffee and donuts

LF Bakery // two words: blueberry! donuts! We both, but especially my blueberry obsessed Fiancé, died and went to donut heaven; it was fantastic!! The dough was pillow-y soft and luscious, the filling was drool-inducing perfection – generous but not too generous – and the sugar coating was masterful! We savoured the donut with two takeaway drip coffees, which were nice, but outshone by the obvious. Would recommend. Address: 2063 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS B3K 0C3

Dilly Dally Coffee // a very cute little coffee shop! We literally just stopped in for takeaway coffee, but I wish we’d had the time to sit in, because apparently their breakfast menu is great! Regardless, my cappuccino was deliciously creamy and expertly poured! Would recommend. Address: 6100 Quinpool Rd, Halifax, NS B3L 1A1

~~Fortune Doughnut~~ // a highly colourful donut shop with loads of extremely over-the-top flavours & toppings. Which is totally great if you’re into all of that – but we’re more simplistic donut eaters: jammy fillings, or a nice simple classic glazed etc. We went for the ‘old fashioned donut’, which was really rather a let down, but maybe we made the wrong choice? Shoulda been more adventurous and gone for a bright blue neon donut instead! ~~Address~~~~: 2306 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS B3K 3B6~~
*2024 UPDATE: sadly, now closed.

where we ate

Oh my lord, the length of this section got away from me slightly. Am I sorry? Heck no! We had some truly wonderful meals in Halifax – something that pleasantly surprised the two of us! Having come from the extremely seafood-oriented spots of Lunenburg and Summerside, we were thrilled to dine at restaurants that weren’t so fish focused. There’s heaps & heaps of recommendations below, and for ease I’ve divided it up into different categories: breakfast / lunch / dinner / ice-cream. Enjoy!

breakfast

Elle’s Bistro // home to the best pancake ever! On our first morning in town, Fiancé & I queued for around 15-minutes to get in here – it was 100% worth it! Along with roughly a million cups of free coffee refills, we ordered: an ‘old fashioned diner breakfast’ with sausages + eggs SSU + toast + home fries, and a half order of pancakes with a side of crispy bacon. Diner breakfasts will forever be my favourite thing – who doesn’t love sausages with potatoes and toast?? – but Fiancé died and went to pancake heaven. The half order turned out to be one XXL pancake that was incredibly light & fluffy, perfectly cinnamon-y + buttery, and came with its own bottle of maple syrup on the side. He was ecstatic. Would recommend. Address: 1678 Barrington St, Halifax, NS B3J 2A2

Steve-O-Reno’s Cappuccino // the cutest little café! This was our first stop on a very thorough food crawl through the city, so we kept it light: a Montreal bagel with cream cheese to share. After discovering the absolute joy of Montreal bagels in Summerside, we simply had to order it again – and this one was even better! Excellent bagel, and, if possible, an even creamier & more lusciously fatty cream cheese. Added bonus: my cappuccino was delicious! Super creamy and blissfully strong. Would recommend. Address: 1536 Brunswick St, Halifax, NS B3J 2G2

Cheeky Neighbour Diner // a wonderfully modern take on the classic diner! We had our last breakfast of the trip here and it did not disappoint! I went for the Chorizo Eggs Benji – chorizo pulled pork + poached eggs with hollandaise & crispy onions on sourdough, served with potato hash(!) – and Fiancé went for the Cheeky Classic – eggs, hash, sausage, and toast. Both were delicious, but mine was to-die-for; I’m weak when it comes to eggs benny, and this one was particularly fantastic! Bonus points: nice unlimited filter coffee, bright & airy open space, and a fun Campbell’s Soup wallpaper in the bathrooms. A must-visit. Address: 6024 Quinpool Rd, Halifax, NS B3L 1A1

lunch

King of Donair // home to the official food of Halifax: the donair! It’s similar to what we would know as a donor kebab, except with spiced beef instead of lamb, and the sauce is a little sweeter than you’d expect. Otherwise, it’s largely the same: meat cooked on a spit, shaved into a warmed pita, doused in a moreish garlic sauce, and garnished with onions & tomatoes etc.; it’s so delicious! We had been warned by a local that the donair is really just something people eat on the way home after a few drinks, but we ate it stone-cold sober and still loved it! Fun fact: the KoD on Quinpool Rd is the original restaurant from the ’70s! It feels entirely unchanged by time. A must-visit! Address: 6420 Quinpool Rd, Halifax, NS B3L 1A8

