North Central Halifax,
at the centre of it all.

Bar Kismet (Restaurant)

Ranked 15th on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, Bar Kismet is the project of Chef Annie Brace-Lavoie and her award-winning bartender husband and co-owner Jenner Cormier. Bar Kismet gives off a rustic elegance that doesn’t distract from the superb food and drink – and we mean both evenly, given its listing as one of North America’s Top 50 bars. Brace-Lavoie’s beautifully executed Mediterranean cuisine and Cormier’s meticulously
designed cocktails complement each other perfectly. It’s rare for a restaurant to deliver both food and drinks at this high a level, and even rarer to find a seat after 6 pm.

The Narrows Public House (Restaurant)

Featuring traditional east coast cuisine and local craft beer, The Narrows Public House is nestled in a 1896 Victorian Heritage Home at the northern end of Gottingen Street with views of the MacDonald Bridge and the Halifax Harbour. The 80 seat Pub was a long time passion project by local restaurateurs Myles Baldwin and Tyson McDow who spent years funding the renovation of the space. Only a year since it opened in 2022, it has already gained preeminent status in a city known for cozy pubs. 

Edna (Restaurant)

Cited as one of Canada’s 10 best new restaurants in enRoute’s 2014 list, Edna instantly became a symbol of the changing food scene in Halifax. Edna continues as culinary leader in the city, having landed on the Canada’s 100 Best several times. Nine years later, Edna continues to be one of Halifax’s favourites, offering local, fresh and innovative dishes. Their brunch Caesars (with a raw oyster) are particularly perfect! 

Ratinaud (Local Deli & Bistro)

Ratinaud and its owner, Frédéric Tandy, have become synonymous with fine charcuterie in Halifax. Located on Gottingen Street, this authentic Quebec style deli continues to expand, with a larger store added in 2015. Featuring some of the best specialty cured meats and cheeses on the East Coast, hitting up Ratinaud for your personal catering needs will make you the elite host among your friends.    

DeeDee’s Ice Cream

DeeDee’s sets the bar for ice cream parlours in Halifax. Located on Cornwallis Street off Gottingen – it offers traditional favourites alongside their own classics like Banana Cardamom and Mexican. This family friendly place also offers up some of the best burritos in town, making it a perfect stop for lunch before you grab a couple of cones to go with your walk through the Commons just a block away. 

The Local – Seahorse – Marque (Pub/Club/Live Music)

A three-in-one deal, the Local is the oldest licenced pub in Halifax, and still serves as a traditional haunt for North Enders looking for a relaxed environment to have a few pints with friends. While the Local offers casual live music, people watching and pool, the Marque hosts great up-and-coming shows, and The Seahorse, downstairs, comes alive on the weekends with DJs and dancing till 3am, the 80s & 90s nights being especially popular.

Salvatore’s (Restaurant)

Up in the Hydrostone neighborhood, you find the 10-time gold winner of The Coast’s Best of Halifax. Salvatore’s is a hip North End fixture with a Mom and Pop feel serving up the best pizza in the city. 

Bus Stop Theatre (Local Theatre)

A regular venue for the Fringe Festival, the Bus Stop offers a lively venue for theatre on Gottingen Street. It recently received a fresh make-over, so be sure to check out their upcoming roster for an eclectic mix of plays and events by local Halifax artists.   

Fortune Donuts (Bakery/Coffee Shop)

With the motto “Donuts are Fun!”, Fortune offers a playful selection of everyone’s favourite fried dough – made fresh in house daily, a new menu is created every morning by their very own donut “wizards.” 

LF Bakery (Bakery/Coffee Shop)

Be prepared to wait at this local bakery and coffee shop on Gottingen. With that perfect Parisian crunch around a soft center, the baguettes are particularly popular, and make sure to also give the almond croissants a try, but be warned, they sell out quick. 

Local Source Market (Local Food Market)

If you don’t have time to stock up for your needs at all of Halifax’s artisanal bakeries and butchers in a single shopping run, have no fear, Local Source is the only stop you need. This small local market curates the best of Halifax for you – offering everything from Ciro’s cheeses, Ratinuad’s cured meats, Dee Dee’s Ice Cream, Maria’s Pasta sauces and Java Blend’s Coffee - giving you the most efficient high end food shopping experience in the city.  

The Tusket Falls Beer Project (Beer Hall and Brewery)

While Halifax is known for having the most bars per capita in North America, most are of the east coast pub variety. Tusket Falls breaks that mold with their beer garden approach. You can drop in for the finger food, but the real attraction is the craft beer brewed and served onsite by the friendly staff – or just drop in and pick up from their robust selection on your way back home!

CHKN CHOP (Dinner/Fast Food)

One of the keys to being a local in any city is knowing the best homegrown fast food. As a Haligonian, you can forget the drive throughs - instead you’ll be coming to this North End chicken shop. With the best fried chicken sandwiches in the city, CHKN CHOP does a new, special fried chicken sandwich each week in addition to the permanent Hot Chicken, Nashville Style Spicey Chicken. If you’re not in the mood for a sandwich, no worries, their rotisserie style chicken is just as delicious with ample sides – the Mac’n’Chz, Brussel Sprouts, and Pulled Chicken Poutine being a must.   

Seven Bays Bouldering and Café (Climbing Gym and Café)

Ever wanted to learn how to boulder while working on that screenplay you’ve been talking about to your friends? Well, the south end of Gottingen has got you covered. Seven Bays offers a mix of Climbing facilities and café, where the relaxed vibe of the coffee shop almost seems to melt away any inhibitions you might have of hitting
the mat from their more complicated bouldering puzzles – while simultaneously giving you a place to lick your wounds until you’re ready to go again.  

Elliot and Vine (Wine Bar)

This refined wine bar is a great place for a date night or small celebration. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, giving a relaxed feel with an excellent choice of wines from anywhere in the world. Make sure to order some of the tasty small plates and oysters to take your night out to the next level.

Java Blend (Coffee Shop & Roaster)

Java Blend is Halifax’s oldest coffee roaster. Part artisanal roaster, part busy café, this iconic stop is a neighborhood favourite to sit, chat, work or pick up a coffee and a bag of fresh Fairtrade beans to go.  

Brother’s Meats (Local Deli)

Another iconic Halifax shop, Brother’s is part of the heart of the old North End. Look for the classic neon sign and find out why Brother’s in-house wood smoke sausages are a staple of any care package for out-of-Province east-coasters. 

Café Lara

Café Lara is a place that locals use to catch up with friends for an hour or five. Low stress, quaint, comfortable and quiet, Lara allows you to start with coffee and move into cocktails as your conversations get juicier.  

Cyclesmith (Bike Shop)

Cyclesmith is one of the city’s biggest bike shops. It covers all your biking needs, from cruisers to fat bikes to e-bikes to high end road bikes – all delivered by a friendly and knowledgeable staff that will have you happily taking advantage of this North End cycling hub. (Inquire about their winter storage options if you need a place to stow your bike during the colder months). 

Chainyard (Cidery and Restaurant)

Whether you’re dropping into this gastropub for a meal or just to fill a growler of cider, Chainyard Cidery doesn’t disappoint. Its patio is a favourite stop in the summer for a cool drink and bite while people-watching in the sun. 

Café Amora Latina

Halifax isn’t exactly known for its outstanding Latin food; however Café Aroma Latina provides an authentic island in that barren landscape. Known for its fantastic lunch and breakfast menu, this is the place for your Latin fix in the North End. And don’t forget to visit the small attached bodega where you can buy all the
ingredients to cook your own versions at home.