The Canteen on Portland — Restaurant in Dartmouth

On our last night in Nova Scotia, my family and I had the pleasure of dining at The Canteen—and what a treat it was! This place is undoubtedly a gem and easily the best food you’ll find in Dartmouth.

As a family, we took full advantage of the menu, starting with three incredible appetizers: the snow crab dip, Brussels sprouts, and oysters. Each dish was outstanding, showcasing fresh, East Coast flavors with a creative, uniquely Canadian twist that’s hard to come by in Ontario.

For my main course, I opted for the famous Crobster Roll, and let me tell you—it was sensational. I can’t remember the last time I polished off a sandwich that quickly. Every bite was packed with rich, lobster goodness and perfectly balanced flavours. This is comfort food elevated to an entirely new level.

The drinks were equally impressive. The bar served up handcrafted beverages that were refreshingly authentic—no artificial flavors, nothing cheap, just pure, high-quality ingredients. It’s rare to find such care and attention to detail in every sip.

Beyond the food and drinks, the service and atmosphere at The Canteen were exceptional. The dining room strikes the perfect balance between elegance and comfort, offering a warm and welcoming ambiance without being overly pretentious. And the best part? The prices. For the caliber of food, generous portions, and top-notch service, you’re paying a fraction of what you might expect—comparable to what you’d spend at a fast-food chain. It feels almost too good to be true.

If you’re ever in Nova Scotia, The Canteen is a must-visit. This is a dining experience you’ll remember long after...

My wife and I went here with a good friend of ours for lunch after hearing great things about it. The place seems a bit too cramped in the setup, the decor was nice enough. The service was great but with so many tables the wait staff seemed too busy. We started with a bowl of their highly recommended Canteen Chowder (seafood chowder) which was delicious and full of so much seafood! It was good but still could not beat any of my top 5 seafood chowders in Halifax/Nova Scotia. I ordered the Daily Special Sandwich as I was not enticed by most of the lunch menu items, it was a Cubano sandwich which was very very average with ham, cheese and mustard on a bun, nothing special and very bland. My wife went a bit more adventurous and had the Tune and Brown Rice bowl which she immediately regretted (and ate most of my sandwich while I tried to finish her culinary mistake). The rice was crunchy and hard, which distracted me so much from the taste of the dish which was served cold. It was like they attempted a Poke Bowl and failed miserably, no flavor, just bland crunchy rice with chunks of seared tuna in it. Our friend had the Red Coconut Curry which was also average tasting and had odd flavors infused into it with lots of distracting bits in it, it was not as bad as the Tuna bowl but still needs work. We had the creme brûlée to finish the meal (and allow me something sweet to get the bad taste of crunchy rice out of my mouth. It was decent and it was our friends first time tasting creme brûlée and she loved it. It is hard to recommend this place after such a poor initial performance but it was quite...

The Canteen is an absolute must on your "To Eat" list! Well worth the (quite enjoyable) ferry ride, the Canteen combines atmosphere, care, affordable prices and fine dining. 3 people suggested I take the short ferry ride from Halifax to eat here - and I now understand why! The brussel sprouts are simply heavenly, combining an orchestra of flavors that only gets better with each bite. As a complete beginner with oysters, I was blown away with how fresh the Canteen's oysters were. Not 'slimy' in the slightest, I enjoyed them with a squirt of lemon juice, although the house mignonette was fantastic as well. My server, Mark, was immensely professional and deeply cared about providing a SENSATIONAL experience!! He offered fantastic pairing suggestions, created special cocktails and coffees based on my tastes, offered sound advice on the menu, and truly cared for the clientele. I wish I could give the Canteen 10 stars! A stop you simply cannot miss in Halifax, whether you are visiting for a few days or a local. *I highly recommend making a reservation!! The place is well- known all over the country for its fantastic dishes, but I was easily able to secure a table the morning of! The prices are quite reasonable, but I enjoyed an appetizer, entrée, dessert, 3 cocktails and a...