McKelvie's Restaurant in Halifax

Fantastic seafood in downtown Halifax.. had late lunch here, we had the scallops, deviled eggs, poke, jambalaya and fish tacos.. they were all very delicious and had very nice presentation. The server was very friendly, the atmosphere was nice and warm, highly recommend this place.

From out of province - an average place, with the minimum required hospitality / service. The Food was ok but the drink and entree options were quite small and simple. They could serve bread with entrees for example. The interior is a simple pub like setting, not much Maritime ambiance or flavour - yet prices were relatively high comparable to a more formal setting. There are other options for traditional seafood fare along the waterfront.

Such a lovely time and food today at McKelvies with sweet Bailey as our server! Thank you for making our 35th anniversary extra special

Lobster roll, brown sugar biscuits, crab bisque and coconut cream pie were all delicious! Fast and friendly service.

Had an amazing time here. Chowder, Lobster, and dessert where all amazing. Although they were kind of stingy with the butter for some reason? XD but it was still lovely.

Nice and tasty place. Good food and service. Rich menu

I walked in late on a Friday night with no reservations and the hostess was very kind to seat me as the looked if they were waiting on the last few tables to clear out. I just had frustrating experience with a botched reservation at a restaurant and found this place very last minute. The service was kind, not rushed and helpful. The food came out fast and was excellent. I really had solid experience throughout.

A great place for lunch or dinner. Good prices, excellent menu.

An institution in Halifax, go there for the seafood chowder and the lobster roll. The service is courteous and fast.

Excellent service, food and drink

Best restaurant in Halifax Downtown!

There were 3 tables occupied when I walked in (5:30 pm Remembrance Day. Very quiet). I asked for a table for one. The hostess/server sat me at a table for 4 in the middle of the restaurant. I asked if it would be alright to sit near the window. She AUDIBLY sighed and said ok over here. I m not sure why this would illicit such a response, I left. Travelling on my own I was just looking forward to a cozy experience treating myself out for dinner.

Extremely overpriced, very mediocre

The food (lunch) was good but . . . The iced tea was the worst ice tea we had ever had. We we asked, the waitress explained the run the hot water thru the coffee maker, and seemed puzzled by our questions!

Very enjoyable. Great food and service. Recommended.

We were 9 people with 9 dishes. It was a good get togather. The food was good. Had big expectation for lobster roll, which was disappointing. The rest of food was good. Had the fry fish platter; steak ( didnt have A1 sauce), lobster and crab burger, and a fish and chips.

Nice experience all around! Great fish & chips, chowder. Nice outside dining area.

Chantelle provided exceptional service during my visit. The food was outstanding, and the atmosphere was delightful. I m grateful for the local recommendation to dine at this restaurant. I look forward to returning for another lobster dinner. 10/10 recommend!

Very expensive for what you get. Great service though .

Nice place. Food is good as was the service . Enjoyed our meal

My daughter is in her 4th year at Dal. Every year we go to McKelvies for our 1 decadent meal a year. Tonight was great as usual! The maître d was very friendly and he remembered us, I was sceptical but he made me a believer. Bailey was a good server, very friendly and had good drink recommendations. Oysters and Mussels for appy. Salmon and a couple Seafood Linguine plates. Apple crisp and chocolate mouse deserts with a blueberry tea. The drinks were nise with an Old Fashion and a round of Mojitos. We all agree that we will always return to McKelvies, non pretentious and great decor and atmosphere! You can go to Bicycle Thief and sit up straight or go to McKelvies and enjoy your time!

Visited Halifax for 3 nights and ended up coming back to McKelvie s 3 times! Service was great but the food was amazing. Our daughter loved the kids haddock and chips, and we couldn t get enough of the lobster, lobster roll, chowder, and steak. Highly recommend! Kid-friendliness: Haddock was delicious!

We had reservations elsewhere but the restaurant was not accessible. After a little wandering we found this place and so happy we did! Delicious food, great ambiance and exceptional service! Thanks to our server Erin for going above and beyond and manager Lucas for checking in and running a great place!

Great dining experience! The blackened halibut with asparagus on a bed of braised kale was absolutely delicious!!!!! Update 20241015:McKelvies remains my go-to restaurant when in town. The blackened halibut js not on the menu, but can still be ordered. Enjoyed a great meal, superb service, and warm and friendly engagement from Lucas. Stop in...You wont be disappointed.

