Halifax Travel Forum

My married friends Bob and Charles will be in Halifax August 10-13. They are Vancouverites so ocean is no big deal but they would like to see the sights . They are not sure whether they should rent a car- they like unique hotels that aren't afraid to have a 45 ish gay couple under there roof. They will not be searching out the gay scene in a big way but if there is any places that are gay friendly they would be happy to go. They have asked me as I was born in Halifax but don't remember much from when I left at age 5!
They like good food. They are not budget travellers but like a fair price.Neither wants to get beat up for being in the wrong place at the wrong time

i liked the waverley inn in halifax. great location for walking to sites.

I would reccomend Spring Garden road. Here are a few places for foodies!

Fiasco - modern dinning, great service, one of our favorites
http://www.fiascorestaurant.com/

Il Mercato - Good northern Italian food, we reccomend the Rissotto balls for the appitizer.
5475 Spring Garden Rd., Halifax / 422-2866 (no website)

The Fireside - A great lounge type place, also off spring garden road in Halifax. Good food, nice seats, great service. Try the warm spinach and chicken salad.
http://www.where.ca/halifax/guide_listing.cfm?listing_id=16

Lastly, We enjoy seafood at: Mckelvies - I really enjoy the Potato crusted seafood gratin, but my wife loved the grilled halibut.
http://mckelvies.com/

hope that this at least gets you started on the foodie portion of your travels ... All the best from travelling Canadians!!!
http://mckelvies.com/

If they will just be staying in the core of the Halifax area and not venturing too much into the surrounding municapality they shouldn't need a car as the bus service is pretty good in this area. Getting outside of this area can take a while by bus as the transfers aren't good. And taxis can be hard to come by on weekends.

I concur that the Fireside is good. I would also recommend La Perla if they like Italian food. (Take the ferry from the Halifax side to the Dartmouth side and cross the street). However, it is rather pricy. Not so gourmet is of course donairs, they are very popular in the east coast!

Tell Bob and Charles not too worry too much about being "in the wrong place at the wrong time". I grew up in the Halifax area and spend 22 years of my life there; as a university town (3 universities) it is pretty progressive compared to many places. If they are looking for a few drinks in a quiet relaxed pub-style bar I would suggest the Seahorse as they tend to get a more mature crowd. Reflections is the main "gay bar" in Halifax, but it is pretty popoular with everyone regardless of sexual orientation as they play dance music that isn't necessarily popular right now but more "classic" dance music. They should avoid the Attic as it tends to draw the "not quite legal but wanna act like an adult crowd" that a couple in the 40's would likely not consider a good time!

Hi, this is a little late for your friends but may assist someone else. The suggestion of the Waverley is a good one--if anyone is into gay history, ask for the room Oscar Wilde stayed in when he visited Halifax. It's in a great location and the prices are very reasonable. If you like B&B's, there is a gay-owned one called Centretown Guest House 902-422-2380. Not as close to downtown (it's on Oxford St. just off Quinpool) but smaller and more intimate.