- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
38 reviews for Five Fishermen Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Our first stop was the salad bar/mussel bar."
(in 6 reviews)
"...of sauces (such as garlic butter and roasted red pepper."
(in 6 reviews)
"I went to the Five Fisherman and thoroughly enjoyed it."
(in 11 reviews)
Loading...
38 reviews in English
-
Review from Hilary G.
10/4/2011
4.5 stars. Classy place to visit, especially if your parents are paying. I expanded my horizons and had a plate of mussels for the first time which were quite succulent and the garlic butter was a nice complement to them. If you order an entrée, you get free access to the mussels and salad bar. I usually turn my nose up at a salad bar but this isn't your typical iceberg lettuce type of selection - delicious hunks of mozzarella and artichokes made me quite excited. If you just want endless mussels and salad, it's only $19 on its own.
On to the entree. I had the seafood medley which was a delicious selection of scallops, shrimp, and haddock with a potato leek cake. WOW. Best scallops I have had -seared perfectly on each side-and the potato leek cake was a real treat. The haddock was slightly overcooked. At $42, the prices are not for the faint of heart. The wine was good as well - try the L'Acadie white wine from NS-very smooth.
Lastly, the decor is A+. Dark wood and maritime looking lighting. As far as your history tidbit--apparently this building was used as a temporary morgue for some of the Titanic victims. Don't let this ruin your appetite! It may be haunted.... -
Review from Frank O.
Dartmouth, NS
11/13/2011
Hey FIve Fishermen. I know you've been around forever. I know you are a landmark of sorts in Halifax. I know people perceive you as a sort of an upscale touristy restaurant. People call you classy. I call you pretentious, bland and miserable.
Here are some handy tips:
1) Start with your staff. Other than a smiling grandmother type walking an unending circular path around the main floor like a guard in a prison, get your staff to wear a smile. And mean it. If this is a problem. If management is making them miserable them fire the management and get someone in who doesn't get a hard-on for sou'westers and lighthouses. while I don't like to publicly criticize an individual (have no problem with an organization) I will make an exception with the thin lipped, sad grouch of a server, we were subjected to. She made little to no effort to connect with anyone at the table, and didn't make eye contact once, literally looking past us out the window distracted in her brief appearances to the table.
When I asked for bread to be brought to the table, (something should happen automatically in my books) I was greeted with a eye roll and eventually a basket of stale, air dried bread with an upside-down butter cup tossed in for good measure.
2) Turn off the fucking owners playlist. Your music is shit. I don't want to hear Nazareth or bad steel slide guitar music while trying to have a quiet meal. Turn it off. OH and when a table of people ASK you to turn if off don't say, "No, it's satellite radio" do it anyway.
3) The food was shit. 5 Stars my ass. We weren't in a rush, but 40 minutes is too long to wait for apps. My $30 medium rare steak was blue raw. The veggies we so overdone they were tasteless mush, perfect for the geriatrics that frequent the place. But myself like some snap to my veggies. I would have let you know about the dissatisfaction and have your kitchen re-fire my meal but the opportunity never came up as the bill was tossed on to the table and the server never returned.
4) Three males want separate bills. We're not a threesome or a gang bang, use your head. The fact they we had to go looking for the server to pay is bad enough.
If you get over the hype, the so called 'class' its nothing more than a a surf and turf place with shitty food. -
Review from Tiffany T.
Halifax, NS
10/5/2011
I know, I know. 2 stars really? 1 Star if it hadn't been for great service.
So, the bf and I received a $50 gift card for the Five Fisherman for Christmas and that is brought us there. I know from experience that FF is a tourist trap, they offer tourists the grub they come to Nova Scotia for. I get that, and because of that is why they can charge what they do. No big deal. So this is how our evening went:
We entered on a Friday evening without reservations, it was busy but we were accommodated at a 2 top table that was, in all very small for 2 people. We ordered a couple of drinks, seafood chowder to start, I had scallops for my main while the bf had steak (of course). The chowder came in about 30 minutes, and was mediocre. Nice chunks of seafood but very bland to say the least. Drinks 2 and 3 later and about 45 minutes we finally had our mains placed in front of us. Both of or meals looked fabulous but were COLD not warm, not luke warm, but COLD. When we got our servers attention, my bf the smartie pants he is (and with asking her permission), placed our servers finger in his mashed potatoes, she was also astounded with the fact the potatoes were cold (and surprisingly, wasn't offended with his behavior) She quickly brought us new food,( I don't think it was warmed, pretty sure it was new.) But, by this time we weren't hungry anymore, we filled up on delicious Caesars while we waited for what seemed to be decades to get our meals (which still, could have been better even after we received new ones) She comp'd the main meals, and we were left with a $54 bill. So in the end we paid only $4 and we tipped her well because she handled our situation like a pro.
