From the hallowed, boozy days of Sam Mallone and Ernie “Coach” Pantusso on Cheers to weekly armchair visits to MacLaren’s, the haunt of Barney Stinson and the rest of the gang on How I Met Your Mother, our culture loves to celebrate the neighbourhood pub. But more than that, we like to go to a neighbourhood pub, even if it’s not actually in our ‘hood.
Since Halifax loves the British Isles like Scorsese loves DiCaprio, the latest spate of peninsular pubs has some distinctly brogueish charms. Not that an Irish pub is anything new to the city—some of our finest pubs have been around for quite awhile, whether downtown or in those unfathomably far away lands we like to call Cole Harbour and Bedford. You know, places with neighbourhoods. (Weird!)
The Liam Neeson of Halifax pubs is Durty Nelly’s—all sleek darkness and traditional Irish charm. This old-fashioned, upscale bar is a real beaut, with a sea of mahogany stain that gives the bar a lacquer that rivals Cary Grant’s hair.
One of a chain that has 20 locations across Canada and the US, Elephant & Castle falls on the wrong side of the Indian Red Ale, if you know what I’m saying. They celebrate all things British, whether it’s the photos on the wall or the food on your plate. Their daily happy hour (5pm to 7pm) offers cheap pints & plates. I think they call that “getting bangers and smashed.”
There is little in Halifax that can make you feel more like you’re in Britain than the historic waterfront. After you walk through the stony entrance, the Hart & Thistle‘s high ceilings and oodles of windows makes it a bright, clean space. What it lacks in cozy it makes up for that with a rambling seafront patio. Also: they have their own craft beers!
The stony walls and cavernous basement absolutely drip with19th century character, and the Henry House is perhaps the mothership for Anglophiles on the peninsula, and is a long-time fixture in the lives of those who like a good tipple now and then. They offer five of the Granite Brewery’s English-style ales and own the hearts of many south enders.
Pretty much unbeatable in The Coast’s Best of Food survey when it comes to restaurants in Cole Harbour, Jamieson’s has also been one of the stalwart Irish pubs in the HRM, open for almost the entire 21st century.
For a relaxing, quiet bar where you can while the hours away with whiskey and take refuge in a cozy corner after a long work day, try The Loose Cannon. The scotch and whiskey menu is off the charts. And even though it’s Scottish, you only have to deal with haggis one day of the year—Robbie Burns Day.
A cozy, relaxing pub with a roaring stone fireplace and luxe leather chairs, the Rockbottom Brewery is a great place to grab a pint after work, and has a steady group of regulars who do just that. But at the heart of the Rockbottom is its microbrewery, which churns out six craft beers of its own.
This article appears in Mar 11-17, 2010.
Wait, what? Is this a story? Is there a narrative? Is this what the internet does to publications like The Coast? Weird. It’s like 9 tweets pasted together.
rockbottom brewery is NOT a microbrewery.
instant coffee doth not taste like coffee neither does instant beer taste like beer.
At worst, it reads like one big advertisement. They ran a piece about where to get your drink on when Snoop Dogg came to town. It aggravated me to no end. Here’s a road map to drinking in Halifax: oh yeah, everywhere.
Time to find a new Food & Drink writer, maybe someone with some taste and culinary exposure. The current Ms. Boute seems not to have any background or credentials to speak or critique in any form of educated way. Not that they need the expsoure but, has The Old Triangle gone disco and no longer considered Irish? Or does she not feel they measure up?
The Old Triangle sells crappy beer. Durty Nelly’s isn’t far behind. Like comparing CUT to Burger King. They are both restaurants, they both sell meat, but there’s a significant difference. If there’s anybody here with questionable culinary experience, I’d say it’s BK.;)
“The Liam Neeson of Halifax pubs is Durty Nelly’s”–that’s worth a pot of gold right there.
And Durty Nelly’s isn’t anything close to a real pub! With respect to CUT, Beer Baron, I have been there against my will, I refuse to patronize any establishment who steals thier name from another resturant, if they can’t be orignal about thier own name, how can they be trusted with the food, over priced, prentetious, and the waitresses, stack and clear the plates at the table infront of you, and when you complain, they say that’s how they have been trained? Best burgers for me, are the fyfe and drum!
BK, you clearly don’t know food if you think CUT can’t be trusted with the steak served there. End of story.
Celtic Corner & The Old Triangle should be pretty hard to overlook. Get a new writer.
Old Triangle is no better than Pogue Fado. Trendy for the people who need to be trendy. Vapid. We don’t need a new writer, just new citizens.;)
Alas, Henry House has lost all sense of hospitality. It has the ambience but thats about it, but the Loose Cannon is where I’ll hang my hat for now on. Leave Henry House to the greytops of Bishops Landing and 2nd Year King’s Students…..
Its funny, 20 years ago Henry House was the only place I could get a bitter or a stout, now, I get to pick where I spend my money on dark suds. Thanks for the introduction though, Henry House, much appreciated when it was good.
If Durty Nelly’s can be likened to Liam Neeson, who is the Old Triangle? Colin Farrell? Or Colm Meany?
I’m a fan of The Old Triangle, personally. It’s a decent place to get a good drink after work. Sure, they don’t do anything differently than anyone else, I just like the atmosphere, especially during the fall or spring when it’s cold and rainy outside. Nice and warm.
Editorial deadline came quick this week.
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