- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Trident Booksellers and Cafe
Categories: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Food Coffee & Tea Bookstores, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
1256 Hollis StHalifax, NS B3J 1T6
(902) 423-7100
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 5:30 pm
Sat 8:30 am - 5 pm
Sun 11 am - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
15 reviews for Trident Booksellers and Cafe
Review Highlights
-
"...take a little stroll through the shelves yourself, though." In 5 reviews -
"A used book store combined with a coffee shop." In 6 reviews -
"I highly recommend their cappuccino and carrot cake." In 3 reviews
Loading...
15 reviews in English
-
Review from John B.
South End, NS
5/24/2012
If you want a stop-n-go coffee, head to Starbucks (regardless of your views on their biz practices, the staff at the Professional Centre location on Spring Garden/Robie are awesome) or Second Cup.
If you want a more quirky Halifax-vibe, stop by Steve-O-Reno's (their egg-o-reno is magnificent. If you can get a table).
If you don't want to contend with the all-day Wi-Fi, gaggle-at-top-volume crowd that you get at the above-mentioned places, then head to Trident.
You are generally NOT welcome here if you want to have a lively debate or get-together with a group of friends. I've never seen people dismissed for these reasons, but this place just lends itself to something more... serious. I HAVE seen people scowled at for being too lively (by customers and staff alike)...and that really isn't a bad thing.
Trident is about enjoying a java and sinking into your reading material of choice (even better if that material doesn't have an LCD screen). It has a lovely, stuffy old air (helped by the tiled floors and towering second-hand bookshelves) that just begs you to be quiet and get on with your reading. Conversation is fine. Just keep it down, will ya?
The coffee is good, the treats are adequate (you don't come here for gourmet sweets) and the atmosphere is a peace-lovers delight. And if you don't have a book or newspaper with you, then wander the musty shelves of the bookstore with your mug in hand. Take a title back to your table, treat it with love and respect... if you don't like it, put it back, if it grabs you in the first few pages, buy it for a discounted rate. It doesn't matter if you spend a few hours, because the drinks are cheap and refills are cheaper.
In a complicated time where even the simple delights of coffee-and-reading have become bogged down with lap-top dominance and mass-marketing, it really is a lovely treat to find a spot like the Trident, where it's easy to reconnect with these most simple pleasures. -
Review from Ben B.
The Trident's greatest strength is just how perfectly off the beaten path this cafe-bookstore combination is. At the very southern end of Hollis Street, the charming, low-lit interior instantly brings to mind images of old British authors collaborating across vintage wooden furniture, surrounded by shelves of quirky books.
It's easy to feel like you're in on a big secret once you step inside and see the crowd of regulars. You'll find a mix of intimate conversations, bunkered down students, and artsy book seekers. The staff, while not as warm and fuzzy as your average coffee shop, definitely fit the bill as overseers of what sometimes feels like a sacred space for the initiated.
Poke your head in to get a feel for the place but plan ahead to spend a day. You're going to want to so just accept it. -
Review from John R.
5/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
My first visit here and im already in love. Good tasting and well priced espresso beverages with a comfortable atmosphere. With a wide range of books from poetry to science to sci if it has all the book categories to keep anyone entertained. I highly recommend this place for a quiet reading session and a delicious caffeinated beverage.
-
Review from Ashley M.
Halifax, NS
2/11/2011 51 Check-ins Here
Trident is my favorite place in town! I love their blends, the shop, the used bookstore, and location- it's on my way to work.
The 1 thing I wish was different- it takes forever for the staff to warm up to you. Especially the female manager who is there all the time. She is really unfriendly. She hollered at me once for not using a mug.
My favorite part of Trident- it's the most economical. For $1.80, I get a large coffee in my mug everyday and every 6th coffee is free. That's a big cost saver for me.
I Love Trident! -
Review from Ian W.
9/3/2008 2 photos
We stopped at this cute little cafe/used bookstore during our walk through the area. Similar concept to the Trident Booksellers in Boston, but a smaller more intimate layout. This Trident Booksellers has a cafe counter in the back serving fair trade coffee, espresso, tea, cold drinks, and baked goods and a decent selection of used books, mostly paperbacks of bestsellers and traditional novels, shelves crammed on the left side of the small store. There's table seating on the right side of the store and outside seating on the sidewalk. There's free WiFi access for customers.