This was the first and only time I have ever been to FF, and it is unfortunate that I had such an awful experience with their grub. I work in the tourism industry and people rely heavily on my opinions on where eat, unfortunately I cannot recommend FF to my guests.Listed in: 30 Day Yelp Challenge
-
Review from Michael A.
Brockville, ON
12/19/2011
Outstanding personalized service. Hust make sure you let them know when you want your lobster served. We did not know they were waiting for us to tell them and they did noy start cooking until web were finished our salad. The food was great and prices appropriate for the quality of the restaurant.
-
Review from Deborah S.
Vancouver, BC
8/15/2011
First thing to know is that there are 2 levels with 2 different menus and experiences: downstairs is a laid-back grill/pub with burgers, etc. where you will spend about $$; upstairs is the fine dining experience with lobster thermadore where you can expect to spend more -- $$$.
We went for the fine dining experience and gorged on seafood from beginning to end.
We started with the Dirty Caesar ($7) made with a bunch of spices, a green bean, and topped with an oyster and lime wedge. The Caesar was tasty, though not my favourite.
For entrees, my friend ordered the Classic Maritime Lobster ($49), and I ordered the Lobster Thermadore (w/ gruyere cheese $50). The lobsters take about 20-30 minutes to prepare, but while you are waiting, you are invited to enjoy the mussel & salad bar which is complimentary with all entrees. This makes the meal -- while still expensive -- at least more worth it. The Salad & Mussel bar is very generous with artichoke salads, bocconcini salads, potato salads, leafy greens, beets, chickpeas, etc. And you have unlimited mussels with a variety of sauces (such as garlic butter and roasted red pepper). When we got back to the table, bread was also waiting for us.
We had 2 orders of mussels each and salads by the time our lobster came. The lobsters each came with green beans, potatoes, and cole slaw. The Maritime Lobster comes with a bib and special utensils (they say it can get pretty messy).
I would recommend this place to seafood lovers. It's not top quality seafood, but it is good. The staff is very friendly and professional, and if you are craving mussels or seafood, you will leave happy. -
Review from Melzie C.
5/30/2011
Overall, I'd say, you can do better and find better options, especially for Seafood in Halifax.
First, the good. This is a well-run restaurant in an absolutely gorgeous building that's convenient to downtown and most downtown hotels. The staff is professional and friendly and the building is rich with history and very calm and lovely inside. The wine selection is nice and I'd wager that if you care more about ambiance than food or value, this will be fine.
That said, the food is insanely overpriced and not prepared terribly well. I found the meal itself entirely disappointing.
Entrees come with a mussel bar and salad station, but both are thin and uninteresting - hardly worth the $19 they'd change for these items alone. The seafood medley pasta was so greasy in its cream sauce and overly buttered seafood that it was nearly inedible. The fish and lobster were cooked well, but had heavy and greasy sides that made them far less appetizing.
Highlight of the evening food-wise was the raw local oysters (they weren't on the menu, but they were fine to serve them when asked) - they were wonderful.
The music was hysterical. Soft piano ranging from the Titanic theme song to Billy Joel, soft piano versions of 80's hits, and random show tunes. We were feeling for the poor wait staff who must feel more haunted by the background music than the dead bodies that used to be housed in the building.
Halifax has some amazing restaurants. I wouldn't visit this one again, but i can see how it's appealing to some. -
Review from Natalie C.
Halifax, NS
8/15/2011
The Five Fishermen is a definite favorite of mine.
Although it is a bit pricey ordinarily, the oyster happy hour 4.30p-6.30p (EVERYDAY!!) is to-die-for (and budget-happy)! I love fresh oysters so I have no problem with their delicious raw offerings. For those that prefer their seafood to be of the cooked variety they also offer amazing baked oysters that anyone could fall in love with.
