Sam and I have worked to create a walking tour for those looking to get out of downtown Halifax and explore more of the North End’s charm! We have compiled a list of our favorite local eateries, and shops and have lots of fun facts to share along the way.
1) Dee Dee’s Ice Cream (5668 Nora Bernard St, Halifax)
Dee Dee's Ice cream is a north end gem, its the only place around here that can make a breakfast burrito almost as good as their unique ice cream flavours. To start off the tour we recommend starting the day with their 12” wrapped burritos filled with beans, cheese, fresh salsa, and your choice of meat and add-ons. These burritos are huge and will leave you ready to start the day (food is fuel)!
Hours:
12-9pm tues-sun
Closed Mon
Photo: AR Team
Just a 6 minute walk from Dee Dees lies the Halifax Common. The locals just call it The Commons, and it is considered to be Canada’s oldest urban park. It used to be a place where the citizens of Halifax could bring their livestock to graze, but that was a long time ago. Now it plays host to many festivals and events, and is home to the skating Emera Oval, where in the winter you can rent ice skates in the winter or rollerblades and roller skates in the summer. And new this year, they opened a new public pool and splash pad, which we highly recommend visiting on a hot day. Universal changing rooms and day lockers are available (must bring your own lock).
Best part is: you can enjoy all of this for free!
Hours:
Emera Oval current schedule: Here
Swimming Schedule: Here
Photo: AR Team
3) Good Robot Brewing - The Commons Beer Garden & Good Robot Shop (2223 North Park St, Halifax, NS)
Good Robot has a few great places around HRM, but their outdoor beer garden is where we want to be this summer. They have plenty beers on tap and unique seltzers, I recommend chatting with the friendly staff if you are not quite sure what you would like to try. I was recommended the passionfruit orange guava seltzer, and it was (for lack of better word) perfect. Good Robot is right off the commons, which is a great location for a sunset view, and in case you are hungry they have a woodfired oven with some amazing bbq styled food & healthy options (falafel bowl, kale salad, ribs, hotdogs, you name it).
Hours:
12-8pm mon - sun
Photo: AR Team
Photo: AR Team
Photo: AR Team
4) Slowly Slowly (5685 Cunard Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Slowly slowly is a cute little shop just 8 mins from the commons with great quality items, each item line strategically picked with a story behind it’s creation. There are many different products from women run and locally owned businesses and we recommend giving them a walkthrough if you get the chance.
Hours:
Closed Mondays
Tues - Wed & Sat ~ 11:00am - 5:00pm
Thurs - Fri ~ 11:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday ~ 11:00am - 4:00pm
Photo: AR Team
Photo: AR Team
Photo: AR Team
5) Cafe Lara (2347 Agricola St, Halifax, NS)
After stopping by Slowly Slowly just a 2 minute walk down Agricola street lies Cafe Lara. This European styled cafe has excellent coffee and is a great spot to recharge before exploring more of the town, or to sit and relax.
Hours: 8am-6pm daily !
6) Lost & Found (2383 Agricola St)
Lost & Found has curated secondhand pieces. Local jewelry, fashion, and art. They have a great atmosphere inside with super friendly staff.
Hours:
11am-6pm (Thurs-Sun, Tues-Weds)
Definitely a local greasy spoon, Hali Deli boasts many Jewish favorites like matzo ball soup and brisket, but a lot of people come by for their big and delicious breakfast, we dare you to finish it all!
Hours:
Weekdays: 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
WeekendsL 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
AR Photo
8) Luke’s small goods (2393 Agricola St, Halifax)
Not even one minute away from Lost & Found is Luke’s Small Goods. They carry simple, authentic baked goods, sandwiches and breakfast items. We recommend stopping in to Luke's while on the way to explore some more or even taking a sandwich to enjoy at Citadel Hill.
Hours:
Monday - Saturday - 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
SundayClosed
AR Photo
AR Photo
AR Photo
9) The Stillwell Freehouse (2534 Agricola St, Halifax, NS)
The Stillwell Freehouse has great apps and even better beer. They have a open concept space thats great for socializing and coming by with a group if you have the time. They also have a patio outside great for a summertime pint.
MON — THU: 4—12am
Fri & SAT: 12—1am
SUN: 12—11pm
10) Halifax Vintage co-op (2623 Agricola Street, Halifax NS)
This vintage store has 20+ vendors with amazing thrifted clothing pieces in the upstairs. Dishware, furniture, and more can also be found on their main floor. It’s truly a cool spot to check out while you’re walking by but I don’t need to tell you the photos speak for themselves.