We browsed through the books including fiction, travel, cooking, home & garden, history, self help, psychology, biographies, and plenty of children's books on the bottom shelves. They do not carry sci-fi, true crime, romance novels, text books, technical books, computer books, and other edgy subjects. Most of the used books didn't have any prices on them, but some books with stickers offered substantial savings. I found a small, but fascinating travel guide/map of Tibet for 60 percent off the cover price and I picked it up with 5 percent tax on the book.
Trident Booksellers is definitely worth checking out and also a good place for coffee and free wireless internet access, bring your laptop! Love the vibe! -
Review from Ang M.
Halifax, NS
10/28/2009
This is a spot that has "CBC Radio Audience" written all over it. And that's definitely the crowd, and the vibe, that Trident cultivates.
The nearby bookshelves make for a cozy, booky atmosphere, and it's true, the folks at nearby tables are often having a fabulous and animated discussion about some grand work they have just read, or some other issue of high intellectual import.
The owner is a bit of a curmudgeon, but he's really a big softie once you warm him up. The coffee here is very strong and dark, just like the room. -
Review from Laura P.
3/13/2010
A brilliant little nook for coffee drinkers and bookworms alike. The fusing of used books and hot beverages is a strategy deemed ideal.
The aesthetic borrows from the archives of old libraries with towering wooden shelves and dim lighting. Atmosphere is relaxed but studious- the crowd usually seems to be reading, catching up on some work or maintaining an intellectually stimulating conversation of sorts.
I have found the service to be a bit grouchy at both book and food/ drink counters, but its actually quite endearing. Straight to the point and moving onwards- no customer service fluff here. It seems to add character if you ask me. Coffee, tea and treats are all very efficient, so that's the most important thing, right? There are loads of specialty drinks & snacks available that boast a yummy, homemade feel. I highly recommend their cappuccino and carrot cake!
With free wi-fi, treats and books by the bundle, Trident rocks an old school vibe thats completely its own. -
Review from Brittney K.
Halifax, NS
11/10/2010
I'm a fan of this cafe-book haven combo. It takes a page from Chapters' book in terms of the hot bev and treat offerings (not to mention the fact that it's a bookstore!), yet Trident still exudes a vibe that is uniquely it's own, with a more "classic" bookstore layout, and a more diverse clientelle to boot. Plus, it's an independently owned shop, so there's a sense if gratification in supporting the locals.
The selection of books is decent, though admittedly more limited than what you would find at a large chain bookstore like Chapters-Indigo. Still, there is plenty to keep the avid reader intrigued. -
Review from Courtney M.
Halifax, NS
10/15/2009
I must admit, the fact that 'Trident' is a tea house and a used book store means they pretty much had me at hello. Nonetheless, I was very impressed upon wandering into this old student haunt of mine for the first time in a year or two.
Not only does Trident carry a wide array of 'well loved' books, but they also seem to sell new books at 50% off! I was able to snag a copy of 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' by Azar Nafisi for my sister, as well as a cup of Rooibos Red Bush tea to go for a measly $11 and change.
If funky purple chairs, the smell of used books and eavesdropping on book club meetings are your type of thing, then head over to Trident Booksellers and Cafe! -
Review from Lindsay K.
Halifax, NS
1/22/2010
I'm torn between loving this place and not really caring much for it.
From a glance this seems like the perfect idea. A used book store combined with a coffee shop. Give the readers a chance to try out the book while enjoying a cup of coffee inside. It really combines two passions, which fits great together as a store. I always hate getting to the coffee shop and realizing I've forgotten my book. This place definitely takes care of that problem for a lot of people.
However, since it is a coffee shop and book store, the place can seem a little crowded. There are tables jammed in, practically touching each other, with very minimal space for walking. The books are shoved into a small section on the side of the store, which doesn't leave much space for perusing. And the coffee bar is full of stuff making it difficult to know where to go.