Whenever I have out-of-town visitors this is one of the first places I bring them. The staff is friendly, kind and attentive. The food tastes incredible. The patio is perfect in the summer... What more could you ask for? -
Review from Sarah H.
4/30/2011
So I went here the other day with my Aunt. She wanted to go somewhere "fancy" and she heard this was a good place. We'd been there once before for my mothers surprise 40th birthday where all 5 of her sisters flew into town. This place held some special memories for both of us.
So 10 years later we were back (sorry mum just told everyone you're 50). We were pretty excited. I was also excited because in these 10 years I had found out I actually do like mussels. So, I was very please with the mussel bar and salad bar (BACON!) I never buy bacon myself, so when I was presented with the opportunity to have as much as I wanted - I gorged.
For drinks my Aunt had the Cosmo and told me it's the best Cosmo she's ever had. Being a Newfoundlander that lived in Toronto for awhile, I think she's pretty knowledgeable in Cosmopolitans. I ordered some blueberry thing. It was tasty, but I would try something different next time.
My aunt ordered the seafood melody, and had risotto instead of the leak pancakes. She loved it. I had the salmon with basil risotto. I can't say the same. My salmon was good, but I've come to realize that Atlantic salmon cannot compete with Pacific salmon, and therefore I am generally let down when I have it out here. The basil risotto was also not that great - there was just not a lot of flavour to it.
The last thing was that we had to wait an hour for our dinner. 45 minutes into eating the waiter came out with two plates, and one of them were not for me. It seems that he placed the wrong order. 15 minutes later we had our food (how were they able to whip my order up in 15 minutes?!). The waiter was apologetic, and kept trying to get us another drink or dessert for free, but by that time we were both so tired and full we did not want more. I think it would have been nice if he had discounted our meal, or given us the drink we already ordered for free. Alas, he did not do this - so it left a little bit of a sour taste in our mouth.
Overall, only an OK visit. If the company had not been so amazing, I would probably have had a much more negative experience. -
Review from David H.
11/25/2011
Best meal I had in my week in Halifax.
The mussels were the best thing there. You get a heaping pound of these in a nice cream sauce (like clam chowder sauce).
The fish tacos were great even though you got too much fish or too little tortilla (depends how you look at it).
I had the raw oysters and they were just fine (in my mind there is little to improve on these and you can only lose points if they aren't fresh enough etc.).
The wine I had here isn't unique but it was delicious. It was an L'Acadia wine (I hope I didn't butcher that). The points go to this restaurant because of the sommelier proposing the wine and it being spot on. The waitress was friendly and she directed us to some other restaurants and the only strip club in town.
We didn't find the raw bar that was the reason we went to this place. Seeing as I already gave it a 5 without finding it I don't know how much better this experience would have been if I had stumbled upon the fabled raw bar. -
Review from Pat B.
2/24/2011
I went to the Five Fisherman and thoroughly enjoyed it.
They have a good selection of beer and wine.
I enjoyed the scallops with butter/herb sauce. They were very large and cooked perfectly. I would definitely order them again.
They had three offerings of oysters. I chose the PEI and they were very nicely plated and had a great flavor.
I would most definitely go back. -
Review from Christine L.
Toronto, ON
12/20/2011
It was nice! Seafood was top quality. Sweet potatoe fries were to die for. Wine by the glass was poor to subpar. Service was good but I hate to say I expect that for the price tag....
-
Review from Ben B.
3/10/2011
Checking out the list of other reviews for the FF you can really tell that this is a favourite among visitors. It makes total sense since it's one of the first places I tell people to go when they're looking for great seafood with maybe a little less Maritimes kitsch on the side. But why leave all the fun to tourists?
To be fair, I don't belong here at all. I don't eat seafood (vegetarian), I've never really eaten seafood (difficult child), and I don't even particularly care for the idea of seafood (I'm scared of anything that lives in water). Somehow though, against all odds, the Five Fishermen managed to win me over.
