Mappatura Bistro — Restaurant in Halifax

First visit: Nov 2016 - Waited patiently for this place to open for the last few weeks, and finally got to try it for lunch on a cool, sunny Wednesday in late November. (they opened the prior Thursday). Walked in at noon and we were greeted warmly and immediately, being offered our choice of any of the two-seater tables by the window. The restaurant itself is solarium-style, not overly big, but glass all around for lots of natural lighting. There is a snake-shaped large table in the center that would seat a group of 18, and I counted seating for 34 more in the regular tables around the perimeter. Nice, clean, modern, minimalistic decor. Table service was very friendly as well. They offer free bread with whipped butter, and the bread seems to be a cornmeal or polenta, but was warm out of the oven and delicious. My friend and I both tried the lunch special for $16 (soup and 1/2 order of pasta), which was a perfect portion. Their soup de jour was a tomato basil and was just right for the chilly day outside. Lots of flavor and very creamy. I had the Aglio e Olio sauce on my spaghetti, with a touch of pomodoro in it to give a spicy tomato kick. He tried the beef/pork bolognese sauce and quotes it as 'redolent of fresh tomatoes and a touch of wine. Full flavored and moderately seasoned (could use a touch more salt OR more parmesan which would have upped the saltiness. He requested a rigatoni pasta in lieu of the spaghetti, which was cooked perfectly al dente.' Both satisfied, we still chose to squeeze in dessert. I had the creme brulee (dark chocolate itself with a large hard piece of biscotti, garnished with a kumquat ($10). It was delicious but I couldn't finish it. He had the Profiteroles (double vanilla bean gelato, warm mole sauce $10) which he said was very good. Two puffs for the serving. 2nd visit: a sunny Thursday for lunch in February. The place was a bit busier this day so we had to sit at the large group table, which was fine. Very friendly service again and the server commented that she remembered us from the first visit! LOL My friend ordered almost the exact same dish as last time, whereas I tried the 'Lentils' (Lentils Caponata, toasted seeds, goat cheese, kale and Tunisian spice $14). Wasn't sure what to expect, but it was decent, thrown together like a salad, and just hit the spot for satisfying my hunger without leaving me full going back to work for the afternoon. Came for brunch one overcast Saturday in Jan 2018 and there was only one other table taken when I arrived. Friendly, quick service. Tried the Eggs Benedict (choice of peameal bacon or cold smoked salmon, croissant, preserved lemon hollandaise, Italian home fries or green goddess salad $15") with the greens. It was very good and very filling, although I generally don't prefer my Benny on a croissant. Nice for a change. Most recent visit: July 2019 for lunch on a hot Tues. Place not busy. I got the Lasagne (homemade pasta, bolognese, herbed ricotta, provolone, green goddess salad $17) which was very flavorful, fresh and filling. My friend had the Panino al Pollo (crispy fried chicken, provolone, tomato, bacon, salsa verde aioli, milk bun, frites or goddess salad $17) which comes burger style vs panini style. Also very flavorful, a bit greasy/messy to eat and he had to use a fork & knife at the end, but satisfying. The side of potato isn't a lot, but just right to hit the spot. We shared for dessert the Lemon Tart (lemon curd, berry cream, meringue $10) which was great as well, served with fresh berries, the merinque was thick but light like marshmallow fluff almost. Staff very attentive, topping up our waters constantly. Look forward to coming here some...

Food and service is always excellent. Portions are a bit smaller than most Italian restaurants. Prices don’t reflect that, but I prefer quality over quantity. The calamari is the best in Halifax, the fish specials are always great, and they have nice pastas. No fresh bread to start, but you can order it (not made in house). We tried the sorbetto for dessert. I’d stick to the tiramisu next time. The sorbetto was half melted when it arrived, a little too sweet, and had some large ice chunks. Overall it was a great meal like all previous visits.

It ended on a bitter note, however, when we received the bill: We were charged an outrageous $9 per bottle for sparkling water. Price was never discussed when it was offered instead of still water. I would understand a $3-5 up charge, but I certainly wouldn’t have agreed to two bottles had I known it would be a total of $18.

On top of that, the server informed me that they don’t take American Express. I understand that processing fees are a bit higher and can be difficult for small businesses, but this is a restaurant where you can easily spend over $100 per head. I have not been to any other sit down restaurants in Halifax that...

Recently had dinner at Mappatura for my birthday on a Saturday. The food is very tasty, however I was very disappointed that the portions seemed very skimpy. For example, the calamari only occupied a very small amount of the plate and might of consisted of 125 mL in total volume. Definitely not enough to share more than 3 bites each. The scallop fettuccine dish for $32 consisted of 5 scallops… which were so tasty you were left wanting 8.. but more surprising, very limited noodles. I had 6 bites that was it. There was lots of leftover sauce on the plate but nothing to soak it up with! Noodles are not expensive so I was not pleased to be left hungry. The chocolate torte was also a very limited sliver of deliciousness. So, I think since I first started coming to this restaurant 6 years ago or so, the portions have dropped in size considerably and the prices have not. Disappointed as I left feeling like I could have eaten double. I’m a small person. Also I would highly recommend sound baffling panels. It was a busy night and we could not hear our own conversation. Too loud. Sadly, we left as soon as our food was finished, within an hour. Maybe take out provided...