In Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the turquoise ocean kneels before rounded, forested mountains. From my helicopter seat 500 feet in the air, I watch as we soar over strands of pink sand beach and valleys where the first cold breath of fall is turning the treetops golden. My guide from Kattuk Expeditions and I land on a wind-pummelled plateau and disembark, tracing the cliffside on foot, part of a new heli-hiking tour that launched in September. Jubilant yellow goldenrod, sweet wild blueberries, and other edible plants carpet the bluff. Soon, the highlands will be ablaze in autumn colors.
This wild coastal tableau shaped by churning Atlantic waves and winds is inspiring a new generation of chefs and wine growers in the heart of the province. “The environment isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a source of possibility,” says Malcolm Campbell, head chef at Mystic, a fine dining restaurant in Nova Scotia’s capital city of Halifax that opened in September 2024.
While Eastern Canada’s three Maritime provinces—which also include New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island—have long been known for classic, pub-style seafood, new spots like Mystic are thinking beyond fish and chips, some with theatrical elegance and others with modern interpretations of homestyle cooking. Many are also pairing their innovative menus with the aromatic, cool-climate white wine that’s produced locally. Here, a look at some of the best places to get a taste of the landscape in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Where to Eat
Perched on a pier that juts out into the Halifax Harbour, the striking steel wedge of Mystic restaurant is wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, giving the diner the illusion of floating on water. Designed by Nova Scotia-based architectural firm MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple with interiors by DesignAgency, the space creates a dramatic stage for Campbell and his team, who work in an open kitchen. Muted blues and grey, moss green, and stone and driftwood accents echo the coastal landscape outside, enhancing dishes artfully plated on organic ceramics by noted Nova Scotia artist and designer Heather Waugh Pitts.
Two eight-course tasting menus, Fauna and Biota, offer a taste of the terroir in refined, creative ways—buttery scallops nestled beside strawberries and cloaked in goldenrod cream, for instance. “The menus come from a respect for the place of origin, using everything Nova Scotia has to offer, from local seafood to wild foraged herbs and mushrooms,” says Campbell. For those who just want to stop by for a drink, The Unwritten Bar program is a guided tasting of two bespoke cocktails utilizing house-fermented and foraged ingredients, each paired with a chef-curated bite.
Tribute’s convivial, cozy atmosphere and open kitchen showcasing live-fire and charcoal cooking recalls an elevated dinner party in a friend’s home. After stints at lauded restaurants everywhere from Chicago to the Napa Valley to London, chef Colin Bebbington returned to his home in Halifax with a goal of enlivening the fine dining scene. Alongside Mystic, Tribute was nominated for Air Canada’s 2025 prestigious Best New Restaurants awards. The nod is a recognition of the hand-rolled pasta and smoky grilled steak being perfected here, all sourced from family farms and small local producers and foragers. Served alongside a playlist of nostalgic ’90s hip-hop, the dishes at Tribute hit all the right notes.
Climb onto a windy open-top ferry for the scenic 10-minute ride across the Halifax Harbour to the small town of Dartmouth. On the town’s main drag of Portland Street sits The Canteen, an airy, seaside-inspired space serving modern takes on Nova Scotian homestyle cooking. Fresh, seasonal ingredients are crafted into hearty fare, including a crispy, pan-friend haddock burger, buttery Nova Scotia snow crab and lobster roll, and seafood chowder with a house-made biscuit. Chase lunch with a cold glass of white wine from the neighboring Annapolis Valley.
Where to Drink
An hour’s drive north of Halifax on the shores of the Bay of Fundy lies a bucolic valley of green vineyards and farmland threaded with oak and maple forest. Though the Maritimes isn’t yet well known as a wine-producing region in Canada, the burgeoning scene in the Annapolis Valley is changing that. In 2012, Nova Scotia established its first wine appellation, called Tidal Bay. The approachable, aromatic white has bright, citrusy notes and takes its name from the distinct minerality imbued by the unique tidal terroir and salty ocean breezes that sweep across the vines. Savor a bottle paired with cold, fresh oysters on the sun-drenched patio at Lightfoot Wolfville, a small-batch, organic farm winery and one of only a handful of certified biodynamic wineries in Canada. Head to Benjamin Bridge afterwards for a flight of cool-climate sparkling wines overlooking sylvan views.
