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Salty's
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
17 reviews for Salty's
17 reviews in English
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Review from Lisa L.
Vancouver, BC
3/28/2011
There are two floors to this restaurant and this review is for the second floor, which is more formal.
What a beautiful view and amazing service! The harbour from the upper floor is just spectacular and we enjoyed the view along with our delicious dinner. Everything was perfect and we loved the entire experience. -
Review from Paul B.
1/25/2012 2 Check-ins Here
OK, here's the deal: fantastic location, somewhat expensive, excellent food, service only average.
Nothing makes me feel more grown up and fancy pants than sitting at a window table on the second floor of Salty's overlooking Halifax Harbour on a dark January evening. Put a dry gin martini in your had and it is heaven. That is until you are almost finished your drink and you notice that the glass had some smudges.
When we arrived it took a few minutes to be offered drinks, there was no water offered until somewhat later. The food arrived quickly and was hot and tasty. Even with the 2 for 1 coupon from the local paper the bill topped $100. This amount is not too crazy for a night out, but it deserves some special touches which were missing on this particular evening.
So overall it was an enjoyable evening - just not fantastic. I am certain that I will not be able to resist the appeal of that fantastic view, but there are better eating experiences to be had in town - even on a rainy evening in January. -
Review from Valerie S.
Dartmouth, NS
11/20/2011
I feel like if a restaurant has something on its menu, they should be able to cook it right. I don't fall back on the motto "don't order chicken if you go to a steak house" because you know what? A chef should be able to cook whats on the menu no matter where you are.
I took my parents here as a celebration dinner to the upstairs restaurant, I thought it would be super nice and spectacular but I wasn't too impressed. The free bread was my favorite. I ordered the lobster bisque and the risotto with scallops and my the bisque had like two chunks of lobster in it, and the risotto was cold and I basically had to cut it with a knife. No thanks.
My husband had surf and turf, ordered his steak rare, and it was definitely medium-well. No doubt because it was 1/2" thick. I would have told the server if he had asked how my meal was.
The best thing this place has for them is the view which was spectacular. I won't go back to the restaurant, I'll just sit on the board walk instead! -
Review from Maureen J.
Halifax, NS
10/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Salty's is just ok for me. I have only been for lunch as it is close to work and is our go-to spot when we have clients in town. The atmosphere upstairs is great for the feel of a more up-scale lunch.
I've tried a few things on the menu and although I have never been disappointed, I've also never been blown away. You can always expect good (and quick) service and consistent food.
So far my favorite menu items are the crab cakes and Bouillabaisse. -
Review from Lisa P.
8/2/2011
Salty's was recommended by a few on-line sources so we opted to give it a try. It is conveniently located on the boardwalk, relatively close to downtown and major tourist attractions. There are two options...downstairs casual (bar and grill) and upstairs formal (nicer restaurant). We chose the bar and grill as we are economically inclined.
I will say for a meal for 2 (calamari appetizer, 1 order fish and chips, and 1 order of seafood casserole and SMALL salad--and water to drink), a bill of $55+ was too steep for a bar and grill. Actually we bought 2 orders of fish and chips from a street vendor near the Maritime Museum the next day for the same price we were charged at Salty's for my husband's fish and chips AND the street vendor food was way better. My seafood casserole was overly garlicky and a bit runny....it had real potential, but just was not up to par.
I will say the restaurant was very clean, had an "okay" ambiance if not a bit generic, and the waiter was a very helpful and efficient young man that made the meal a bit more tolerable.
Honestly, I don't see the appeal, especially for the prices they charge. I am not one of those "Negative Nellies meet Princess and the Pea" types that wants perfect service and food for the same price as a Big Mac. I love trying new things and going to new places. I went into this experience hoping for the best, but found myself completely unsatisfied.
If you are budget conscious or are traveling as a family, Salty's may not be the place for you. Halifax has many other local eateries with more delicious food at more palatable prices.
I am giving it 2 Stars for the absolute lack of value and below average food (in my humble opinion). -
Review from Ethan C.
Ottawa, ON
3/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Classy upstairs. Causal downstairs. I've eaten in both places, and yes there is a difference.
The food and service is far better upstairs. The menu is more extensive and I find the dishes better prepared. It's the best seafood joint I have found in Halifax to date.
Downstairs is good in a pinch, but the real party is upstairs from an eating point of view. -
Review from christian C.
10/2/2011
It was a beautiful fall day and we got the last seats around 2 on a Sunday afternoon at the end of the deck. The view across the harbour was wonderful. The place was packed with tourists because there were 4 cruise ships docked down the harbor side walk that had earlier disgorged over 6,000 tourists. I wasn't expecting that!
The lobster roll was pretty good. The croissant it came on was excellent. The Malpeque oysters were also good. Didn't care at all for the local Alexander Keith's "IPA". It was not an IPA; it was a lager. -
Review from Rob B.
Bedford, NS
5/13/2011
1996. I think 1996 was the last time I'd been to Salty's. It's that spot you walk by in the summer with all of the tourists out front. It doesn't even enter your psyche as a local. Walking into a place like that when you live here is a bit like walking into a porn shop...you wouldn't want your friends to see you.
So somehow I found myself there with some visiting coworkers from California. They wanted lobster, a nice view and an interesting walk to the resto. Salty's here we come.
We went upstairs to the "fine dining", the downstairs looks a little more casual. Nice room: big windows on the harbour, white linen, assorted and sundry nautical crap on the walls. You know the deal: Pleasant but touristy.
