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Chapter 02Downtown
The best downtown Halifax restaurants and bars around Argyle Street
The best downtown Halifax restaurants, late bars and coffee: Argyle Street dining rooms, pubs off Grafton, and espresso bars on Barrington.
Find your next table
Get your bearings
Between the hill & the harbour.
The best restaurants in downtown Halifax sit between Citadel Hill and the harbour, and most of the evening happens on a few blocks of Argyle Street. That is where the city goes for dinner before a show at the Neptune Theatre or a pint after a game.
Downtown Halifax restaurants spill onto Grafton Street and Prince Street, and Barrington Street has the coffee. Everything is walkable, and the waterfront is three blocks downhill.
Restaurants / 5 places
Downtown Halifax restaurants on and around Argyle Street
From seafood dining rooms in old buildings to gastropubs with menus that change every month. These are the downtown Halifax restaurants people come back to.
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Lot Six
A large room with seasonal cocktails, oysters, small plates and wine. It serves dinner through most of the week and brunch at the weekend.
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The Five Fishermen
A seafood restaurant in one of the oldest buildings on the street. It is a classic choice for a special dinner and takes part in the city’s winter fixed-price menus.
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The Stubborn Goat
A gastropub a block off Argyle with a menu that changes roughly monthly and a weekday brunch.
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2 Doors Down
A relaxed, mid-priced room for comfort food done carefully. A reliable choice when the fancier places are full.
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The Wooden Monkey
A long-running local favourite on Grafton Street with plenty of vegetarian options and local ingredients. There is a second location across the harbour in Dartmouth.
Bars / 4 places
Late bars and pubs on Argyle Street
Downtown is the place to be after ten. Argyle Street bars and the pubs on the side streets stay open the latest.
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Durty Nelly’s
An Irish pub with hearty food and live music, right at the centre of the Argyle strip.
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The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse
A downtown pub with several rooms and regular live music. One of the most dependable nights out in the city.
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Highwayman
A dark, intimate bar with small plates and a good wine list. It keeps serving after many kitchens have closed.
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Gahan House Nova Centre
A brewpub in the Nova Centre that brews its own beer on site and serves a full menu, a block from the Argyle Street bars and a good choice before a game or a concert.
Coffee / 3 places
Coffee on Barrington Street
Barrington is the downtown coffee street. These three are a short walk apart.
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Weird Harbour Espresso Bar
A small, minimalist espresso bar focused on the coffee, with a second shop nearby.
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Bird’s Nest Cafe
Good coffee with baguette sandwiches, panini and croque madame. Good for a quick lunch.
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Steve-O-Reno’s
A downtown coffee institution that has been open for more than twenty years, in a small house on the slope below Citadel Hill.
Between the hill and the harbour
Landmarks to steer by downtown
Downtown Halifax is built on a slope. Citadel Hill, with its star-shaped fort, sits at the top, the Town Clock stands on the hillside below it, and the streets drop east through the business district to the harbour. Argyle, Grafton and Barrington Streets all run across that slope, so a walk between two restaurants often includes a short climb.
The Grand Parade, the open square between City Hall and St. Paul’s Church, sits a block below Argyle Street and is the easiest place to meet. St. Paul’s dates from 1750 and is one of the oldest buildings in the city.
Much of the evening crowd comes from the venues nearby. The Neptune Theatre and the Scotiabank Centre arena are both on Argyle Street, and the Halifax Convention Centre fills the Nova Centre block beside them. On show nights and game nights the restaurants around them book up early, so an early or a late table is the easier option.
Pizza Corner, where Blowers Street meets Grafton Street, is the downtown institution for the hour after the bars close. The donair chapter covers the counters there and the rest of the city’s contenders.
A few field notes
When to book the best downtown tables
Downtown Halifax runs Dine Around every February. Many downtown Halifax restaurants offer fixed-price menus for a few weeks, including several on Argyle Street. It is a good way to try a dining room that is normally expensive.
In summer, Argyle Street gives more room to patios, and the blocks around the Nova Centre fill up on warm evenings. In winter, the pubs are where the night goes.
The best restaurants in downtown Halifax are close together, so it is easy to have a drink in one place and dinner in another. Grafton Street, Argyle Street and Barrington Street run side by side down the slope toward the harbour.
Find your way · Downtown
What are the best downtown Halifax restaurants for a special dinner?
The Five Fishermen and Lot Six on Argyle Street are the usual choices for a special dinner downtown. Highwayman suits a late, smaller meal.
Where are the late bars in downtown Halifax?
Most are on Argyle Street or one block away: Durty Nelly’s, The Old Triangle on Prince Street and Highwayman on Barrington Street.
Is there brunch downtown?
Yes. Lot Six serves weekend brunch, and The Stubborn Goat on Grafton Street has a weekday brunch. Le Bistro by Liz, a short walk away in the South End, is another weekend favourite.
When is Dine Around in Halifax?
Downtown Halifax holds it in February, with fixed-price menus at participating downtown Halifax restaurants.