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The weekend chapterBrunch
The best brunch in Halifax: weekend tables, diners and good coffee
The best brunch in Halifax: busy weekend rooms in the North End, harbour patios, a Quinpool diner and a seasonal kitchen across the harbour.
Find your next table
12 places in this chapter
North End · Waterfront · Downtown · Quinpool & South End · Dartmouth
Plan your morningGet your bearings
The weekend chapter.
The best brunch in Halifax is a weekend ritual, and the most popular rooms are full by late morning. Brunch in Halifax is spread across the city: busy rooms in the North End, patios on the waterfront, a diner on Quinpool Road, a bistro in the South End and a seasonal kitchen across the harbour in Dartmouth.
This page groups them by neighbourhood so you can match brunch to the rest of the day. Coffee comes first, so each section also points to a good cup nearby.
North End / 2 places
Weekend brunch in the North End
The busiest brunch rooms in the city, a few blocks apart.
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EDNA
On almost every list of the best brunch in Halifax. Weekend tables go quickly, so plan ahead.
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Café Lara
For a lighter breakfast with pastries and good coffee, a few blocks from EDNA on the Agricola side.
Waterfront / 2 places
Brunch with a harbour view
For brunch on a patio, or at a window table over the water.
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The Bicycle Thief
A popular weekday and Sunday brunch on the boardwalk, even on a rainy day.
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Salt + Ash Beach House
A Sunday brunch favourite with a patio for the warmer months and dishes from a wood-fired hearth.
Downtown / 3 places
The best downtown brunch, weekend and weekday
Downtown is the place to find brunch on a weekday.
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Lot Six
Weekend brunch in a big Argyle Street room, with oysters on the menu.
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The Stubborn Goat
Serves brunch on weekdays too, with a menu that changes about once a month.
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Gahan House Nova Centre
A brewpub in the Nova Centre whose weekend brunch comes with its own beer, a block from Argyle Street.
Quinpool & South End / 3 places
A diner, a tea room and a bistro west of downtown
Quieter rooms away from the waterfront crowds, a short bus ride or a long walk from downtown.
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The Cheeky Neighbour Diner
Diner plates in a lively room on Quinpool Road, open from breakfast through lunch. Weekend queues are part of the routine.
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Ardmore Tea Room
A traditional tea room at the west end of Quinpool for a Maritime breakfast of eggs, toast and baked beans at a counter that has changed very little.
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Le Bistro by Liz
A relaxed Saturday and Sunday brunch at the south end of South Park Street, a short walk from the Public Gardens.
Dartmouth / 2 places
Brunch across the harbour
Take the morning ferry and eat on the other side.
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The Canteen
Seasonal brunch a short walk up Portland Street from the Alderney ferry terminal, from a kitchen that builds its menu around local farms.
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Two If By Sea
Not a sit-down brunch, but the croissants and coffee here are a reason to catch an early ferry.
On the plate
What a Halifax brunch looks like
Halifax brunch menus share a few local habits. Eggs Benedict often comes with lobster or smoked salmon in place of ham, fish cakes turn up beside the eggs at diners and tea rooms, and baked beans with brown bread are still on the plate at the more traditional counters.
Blueberries are the other signature. Nova Scotia is one of the main wild blueberry growing regions in North America, and blueberry pancakes, scones and muffins appear on menus well beyond the late-summer harvest.
Most places do not take bookings for brunch, or take them only for larger groups, so arriving before ten or after one is the simplest way to avoid a long wait. The busiest weekends are the long ones in summer, when visitors and locals are out at the same time.
Brunch also changes with the seasons. In summer the patios on the waterfront are the draw. In winter the diners and small rooms are warmer and quieter, and a Sunday crossing to Dartmouth for brunch at The Canteen becomes a small outing of its own.
A brunch day works best with a walk built in. After the North End rooms, the Hydrostone market is ten minutes away; after the waterfront, the boardwalk leads south to the Seaport; and after Quinpool Road, the Common and the Public Gardens sit at the eastern end of the street.
A few field notes
Coffee first: planning a weekend brunch in Halifax
Most brunch service runs from late morning to mid-afternoon on Saturday and Sunday. The rooms that take bookings fill up first, and the rest have queues by eleven.
If the wait is long, have a coffee nearby first. Espresso 46 and Cafe Byron in the North End, Weird Harbour on Barrington, Dilly Dally on Quinpool and the Seaport Farmers’ Market at the south end of the boardwalk are all good places to wait.
For a weekday brunch, the downtown gastropubs and the waterfront rooms are the best bet.
Where is the best brunch in Halifax?
EDNA in the North End and The Bicycle Thief on the waterfront are the most often recommended. The Cheeky Neighbour Diner on Quinpool Road is a favourite for diner-style plates.
Do Halifax brunch spots take reservations?
Some do and many do not. EDNA, The Bicycle Thief and Le Bistro by Liz are worth booking for a weekend; diners such as The Cheeky Neighbour work on a queue, so arrive before ten.
Can I get brunch on a weekday?
Yes. The Stubborn Goat and The Bicycle Thief both serve brunch on weekdays.
Which brunch spots have a patio?
Salt + Ash Beach House on the waterfront has a patio in the warmer months, and several boardwalk restaurants open their outdoor seating for weekend brunch.
Is there good weekend brunch in Dartmouth?
The Canteen on Portland Street serves brunch and is a short walk from the ferry, and Two If By Sea on Ochterloney Street has pastries and coffee.