Mystic — Restaurant in Halifax

My wife and I went to Mystic for our anniversary and it truly was an excellent experience. First off, our reservation included free valet parking at The Muir hotel - so convenient and a really great feature!! It was seamless and easy - and of course made parking a breeze. Then we were greeted with a happy anniversary by the woman at the restaurant entrance - and offered to have our coats stowed. So far, Mystic was a strong two-for-two and we hadn't even been seated!

Our table was directly across from the kitchen, so we had a stellar view of everything - the seats were very comfortable, and the interior of the restaurant is modern but interesting. Oh, I almost forgot, we were also shown their wall of jars containing various NS food items that were foraged by the kitchen team - and which are used in dishes and drinks! Very interesting and demonstrates how much thought was put into this restaurant and its offering.

We were promptly then greeted by our friendly and efficient waiter, Ashton. He was meticulous and friendly – but not at all overbearing. I could tell he was a little anxious and we learned it was his first month at Mystic – but he did excellent! We really enjoyed talking with him.

I also want to acknowledge Andrew (who I think may have been the front-of-house manager?). Anytime either my wife or I got up to go to the washroom, he came by and folded our napkin and placed it on the table. A really nice touch and shows again how much attention the Mystic folks pay to the details. He also happened to be a very nice guy! Got to chatting with him and he was very warm and welcoming (I hope you’re sensing a theme in the service that Mystic offers!).

Next up, I need to talk about Sam. What a guy. Really a standout gem of a person and an excellent sommelier to boot! My wife and I are not knowledgeable wine drinkers by any means but when I got the wine pairing with my tasting menu, Sam’s return visits with every dish were a highlight. He gave us lots of interesting information about the wines and his thought process and I found it really insightful not just to learn about the wines themselves, but the work he puts in to think about the food and complement the flavors (or if he has to switch things up late in the day because the kitchen may decide to go a different route with the discovery menu). Sam – if you read this, please know that we really truly enjoyed talking with you and it’s clear you are passionate and skilled at what you do!!

Lastly I of course need to talk about the food! It was simply excellent – each dish was inventive and flavorful. All was presented on interesting plates too and nothing looked visually out-of-whack. The kitchen staff were clearly highly invested in their craft and the meal was capped off with a delicious and truly unique cake made with green peas (including green pea buttercream) – Sydney the pastry chef brought it out and wow what a standout dessert!! So inventive and delicious. We were also given a chocolate mousse tart for our anniversary! And as if that wasn’t enough, a tray of little candies at the very end after dessert. Of course this restaurant charges a premium price for this experience, but let me tell you – our experience went well beyond food to include interesting conversation with many different people who work there and all of it was superb. They gave us a standout anniversary celebration night and I will remember it for a long time to come! Thank you...

Easily the best dining experience we have ever had in Nova Scotia. Also easily among the top 3 we have ever had anywhere. For us “anywhere” includes Michelin starred restaurants in New York (2 stars) and France (3 stars - 2 venues) among many, many others we have searched out in North America and Europe.

When one gets to the highest levels of dining available it is normally pretty difficult to give hard rankings but, the experience at Mystic gets a huge leg up as it offers truly world class food and wine with the one thing you can’t get anywhere else. That being relaxed Nova Scotia hospitality. That is one thing that money cannot buy and is included for free!

The food - as the menu at Mystic is ever changing it wouldn’t be truly helpful to comment specifically on individual items but, every course was fantastic. Wait, we lied… we must comment on the scallop course… that dish combined everything… flavour, texture, presentation… my God! Days later we can’t get it out of our heads. We want more! Enough said.

The wine - Every wine Sommelier Sam Melanson presented us with was simply stunning. Every single one. Even days later we cannot stop thinking about those wines. Sam has put serious effort into finding wines that not only nicely complement the food but are also in and of themselves amazing experiences. Do not hesitate to place your trust in Sam’s experience and recommendations. We can guarantee you will not be disappointed. Huge shout out and thank you to Sam for so generously and openly sharing his...

On my first day in Halifax, I wandered up a walkway with a glittering tower overlooking the harbour—it wasn’t until the following day that I realized that was, in fact, the Mystic rooftop. This gem was hiding in plain sight all along.

When we arrived to eat a few days later, the wind had started to kick up and Atlantic spray was raining down all around. It felt uniquely coastal, perfectly accompanying the foraged and hyper-local ingredients we would later see on our table. The restaurant has a beautiful design, with an open kitchen where you can watch these geniuses at play, and three sides of windows that take you as close to the water as you can get without getting wet.

We each chose a different set menu (two six-course options were available) and went with the corresponding wine pairings. You could tell that all the staff are incredibly proud of the restaurant, and the service was above and beyond.

The best way to describe the experience here was “joy”—savouring the inventive and perfectly executed morsels felt like eating food for the very first time. I can’t deny that, for many, the price point can be prohibitive, but for a special occasion or a truly singular experience, I couldn’t recommend Mystic highly enough.

Special thanks to Ashton and Elise (I hope I spelled your...