While Halifax may be more famous for its succulent seafood and donair, Halifax has some do-not-miss restaurants which have some great non-seafood options!

Halifax is one of the largest cities in Atlantic Canada which the area is well known for its fishing heritage. The historic schooner, Bluenose, still lives on today on the Canadian dime. With the fishing industry highly prevalent in Nova Scotia, there are endless options for some great seafood. However, visiting Nova Scotia or just Halifax can be a challenge if anyone needs to avoid seafood for medical or ethical reasons. For example, I had to go on an elimination diet for 3-4 months earlier this year where I had to avoid dairy, eggs, nuts, and seafood for health reasons. As I had planned my trip to Nova Scotia before I had to go on the elimination diet, I realized that I had to avoid seafood on the trip. Instead of lamenting on not being able to enjoy fish or lobster, I checked out three different restaurants in Halifax for some delicious food while honoring the elimination diet.

Restaurant 1: Your Father’s Moustache

5686 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS B3J 1H5, Canada

It’s best not to shave off your father’s moustache because Your Father’s Moustache contains some amazing dishes. Located in the midst of the many shops and restaurants along Spring Garden Road, Your Father’s Moustache is a spectacular gem. As you head inside, you will encounter many pictures of men with unique moustaches. The restaurant has both an indoor eating area and an outdoor rooftop patio. As it has been rated the “Best Patio” for 17 years in the “Best of Halifax” survey, I highly recommend getting a seat at the patio. When I went there, the patio was full of people enjoying the beautiful summer day. I decided to order some baby back ribs with a side of French fries. As soon as the ribs got to the table, they were quite tender, flavorful, and delicious. The meat easily fell off the bone to where I could easily eat them with a knife and fork. I have had ribs in many places in North America, and the ones at Your Father’s Moustache were easily one of the best ribs I have ever eaten!

The French fries were also quite enjoyable to where I did not need any ketchup with them. However, I was occasionally dipping them in some of the barbecue sauce as the sauce was quite tasty. While enjoying my meal, it was also great seeing all the patrons enjoying their food and drinks on the patio. It was easily my favorite restaurant I had visited in Halifax! Best of all, it is only a kilometer away from the Halifax waterfront!

Restaurant 2: Armview Restaurant and Lounge

7156 Chebucto Rd, Halifax, NS B3L 1N5, Canada

Being a Halifax family tradition for over 50 years, the Armview Restaurant and Lounge has been serving fantastic comfort food for many people to enjoy. In addition to my dietary twist I gave myself for this restaurant tour, I also challenged myself to check out a different restaurant in a different part of Halifax. The Armview is located in the western end of West End, and is best accessible by car. After a great day exploring Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg, I drove back into Halifax to enjoy some great comfort food. I ordered the pasta pomodoro which also came with some flatbread. However, I accidentally forgot to ask the server to avoid sprinkling some parmesan cheese on it. I told her that I could not eat dairy (and saying sorry several times), and she was very sympathetic. They were able to quickly make a new one without sprinkled cheese, and she was able to bring it back out without much wait. The pasta (linguine noodles) was quite tasty which the sauce even had a mild kick to it. The flatbread was nice and soft, and it was a great side to the pasta.

The Armview serves all kinds of food from pasta, sandwiches, and salads to haddock and halibut if you are reading this article and still craving some seafood. As the food was quite good, and the service was exceptional, I can definitely see myself going back there on a future trip to try the seafood now that my elimination diet is over with!

Restaurant 3: EnVie A Vegan Kitchen

5775 Charles St, Halifax, NS B3K 1K7, Canada

EnVie is a vegan restaurant located in the historic North End of Halifax. The North End in Halifax is known for being partially destroyed over a century ago during the 1917 Halifax Explosion. Nowadays, the North End is a great spot for some local restaurants including enVie. Similar to when I went to the Wild Cow in Nashville, Tennessee almost a year ago, enVie takes pride in cooking plant-based dishes while making it feel like you are eating the real deal. For example, instead of bacon made from pork, they prepare bacon made from seitan which is a popular vegan alternative to meat. I had not had pad thai in a while, so I went ahead and ordered some without the peanuts. The food came out, and the pad thai was quite tasty. As I have had traditional pad thai before, it tasted just like what I would have at a Thai restaurant except I was missing the peanuts.

Instead of chicken (which is what I normally have in my pad thai), it came with organic tofu. There was so much great flavor in it, and it filled me up. The service was quite nice, and I would definitely go to enVie again to enjoy the pad thai. Next time, I will definitely have the peanuts included now that I can eat nuts again!

When checking out Halifax, Nova Scotia, be sure to check out the many great restaurants throughout the city. Although I see myself getting more seafood on my next trip there, I would love to go back to these restaurants someday to experience the food especially if I need to take a day off from enjoying some lobster. You might just experience a culinary treat which may end up being your new favorite!

Check out my YouTube video where I visit all three restaurants during my trip to Halifax back in July 2019: