Restaurants in Dartmouth

After spending 12 years in the corporate world, Chris Smith decided to relinquish his daily suit and tie to pursue a long-time dream of opening a neighbourhood pub. The Dartmouth native elicited the help of friends, family, and a background in carpentry to design and construct the dining room and secret passageways of Jamieson’s Irish-House & Grill, which opened in September 1999. The menu offers traditional Irish seafood, beef, and chicken dishes culled from world-renowned recipes, including Smithwicks beer-battered fish 'n' chips. A lengthy wooden bar houses more than 50 varieties of Scotch, Irish, or blended whiskey as well as several imported beers, both bottled and on draft.

The chefs at Caribbean Twist import near-meridian flavours all the way up the globe to Halifax with their spicy jerk chicken, stewed oxtail, and vegetarian curry potato roti wraps. The staff expects some confusion from those who are new to Caribbean food, but have taken measures to preemptively stave off any anxiety. They included a short FAQ section to the menu to answer such important basic questions as "What's ackee?," "Is everything hot and spicy?," and "What animal does oxtail come from?" Their insistence that every bite and sip be true to its Jamaican roots extends all the way to the dessert menu, which is drawn up by resident baker Fatima Adam. Fatima crafts all desserts in-house, including mango cheesecake, coconut cream pie, and basbousa, a sweet cornbread-like cake soaked in syrup.

This commitment to crafting exotic dishes and fresh jamaican patties has earned Caribbean Twist an army of avid fans and awards, including Best Desserts Category for Eastlink Magazine's "Nova Scotia's Best" and their jerk chicken winning the 2011 North-End Community Cook-Off. When a zoning issue threatened to permanently close the café in 2010, these loyal patrons rose up and helped save the modest eatery.

Kababji Restaurant whisks taste buds to Lebanon with a menu of spit-roasted meats and tahini-flavoured snacks, such as hummus and falafel. A resident kababji, or shish-kebab cook, marinates top-grade beef and locally sourced lamb in oil and spices, accentuating their natural juices. Groups can also gather around shareable mezza platters that contain a chef's selection of appetizers, such as grape leaves, aged cheeses, and skewered shish taouk and kafta.

Uncorking fees vanish like microwaved ice sculptures on Monday and Tuesday evenings, when diners can bring their own wine or sample Ksara, a traditional Lebanese vintage. To cultivate a celebratory atmosphere, the restaurant hosts Saturday-night belly-dancing performances and special events such as weddings and birthday parties.

Vinnie's Pasta Bar's unassuming exterior of muted green brick and a petite awning opens to a quaint dining space filled with warmth. Red tiled flooring, golden-hued walls, and droplet-shaped ceiling lamps surround patrons as they settle into tables topped in red and gold linens. The kitchen staff dispenses thin-crust pizzas and classic pastas to sate Italian cravings, although patrons seeking more eclectic entrees can opt for red curry chicken or Cajun fettucine.

The heat that emanates from an open-flame grill warms Ryan Duffy’s Steak & Seafood’s kitchen, where chefs grill steaks in seven different styles—from the flame-caressed “blue rare” to the gently charred “well done.” Winning a Consumer Choice Halifax award for Fine Dining for the past three years in a row, the restaurant's mission to plate the perfect steak begins long before each tender slice of meat hits the flame. The succulent flavour in each bite of the AAA tenderloins and Alberta AAA striploins comes from dry-aging them in a climate-controlled chamber for 28 days. Once the steaks have matured enough, staff members cut and weigh them tableside, where their charred exteriors and warm, red centres stand out among the dining room’s white linen tablecloths.

The covered patio of The Finer Diner overlooks fishing and sail boats drifting across St. Margaret's Bay. Diners may dig into fresh seafood dishes such as lobster club sandwiches, fish cakes, and fish and chips while watching the sunset or gazing at the original artwork adorning the walls.