1) They have great salads. And I mean GREAT salads. And I'm not talking blah blah here are some vegetables with nice dressing. I'm talking lovely, bold cheeses, specialty ingredients, and enough flare to make you feel like you're eating something worth eating and not just channeling your inner rabbit.
2) They have an Oyster Happy Hour which, while it doesn't appeal to me at all, does create plenty of opportunities for me to make puns around the word 'shuck'.
3) They have solid bartenders and servers. The cocktails have always been tasty, the wine menu is robust at accessible prices, and a fond memory of trying to down pints of Stella with enough time to run down the hill and catch the ferry cues up a single tear out of my drunk eyes.
Make room at the bar, come-from-awayers. Locals love the FF too! -
Review from Vanessa J.
Halifax, NS
2/27/2011
.I recently dined at the Five Fisherman for the first time this past week. My first impression was that the restaurant was beautiful, lots of rich dark colours, fireplaces etc. We were four at a table, which was tiny. Between the water glasses, cocktail drinks, mussel plates, bread plates etc, the table was full and a balancing act.
I had the Blue Meanie cocktail, which was the highlight of the night, Sweet with a little bit of tartness. Their cocktail list is inventive and a lot of the drinks looked great. Their wine list is extensive.
The bread basket was ok, I found the bread slightly dry, but the (plain) butter was at room temperature, which was good. I opted for the February DineOut Menu, which had the mussel bar as the first course. I will admit, I find for such a nice restaurant, the buffet style mussel bar is a tad tacky. I would rather have the mussels served family style at the table. The mussels were ok, steamed plain, I was unlucky and got the last mussels in the tray so they were lukewarm. The garlic butter was good with the mussels if a little bland.
For my main, I had the duck. The blueberry sauce on the duck was very good, but I felt the duck itself was a little over done. The pistachio and rosemary pesto was delicious, the best part of the meal. The apple/sweet potato mash was more of a puree and had to eat because the space between the tines of the fork was so large, most of the mash fell through the fork. The "mash" was ok, but there was way too much of it on the plate, it took up at least half of my large plate.
For dessert I had the deconstructed black forest cake. Again the dessert was ok, but as I bake, I liked to be wowed by desserts that I couldn't make myself, and i feel i could have easily made the dessert at home, their was nothing special about it.
Service was great, and I may go back to have a happy hour cocktail and enjoy some oysters, but I probably won't go back for a full meal.Listed in: Fancy Pants Dining
-
Review from Kristina P.
Halifax, NS
3/13/2011
Service was pretty great...although the waiter failed to name the cheeses on the cheese plate. Food not so great
Expected better from this place after seeing it so highly rated. Had the truffle chicken with gnocchi...gnocchi was too pasty and irregularly huge. Entire dish was too heavy. The mussels at the bar were dry, bland and luke warm and are accompanied by several mediocre sauces to compensate for this fact. The cheese plate consisted of 3 very normal cheeses such as havarti...of which only one was ok. Oh, and the ice wine martini they were showcasing was so overpowered by goldschlager that I almost forgot somewhere in the cinnamon mixture there was supposedly some ice wine.
TLDR; Service was great, atmosphere was great. Food was the quality I would expect from a crappy hotel restaurant. Not worth the 172.00$
I would recommend Press Gang if you are looking to spend some money and get an ok meal. -
Review from Bonnie D.
Toronto, ON
8/18/2011
Found this place after doing research on where to take a family with picky members. My mother wanted great seafood and I wanted anything but seafood. Five Fisherman had halibut, which pleased my mom, and a very tasty hamburger with provolone and bacon, which thrilled me to bits. Their food was delicious and we basically wiped our plates clean - it was THAT good. Their curry chickpea soup was incredible. Great wine selection. Nice ambiance. I would definitely return to this place if I find myself in Halifax again.
-
Review from Ryan T.
Toronto, ON
If you like salad bars, then read no further, this is your place.
Outdated over priced family friendly seafood restaurant....
Cheese stuffed baked whole lobster, a menu highlight. I missed the season by a week or two, Dry and shriveled. Steamed veges painfully overcooked (I actually didn't eat them... rare) and looked like they may have had once lived in a tin can, though probably not.
The staff were distracted, young, and not completely competent. It was a very busy night, and it was apparent. They were probably understaffed that night. -
Review from EastCoast G.
