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McKelvie's
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for McKelvie's
12 reviews in English
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Review from Vivian W.
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
My first experience was 2 years ago....I wasn't too impressed at that time, the food was too salty that night.
I had the opportunity to be working in Halifax this week and came here for dinner again with a colleague. Tonight's experience was wonderful!
It was a Monday night in November, they were not busy at all. We got seated right away, beside the window. The server brought over a basket of homemade cinnamon raisin bread, not warm, but not too bad, majority of places still don't know the importance of serving warm bread. I started with the NOVA SCOTIAN SEAFOOD CHOWDER, it was delicious! Made just right, the way I liked it. Not too salty, not overly thick, got lots of salmon, shrimp..chunky in the soup. For main, I asked for tender fish and the server suggested the haddock, so I picked the POTATO CRUSTED HADDOCK. It was so good! The fillet was pan fried, just cooked, very soft and flaky! The mash potato crust was crispy, it gives you the crispy texture of fish and chips, but a lot healthier! The garnish is very simple, just a few boiled pepper, broccoli and a few slice of zucchini, seasoned with salt/butter.
I didn't order any desserts....maybe next time. The lemon souffle sounds very attractive! -
Review from Jennifer B.
Dartmouth, NS
10/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
First things first. If you even remotely like seafood, order the mussels. They will arrive in a tin bucket, floating in several inches of wine, butter, and garlic and interspersed with real herb sprigs and lemon wedges. Not only do they look great, they taste phenomenal.
Secondly, if you want a moment of indulgent bliss, order the crab bisque. Hiding under a melted disc of sharp parmesan is a velvety and decadent bisque with tasty chunks of crab. It's probably one of my favourite things there, next to the Aqua pasta dish.
I've been here a few times for lunch. It's fancier (aka pricier) than my usual haunts, but it has some decently priced lunch items and the service is kicked up for speed. I love the wrought iron sculptures of underwater scenes and the bright, airy atmosphere of the restaurant.
In a city crawling with seafood joints, it's a nice option.Listed in: Rocktober: 30-Day Yelp…
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Review from Downtown D.
Toronto, ON
9/18/2011
Our group of 4 came here for weekday lunch. Family restaurant atmosphere, a place you can bring your grandma. I had the Crunchy Haddock - the healthier version of fish and chips where it's served with balsmatic rice and vegetables. My only complaint is the price, the portions could have been a bit bigger. (The vegetable side was like 3 pieces! )
The place was clean and our server was prompt. -
Review from Nik C.
Halifax, NS
1/6/2011 ROTD 6/11/2011
Went here a few times this past summer, and although I found the prices a little bit inflated (I suspect they reap the benefits of tourist season greatly), ultimately I was always very satisfied.
There are a variety of different styles and variations of seafood here, from traditional Nova Scotia fare to Asian and Indian inspired dishes, which gives plenty of options for just about any inclination. Despite the variety, the number of dishes is reasonable, the selection isn't overwhelming, and you know they're still able to offer fresh ingredients.
As an aside, it's really funny but this was my nephew and niece's favourite restaurant when they came to visit this summer. They were really reluctant to go and practically had to be dragged away from going to a burger place, but once they were inside they absolutely loved it. I think what made it for them was the personable and entertaining waiter, who made it his business to make sure they had a good, fun time. -
Review from Rosalyn A.
Halifax, NS
6/25/2011
If this were purely a food review it would probably get a 4 star rating, but based on service it definitely goes down. Our waitress seemed lost and didn't have a great memory of what we ordered or the fact that we had ordered drinks. Over all the food was alright, perhaps not as good as the price called for.
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Review from Jevon M.
Halifax, NS
10/13/2010
I have been here for lunch a handful of times and it is probably the best "go to" place for seafood in town. The atmosphere is a little bit open and noisy for my taste, but the fish makes up for it every time.
The trick here is to stick with the most simple fish dishes possible, the more complicated and non-fish things don't seem to be nearly as sure-fire. -
Review from Bernadette P.
11/26/2009
I visited McKelvie's on my first ever visit to Canada back in October 2008, (I'm British, by the way) with my Canadian fiancé (who was then my boyfriend) and it made such a lasting impression on me that I still remember it as if it were yesterday!
Firstly, I absolutely LOVE the location. Downtown Halifax is a gorgeous place to walk around and explore. The fact that the restaurant building is the old fire station makes it a really interesting dining space with it's high ceilings and huge arched windows. The tag line of the restaurant is "Delishes Fishes Dishes" and my, those fishes were certainly delishes!!
The first time we went, we were practically the only ones in there and I explained to our server, Johnny (he was so lovely!) that I was interested in trying the famous Nova Scotia lobster because I'd never tasted lobster before as there's not a lot of it to be found in England. He took us over to the live lobster tank and explained how each one was priced according to weight. Then I chose my little guy and he was sent away to be boiled. The kitchen, like the rest of the restaurant is a very open space and I thought it was so cool that I could see my lobster being cooked!
As a starter I had some amazing scallops wrapped in bacon and drizzled with maple syrup. It was heavenly! My first ever taste of lobster certainly lived up to expectations - I ate the whole thing and loved every bite. For dessert I had a pumpkin cheesecake which was amazing - I've never tasted anything like it before or since!
The service by Johnny was second to none - very professional and polite. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we visited again towards the end of our trip. Johnny was our server once more and he seemed pleased to see us again - he even gave us each a glass of complementary local beer as a parting gift.
