Drift — Restaurant in Halifax

I enjoy supporting new restaurants, and take into consideration the there are usually a few wrinkles to iron out in the beginning. I had visited Drift for dinner twice already this month, enjoying good service, lovely ambiance and a few dishes I was impressed with (the fois gras) and a few that could use a little work (crunchy bulgar in a beef tartare not my fave) - but that's to be expected in any new establishment.

Unfortunately, my last experience (and it will be my last) I returned with a group of ladies for my third visit and left appalled. First of all, I was looking forward to trying to pasta dish, as advertised on the FB page as "fresh spaghetti", my friend asked our server if the pasta was made in house, to which she replied "no", and then I asked out of curiosity if it was from Maria's Pantry or Arthur's (assuming it was fresh) to which she replied "neither, is that a problem"? and offered no further information. Typically restaurants boasting an "elevated" experience have servers that are more than happy to discuss the menu and origins of ingredients (local this and that) with their guests. Assuming from the absence of elaboration that "Fresh" must have meant "fresh" from the box, I decided to order the steak.

Our meals arrived, and as I cut into my steak, ordered medium rare, I could see it was tough and dark brown. Not wanting to disrupt our meal, I patiently waited for the server to return for a check in, which didn't happen. It got to the point where it was just awkward for me to sit there in front of a plate not eating so I finally left the table to find someone to let them know my steak wasn't properly cooked. By then, my friends were half way done their dishes. I indicated (politely, mistakes happen) that they didn't need to bother to redo it at that point (leaving me to sit eating when everyone else was done). At this point, I was having a lovely time and the meal going wrong didn't really bother me.

I was asked if there was anything they could provide. I said, sure, I'll have a glass of wine. When the manager, Gaberille, brought my wine he offered that steak was put in to order as well done, apologized for their mistake and asked if I was sure there wasn't anything else he could get me. I thought the fishcake would be quick and I wouldn't be left eating after my party had long finished.

The fish cake was a plate of mush - or I could say "inedible", to echo another google review. My friends tasted it and agreed. I didn't return it, I just left it on the plate and gave up on having dinner, not wanting to make my experience uncomfortable for the others.

When the bills came around, one was presented to me and I thought it had to be a mistake. But, the manager assured me that I would indeed be paying for my first glass of wine, condescendingly suggesting that my "complimentary" glass of wine and uneaten fishcake was a sufficient compensation for this disappointing experience.

I was treated like someone who purposely sent food back to get it for free (even though he knew my meal was served to me completely wrong, and it was not returned simply because it wasn’t to my likings) rather than a person who has brought my business there 3 times in a month, not to mention recommended the restaurant to friends who were visiting, who I later found out left disappointed (they didn't want to offend me by telling me this, considering I suggested it, until I told them about my experience.

Normally, I would share constructive feedback with a manager and give them the opportunity to improve for next time, but in this case - it was the manager I had already been speaking with. So....

I guess the 3rd time isn't...

Every foodie should experience dining at Drift as soon as possible! As someone who is from the East Coast, I am so impressed with the homage that Drift pays to our East Coast hospitality, culture and land. Drift’s culinary vision is to showcase the East Coast’s most beloved ingredients of artisans, producers, farmers and fishers and this is something you feel and see from start to finish while dining there.

We were proud to dine at Drift for the Grand Opening of the restaurant last night and then dine for breakfast this morning and we cannot say enough great things about this experience. The dishes were flavour explosions, with complexity and depth few other restaurants can match.

Dinner: As soon as you walk through the doors you are transformed into a modern East Coast inspired setting that is unlike anything in Halifax. Each and every detail will have you swooning from the local indigenous artist inspired side plates, the personalized décor and ambiance of the restaurant, to the ethically sourced local ingredients and pairings in each and every dish and cocktail. No detail has been missed and it is truly an incredible dining experience from start to finish. For appetizers, we loved the NS lobster bisque, crispy mushy peas, tuna sashimi, snow crab ploye and the crispy caesar salad (so so good!). For the main we are still dreaming about the lamb dish and the tenderloin dish, both of these were truly an explosion of flavours. For dessert we loved the molasses cake, sea salt brownie (so good!) and the blueberry grunt.

Cocktails: We loved the Siren’s call, boom at noon (this is a cocktail experience in itself that is so much fun and unique, topped with smoke!) and the delicious speciality coffee with dessert. I loved the glass that my specialty coffee was served in and the details that went into making it with a beautiful froth heart on top. At the end of dinner many people stayed around and continued to have drinks and some even left their table and went to the bar for drinks. The music playlist changed as the evening went on and made you feel like you could stay around after your meal for cocktails and drinks, which is unique for Halifax and something that we loved.

Brunch: The food was spectacular and the harbour view makes you feel like you’re living the East Coast experience that everyone craves in Downtown Halifax. The Eggs Bennie was a standout, and the hot coffee was delicious and replenished throughout our entire time there. The service was lovely, everyone is so friendly with an East Coast charm that is certain to make you feel welcomed, happy and excited to be there!

Overall, Drift isn't just a beautiful new restaurant in Halifax, it is a 5-star experience from start to finish with the friendliest and welcoming Drift team on the East Coast. We could feel the positive energy and momentum between your team. This restaurant is changing the game of dining in Halifax and is a must for your next reservation in the city. The food was delicious and the service was equally as impressive. Looking forward to the next Drift...

Haligonians always welcome new high-end restaurants. The latest is Drift which has been opened for 2 months. Since it is promoted as a world class establishment, we were keen to make our inaugural visit for my wife’s birthday. My comments are meant to be constructive suggestions to help the management improve their likelihood of success. I booked this reservation online and noted that the evening was meant to be a celebration of her birthday in the “Select an occasion” drop-down menu. No one acknowledged the special event. One wonders why we were asked. The restaurant has been well conceived and is inviting but the music is too loud for quiet conservation. The small candles on the table do not provide enough light to read the menu. Two other couples were also using the flashlight on their phones to make out the offerings. Our coats were taken and stored in a cupboard and we were provided with claim checks. Unfortunately, at the end of our evening there was no one available in this area and we had to retrieve our own outerwear. Our server appeared promptly at our table, introduced himself and made us welcome. He took orders for cocktails and tried to take our food orders before we had really settled in and studied the menu. My wife ordered a Kir Royal but it did not smell or taste like it contained crème de cassis; it was not served in the traditional champagne flute. My Seafood Caesar was topped by a raw oyster on the half shell and was very good. The two small warm brown bread buns were excellent. As mentioned in other reviews our server gave us the scripted comments about the molasses content. The $7 charge is high and out of line with other restaurants in the area where bread is complimentary. My wife had a plate of 6 raw oysters which were well prepared and presented. I started with the lobster and haddock fish cake which was warm and tasty. My wife had the halibut filet for her main course. We cook this fish regularly and found this piece to be mildly dry and overcooked. This is a common error when cooking fish. I had the flatiron steak which was delicious and perfectly cooked. Unfortunately, no consideration or originality was given to its presentation. It was arrived as an unsliced chunk of meat on one side of the plate with a pile of fries on the other. An inspired chef should be able to do better. We finished with the sea salt brownie. This was completely opposite – a delight to the eye and the taste. At this point I needed to ask a passing server to pour the remainder of our wine from the nearby ice bucket into our empty glasses. Our regular server had moved on. Our meal cost $330 including tip. High end prices demand a superior experience. I hope our comments help the management smooth out some of the...