Just arrived in halifax and decided to try out this restaurant due to the reviews and atmosphere. The meal was delicious. Started with cocktails and the scallops. Followed this up with the recommended lobster rolls which were delicious. The wine pairing was perfect . Were not big dessert folk but the recommended coconut cream pie and chocolate mousse cake nailed it. Our server was fantastic. Not pushy but attentive. Her personality was great and she made us feel welcome and at home. The young gent that showed us our table was equally pleasant. Loved his jovial humor and casual but friendly style. The place is also charming. Big old architecture with large antique windows. Varying levels with good sound. Definitely worth the visit if youre in halifax.

We recently ate at McKelvies for lunch and for dinner on separate occasions. The lobster rolls are the best in Halifax out of all that we tried, and we tried a lot. The crab bisque and lobster crab cake were both delicious. Our server Emma was amazing. Highly recommend eating here if youre in Halifax.

The food and the service was really good!! I definitely recommend the lobster pasta.

Broken AC and slow service and it wasn t even busy

Read reviews that said this place was good to eat. We were really disappointed with the food. We got the bruschetta as an appetizer four pieces of toast and a jar of the bruschetta. For the mains, we ordered the pork tenderloin, the halibut and shrimp and a lobster roll dinner. The pork tenderloin and halibut and shrimp were the exact same dish but with different protein. The vegetables were mediocre, barely looked grilled and not seasoned. The pork tenderloin was dry and not enough gravy to cover the meat. As well, the halibut had the same bruschetta toppings and the three pieces of shrimp were lightly seasoned. The lobster roll was small like it was served on a small hotdog bun and it did not look like the photo posted two weeks ago by Bryan Monaco. The lobster was all shredded like crab meat.

Best Seafood Restaurant in HRM hands down... has been so for a very long time in my opinion!

A little expensive for a lobster roll, but nice ambiance.

Greatttt

Had a wonderful Birthday dinner. Our first time to Halifax Would definitely recommend

Cozy restaurant, very large with a small outdoor terrace. The tables are well spaced apart from each other. others in order to maintain a certain privacy. The welcome is perfect and warm, the staff takes great care. The lobster is amazing, the chowder is incredible. Price a bit high. I recommend.

Food here was shockingly bad. Jambalaya was literally rice and tomato sauce. Salad was like dressing soup. Stuffed mushrooms I think had literally zero crab. Dont know how this place has such a high rating.

1st time there today. Went for the #1 in Halifax lobster roll. Its was good but not off the charts good. $31 I expected a little bit more. Service was prompt and excellent, beer was good and everyones food was good.

This is the place! Stop looking and book here. We had such a wonderful experience at McKelvies. The food and service were phenomenal. This restaurant manages to balance fine dining in a fun atmosphere without being pretentious and you will leave satisfied. Shame on me for not getting his name but the manager that evening was such a joy filled person and happy person he really made took whole experience from good to great all on his own.

During our travels throughout the South Shore, Halifax area, and Cape Breton, McKelvie s stood out as one of the best restaurants we experienced in Nova Scotia. Their haddock, and shrimp, and chowder are simply the best we ve had. The seafood is incredibly fresh and flavorful, making every dish a standout. If you re in Halifax, McKelvie s is a must-visit for a truly exceptional dining experience.

The chowder is delicious! And the lobster roll is a little small, but the taste amazing. Better than any other lobster roll in the other restaurants.

Had the Halibut with shrimp it was good . Thanks Matt

Aussie tourists caught in a Halifax rain downpour and across the road was a dry haven - McKelvies - sometimes the universe is in control! A very welcome vibe, warm woods and darker colours and a very friendly greeting from the staff. Starting with a Prohibition Punch, the food followed. My Crunchy Haddock Burger was definitely that, not oily and the fish was succulent, with slaw and pickles. It came with a very tasty tomato basil soup. Im not usually a fan of tomato soup, but this was a good one - very hearty on a rainy day. My wife really enjoyed her (healthy!) Apple n Beets Salad with lettuce, pecans and goats cheese. Good meal, good service, good vibe at reasonable prices. Vegetarian options: Yes

Expensive prices with average experience. For my husband and I, our bill was over 200$. For the quality of food we received, the bill was upsetting to pay. I did feel bad for the wait staff, it seemed like they were pretty understaffed as the place wasn t full and we waited about 25 minutes just for water and our first round from the bar. We could see everyone was constantly running around trying to help all the guests. My husband had the seafood linguini and I had the lamb. The linguini was fine but the lamb was drowned in au jus and looked like it was boiled in it. The atmosphere was cool being in an old firehouse but that was literally the best part of the meal.

Nice place, nothing special. Service was slow

We stopped for drinks and were delighted with Lucas. He was friendly and made us so very welcome. My husband really like the Garrison beer while I was happy with the Chardonnay. The food looked good too.

Visited on a recommendation from a friend. Our waitress Erinn was great and the food was fab. We were out for our first anniversary, and they gave us two classes of sparkling wine on the house. Would recommend!

Super fine lobster rolls eaten, staff very friendly and attentive. A little expensive but very good.

No air-conditioning on a very warm day. Thought the patio area could have been looked after better. Not inviting!

With so many amazing restaurants in Halifax, I m disappointed that we fell for this one. It lacked atmosphered and flavour. The service was decent, but for $30 per main dish, you re better off to walk a half block elsewhere. Everything was either deep fried or a bagged salad and not the fresh seafood experience we hoped and paid for. Chain food restaurant quality at best.

Went out for my moms birthday. It was good, but the jambalaya has zero spice which was surprising to me. A bit disappointed there, but overall the food wasnt bad. Big servings which is nice. The location is great. The biscuits were delicious Kid-friendliness: Kid menu has a nice variety which is rare so I was very thankful of that

I had the fish fry, which was well prepared, but I kept looking at the table next to me that ordered the lobster roll with the crab bisque. I was envious. The drinks were good, and by the way - I gave the leather bound drink menu back to Karen! Karen by the way had just graduated from training and did an excellent job

Awesome seafood based menu. Also live the fact their beer menu us mostly local craft Beers.

This place is a vibe. The front of house staff was amazing at greeting us and getting us a table quickly. He was funny and incredibly good at his job. Our group ordered various Seafood dishes. We have a Celiac friend in our group and they quickly brought us a menu that was all gluten-free options. The food and drinks were great. The patio was very charming. I would recommend thjs restaurant for everyone!

Great service! Great Fish and chips!

Havent been in ages. Saw fish and chips (2 piece), asked if I could get just one, she said no problem . Bill came, full price for the meal - she said there was no way to ring 1 piece in. With so much competition in downtown Halifax you would think they would want to be considerate of the people they did get. She took the bill back and altered it. Not impressed. Food was good, could have gone anywhere.

Delicious food, fairly priced - not cheap, but the portions are fair for what you pay. Moved tables on the outdoor patio as shade available was limited, but they had no problems with my family doing so. Also the back patio was road adjacent and traffic was maybe a little distracting and loud (but its one block from the water front during street performers) Highly recommend.

Good seafood and chowder.

While cruising through Halifax we make an unscheduled stop and leave delighted with two typical dishes from the city. The waitress who recommends us is charming and makes our time very pleasant! The very tasty soup full of fish, shrimp etc... the sandwich was very tasty!!!

Ordered the Fish Fry. Very little taste. Says panko crusted but this was really crunchy. And everything was cooked and battered the same way so it all just tasted the same. Fried and bland. The fish, scallops, and shrimp were different shaped but hard to discern what exactly you were eating. Son got a lobster roll. Saddest looking roll we ever had before us. The look on his face when it came said it all. Other son ordered the lobster linguine. Acceptable but nothing worth mentioning. Wife ordered the seafood feast. It came with white rice that she wasnt aware of but being diabetic it would have been nice if it could have been an option she could have substituted earlier on when ordering. Service was fine but the food took a long time to arrive. Best thing we ordered was the root beer. Cant here because of reviews. Wont be back.

Omg had the best server, the manager Lucas. Thank you so much for the great service and conversation you provided along with the amazing food. Oysters were banging claim chowder was out of this world along with the lobster sandwich. Highly recommend this place, and we will definitely be back.

Superb meal at my go-to restaurant in Halifax! My haddock and shrimp were done to perfection - moist and flavourful. My wife s lobster roll was amazing - so much lobster meat and a nicely toasted roll and some lettuce for extra crunch. Attentive service from Jasmine and Kate. They do indeed serve delishes fishes dishes!

We sat outside. It has very good service and the food was excellent. Must go back.

Basically a Red Lobster at 3x the price. Food was meh and service was non-existent. Hard to believe considering the place is empty. Save your money and go to the Bicycle Thief instead.

Delicious

The best seafood restaurant in the city

Food was awesome and service was great, it was really hot in the dining area, perhaps no AC, but other then that would highly recommend.

Excellent service. The food is very good. Near hotels and pubs

We had the lobster rolls, they were delicious!

The food here was nice, we tried the lobster roll and the chowder. Both were very good

Its incredibly delicious! Every dish was perfect! Plus a nice friendly atmosphere. If you want to try local cuisine using local ingredients, you need to visit this place. Très, très bien!

The best part of the meal was the mussels. Great broth, well cooked. The rest of the meal was mediocre, the lobster roll, or really bad, the jambalaya...really small portion and a bit of overcooked shellfish for 32 bucks. Wont be coming back here for a while. Service was very slow, to the point we were going to leave after 10 minutes with Noone taking our drink order.

We had the Haddock burger, haddock tacos and the donair dip. Fish was crispy and delicious, fries and salad were good. I wasn t sold on the donair dip but my wife enjoyed it. Had the propeller IPA. Hazy smooth IPA with a clean finish. It was a very good beer!

Best fish and chip in Halifax. Loved the ambience and service.

Nice place for a date night.

I LOVED THIS PLACE. Service was awesome. Absolutely loved our server, Lucas.

McKelvies gave me fantastic food experience.Lobster Dinner was the best food I have had for ages. Lobster was sweet and tender and simply delicious such good value for money. Will be back next year when I am in Halifax.

Our first time on the east coast did not disappoint on day 1. Finished with a fantastic meal, service, drinks and ambiance. Our server was amazing, ensured we had the best experience. We had the lobster and crab cakes, chowder, deviled eggs (smoked salmon) and cod. Everything was delicious.

Food was excellent, went twice in four days. Had to order the beet salad again, as it was unbelievably good. The raspberry chocolate mouse taurine is on point. Must visit!

Super tasty lobster roll, friendly service - recommendation!

You wont regret coming here. Located right across the street from the Maritime Museum this place has it all. Lucas the bartender was extremely helpful and personable. Food, drinks and atmosphere - all Excellent!!

Great food. We had crab lobster burger which was amazing, mussels had an amazing lemon butter sauce. Fries were great. Service was wonderful and prices were reasonable.

Jennifer was an attentive server, very knowledgeable good guidance on the dishes. Only one variety of oysters, local NS. Scallop ceviche was very fresh. Went back a second time for a snack of Scallop ceviche and mussels.

We had delicious scallops with bacon and corn relish, as well as a good portion of haddock and chips. the batter was perfect and the fish was fresh and perfectly cooked. Paired it with glasses of soothe Garrison Irish Red.

The restaurant was very nice and the food was excellent but the portions were small relative to the price. The service was okay but we didnt receive follow up on how the meal tasted and had to flag down the server for drink refills. My lobster tail, 3 scallops and 2 beers ended up at $120. My brother ordered the seafood pasta and said it was delicious but was disappointed in the portion size. My Mom ordered the chowder meal and was also disappointed by the small portion for $18 as well as having to pay $9 for four small buns. Overall the food was good but we were hungry a few hours later. Wheelchair accessibility: We saw multiple sets of stairs up to the front door, there may be alternate access we didnt see.

Absolutely loved my dinner of crab cake and the cocktail which was so reminiscent of ocean and tropical climate!

Wow! What a great experience! The ambiance was great. The crab stuffed mushrooms are amazing. Amanda did an excellent job of serving us. Thanks so much! I highly recommend this place!

Great food!

Friendly service but the portions are tiny for the price. The lobster roll was tasty but so small for $28. Could definitely have used a second one. Jambalaya was more generous but the tomato sauce was straight from a jar. Overall left disappointed by the experience.

Okay experience, menu is nothing impressive, taste also at the bland side. Oysters are small for $4.5 a piece. My husband had the smallest lobster roll in his life haha. Also my jumbalya taste is like straight from a Costco tomato sauce jar on some rice and a few seafood. Overall not recommended unless desperate!

We loved the backyard atmosphere. Food is superb, overall happy experience.

Delishes fishes dishes!

The scallops and lobster roll were fantastic

Nice place, great staff, wonderful food!

Just finished up dinner at McKelvies and have to say the service was terrible. We felt like we were a huge inconvenience and saw our waitress three times the whole meal. If making us wait was the goal, then they achieved it.

Seafood Chowder and Lobster and Truffle spaghetti here are the best of the best. Lobsters are amazing too. We explored almost ten restaurants during one week here; we love their Chowder the most. Dont miss!!!! Food

Very good restaurant, can only be recommended. The staff was super friendly and even had a joke with our son

I tried to eat here today (Friday, June 21) as the reviews seemed good overall. I walked in right around 6 pm. The place was almost empty, only one or two tables had customers. I stood at the front hostess stand for around 5 minutes, waiting to be acknowledged. During this time I saw 2 to 3 wait staff (maybe one was a bartender). I made eye contact with each one but not one of them said a word to me. They were not busy with other customers, they were talking to each other. One of them went behind the bar and either plugged in or unplugged their phone, then went back to where the other one was standing. If someone would have said something, anything to me, like we ll be right with you! - anything at all - it would have been fine. But I got no acknowledgment whatsoever. I then walked out and went across the street to The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse. As soon as I walked in, I was welcomed with a warm smile and a friendly greeting!

Food was good. Drinks were really disappointing

Nice restaraunt. Cool building and nice atmosphere. Food was good. Good selection of local beers.

Amazing cocktails and food. This was a very nice fine when I was in Halifax. Loved it

All good

They dont only have a separate gluten free menu, they also do it really well!!! My server recommended an excellent wine, I had a lobster roll, and finished with apple crisp with a house made coconut ice cream. Exceptional. Manager is also extremely friendly and helpful. If in Halifax again Ill be back for sure. Dietary restrictions: Gluten free

Been a client since the 80s. Came back to NS in 2020 visited in 2014 and today. Love this place.

Delicious, reasonably priced, great options available, and arguably the best service ever!

Great Food. We will be back for sure

Great place

Went here for lunch with colleagues tbh everything looked good I ordered the jambalaya but it was too bland the serving size was nominal and just 3 prawns 4 mussels 3 scallops 2 mushrooms lol for $36 and a bit of rice, quite underwhelming. My colleagues however were happy with their lobster roll haddock and chowder so Ill come again once lets see. I wasnt bad but could have been so much better with a bit of spice.

Lovely atmosphere and excellent service the food was delicious. Dont miss out on the chowder!

The overall freshness and quality of the meal were excellent, and the taste was top notch. I was particularly disappointed with the value of my meal. Portion size was tiny considering the price of this Seafood a la King dish. This is not a meal to get full on, and one of the things that are particularly important to me is portion size. Im not saying I expect mountains of food, but I have to be able to be at least somewhat satisfied. I have to knock a star off for that, but service was particularly good and welcoming.

The server and owner were the best, food was amazing, had the surf and turf, cooked perfect, requested an oyster shot and the owner made it his mission to make it for us, great atmosphere! The chowder was to die for! Food

Great place, very friendly ppl ... expensive dining.

Visiting from Toronto, first time going to McKelvies. 9 out for 10.

Extremely pricy for the quantity and taste.

Great seafood place, with a solid selection of dishes. Exactly what you would expect from a Nova Scotia seafood restaurant.

Was walking around hungry at 10pm, right as they were closing the owner insisted not to turn anyone hungry away and invited us in as the last order of the night. Very generous and the maple salmon was delicious.

Great food great waiter

It was a great atmosphere and great food! Kid-friendliness: We have 5 kids and they loved everything! Food : 5/5 |

Friendly service, beautiful location, and the best fish tacos Ive ever had!

Fantastic restaurant. Great food and service.

My family were in Halifax for the week. McKelvies has been around for a long time now. I remember dining here back in 1998. The fresh seafood is amazing. The seafood chowder is the best that we all had during our week long tour of Halifax and Nova Scotia. The service was attentive and warm. The variety of seafood dishes were made with care and it all tasted simply delicious. The food here is rather memorable. Happy Eats everyone :-)

First official lobster dinner in Halifax. The feast was excellent and the service was really good as well.

Amazing service and fantastic food! You wont be disappointed.

Great service!!!

Absolutely delicious meals are served here! I believe the woman who looked after us was named Ashley and she was an absolute gem. She helped us order our takeout meal and gave excellent recommendations (try the chowder!!). I have absolutely no issues with the service or food other than the portions. We paid $70 for a very very small lobster roll and chowder as well as the haddock/shrimp meal. I understand seafood is more expensive, but they definitely could ve served more as it felt like an appetizer :/

Service was backed up when we arrived, took a long time to get a server at our table...they took our wine order and we waited 20 minutes for the wine. They then took our appetizer order but not our main order....appetizers were very good. Finally had to point out to our server that they hadnt taken our main order yet...service was again slow. Brought out the main courses, they forgot to bring us any cutlery, we had to remind them when we tracked them down, then had to ask for garlic butter to go with the lobster dinner, they had forgot to plate it. Steak was cooked to perfection, lobster a bit overdone but not too bad. the fish fry my wife had was not good. Fish and seafood were heavily over battered and over cooked. Very dry. One sauce, not sure what it was was horrid. Will not be back...for the record, we ate at A manos the night before...we gave rave reviews... Parking: Site wont allow me to continue without complimenting them on something...

The chowder is AMAZING

Loved the place. Loved the food and loved the service. This was my final dinner in the east coast as part of my first solo trip and first trip to the east coast and it delivered. I think I went in too late but they still welcomed me and took care of me. Thank you guys!

All good!

It was absolutely wonderful! The waitress was impeccably courteous and gave us great service. The nice atmosphere and the rather classy decor. As far as food goes, it tasted like heaven. I had never had lobster before and it was so light and tasty... just WOW! The cocktails are fresh and delicious. For dessert, we shared a cheesecake with raspberry coulie and it was actually to die for. I recommend it to anyone visiting Halifax. This restaurant is a gem!

We were so excited to eat lobster and fish at this restaurant after reading the good reviews. We were really disappointed. The lobster was rubbery and so was the fish. It was either overcooked or not fresh.

Enjoyed my beer and fish tacos but was confused upon receiving what the menu called tuna wantons but what the waitress affectionately called wachos. They were good, salsa and guacamole coating corn chips, tuna and cucumbers but they looked like nachos. I was looking forward to wantons.

My partner and I were in Nova Scotia for the long weekend and on our last night, my partner was still in search of a restaurant that served a full lobster dinner that he got to crack himself. We decided on McKelvies and it was an amazing experience. Lucas our server went above and beyond: he was super attentive and helpful, and made wonderful suggestions. He made sure my partner had enough garlic butter throughout the meal for his lobster (which was cooked perfectly). I decided to go with the striploin which had amazing flavour - seasoned and cooked perfectly. Thanks so much for making our last dinner in Nova Scotia a memorable and fun experience!

Dietary restrictions: They have a gluten free menu Food

Amazing family restaurant with I feel good prices for the quality/quantity that you get. We came after an event and were promptly seated. The staff seemed very upbeat and made our experience better ! I had the lamb shank, while the table had steak/salmon/ etc. All of us enjoyed our meals. Will be back !

The BEST fish in town! You must try the herb crusted Haddock!

Our server James was wonderful! He was kind and patient taught me how to eat my first whole lobster. They were able to accommodate a seafood/fish allergy for my husband as well. The decor was funky. We have already recommended to a few people on our travels.

Nice atmosphere and very tasty fish & chips :)

It was so good and the service impeccable. Just a little too expensive for me. But it was worth it.

This restaurant was great. It was our first time and we enjoyed it. Friendly staff and quick service! We got the tuna wontoncho which was delicious and the fish fry. They were kind to exchange the scallops for more shrimp! If you like seafood, this is a great spot to try!!

Very nice server. Food was ok, but very basic and might have just been heated up freezer food. I had the fish tacos. Would try another restaurant next time.

Kid-friendliness: Cour intérieure et siège haut Food

Menu seemed to have good options, however I was underwhelmed with our order. I wouldn t recommend the mussels or lobster roll from experience. Service was severely lacking and the space is pretty outdated. Not much to rave about here unfortunately.

Food was meh, the restaurant s atmosphere was meh, the service wasn t bad but wasn t the best either. The most shocking part was how the food was priced. They are charging as if the food was excellent but the food is just MEH!

Food was amazing, drinks were great and service was perfect! If you come here ask for Bethany, I ve never had better service at a restaurant.

Tasty lobster roll and fries. My daughter had crème brûlée which was also outstanding. Friendly servers.

Had the Lobster Roll with a bowl of chowder. Both were delicious and full of flavour. Atmosphere in the restaurant was nice; spacious and not loud.

Chowder 10/10! Same recipe since 1982. That a recipe as old as me!

