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39°F / 4°C
(Sprinkles. Overcast. Chilly.)
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You want it, you got it
While not a huge city, Halifax has often been described as "having at least one of everything," which makes it a place of many choices. This is especially true of the city's dining and drinking establishments.
From beautifully-designed sushi to fresh lobster, seafood is offered everywhere. Even the most down-to-earth tavern provides crisp fish and chips made from fresh haddock or cod and potatoes that were round and brown only hours earlier. Ask any chef in one of the city's finer dining establishments about the difference between Atlantic and Pacific salmon, and you'll learn that the east coast offers a variety that's far more tender and succulent, even before the addition of lemon or butter.
One way that Haligonians mark the passing seasons is by the presence of chip trucks, which park on the lower end of Spring Garden Road, in front of the city's main library. Spring doesn't really arrive, officially, until someone has parked a chip wagon, offering the best and freshest French fries in town. And the summer hasn't ended until the desolate Sunday afternoon when Haligonians travel downtown and find the chip trucks have gone in out of the cold.
The city's British heritage and the presence of seven universities ensures that pub fare is top-quality. From a Ploughman's Lunch accompanied by an imported beer to an Eggs Benedict plate with complimentary Bloody Mary, all palates are served.
Halifax has a large Lebanese population, which means that fine Middle Eastern fare is readily available. The Mediteraneo Restaurant offers tasty meals and grocery stores like The Mid-East Food Centre and Phoenicia Foods Ltd. can supply all the ingredients to cook your own versions.
The downtown core is divided into two areas. Spring Garden Road is the major artery serving the westernmost area. It begins at Barrington Street and travels uphill to South Park Street. On that avenue are many of the city's finest restaurants and pubs, alongside some of the best shopping.
As you walk up Spring Garden, you'll see a sign for The Thirsty Duck, one of the liveliest pub/restaurants around. The three-room, second floor establishment boasts the building's original wooden beams and walls. The food is hearty and reasonably priced. In the evenings, the Duck buzzes with the after-work crowd, and Thursday through Saturday visiting musical groups play everything from traditional fiddle to light rock.
While the city's strength is seafood, it also offers up sizzling beef the way it should be done. Just before you see the sign for The Thirsty Duck, you'll look up and see the one for Ryan Duffy's Steak & Seafood, which offers beef that is cut and weighed table-side and then broiled over a hardwood fire to your specifications.
Also on Spring Garden Road, you'll find Il Mercato, one of the city's finest restaurants. It is so popular that they don't take reservations. Your best bet is to show up an hour before you want to eat, get on the list and grab a pre-dinner cocktail at the bar.
For a little shopping on Spring Garden Road, visit the Park Lane shopping complex. Inside, you'll find the Birmingham Bar & Grill, which offers fine food and, on weekend nights, live jazz.
Just a few blocks west of Park Lane shopping complex, and one block north, on Doyle Street, is Tom's Little Havana Cafe. Dine on blackened catfish while enjoying some great blues music.
While there is a multitude of restaurants, taverns, coffee shops and boutiques on Spring Garden Road, be sure to check out the waterfront area. Bordered on the north by Barrington Street, the area is chockablock with fine dining. Greek, Lebanese, Japanese, French, Indonesian, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Czechoslovakian and West African cuisine can all be found in this district.
For Greek, go to the city's best-loved Greek restaurant, Opa!. Cheerful Mediterranean blues border a whitewashed exterior. In the summer diners can sit at tiled patio tables surrounded by plants. Inside, salmon-colored hues recall sun-baked walls, and a huge skylight above the main dining area brightens up the atmosphere. The menu is large and varied, and the food leans more toward piquant than pedestrian. When you are down in the waterfront area, go even further south to sample the delights of Cafe Chianti, a charming downstairs bistro with an old-world atmosphere and fine dining.
Northern Italian fare is popular in Halifax. At La Perla, across the Halifax Harbour in Dartmouth, you will feel as though you're sitting in an isolated trattoria where the kitchen and front staff exist only to serve you. This delightful restaurant offers superbly crafted fare. Sip a Campari and soda while smells from the kitchen tantalize your senses.
If you like to be entertained while dining, check out the Halifax Feast Dinner Theatre. Since the mid 1980s, the theatre has staged popular shows that often sends up TV shows and movies. The menu is set, depending on what's available during the season. The venerable building is loaded with entertainment for all the senses.
Haligonians love to party, and you won't be able to go more than a few steps through the downtown area without passing a lively pub or lounge. However, visitors should take note that while bars are open all week, liquor stores are closed on Sunday. In warmer months, from June to October, rooftop patios are filled with patrons enjoying the sea breeze and cold drinks; Spring Garden Road and the waterfront area are packed to overflow. The Sheraton Halifax Hotel has one of the best seaside patios.
As an old city, Halifax doesn't have to create atmosphere. Many of its historic buildings house dining and drinking establishments, lending them a distinct charm. Halifax is a jolly, friendly place, and its bars and restaurants are great places for locals and visitors to socialize.
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