Halifax, NS
2/22/2011
Well, after many years of being in Halifax I finally made it to the Five Fisherman. I had always had this pre-conceived idea that this was a total tourist trap and could never bring myself to going... Had someone from out of town here on business and my co-workers said "let's do the Five fisherman". I tagged along, not overly excited.
Upon arrival I was pleasantly surprised with the decor and friendliness of the staff. My co-workers had not arrived yet so I sat at the bar and struck up a conversation with the friendly staff. When we walked upstairs, I couldn't believe the decore! High wooden ceilings, nice dark overtones... It felt like we stepped back in time. And to my great surprise, we found ourselves walking past a mussel bar. YUMMY! As a general rule, if there is Bouillabaisse on the menu and I'm feeling like fish, it's on! I was getting excited. After all of these years avoiding the FF I was starting to think I would be back. AND... that's when it started going downhill, FAST!
Mussel bar: steamed, bland, no juice, DRY! Come on guys, if you're going to have a mussel bar, do it right! Have a variety of mussels prepare in various ways. There's not much more to say other than the salad bar saved the "first course"
Bouillabaisse: to me, a bouillabaisse is a succulent blend of a variety of fish and shell fish in a wonderfully delicate fish stock... This was a tomato stew with more potatoes and vegetables than fish! I couldn't believe it! Here I was sitting in what is suppose to be Halifax's go to place for seafood and they just couldn't get it right, even at $39 for a fish soup!
If you're looking for a nice restaurant with a beautiful decor and friendly staff but don't care so much about the fish, then maybe this is a place for you. If you're in Halifax and want good fish, go to Fid! -
Review from Joe H.
10/5/2010
The first time I came here I came after hearing raving reviews about their seafood and lobster dinner. The thing I found out about Halifax is that you can't really get a "cheap" lobster dinner anywhere in the city from a restaurant. I mean, it's not fisherman food anymore because they can make more money just shipping it out to the rest of the country.
In my opinion, the very best thing about this restaurant is their "seafood pate" cream cheese that you get with the bread before the meal. I mean, it is absolutely amazing. So amazing that I actually asked the kitchen to buy some to bring it back to toronto one year. It's actually a mixture of cream cheese, smoked hake, smoked haddock, smoked salmon and I don't remember what else. The thing that's cool about it is the amount of fish that's actually in it. I may as well have opened half a can of fish up and spread it.
The lobster dinner was decent. I don't really have very much appreciation for a lobster dinner. I mean, as long as the lobster was from halifax, fresh, and cooked right (boiled for 15 minutes) then you can't go wrong. It really only goes wrong when you overcook it or I guess if it's missing a claw or something.
Another thing cool about this place is their oyster happy hour. They shuck oysters (malpaque) for about 1 Dollar each for happy hour. Since they come from a province over they're bound to be fresh. I had a dozen and was pleasantly impressed. I mean, it's cheap fresh oysters, definitely worth it.
There's a reason there are lobsters everywhere you look in Halifax, they're caught daily and fresh. Anywhere you go you'll find great lobster. I would suggest going here to try their "seafood pate" while you're at it though. -
Review from Nora J.
Toronto, ON
7/22/2011
Having a basic lobster dinner is a must when visiting Halifax. I had mine at the Five Fishermen, a decent spot catering mostly to tourists. It's not garish or tacky like a lot of tourist spots (that type of thing won't get me in the door), and the service is experienced and friendly.
Had some excellent quality fresh oysters to start, then a boiled lobster dinner. The lobster was cooked correctly and came with some drawn butter for lobster dipping, warm herbed potatoes and a cabbage salad. The sides were just okay, and the lobster was just as expected. A decent choice for the standard Halifax drill. -
Review from Jason A.
6/5/2011
Definitely a good seafood place if you can get by the prices. Pretty expensive. The only saving grace is if you order a main course you get free access to their mussels and salad bar. The mussels are a little overcooked, but each time you go up there the waitress just heaps them on your plate and you get a choice of dipping sauces (my favorite was the garlic butter). The salad bar is pretty good too. Expect to pay about $60 for a main course (with the mussels and salad included), good free bread and butter, and an alcoholic beverage.
-
Review from Brian P.
