What to Eat in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
When Colin and I travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia in October 2021 for our honeymoon, we completely fell in love with this city. And one of the reasons why is because there are so many incredible things to eat in Halifax.
From chocolate bars and waffles covered in whip cream to seafood pastas and their famous donair, Halifax is definitely a foodie city. And in between meals, don’t miss these 22 things to do in Halifax.
All right, let’s get to the delicious stuff!
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Nab a tasty treat at Peace by Chocolate
In planning our trip to Halifax, I came across the story behind Peace by Chocolate. The Hadhad family ran a chocolate shop in Syria that was bombed, causing them to flee to Lebanon. They lived in a refugee camp in Lebanon for years before coming to Canada and reopening their chocolate shop in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The chocolate has become so popular that they were able to open another location on the Halifax Waterfront.
Amazed by their story, I was so excited to stumble upon their shop as we strolled the waterfront. Colin and I loaded up on a few bars, loving the unique flavour combinations and cool designs. Many of the bars featured uniquely Canadians sayings or ingredients, words in other languages, or supported various charitable causes. Plus, they were all delicious! I definitely recommend Peace by Chocolate if you’re in Halifax (we stopped by the original location in Antigonish too) for a quick treat and a great souvenir to bring home.
Eat at The Bicycle Thief
In all my Halifax research, one restaurant kept coming up time and time again: The Bicycle Thief. Every blog I read, video I watched and podcast I listened to said you had to eat at The Bicycle Thief in Halifax. So, of course, I immediately went online and made us a reservation.
And I have to say, it lived up to the hype! We actually strolled into the restaurant hours ahead of our reservation, as we were in the area, cold (Colin forgot a sweater) and hungry. They accommodated us right away and gave us a great table by the window.
We started with the seared scallops, which basically melted in our mouths. For our mains, we went with the lobster linguine and seafood spaghetti. They were both so incredible! The seafood was so fresh, the flavours were outstanding and we were beyond satisfied.
Have Breakfast at Waffle Love
If you’re looking for a cute place to have breakfast in Halifax, when you really just want dessert, Waffle Love is for you. This little breakfast eatery serves up the hugest waffles covered in heaps of fruit, whip cream, syrup and more. Colin and I should’ve shared one, but our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.
They also serve homemade perogies, if you want a little savoury with your sweet waffles!
Enjoy the King of Donair
The number one thing you have to eat in Halifax? A donair! The Halifax donair was invented 50 years ago and is different from a typical donair in two ways: it’s usually filled with beef, instead of lamb, and it is drenched in a delicious sweet, garlic sauce.
Growing up in Toronto, my mom used to take me to a donair shop that served Halifax donairs, and I loved them. In fact, when I came out to Vancouver, I didn’t understand why none of the donair places I tried knew what I was talking about when I asked for the “sweet sauce.” Luckily, I got my fix on our trip to Halifax.
Colin and I ordered our first donairs from the King of Donair as a late night treat, exactly as donair is meant to be eaten. They were so delicious! In fact, we had donairs five more times during our honeymoon and seriously considered checking luggage just so we could buy a bottle (or 12) of the sauce!
Stock up on candy at the Freak Lunchbox
Who doesn’t want to buy candy from a place called Freak Lunchbox? After watching a Halifax Mooseheads game, Colin and I walked across the street and indulged our inner kids by going wild at this trendy candy shop. The place was packed (or, more accurately, had a line outside due to covid capacity limits) and had every type of candy imaginable. They even had a section of foreign and imported candy.
My favourite part (besides sitting in bed later and watching Ted Lasso while we ate our candy) was how knowledgeable and engaged the staff were. We watched as a staff member showed two eagre teenagers the most sour candy they had in the store, complete with a warning label!
Go for dinner at Julep Kitchen & Cocktails
If you’re looking for a cool place to grab dinner in Halifax that is both trendy and tasty, you’ll find it at Julep Kitchen & Cocktails. Since the place was pretty busy, Colin and I sat at the bar. But that allowed us to have a front row seat to the funky cocktails the bartenders were serving up. In fact, we even took them up on their offer to make custom cocktails for us, based on our favourite flavours. I have no idea what was in mine, but it was delicious!
For food, I got the tuna tartare cannoli, which was yummy and pretty to look at, but a bit smaller than I was hoping for. Colin went for the mussels and fries, which were delicious and overflowing. Lucky for me, he shared!
Dig into a diner breakfast at Elle’s Bistro
Elle’s Bistro is one of the hidden gems in Halifax and we’re so glad we found it. During our six days in Halifax, we had breakfast at Elle’s three times – three days in a row! Yes, the servers started to recognize us by the end.
Elle’s Bistro is an old school diner – nothing fancy but good food, good prices and good portions. They have a huge menu – we could have eaten there for a month straight and not repeated an order. With a huge menu of great food priced fairly, the place gets busy. Lucky for us, we never had to wait too long for a table (and I don’t think they take reservations).