If I'm ever back in Halifax, I'm definitely going to go back to McKelvie's for more lobster. Delishes! -
Review from Paul W.
Halifax, NS
8/22/2010
My parents came to town this weekend and we were all looking for some great seafood. We had heard mixed reviews about McKelvie's but thought it was a landmark / staple of Halifax so we should all try it. Four of us went on a Sunday evening and were very disappointed with the food.
Booking the reservation was easy with OpenTable online...I think more restaurants should use this.
The waitress was knowledgable and friendly, and the hostess seated us at nice table overlooking the main seating area.
However, for entrees at between $25-$30, the food was definitely subpar. Two us had the Szechuan scallops, one had the Catch of the Day, one had a mixed lobster platter. Presentation across the board was very basic. The lobster was deep-fried unexpectedly, and something surprisingly low-effort from a mid-to-high end seafood establishment. Overall the presentation, flavor and freshness of our fish dishes were something you would expect at a seafood shack at half the price. On a positive note, along with the service the wine selection was excellent. In fact our Austrailian Sauv. Blanc wine was the best part of the overpriced meal. -
Review from Honey B.
Halifax, NS
7/6/2010
McKelvie's is absolutely wonderful! The only reason I haven't given 5 stars is their prices.
If you want fresh fish that melts in your mouth, fine wines galore, nice atmosphere and polite service, then McKelvie's is the place to go!
Though they haven't got much in the way of vegetarian options (except salads) they certainly have some scrumptious dishes for the gluten-free individual. Really satisfying!
The dishes are all flavoured perfectly, with fresh herbs, citrus and well-balanced, memorable sauces. This is simple food turned gourmet, delectable to even the most particular palate.
The prices may be high, especially in summer, but that is to be expected for high-quality gourmet food. And that is what you get at McKelvie's! Worth every dollar!
My only suggestion would be some more gluten-free dessert options. I can't really appreciate Crème Brûlée. ;-) -
Review from Dave R.
Halifax, NS
10/17/2008
We had eaten dinner at McKelvie's in the past, and decided to share this experience with our family for our wedding rehearsal dinner. Our reservation had been made months in advance, and even confirmed a few days before but when we arrived there was not any space set aside for our party.
The staff made us feel like we were inconveniencing them by asking to be put together. Our orders were not even taken for almost half an hour after we had arrived, and I had to chase down the manager to even get staff to take our order. When they were told that they had forgotten to take my father's order the waiter rolled his eyes, and then took 15 more minutes to come back to take the order.
After all of this our meals took almost another hour to arrive, and the manager had the gall to tell me that we should have reserved in advance! They treated us like we had given them trouble, and even when the meals started to arrive it was still at least another 15 minutes until everyone had their dinner.
I was then literally pestered by the wait staff to encourage people to order dessert when all I wanted was to get out of the place. Our party had about 35 people in it, and when I went to pay we were told there was a 'required' 20% gratuity to be included. Normally I would have been fine to pay the 'required' amount, but for the poor service we received I was not willing to pay that. This was the only 'concession' that McKelvie's offered us (to not pay a gratuity), and not once did anyone apologize to us.
I have not been back since, and make certain to let everyone know about the service we received that night. -
Review from Mary B.
9/11/2008
It's 6 pm and we want some Halifax flavoured din-din. Where to go? The cute sign for McKelvie's (it says Delishes Fishes Dishes) came to mind and I pulled up the online menu to convince my guy to eat seafood with me for the 3rd night in a row. He checked it out and was down for the mission. It was late in the game for a reservation, but just to try, he called them up and said, "I'd like to make a reservation for Delishes Fishes." LOL. FAIL. But a cute fail.
Anyway, no reservations were available so we rolled up ready to wait it out. We found seats at the bar easily and grabbed a couple bevvies. The bartenders were nice and energetic. We got a table after about 30 minutes - not too bad for a Saturday. For starters we got a shrimp and calamari salad and the jump-up calamari. I wished the salad had more flavor to it but the seafood tasted so fresh. The jumped up stuff was spicy and tasty but the kind of thing you can't eat too much of. Onto the main event... he got fish and chips and I got salmon. The F in his F&C was fantastic - I'm officially voting Halifax as having the best haddock anywhere. The C's were not the best but were adequate. My blackened salmon was very good, I was a bit worried because it's easy to mess up blackened fish but the seasoning was just right. I wasn't the biggest fan the side combination of mashed taters and cucumber Greek salad - bit of an odd match. For dessert we had a mint chocolate pie thing which was good, not the best dessert I've had though, so their specialty in that department may lie elsewhere. The service had no real issues, it was slow at times but not horrifically so. It was a busy night but there should have been a couple more staff on the floor to help ease the stress. The prices were definitely reasonable for the quality of food we got.
Delishes!Listed in: Livin' it up on AST
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Review from Ang M.
Halifax, NS
10/7/2009
I like seafood, and McKelvie's is a good place to get nice fresh seafood. Maybe not the best place in Halifax, but good. The restaurant is big and open (and therefore, a bit on the noisy side). Servers are fast and friendly. I had the Crunchy Haddock the last time I was there, and it was tasty, although a bit expensive at $15.95. This restaurant seems to cater to the business and tourist crowds, so it's not the hippest place in town. Good, solid, tasty. Portions could probably be a bit larger to make it feel like better value.