9/3/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Quite a catchy gimmick they have going on with their all-you-can-eat "mussel bar" and choice of sauces (however, the only real sauce to consider is the garlic butter). I'll have to say that the salad and mussel bar are surely a nice touch for tourists looking to get their money's worth. The food itself was pretty solid, but rich with butter. While it made everything taste good, it lacked the fine elegance I expected from their high prices. Quality fresh seafood? Yes. High prices that genuinely reflect the culinary experience you should expect? No. Am I being a food snob? Yes, but for the prices they charge, I reserve the right to be a food snob. I cannot comment on the downstairs grill/pub which may have been more spot-on with their pricing scheme. 3 stars because I my stomach was satisfied at the end of the meal, not 4 stars because it there are surely better places in Halifax to spend your money.
-
Review from Deanna D.
7/15/2009
Let me start by saying that the food here was fantastic!
We stopped in for a late lunch and it was pretty empty. We sat on the patio which overlooks a park and it was very cute. The server was very friendly and helpful. The food and drinks came out quickly but not fast and we didn't feel rushed.
We started off with the mussels cooked in a lemon grass, ginger and coconut milk sauce. It was absolutely delicious! The sauce was amazing and the mussels very very fresh, tasty and cooked perfectly.
I had the shrimp and scallop linguine cooked in a sweet pepper sauce. The sauce was very flavorful and the shrimp and scallops were huge. Great portion size and very filling.
My bf had the pesto crusted salmon served with potatoes and veggies topped with a bacon cream sauce. He loved it! It was a beautiful filet of salmon which was cooked perfectly.
We had the maple creme brulee for desert and it was fantastic. The maple syrup was not to sweet and didn't overpower the creme brulee.
They have a lunch special that from 11-4 which was 2 course for $16.. One of the best lunches I have ever had and a great value!
I would highly recommend 5 Fisherman to anyone who happens to be in the Halifax area!Listed in: O'Canada, Best Restaurants
-
Review from Jonathan W.
Calgary, AB
10/4/2009
I've done my research on the multitude of lobster dinner places. Why go to Halifax and miss the Nova Scotian Lobster dinner?
Been here two times before, and despite it not being "on the water", this would be my first choice.
The mussel and salad bar are great. Fresh mussels and dipping sauces start things off right. Get the lobster, classic Maritime style and your Halifax experience is complete. -
Review from AJ M.
10/13/2011
Poor service, It took forever to get the food. The food was sub-par at best. There was nothing really good about my dining experience here.
-
Review from Bethany J.
Halifax, NS
3/20/2010
For some of you, reading my review might be redundant. You might have already experienced the amazing service and stellar food that 5 Fishermen offers. For the rest of you - what are you waiting for?
5 Fishermen is a Halifax icon. Among similar restaurants, it stands head and shoulders above the competition. From the moment you are greeted, it's clear that this is a grown-up restaurant. Making reservations here marks your passage from rowdy university student to young professional.
As you make your way up the stairs to your table, glance to your right as you pass the wine cellar. You'll find a selection to rival anyone in Halifax, from affordable to extravagant.
When you reach the top of the steps, you've arrived at the salad and mussel bar. Can I take a minute to recommend these? I've never seen a salad bar so well stocked with fresh ingredients and dressings. Make sure you try the croutons - they're made in-house.
The mussel bar deserves its own praise. Faced with a plate of steaming mussels, you have the choice of several dipping sauces. I'm always safe with garlic butter, but there are a few different options for you to choose.
The dining area sparkles with gleaming glass and shining cutlery. The service is attentive without being intrusive. The food ... oh the food.
Tip: Check the website before you go - often 5 Fishermen will have a special on a prix fixe menu which includes the salad and mussel bar, an entrée and a dessert, all offered for an outstanding price.
Bottom line: there's nothing not to like about 5 Fishermen. If your pocketbook can stand it (because let's face it, it is fine dining and comes with the expected price tag), you'll be coming back again and again. -
Review from Yukari T.
9/11/2010
Really nice place for dinner. I dined in the restaurant upstairs, not the grill downstairs. Make sure you look at the proper menus before you commit to dining here. The grill menu is on the right side of the door and the restaurant menu is on the left. The grill is cheaper, with more variety and a modern feel but it doesn't include the salad and mussel bar!
