This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
For the past few years, Halifax’s gastronomy has been booming. There is no shortage of wine bars, neighborhood restaurants and excellent cafés in Nova Scotia’s capital. Here is an overview of its good addresses that will make you enjoy your stay to the full.
Call of the salty air
A stay in Halifax often rhymes with getaways to the beach. The surroundings of the city are punctuated by several white sand beaches, such as that of Martinique in East Petpeswick (less than an hour by car). While on the side of Taylor Head Provincial Park, the turquoise waters at Psyche Cove Beach are reminiscent of those of the West Indies. Then, towards Peggy’s Cove, Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park features a 10 km loop trail, perfect for seaside hikes.
Moreover, at Peggy’s Cove, the Tom’s Lobster Shack counter offers excellent and generous lobster rolls to eat on the spot, in the open air, on one of their pretty sunny yellow picnic tables.
Exquisite Maritimes
Judging by the number of excellent restaurants that have opened their doors recently, Halifax is attracting big names in Canadian gastronomy. We see this from our first stop at Mera Cafe + Bar, a brand new address on Barrington Street.
Hailing from Vancouver, restaurateur Khushkaran Chahal and chef Sunpreet Singh have made their way to the east coast to be part of Halifax’s gastronomic boom. As is the trend of the moment, their menu from morning to evening highlights local products, the history of which relates as much to the origins of each ingredient as to those of the producers. For brunch, we opt for the plate of salmon gravlax on homemade sourdough bread, and the dish of duck confit, fondant leeks and potatoes. The decor is soft, perfect for a foggy morning.
For an aperitif, the Highwayman restaurant is to be included in your book of good addresses. Although its name is inspired by the poem by the English author Alfred Noyes, its menu is reminiscent of Spanish menus, also emphasizing local products. The atmosphere is subdued, the cocktail menu offers several versions of gin and tonic. But the delicious dirty martini with vodka does not disappoint us to accompany our dishes of patatas bravas and of croquetasboth perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
In the evening, the trend continues on the menu of several other establishments, such as Drift, located in the sumptuous Muir Hotel, which is located in the new urban district, Queen’s Marque, on the Halifax waterfront. The dishes of chef Anthony Walsh — also at the helm of the renowned Canoe restaurant in Toronto — pay homage to the history and identity of Atlantic Canadian cuisine and are presented in a modern and refined version of them. His brigade perfectly interprets the hodge podge, this stew usually made with meat, but rather here garnished with seafood from the Maritimes, which also includes new potatoes, green beans, heirloom carrots, leeks and dill. While it may be too hot to eat stew in the height of summer, crudos of the house, like that of tuna and the salmon tartare as a starter, are of a notable delicacy.
Next to the Drift, several restaurants have opened their doors in the past year. A modern Latin menu is offered at Bar Sofia, the eastern Mediterranean cuisine is the inspiration of the Darya, while at the Peacock wine bar, the local cuisine is inventive and pleasantly surprising. Obviously, Halifax is possibly the most vibrant foodie destination in the country right now.
Our journalist was the guest of the Nova Scotia Tourist Board.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team of the Duty, relating to marketing. The drafting of Duty did not take part.