Bar Kismet in Halifax’s North End has been touted as the watering hole for people who are serious about cocktails. Innovative, seasonal drinks incorporating local ingredients such as pineapple weed, spruce tips, and pea-shell liqueur are being shaken, stirred, and served up at the restaurant’s burnished wood bar. A thoughtfully-curated winelist spotlights Eastern Canada and complements a weekly rotating menu of dishes like handmade parsnip and gruyere ravioli and local cod steeped in a chanterelle and parmesan broth.
The Ostrich Club is nestled in Halifax’s Hydrostone Market, a historic neighborhood of homes, shops, and eateries. Sommelier Alanna Steele has curated a standout list of natural and skin contact wines, while bar manager Lindsay Jones mixes up cocktails with killer combinations such as vanilla oolong and sage, or Campari and spruce tips. Head chef and Top Chef Canada alumni Moira Murray has crafted a menu of small, Asian-influenced sharing plates that pair perfectly with the beverage program: Don’t miss the shrimp dumplings with ponzu dashi, kimchi, and crispy green onions.
What to Do
On the edge of Prospect Bay half an hour south of Halifax, the silver ocean laps at a rocky grey beach. Following a shoreline trail, professional forager Fred Dardenne plucks edible coastal plants like beach pea, sea parsley, and wild raspberries, giving travelers herbaceous, aromatic sniffs and bites along the way. “Nova Scotia’s wind, ice, and ocean give the plants and berries a unique flavor,” says Dardenne. Originally from rural Belgium, he moved his family to Nova Scotia nearly 20 years ago and brought his love of wild foods and foraging with him. Now, his family-owned company supplies ingredients to Nova Scotia’s top restaurants, including Mystic. Visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at his process on one of Dardenne’s eco-tours, sensory foraging journeys that wind along the ocean and through the forest.
Cape Breton Island is famous for its world-class golf, but Kattuk Expeditions shows travelers the region’s wilder side. Condensing a four-hour drive from Halifax into an hour-long helicopter ride, guests land in the Cape Breton Highlands for a day of heli-hiking or an ocean zodiac ride with a gourmet picnic lunch. Founder Fred Stillman also brings guests to Sable Island National Park Reserve, a long, crescent-shaped sandbar 186 miles off the coast of Halifax. During a hike across windswept dunes, guests encounter the island’s residents: over 500 wild horses and the largest grey seal colony in the world.
Food and culture are intimately tied to the ocean in Nova Scotia and spending a day on the water gives visitors a feel for this long maritime history. Gear up in a kayak with East Coast Outfitters and explore the rugged coastline of the Lower Prospect peninsula, paddling along sheltered bays and quiet beaches. The guided tours include stops at secluded islands, historic lighthouses, and heritage parks. The company also offers a Sea-to-Table Lobster Adventure which punctuates a day of paddling with a sunset wharfside dinner of smoked oysters and fresh lobster.
For an elegant ocean experience, guests of the Muir on the Halifax waterfront can head out on Little Wing, the hotel’s 36-foot Morris yacht. The day-long sailing adventure gives guests a view of the city skyline winking in the sun and stops at Georges Island National Historic Site to explore the fortifications and underground tunnels of this 18th-century military post.
Where to Stay
A private day of sailing is just one of the experiences that makes a stay at Muir exceptional. The Michelin-key hotel puts travelers in the heart of the Queen’s Marque, a revitalized oceanside area studded with installations by renowned Nova Scotia artists as well as artisan boutiques. A sense of place infuses every aspect of a stay here, from the seaside palette of muted blues and greens and pale wood accents to beds decorated with custom Muir tartan blankets, a nod to Nova Scotia’s Scottish heritage. Design by Studio Munge imbues the entire property with graceful curves, soft cove lighting, and accents rooted in Maritime culture, from Muntz copper metal—commonly used in shipbuilding—to porthole-inspired in-room bars outfitted with full cocktail stations. An on-site contemporary art gallery, an Atlantic Canadian-inspired menu at Drift restaurant, and a moody, velvet-clad speakeasy bar make for a standout urban experience.
Located 30 minutes from downtown Halifax sits Nalu Retreat. The wilderness getaway’s three geodesic glamping domes and secluded villa are surrounded by forest overlooking the tranquil blue waters of Porters Lake. A stay here is all about reaping the healing power of nature. Each room offers panoramic views of the water and trees and a stargazing loft outfitted with yoga mats and a singing bowl. An outdoor shower and hot tub on each private patio creates a hot-cold hydrotherapy circuit, soon to be complemented by a full Nordic spa, and miles of secluded hiking and cross-country ski trails are within walking distance.