Despite it being a seafood place, Five Fishermen has an ample selection of land animals for your crazy non-seafood loving friends. Entrees are about $35-$60 and there was a prix fixe three course menu for $42 available when I stopped in yesterday. All entrees include the salad and mussel bar - my favorite part! The bar made the upstairs feel pretty laid back even though the prices might make it look like it's a more upscale place to eat.
I got the boullabaisse which was good, but not great. The menu described it as "spicy" but it wasn't spicy at all. It was a bit too salty for me. The seafood was fresh and cooked perfectly, but I just wasn't a fan of the stew itself. Next time, I would get the seafood medley which two of my fellow diners got and raved about. Unfortunately, I don't foresee there being a "next time" for me in Halifax... -
Review from Judy C.
6/20/2010
On the first night in Halifax, we wanted to try the local seafood cuisine of Nova Scotia. Walking distance downtown, we gave Five Fishermen a go.
Elegant and charming decor but strangely quiet for a Friday evening (or is Halifax just not that busy of a city?). With that said, we had a nice waiter and quick service.
The complimentary mussels/salad bar is a big plus of this place, but take note that the mussels, albeit fresh, are wee tiny. I suppose I can't expect more with an all-you-can-eat mussel bar. The roasted red pepper sauce went nicely with the mussels.
We got a lobster salad that had a lot of meat in it (yay!) and the grilled Digby scallop entree with bacon, mashed potato, and brussel sprouts. The scallops were fantastic: big (golf-ball sized), succulent, and cooked nicely.
Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience! -
Review from cheryl d.
Halifax, NS
4/1/2010 1 photo
Five Fisherman holds a special spot for me as my GF's mother use to bake down here years ago. Her cake was amazing and was a special treat after a great dinner.
When my GF comes home this is a spot that we go to for a great meal and some great memories. Not much has changed in the way of Decor so updates but looks the same. We actually went to the Five Fisherman for our grade 9 graduation.lolol.
Oh well my GF always order the steamed muscles and I watch as she so magically inhales these little things. As you know I am not a fish lover at all I sit with patients and watch. Then she orders the lobster and I normally go for a salad and steak which is delicious.
If this a place that I would normally visit for a dinner no but this fisherman has been a part of Halifax for over 35 years and has it dedicated visitors that come ofter. In the summer time the tourist flock to this location for the special sea food. -
Review from Jevon M.
Halifax, NS
Updated - 3/19/2011
It is worth mentioning that Oyster Happy Hour is now $1.50 per Oyster. It's still a fine price, but a 50% jump in any price at a restaurant is never normal.
1 Previous Review:
-
10/13/2010
They get 5 stars for the Oyster Happy Hour alone.
-
-
Review from Simon R.
Milton, ON
7/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
You want seafood? You got seafood. Ok, you got some beef as well.
Normally this is a two floor restaurant, unfortunately, when I got there, the main floor was under renovation, so, I was only exposed to the top floor and it's nice!
Great little atmosphere to the place and the food ... if you like see food your going to love this place. A little pricey, but well worth it.
Now, I'm told that this place has a bit of a haunted past to it. Probably from all the dead fish, scallops, shrimps, lobsters and other fine underwater fishies that I have devoured. This night, I have devoured quite a few :) Yum Yum
Even though it's pricey, I'm coming back in a big way. -
Review from Marc w.
2/21/2010
When I am away in coastal areas like Halifax I try to eat nothing but seafood. The Five Fisherman was one of the places that I took care of my seafood craving.
The most amazing thing is the all you can eat mussel bar. For my appetizer, I had the choice of the salad bar or mussel bar. Screw the veggies, give me the shellfish. The mussels were local and tasty. I was able to make three trips before my main dish came. This is an awesome concept.
My main dish was Digby scallops with a cauliflower puree. It was delicious. Being an oenophile, I tried a couple of the local whte wines. Given my low expectations, I was relatively pleased with them. Good acid that paired well with the rich scallops.
The service was good too. Relaxed, informative, nice and prompt. -
Review from Ang M.