The Bicycle Thief // a beautiful spot on the waterfront. We stopped by for a late lunch on our last day and it was so idyllic, blissful, and straight-up romantic! To eat, we ordered: an open steak sandwich with mushrooms on a garlic butter focaccia for me, and spaghetti & meatballs for Fiancé. We also treated ourselves to a glass of wine, I had a glass of Tidal Bay pinot grigio, Fiancé had sangiovese. Everything was beyond delicious and fantastic! Reluctant to let our romantic lunch come to an end, we ordered a Basque cheesecake for dessert; the plate of which was thoughtfully adorned with the word ‘congratulations’ written in coulis, in regards to our happy engagement news. So thoughtful and lovely! Would recommend. Address: 1475 Lower Water St, Halifax, NS B3J 3Z2

dinner

Domino’s Pizza // look, I’m not entirely proud of this one – but I don’t regret it! We were totally zonked when we got into town on our first night, and, after running to the local NSCL to grab a couple beers, decided to stay in & order a pizza like locals. It was exactly the tonic we needed. Naturally, we went for pepperoni pizza with a side of chicken bites, and it was so different to the Domino’s here in Ireland! The pepperoni was more flavourful, and the marinara sauce was less watery and more tomato-ey. However! They don’t do garlic & herb dip! They instead offer a ‘garlic flavoured’ sauce, which is a sad shadow of its Irish cousin’s tastiness. Address: 6024 Quinpool Rd, Halifax, NS B3L 1A1

2 Doors Down // so good, we visited twice: once with Fiancé’s uncle, and once on a romantic date! Both times Fiancé & I shared the jackfruit tacos to start, and both times I was gob-smacked that it was a vegetarian dish; it was so meaty and delicious! For mains, we sampled: the smokehouse burger with a side of classic poutine, the BBQ pork chop + mac & cheese side, and the sweet & spicy Korean fried chicken main, except with a side of the mac & cheese instead of steamed rice. Everything was amazing, but the chicken dish was phenomenal! We also shared a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie ice-cream sandwich with strawberry coulis for dessert, which was every bit as delicious as it sounds. Needless to say: we rolled home. An absolute must-visit. Address: 1533 Barrington St, Halifax, NS B3J 1Z6

STUDIO EAST Asian Gastropub // an extremely delicious gastro-pub! I’d read about this cool “Asian-Global fusion farm-to-table restaurant” on a few different foodie guides, and I’m so glad we got to try it out! We shared the chicken karaage appetizer to start, followed by two different rice bowl mains: fried chicken for me & braised pork belly for Fiancé. Everything was delicious, but the karaage was so mouthwateringly moreish and tasty that it totally stole the show! Note: we had our meal to take-out – a lovely treat from Fiancé’s aunt! We had hopes of eating in-store, but were too tired after a day of exploring to actually walk to the restaurant. A must-visit. Address: 6021 Cunard St, Halifax, NS B3K 1E5

ice-cream

COWS Creamery // oh my god, this was amazing! I went for PEI Strawberry, Fiancé went for Chocolate, and they were both so! delicious! Creamy, silky smooth, and heaps of great flavour! We got them from the COWS Kiosk at the waterfront, wandered over to two very comfortable & colourful harbour-side chairs, and devoured our cones in true contentment. A must-visit. Address: 1549 Lower Water St, Halifax, NS B3J 1S9

where we drank

Generally speaking, we mostly only drank beers when we went out in Canada. For some reason, the tax on wines is much higher, and, as a result, we only had the odd glass of wine as a special treat. However! The craft beer scene in this region of Canada is absolutely booming, so there was always something exciting and tasty to sample! Below are the two great spots we stopped for a pint in, and one store for take-home finds:

Durty Nelly’s // Fiancé has literally been obsessed with this pub for years, for no reason that I can think of – except maybe the spelling. Regardless, it’s rather a nice spot for a drink or two! We inadvertently visited during a football match of sorts, so it was quite busy, but we managed to find some stools at the bar. Keen to try some local pours, I sampled Alexander Keith’s IPA & Spindrift’s Killick Session Lager, both of which were delicious. Fiancé was less concerned about sipping local, and after one of Spindrift’s Toller, switched to an old fave, Stella Artois. Would recommend. Address: 1645 Argyle St, Halifax, NS B3J 2B5