The menu looked pretty snazzy for this kind of joint: heavy on the seafood but good descriptions of where and how the fish was caught and a few interesting choices. We shared oysters, scallops, mussels and some bread for starters. Entrees were lobster (not me) , steak (I know, who the hell ordered the steak?) and Halibut (me). The scallops and halibut were terrific. The mussels OK and I wouldn't touch an oyster with your lips.
Service was good if a bit odd....he seemed nervous and was very soft spoken. Maybe we're just a bunch of loudmouths and he couldn't get a word in. Prices were high but in the ballpark for Halibut and Lobster. Think 50 per head.
I'm not sure I'd put it into my rotation but it's OK and I'll certainly not wait another 15 years. I just won't walk in when there's any people around. -
Review from AJ M.
10/13/2011
Service was ok. Salad was below average. I needed a magnifying glass to see the crab cakes.
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Review from Craig S.
5/16/2010
I've eaten here many times over the years and it has been okay; however, last week the meal was very ordinary and considering the price of the upstairs portion it was disappointing.
Being fair, the cauliflower bacon soup was very good although not a big portion. My main course was haddock and it was lacking flavour. The side of sweet potatoes puree was just okay. I heard good things about the calimari and the dessert (Cadiz) has been good in the past. -
Review from A A.
6/9/2011
Tourist trap and probabably best for just the view. I had the potato haddock which was okay, but came with just a few pieces of broccoli and a tablespoon of salsa that was a little disappointing.
Prices seemed decent for a place in this location, but not exactly worth the food you get. -
Review from MJ C.
Timberlea, NS
4/18/2011
I've eaten here a couple times and most recently last week during a business lunch. I ordered a veggie burger (I'm vegetarian so it's slim pickings for me at a seafood restaurant). We were seated upstairs and the view was spectacular. The location is really good, the service was great but the food was lame. My veggie burger was like eating cardboard, it was very plain and boring. The first time I ate here, I ordered appetizers and a drink and it was nothing special. I wouldn't choose to go here again and I'd probably protest if my business associates wanted to go back.
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Review from Bethany J.
Halifax, NS
3/27/2010
Salty's is located directly on the Halifax waterfront, just a few steps from the ferry terminal and in the centre of the Historic Properties shopping area. For a relaxing meal on a sunny day, no-one can top Salty's.
We turned up there on a Saturday afternoon when we were looking for a special treat. The kiddos were with us and we ended up on the patio under a big umbrella.
The patio is a bit crowded: I can understand why they want to max out table turnover, but a little more elbow room between tables would go a long way to increase the comfort level.
Our server was attentive and efficient; I had one kiddo who didn't like anything on the kids' menu, so our server suggested a couple of items that she could do up and that was great for us.
Salty's prices are on the high side; for seafood, this is expected but even the salads were pricey. This is what keeps me from awarding five stars - patio dining shouldn't be quite so expensive even if you do cater to the touristy crowd. If you prefer fine dining, Salty's has an upstairs room that affords a more elegant dining experience. -
Review from Shawna D.
Chester, NS
12/18/2009
I have eaten here on two different occasions, both have a different atmosphere. One being up in the fine dinning area and one on the outside patio.
I can say the fine dinning area was my choice. I liked the atmosphere, it was evening, so very nice over looking the water. I order the scallops. The service was great and my guest was from Toronto, so they wanted the lobster. It was an enjoyable evening, not loud, pleasant lighting.
I would say a nice place to take anyone. Business or pleasure. -
Review from M N.
Edmonton, AB
11/15/2009 3 photos
Hello Halifax! Our first (well we arrived the night prior) day in Halifax on our electives and Salty's it is.
Meandering around the waterfront we found a quaint building on the harbour. We ate at it's downstairs (casual) section.
We were seated beside the window with a great view of the water and Dartmouth on the other side of Halifax.
For appetizers we ordered the Angie's Cornmeal Loaf, hot and moist, it was okay, but I would have preferred it to be more corny.
My lovely lady had the Clams and chips - full bellied clams with a light crisp batter with a curry/cumin flavoured mayo for dip. Curry works wonders with seafood doesn't it? The clams were full of sea flavoured goodness. For chips, we opted for the sweet potato fries instead and were simple and tasty as well.
I had the Lobster Roll - large chunks of lobster dressed in mayo, served with a croissant. Simple lobster flavour, nothing too fancy, but for 17.95 I would have liked maybe a bit more, perhaps some apple or avocado, or some spices, tumeric, cumin, curry? to jazz things up a bit. Also, I think a croissant to serve a lobster roll is just wrong. The already rich meat with mayo does not need a buttery, heavy pastry as it's vehicle. The salad side with raspberry vinaigrette dressing was WAY over dressed as well, you could hear the veg screaming for lifesavers as they drowned.
Overall not a bad lunch, probably something you could get at any local pub/bar. I would have expected more from Salty's considering it's rave reviews and pricing of it's dishes. -
Review from Aaron B.
Wilberforce, ON
7/8/2010
My girlfriend and I went for a late dinner here and watched the International Fleet Review Fireworks Display from the patio. The staff was friendly and sat us with a great view, the food was delicious and just different enough to make it a nice departure from the usual fare.
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Review from Andy F.
5/9/2010
Salty's is a great location. The seafood is fresh. I had mussels as an app, a salad, and then a seafood platter that featured lobster, salmon, shrimp, and scallops. The waiter was very nice, he mixed beers together to get me a cassis beer to my liking! You can eat upstairs and it is more of a fine dining feel (china, tablecloths) or downstairs which is more of a fast food type feel. Any way, the menus are similar in both locations and if you plead with your waiter you can eat off either menu. This was the bright spot on an otherwise bad trip through Canadian customs.
