Halifax Restaurants Using Locally Sourced Ingredients

Perched on the edge of the Halifax Harbour, Mystic is anchored by Nova Scotia’s land and seascapes.

Earning its title as North America’s Best New Restaurant in 2025, Mystic brings a completely new dining experience to Halifax. Stepping inside feels like stepping under a schooner’s hull, helmed by Chef Malcolm Campbell, who crafts a cuisine that is rooted in Nova Scotia’s natural abundance, gracing plates with local ingredients from pine emulsions and sheep sorrel to sea buckthorn and caribou moss. Opt for the Fauna or Biota menu, or dine wildly blind with the Discovery menu. Backed by inventive cocktails, an expertly curated wine list, and warm East Coast hospitality, Mystic defines what a taste of place truly is.

For a truly memorable culinary adventure, Lupin Dining & Pantry offers a farm-to-table dining experience on a 40-acre homestead near Musquodoboit Harbour.

Pick from the a la carte menu or enjoy the chef’s tasting menu (it’s hard to go wrong either way) and savour exquisite plates anchored in maritime flavours with a French and Italian influence. A seat in the snug dining room provides a view of the garden and farm out back. What isn’t produced from the surrounding acreage is sourced locally through other farmers, fishermen, and butchers in Nova Scotia. Their pantry is open year-round for seasonal small-batch soups, sauces, and hand-made pasta to go.

This cozy neighbourhood nook does two things exceptionally well: handcrafted cocktails and fresh oysters. Experience a menu full of inventive cocktails, shaken or stirred, and bursting with character. Nostalgic ingredients, like Fruit Loops, are infused into sophisticated cocktail recipes to complement the bar’s playful vibe, but the menu extends much further to provide flavours for every palette, including a number of zero-proof options. Earning 13th place in Canada’s Best 100 Bars of 2025, it’s no question that this vibrant restobar is worth the visit.

People aren’t just flocking to Dear Friend for killer cocktails; the food menu is superb too. Featuring a list full of small and large shareable plates and late-night snacks, this is a great way to get a taste of local flavours from the surrounding region. Local, sustainably-sourced oysters are also at the forefront of the menu and are priced at $1 during happy hour, every day from 4pm-5pm.

An elevated take on fast-food, CHKN CHOP arguably serves up the best chicken in Halifax.

Step inside and instantly be met with the aroma of charcoal-fired rotisserie chicken that this North End gem is known for. Step up to the counter and order off the large menu board, filled with different cuts of rotisserie chicken, an array of drool-worthy sides, poutine, sandwiches, and more. Local wines, beer, and cider are also offered here, along with bright and boozy slushies, perfect for sipping on the sunny patio.

In addition to the succulent rotisserie chicken, CHKN CHOP is also renowned for its out-of-this-world fried chicken sandwiches. While a couple of classic fried chicken sandwiches are offered daily, the weekly specials are what set this joint apart from others; expect gourmet creations every week, influenced by different cuisines and packed with bold flavour. Sourced with seasonal local ingredients and piled high atop a fluffy milk bun made by a nearby French bakery, these sandwiches are a love letter to the surrounding neighbourhood.

Named Halifax’s best restaurant in 2024, Oxalis is a modern farm-to-table fine dining restaurant in downtown Dartmouth inspired by Nova Scotia’s flora & fauna.

The locavore menu draws inspiration from the nearby terroir and pays homage to the owners’ German and Austrian roots. Seasonal and thoughtfully selected ingredients from local foragers, fishermen, and farms are beautifully plated in harmonious, eye-catching colour schemes.

Try the a la carte menu or take your time with the Chef’s Experience, a 2.5-hour culinary procession that is truly in a league of its own. 

One of Canada’s Best 100 New Restaurants in 2023, Peacock Wine Bar is an upscale addition to the Halifax waterfront.

Discover a curated selection of local and international wines paired with regionally inspired, elevated small plates. Seasonal vegetables and local ingredients bring each dish to the next level, like the grilled beet salad garnished with Atlantic haskap berries and hand-made pasta topped with locally foraged wild mushrooms.