The Split Crow // we both strayed from our Canadian beer crawl to order two beers that I’ve literally never seen in Ireland: Pabst Blue Ribbon and Coors Original! Coors Original – not Coors Light! I never even knew that existed!! Anyways – The Split Crow was quite nice! Cool space, plenty of trinkets to look around at, friendly staff, and great prices. We also sampled their nachos – be rude not to – and they were surprisingly not bad! Fun fact: The Split Crow is the oldest tavern in Nova Scotia! Admittedly, this isn’t the same location as the first iteration of the bar, but it’s the same company/owner etc. Would recommend. Address: 1855 Granville St, Halifax, NS B3J 3L7

NSCL // a fantastic liquor store. It’s huge, and the selection of drinks is amazing! They have a ginormous ‘cool section’, which is basically a giant fridge that takes over half the store; we may have perused said section for slightly longer than necessary just to escape the heat. We picked up a whole bunch of local beers to sample between us, and, for the most, we enjoyed them all! This included: Propeller Brewing Co. Pilsner, Tatamagouche Brewing Co. Nelson’s Park APA, Big Spruce Brewing The Inhaled Affirmative Pilsner (our least favourite), Spindrift Brewing Co. Toller Gold Lager. Would recommend. Address: 6169 Quinpool Rd, Halifax, NS B3L 4P8

where we tourist-ed

You guessed it: we didn’t do any paid tourist attractions in Halifax! Well, unless you count paying like $2.50 CAD for a ferry ticket – in which case, we did. There are heaps of free things to see and do in the city, below are just the small handful we got around to doing.

Halifax Harbour // a lovely spot for a stroll or a sit! There’s a nice boardwalk covering the length of the waterfront, dotted with colourful Adirondack chairs, hammocks, and a couple different street performers. We encountered a bagpipe player, a man with a falcon, and a guy cycling on a bubble bike – which is exactly what it sounds like it is. Fun fact: before visiting, I’d read online that Halifax Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in the world. However! It has since come to my attention that this is a highly contested title that might actually belong to none other than our very own Cork Harbour! Wild! Would recommend. Address: Lower Water St, Halifax, NS B3H 4P8

Halifax Public Gardens // the prettiest public gardens! This park was handily located on our walk into the city centre, so we walked through it every single day and it was lovely! The cutest duckies flying all around, a nice pond & some fountains, little hidden nooks, flower displays, a café – it has it all! Would recommend. Address: Spring Garden Rd. &, Summer St, Halifax, NS B3J 3S9

Halifax Central Library // god, I wish we had libraries like this in Ireland! Not only is it five whole levels, but there’s also some super impressive stairs connecting the levels – think Hogwarts level of crisscrossing – and a great view over the city from the rooftop café! Would recommend. Address: 5440 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS B3J 1E9

Halifax Citadel National Historic Site // full disclosure, we didn’t actually go inside the citadel. Instead, we hauled ourselves up the top of the steep hillside, took in the views over the city, and contemplated how epic it would be to roll down the hill instead of walking. It was lovely! Fun fact: every single day since 1857, a cannon is fired from the Citadel at 12pm! It’s called the ‘Noon Gun’, and you can hear it ring out all over the city; how fun! Address: 5425 Sackville St, Halifax, NS B3J 3Y3

Ferry to Dartmouth // such a fun touristy thing to do! We ferried to Dartmouth late one morning, wandered around, had coffee + lunch, and ferried right on back to Halifax in the early afternoon; it was so nice! Fun fact: the Halifax-Dartmouth ferry is the oldest saltwater ferry in all of North America! It has been running since 1752! Added bonus: you get some great views of the Halifax skyline from the water! Read more: An Afternoon in Downtown Dartmouth.

One free thing that we didn’t get around to for fear of injuries: renting (free!) rollerblades and skating around Emera Oval, a large space designed exactly for that reason. Next time!!

And there we have it: Eating Our Way Around Halifax, Nova Scotia! Did you enjoy it? I had a blast writing it, so hopefully it comes in handy for a few of you! Hit me up with any thoughts, comments, or recommendations I might’ve forgotten using the comment box below – I’d love to hear from you!

Hugs,

Vicki xo

*Date of trip: 21st - 25th August, 2022*