Halifax: good times guaranteed.
Since July of 2007, Air Canada Jazz has offered twice daily jet service direct to Halifax. If you haven’t been there in a while, we thought we’d offer our Halifax “best of” to aid you travel plans.
Halifax offers great gastronomical adventure for all you ravenous hungry hungry hippos out there. Gio Restaurant (1725 Market Street | phone 902-425-1978) was recently voted one of Canada’s best restaurants. Chef Ray Bear is among the nation’s premiere competition chefs and puts together an outstanding globally-inspired menu. If you’re hungry for tapas, you can’t beat Mosaic (1584 Argyle Street | phone 902-405-4700.) It offers great food to be shared in a flirtatious setting. If you aim to do it Italian, Rogio Orazio (5537 Young Street | 902-454-9991) is certainly a darling on the Halifax restaurant scene. The menu is small, but the wine list and taste go very big. The best breakfast, especially after a wild night of downtown gallivanting, is the Ardmore Tea Room on Quinpool—homemade, hearty and inexpensive. Their lumberjack breakfast is incredible.
Pub crawling. Obviously, there are many marquee destinations for pub crawlers seeking out live music with a pint in a fun setting. We recommend cramming yourself into the eternally-hopping Old Triangle. In addition, the Lower Deck is a legend all its own. Apparently, no one told Haligonians that the weekend doesn’t begin until Friday. Every Thursday night, the Argyle Bar and Grill is absolutely packed, brimming with a great atmosphere.
Shop till you drop. There are plenty of places to buy gifts and generally abuse your credit card in Halifax, both downtown and in a mall setting. Looking for wacky, retro or vintage sweets for your kids? Try the quirky Freak Lunchbox—because one can never have too many Darth Vader Pez dispensers. The Black Market also has a number of offbeat items, from hand-crafted sweaters to carved nik naks; it’s especially good for jewelry. For women, don’t forget Biscuit General Store on Argyle. It’s the perfect place to find a one-of-a-kind gift, but most women go to shop for themselves. The best shoe shop in town is Fanatic Footwear in Bishops Landing. Dartmouth Crossing is a new open concept shopping centre with plenty of shops to choose from.
Spaaaah. If getting kneaded, groomed and de-stressed is your thing, Spirit Urban Day Spa (5150 Salter Street | Phone: 709-431-8100) has a reputation as of Atlantic Canada’s finest. It has a 30-strong staff including aestheticians, massage therapists, etc. Spirit’s specialty organic skin treatments (in lemon, blueberry and pumpkin “flavors”) are all the rage. Spirit also has a hair salon and a great view.
Tour time. There are plenty of compelling tours available, including the harbour tour. But we’re giving our vote to the Keith’s Brewery tour, especially on Saturdays when the Farmer’s Market at the brewery is busy.
If you’re looking for a great place to stay, check out the The Westin Nova Scotian Hotel (1181 Hollis | Phone: 902-424-8935.) The Queen has stayed their twice, so you’ll probably find it’s to your liking. There’s an indoor pool, hot tub, Yuk Yuks comedy club and more. There’s an $8 million renovation in the works so the Westin is getting even better.
Best souvenir. We know Newfoundlanders tend to turn up their nose at non-local lobster, but live lobster is available just about everywhere in Halifax. Why not grab a couple on the way home? As a wise man once intoned, You can never, ever eat too much lobster.