Always an enjoyable experience Great menu and Staff! Will be going back sooner than later!

Amazing food and service! Im a huge foodie and love when a chef knows their flavours. Their service was great too. We arrived a little late and were worried wed have to eat fast, but instead they gave us the best service and let us take our time with the food even after the restaurant was closed. This place is definitely worth a visit (or two). Highly recommend, Ill be back for more!

Great food, everything we had was fresh, well seasoned. Slightly bigger portions would be nice for the price they charge. However you can t deny the quality of their food.

A local told us about this place. They had tasty drinks and wicked good food. Lobster roll and crab bisque were excellent!

I had the crab cakes really really good!

A SOLID 4... We were looking for a good lobster place and the other guys we called, salties and five fisherman, had 1 - 1½ lobsters which are to me useless... Got a 3 lb lobster and it was great... The lobster pasta is out of this world... the chowder is also excellent... Decent wine list at good prices too... 2017 Brunello for 120

Stopped in for a late afternoon lunch. Everything we ordered was excellent: Lobster rolls, spicy tuna wonton, seafood chowder, crab bisque & crab cakes. Emma our server was wonderful. Her beer recommendations were on point!!! Loved McKelvies restaurant. Food

Our first eastern seafood experience, I will start with that this was by far the best seafood Ive had in my life, not sure if its the best in Halifax but we enjoyed every bite. Service was friendly prices were fair and comparable. 5 stars guys

We were early for dinner so seating wasn t a problem our server was very helpful as we shared the seafood platter and added a crab cake side dish. Combined this with the pineapple based cocktail and a local hazzy beer it made for a perfect meal. All the seafood was cooked to perfection

I went for dinner in McKelvies, and the experience was just fine. The best thing about this restaurant is the staff and the service you receive from them. The food is just fine. Their chowder is amazing with lots of seafood inside. But the same cannot be said about the main dish. I ordered Jambalaya because I wanted to have a seafood platter with many choices. Unfortunately, there were only tiny bits of lobster. I didnt expect half a lobster, but being a bit more generous would be a fine gesture. I will probably not order that when I go back there.

Great staff and lovely food BUT it gets a 2 star because it is 2023 and they have ZORO change table in the mens rooms. Fathers change diapers too and our baby shouldn t have to be changed on a sink counter. Do better please.

This was my first experience with Lobster & our Server was very helpful. It was a fantastic experience!

Everything we had was delicious! My sister and I stopped in for a light snack we decided to share three appetizers. The bacon-wrapped scallops were delicious they were cool perfect, they were nice and lemony without going overboard and the bacon didnt overpower the dish like it sometimes can. We had the biscuits with butter (they give you regular butter and this wicked concoction of brown butter and sugar - they should skip the regular butter and give you two servings of the brown-butter sugar! IT. WAS. THAT. GOOD. The last appetizer we order was just basic shrimp cocktai there was nothing basic about it! Cooked to perfection and the cocktail sauce was the right amount of heat! Our wait-person was delightful made some great recommendations and was kind enough to call us a cab when we were ready to leave. The next time I m in Halifax, I will definitely check them out again and hopefully explore more on their menu!

best lobster roll by far

Came here for dinner with my wife. Food was great, we waited for 30-45min but totally understandable because the restaurant was full. Fresh seafood and yummy steak.

Nice lunch with tasty chowder , full lobster, and fish fry. Nice beer and wine selections. Staff friendly and helpful. Took a while for mains to arrive

Fantastic sea food, loved the atmosphere and would definitely eat here again the next time we come to Halifax!

Underwhelmed by the lobster but the crab bisque and truffle fries were good. Service staff were very nice.

Great location, friendly staff and food that was wonderfully delicious!

We had a great fun evening here. KATE, an undergraduate at medical school, looked after us cheerfully and with a super welcoming attitude. Gave us excellent advice in choosing food and wine. It s a comprehensive menu, with something for everyone. It was busy, but friendly atmosphere. We d go again. And again. The crab cakes were excellent and the seafood feast was a delicious mix. Relaxing place.

Great place for a meal!!

Best seafood Ive had in Halifax! For a taste of everything, try the seafood feast, it wont disappoint.

Grabbed an elaborate lunch at this restaurant. It s hard to miss as it s right next behind the Maritime Museum and also has a good rating on Google. My friend and I shared the appetizers. We ordered the flash fried calamari and crab bisque. The bisque was so so tasty and a decent portion. For the main, I got the fish & chips which was good. My friend got the fish fry and struggled with it as it was a bit too much of fried food on a plate. The portion was good for the price. The restaurant is cozy and our server was very polite and nice.