Situated in the heart of Halifax, Highwayman is an intimate eatery serving up some of the finest Spanish flavours on the east coast.

Step into this dark and moody restaurant, inspired by the themes of The Highwayman, the iconic poem by Alfred Noyes, for refined-yet-unpretentious fare. Highwayman’s always-evolving menu revolves around Spanish-inspired seafood, meat and vegetable dishes, and sharing-friendly tapas and pintxos, all made with the freshest local ingredients.

Highwayman’s drink menu boasts a carefully considered list of cocktails, wine, and beer – honoured as one of Canada’s Best International Restaurant Bars by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s 2023 Spirited Awards, and home to Keegan McGregor, Diageo’s World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2024, it’s no question that this spot is a no-brainer for indulging in incredible cocktails.

Relaxed yet refined, Bar Kismet brings big flavour to their intimate dining room.

Snagging a spot on the list of Canada’s Best Restaurants of 2025, this family-owned restobar draws the very best from the land and sea, placing a heavy emphasis on seafood and handmade pasta. Here, the menu is dictated by the seasons, changing weekly, while holding onto a few local favourites, like the ahi tuna tartare and allumettes fries. You’ll find native foraged ingredients on your plate, from spruce tips to pineapple weed, wild blueberries, mushrooms, and more. With an ever-evolving cocktail program that’s just as serious as the food, it’s no wonder why Bar Kismet is a full house every evening.

Tip: Reservations open two weeks in advance, and they go fast – plan ahead to get a spot at this popular restaurant.

Situated in the heart of downtown Dartmouth, the Canteen is a lively and welcoming neighbourhood restaurant offering chef-inspired dishes for brunch, lunch, and dinner.

The Canteen prides itself on honest, unpretentious food, made with love. Settle into an approachable menu influenced by classic French, Italian, and Nova Scotia cuisine, featuring crowd-pleasing dishes, packed with bold flavour, and handcrafted cocktails sourced with seasonal local ingredients. During the warmer months, the “Crobster Roll” reigns supreme: a warm, buttery roll piled high with Nova Scotia snow crab and lobster, mixed with grainy mustard, dill, truffle oil and shredded lettuce.

Another of Canada’s Best New Restaurants in 2023, Drift features creative twists on classic Acadian and Atlantic Canadian cuisine, such as hodge podge and rappie pie.

Not to be missed is Maryanne’s Brown Bread and organic honey butter, an aromatic and slightly sweet recipe passed down through the chef’s family on the south shore of Nova Scotia. The interior design is modern, warm, and rooted in a sense of place, with the dramatic wood ceiling designed to look like the underbelly of a tilted ship. Expect Maritimes seafood alongside locally foraged ingredients. Even the plates are handmade locally by ceramic artist Undine Foulds.

2 Doors Down has been producing familiar Nova Scotian favourites with a focus on local ingredients for years.

They source ingredients from local family farms and support nearby suppliers like Maria’s Pantry. The bar is a destination of its own, offering a trendy vibe, complete with an ample selection of local beer, wine, and craft cocktails.

Located in the Brewery Market on the Halifax waterfront, Black Sheep is a go-to for approachable, globally-inspired dishes with seasonal ingredients.

Enjoy an ocean-to-table meal like lobster ravioli or seafood gumbo, or opt for a more classic, hearty dish in this casual and welcoming environment. The rooftop dining area is an ideal spot for weekend brunch in warmer weather.

The Wooden Monkey has been a sustainability champion in the Halifax restaurant scene since their opening in 2004.

They source from local growers and opt for non-GMO and organic ingredients whenever possible. All their meat is sourced locally from farms since 2024. The veggie-forward dishes don’t skimp on flavour, and there’s no shortage of creative vegan and gluten-free options. Visit their Downtown Halifax location or take the ferry to Dartmouth to dine at their Alderney Landing location.