Hours:
11 a.m. - 7 p.m each day
11) Brothers meat and delicates (2665 Agricola St, Halifax, NS)
This family run business has been a North End staple for over 60 years. They are known for their world famous pepperoni and sausages and we recommend taking some home with you, like the many maritimers living abroad who fill their suitcases on visits “home.”
Hours:
8 a.m - 6 p.m Mon - Sat
Closed Sun
12) Reiyee Clothing (5765 May St, Halifax, NS)
This vintage store is a gem hidden and you might just miss it when passing on to our next stop but we think it’s a must visit. They have some amazing vintage clothing, furniture, and more that can be bought sold or traded within the store.
Hours:
12-6pm Tues - Sun
12) Agricola Street Books (2684 Agricola St, Halifax, NS)
This two story bookstore has beautiful wooden features and is a great place to stop and find something to read. They will also take a book from guests looking to return old books for store credit.
10 a.m - 6 p.m Mon-Thurs
10 a.m - 8 p.m Fri
9 a.m - 6 p.m Sat
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sun
Bar kismet was recognized as the best International Restaurant Bar in Forbes 2024 Spirited Awards. This bar was also seen to be 9th best bar in the list of 100 best restaurants in Canada. They have a comfortable dining area with simple and fresh seafood and cocktails served in an enchanting atmosphere.
Hours:
Tues-Sun 5-11pm
Mon: Closed
15) Espresso 46 (2867 Isleville St, Halifax, NS)
Espresso 46 is in our humble opinion (and many others) home to the best coffee in Halifax. Locals treat this cafe like it is a community hub, but don’t worry you’re still invited even if you don’t live in the North End. They serve coffee from a window and have indoor and outdoor seating. The owner is Italian and you can see his background shine through the decor and style of this cafe and how he somehow remembers the names and gossip of all his customers. Attached to the cafe is a market with fresh fruit and veggies!
Hours: 8am - 3pm Tues-Sat
Closed Mon & Sun
16) Hydrostone Market (5547 Young St, Halifax NS)
The Hydrostone Market is a beautiful turnaround point for our walking tour. Famous for its unique architecture it was built after the Halifax explosion and has a European feel with a large green boulevard in the middle with trees and benches you can take a shady break here and relax. There is some of the best pizza in Halifax offered at Salvatores Pizza, along with Julien's Patisserie Bakery & Cafe, and the Halifax Cheese shop. This is a great place to pick up pizza to go, a sweet treat from the bakery, coffee, and more. The Hydrostone is also just a 5 minute walk from the Fort Needham Memorial Park, which is a great spot to picnic and is a Memorial park honouring the Halifax explosion.
17) The Narrows (2720 Gottigen Street)
This north end pub took awhile to get going but was well worth the wait. They took an old historic house and renovated it perfectly making it feel like it has been a favorite for years. They often have live music and offer fresh authentic maritime dishes that you usually only find in your grandmother’s kitchen.
Hours:
Tuesday - CLOSED
Sunday-Thursday 11am - Midnight
Friday & Saturday 11am-12:30am
18) Meyvn thrift shop (2240 Gottingen St)
Meyvn is a sweet shop with even sweeter clothes. They carry sustainable clothing for everyone and have lots of fun pieces to pick through if you get the chance to pop in.
Hours:
11am-6pm Tues - Fri
11am-5pm Sat
Closed Mon
19) Bus Stop Theatre (2203 Gottingen Street)
The Bus Stop Theatre has been operating in Kjipuktuk/Halifax since 2003 and became a co-operative in 2012. One of few professionally equipped black box theatres in town they host theatre performances,of course, but also act as a community arts space for many other events like concerts, movies, workshops and more.
Public Open Hours: Sundays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m
20) Radstorm (2177 Gottingen St, Halifax, NS)
Radstorm is a non-profit community arts centre. Their code of conduct is to offer a dry, inclusive, and safe venue for music shows and events. While also hosting a recording studio, events, screen printing,zine library, art exhibitions, and more.
This shop is home to some of the best charcuterie and cheese you can find in the city. They believe in local and high quality ingredients and prepare everything from saucissson sec, mouth watering rillets, duck prosciutto and so much more in house. And as if that wasn’t enough to get you in the door they also boast the best cheese selection in the city. This would be a great place to grab some snacks for a Charcuterie board, or for a trip to the Citadel hill to watch the sunset with a beautiful view of the city.
Hours:
10am-6pm Weds-Fri
9am-5pm Sat
10am-5pm Sun
Closed Mon & Tues
22) Back to Dee Dees for ice cream!!
The final and tastiest stop is Dee Dees again! Who doesn't want to end a walking tour with some well deserved ice cream? They update their flavours in the website each day but we recommend walking in for a surprise, we promise it will be worth it!
Hours:
12-9pm tues-sun
Closed Mon