Great food and service. Atmosphere was just average Kid-friendliness: Great place for kids. They also let the kids see the live lobsters. Food : 4/5 |

Fantastic server, food was great and very fast service. Homemade desserts topped off a great dinner! We had spinach salad, lobster rolls with bisque and chowder. For dessert - creme brulee and coconut cream pie. Food

Nice atmosphere, friendly staff who take allergies very seriously (not many restaurants do), the portions are fantastic, and the cornbread is just WOW!!

Chowder was DELICIOUS! Oysters Rockefeller were ok

We love the seafood at McKelvie s. Last time, we had the jambalaya and the halibut. Both delicious ! The halibut melts in your mouth. Cooked to perfection.

So good that we even went there three times during our stay here. Fantastic food, great service, very nice beer garden. The lobster pasta in particular was absolutely fantastic and felt like it had 5x as much lobster as pasta. Absolute, fullest recommendation! ************************ Came here 3 times during our stay in Halifax and it was fantastic every time. The menu has everything you could wish for and then some. All of the food we tried was amazing. Especially the Lobster Pasta, which was about 5 times more lobster than pasta and was one of the best dishes Ive ever tried. Service was extremely friendly and welcoming. Cant recommend enough!

The style of the dishes and cuisine is very Red Lobster but dont let that dismay you, the food is much better than the mentioned chain and the service absolutely impeccable! Had an excellent time here with quality portioned dishes

This restaurant is amazing. Every single thing we ordered was 10/10. You won t be disappointed!

My wife and I had just wrapped attending the Hal-Con convention and were looking for a nearby spot to try out. As soon as we got inside we were met with friendly faces and pleasant greetings. Loved the atmosphere and the decor inside. Both Lucas & Tyrel were very friendly from the moment we sat down. Chatting with us, enthusiastically talking about the food and asking us about our experience attending the convention. The food was exceptional. My wife had the lamb shank, and I had the jambalaya, with a couple of nice cocktails and corn bread. Ive never had jambalaya at all before, so naturally I had two bowls of it! Ha! Ive almost never order two entrees anywhere but this was so good. My wife said its among the best lamb shes had. We get to Halifax about once a year so next year were planning on stopping in again, if not sooner if we get back into the city before then.

Totally good food and worth it!! My hubby and I are from Georgia and foodies. We researched this restaurant before cruising to Halifax. So glad we did!! The muscles and bacon wrapped scallops were unbelievable!!! The fish and chips were authentic and the fish was melt in your mouth with a nice crisp coating. The wait staff were outstanding, friendly and professional. Wish we were back there to eat again.

Chowder was delish! Service was on point.

The food was absolutely delicious

We had great service as soon as we walked in the doors. We were greeted by a hostess and a server and were shown to our table right away. The seafood chowder that I had for an appetizer was on point. I decided to have the jambalaya for my main course. I dont know what I was expecting, but my entrée far surpassed my expectations. Finally, we capped our meal with a good-sized creme brulee. I was a little worried as my wife wanted to share the dessert.

I loved McKelvie s!!!! They have THE BEST clam chowder in Halifax, also love that they use fish broth for the clam chowder where most places actually use chicken broth. The authentic taste of the chowder is unmatched! We got crab cakes as well, and (I m not joking) I could eat those everyday. we also got the seafood shareable platter and it was 100% worth it. You get the variety of the east coast seafood. Service was so lovely, staff were friendly and welcoming. Atmosphere was also fun! Highly recommend!

Awesome lobster roll and seafood chowder!

Pub style, good food!

Wow wow WOW! This place exceeded my expectations. I would put this in similar playing field as popular spots such as Drift or The Press Gang. Come for amazing meals and even better service! 12/10!!!! You are definitely doing something right If you choose this place for date night! :)

The staff was friendly and the food was really delicious!! I highly recommend it

We had to rush and our server and restaurant were very accommodating. Our food came out at record pace once we notified them that we had to catch rebooked flight. It was too bad we couldn t enjoy the wonderfully prepared meal at a more reasonable pace, but we will return in the future if we re in Halifax again.

Wicked manager here. Talked to our table, found out we re new in town and offered us a round on the house. Awesome night out.