Halifax, NS
10/28/2009
If you've got visitors "from away", Five Fishermen is a great place to take them for an excellent seafood dinner. Meals are fresh, innovative and skillfully prepared, and if you happen to have someone in your party who doesn't enjoy seafood, they serve some excellent steaks as well.
But the best part of the meal for me is the complimentary mussel and salad bar, where you can enjoy steamed mussels with a variety of dipping sauces to your hearts' content. I'd be happy to just have my whole meal from the mussel bar, but hey, sometimes you've gotta break down and actually eat the main course you came for.
Not that there's anything wrong with the main courses. The slow-roasted Sambro halibut is unbelievable, or you can have a classic "maritime-style" lobster, swordfish, scallops... wow, I'm hungry now.
Great fine dining. -
Review from Ruth D.
Halifax, NS
1/23/2010
The first time I went to Five Fisherman was ...well more years ago than I care to mention. My daughter was just checking out Dalhousie and friends recommended it. The all you can eat mussel bar caught my attention, and the very friendly staff, caught hers...How long is a parent supposed to just sit alone at a table anyway?
That said, the food was delicious and we've been back often. Probably the most memorable was just before her wedding - and no, not to the waiter . We invited our friends and family (out of towners) for lobster dinner and couldn't think of a better place to choose.
And these days we go, just because the food is delicious and the choices too many to mention, and the chefs support the local farmers, meat, fish and chicken purveyors. -
Review from Shawna D.
Chester, NS
12/18/2009
The Five Fisherman is where you can take friends and know everyone is going to come out raving about their meal.
There was a large party of us, so a lot of mouths to please. Our first stop was the salad bar/mussel bar. I love mussels. Being from the Maritimes, we ate a lot of seafood in our house.
There was a large selection from the menu ordered. Seafood, steaks and of course the Lobster.
The service is great here, and treat yourself to one of the desserts. -
Review from J S.
Etobicoke, ON
10/7/2009
Unlimited salad & mussel bar upstairs with 5 Fishermen, hosting fine dining & downstairs and on the patio a bit more casual with the Little Fish. The jazz was playing in the background and nicely balanced meal. So enjoy the mussels as you will have room for the main course but keep some space for dessert. Take a special someone and some time to enjoy the experience. The service is paced so you can eat slowly. If you are in a rush then try some FAST FOOD. For weekends, and late nights I'd call ahead for reservations just to make sure. They start serving at 5:00pm upstairs, lunch at little fish 11:30AM, weekends at 4PM
Enjoy! -
Review from helen a.
7/11/2011
My Halibut last night with a blackened rub was downright excellent. The presentation of asparagus and carrots were appealing. My partner had the scallops. Nothing was oily or gooey. The hazelnut choc mousse was a little too sweet. My two happy hour oysters were incredibly freash. My sever was polite and efficient .
-
Review from Kea J.
9/14/2010
This is now my favourite restaurant....ever.
The five-fishermen seems to be the place to go for a nice dinner in Halifax. My friend and I were just clueless tourists who yelped it, so we showed up in our "nicer than t-shirts but just barely" clothing, and were actually seated without reservations or much of a wait. The waitresses were really nice.
A good cocktail and a good meal rarely occur in the same venue (and this is inversely proportional to the price of both!), so Five Fishermen is that rare gem where the cocktails are outstanding and the food is excellent, too.
We were in halifax for three nights and ate here two of them--the main thing that brought us back again was the all you can eat mussels that were included in the price of the meal. We ate so many that after a while we were stealthily taking turns to go back up to the bar and coyly ask for more mussels.
My friend ordered the lobster, and it was so perfectly cooked that the claw just fell out of its shell onto the fork. No scraping at all, and the texture was perfect.
The second night, I had the haddock with the sweet potatoe cakes, and I'm going to be dreaming of that haddock for the forseeable future. The haddock was moist and flaky and the sweet potato cake was just the right texture. The vegetables bursted with colour and flavour.
We also enjoyed the mushroom tarte which was quite nice.
This place is highly recommended to anyone looking for a place to eat in Halifax. It's pretty expensive, but given the ammount of mussels we consumed, it was actually kind of a bargain, and the food is first-rate! -
Review from STUART B.
Winnipeg, MB
2/14/2011
This was the best fish and seafood meal we have had in several years. the server was excellent as you would expect in a five start rating!