Over our three mornings, our top recommendations at Elle’s Bistro are the Eggs Halifax (eggs benny with seafood chowder on top – trust me, it’s amazing!) and the Hungry Hippo (a typical breakfast plate of meat, eggs and carbs). The pancakes and coffee drinks were also delish!
Sip cider in Dartmouth
Both Halifax and Dartmouth are known for their craft beer and cider scene. While spending the afternoon in Dartmouth, Colin and I killed some time at Lake City Cidery. I’m no cider expert but we really enjoyed what we tasted! We got a flight of ciders, so we could try different ones, and then full pints of our favourites. I was such a fan, I almost bought some Lake City merch to bring home.
Have the best meal at The Canteen in Dartmouth
If you have one meal in the Halifax area, it needs to be at The Canteen in Dartmouth. This unassuming spot in downtown Dartmouth (just a 15 minute ferry from downtown Halifax) served us probably our favourite meal of our entire honeymoon. While this place looks unassuming, it’s very well known, so be sure to reserve your table in advance.
Our meal started off on a high when our server brought complimentary champagne, since we were on our honeymoon. We then had a bowl of seafood chowder which was phenomenal – so tasty and so full of seafood! Next, we tried their famous crobster (crab + lobster) roll and it totally lived up to the hype. Stuffed, we took home a slice of their popular carrot cake and devoured every bite from the comfort of our hotel bed.
Indulge in the best fish n’ chips in Canada at John’s Lunch
According to some Canadian magazine from a few years ago, the best fish n’ chips in Canada is located just outside of Halifax at John’s Lunch in Dartmouth. This small restaurant is totally off the beaten path but well worth the little drive out of town. When we visited, they were only doing takeout, so we just ate in our car in the parking lot next door.
What John’s Lunch lacks in atmosphere, it totally makes up for in taste. I’m not a huge fish n’ chips person to begin with, but I was a fan! The fish was really tasty, and not overly battered or oily. Colin, who is a big fish n’ chips fan, agreed with that magazine and declared John’s Lunch was his favourite fish n’ chips he’s ever had.
Enjoy lunch with a view at Sou’wester in Peggys Cove
When we visited Peggys Cove (want to see photos of the iconic lighthouse? Check out my things to do in Halifax post!), we stopped for lunch at Sou’wester, probably the most popular restaurant in the area. Not only does this place serve up a pretty respectable meal, but it’s also a great spot to take in views of the water and the lighthouse.
Views aside, the food is pretty good too. The Digby scallops were ginormous and delicious (but a little overpriced) and I was a big fan of the yam fries. I can’t say the fish tacos were the best I ever had, but Colin did like his fish n’ chips.
Grab a coffee at The Barn in Mahone Bay
Just an hour outside of Halifax is the cute town of Mahone Bay, known for their three churches on the waterfront. But tucked into one of the side streets is The Barn, a really rustic and cool cafe. This is the perfect spot to stop for a coffee, a delicious cinnamon bun, and a quick browse of the local handmade gifts they sell. This place is all about the cozy atmosphere, plus they have a cute little garden outside that you can sit in as well.
Dine at The Salt Shaker in Lunenburg
One of my favourite meals from our time in Halifax, and probably our entire honeymoon, was the dinner we had at The Salt Shaker in Lunenburg (75 minutes from Halifax). It was the most beautiful October day when we went and we got to sit on the patio, overlooking the harbour. Good views, good company and really good food!
We started our meal with their can’t miss deal – a pint and a pound. You get a pint of beer and a pound of mussels for less than $20. The mussels were so yummy, and you can pick from a variety of sauces. Next we got a calamari dish and then the meal we heard The Salt Shaker was famous for, their scallop linguine. If you can’t tell from the photo above, this pasta more than lived up to the praise I had read online. I’m drooling now just thinking about those scallops!
Get a scoop of ice cream at Sweet Treasures Confectionary in Lunenburg
The perfect treat after a delicious meal of seafood? Ice cream, of course! Just a few doors up from The Salt Shaker is Sweet Treasures Confectionary with some to-die-for ice cream. I got the creamy double chocolate mousse and while the photo above doesn’t do it justice, trust me when I say it was some of the smoothest, creamiest and most delicious ice cream I have ever had!
There you have it: 14 awesome places to eat in Halifax (or near Halifax)! Which dish are you most wanting to try?
Of course, there are so many more amazing eateries in and around Halifax that we didn’t get to. Below are a few more you may want to add to your Halifax itinerary. We didn’t get a chance to eat at them but they come highly recommended.
- Johnny K’s Authentic Donairs
- Salvatore’s Pizzaiolo Trattoria
- The Ostrich Club
- The Mercantile Social
- The Five Fishermen
- The Stubborn Goat Gastropub
- Fortune Doughnut
- Waterfront Warehouse
- Salty’s
- Sea Smoke Restaurant & Bar
- Piatto Pizzeria
- Dee Dee’s Ice Cream
- Two If By Sea Cafe
- The Carleton
- Willy’s Fresh Cut
Check out more great eating in Atlantic Canada in Charlottetown and on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton!
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