Being a newb when I went here I wasn't sure the etiquette of ordering and paying. I asked for a large dark coffee, which turned out to be serve yourself. Then, when told the price I wrinkled my nose and sheepishly held up my debit card. The coffee dude told me that I would have to pay at the front cashier with debit, but that he'd need to print me off a receipt. Oh boy, did I feel silly. I will definitely bring cash next time I go for coffee, and I recommend you do too.
The guy at the front cashier seemed a little rude to me. Perhaps it was because I didn't buy a book and needed to put $2.05 on my debit. He didn't really say much to me while I was up there, nor did he make eye contact or smile. But the coffee dude was really nice and understanding, even though I was noticeably oblivious. -
Review from Joshua Y.
Vancouver, BC
10/7/2009 1 photo
Really a beautiful looking bookstore. The chairs are comfortable and you are surrounded by books you can take off the shelves and start reading. A fun part of the store is around back where you can see coffee bags as big as you filled with beans and check out the old way of grinding the beans.
So why three out of five? Well every time I walk into this coffee shop, I feel the same as I did when I was a child walking into a store with my mother. Remember? Your mother would always say, "be on your best behavior. Don't speak too loud, don't touch anything. Now I am an extroverted person so the whole idea of me obeying rules is alien. So I didn't listen too often as a child but I still know what it feels like when someone attempts to make sure you conform to societies expectations. And this coffee shop makes me feel bad for talking in a normal voice. It is more of a library with coffee then a coffee shop with books. Now if that's your thing, then you are set! I will also say that they do let you talk of course. I just feel like I'm intruding on some reading from time to time. But that could just be me.
As for the coffee, its great! Really good natural, organic coffee. But no large selection of different kinds of coffee. But the store is small so I didn't expect an incredible selection anyways. The prices are alright but being a coffee shop that is about a ten or fifteen minute walk from downtown, they should understand that they can be, for some people, out of the way. So if they wanted to keep up on the competition, I'd suggest a lower price. Their small selection of bakery goods are also great but they tend to run out quickly since their selection is small.
All in all, its a decent coffee shop but not my kind of coffee shop. It is conveniently located near where the cruise ships dock in downtown Halifax. But if you are a tourist, I'd suggest going to other coffee shops that are close by and on my "favorites" list. Sorry I couldn't give you more stars Trident. You're just not my cup of tea. But you are for other people which is why you have at three stars. -
Review from Behr S.
7/20/2010
After living across the street from this place for many months, one day out of sheer boredom, and a little cabin fever, I ventured out to see what was in the neighbourhood, and low and behold...a little kick ass bookstore....and well with me as a bibliophile....it was love at first sight.
I found several vintage books (some first and second printings of Jack London, as well as some other Canadian classics such as Never Cry Wolf and Walk Well My Brother)
Soon after this discovery, I would oft be found curled up in a corner chair, reading a book and drinking a cup of drip for hours on end. -
Review from Ruth D.
Halifax, NS
12/9/2009 3 photos
I love this place. It makes me feel like a famous author. It's so easy...that wonderful smell of old books mingles with the scent and sound of freshly brewing coffee. Their cappuccino is excellent.
This is the place I take out of towners so they all can see how cool Halifax is. It's a great place to sit, savor and enjoy. You'll see tons of university students, and I've overheard many a meeting between artistic types.
Not too much selection of munchies, but then I'm there for ambiance, coffee and books! -
Review from Lacey H.
Updated - 4/4/2010 2 photos
The Trident forever warrants 5 stars. Andrew and I went in today for iced javas and had a lovely time.
I poked through some of the available magazines and then went book shopping after my bevie. The literature selection is fantastic, especially the travel and Eastern religion shelves. I ended up buying a handy book about France at a super discounted price.
The service is friendly and happy, and boy, I just love this place! You should go.Listed in: Before you go...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/17/2010
Well, it's no secret and I suppose affirming my love daily is acceptable and perhaps even… Read more »
-
-
Review from Anna H.
Halifax, NS
12/7/2009
Another one of those places that was highly recommended before I moved out here, and one that hasn't disappointed. It just feels comfortable to hang out in this coffee shop/bookstore. Their New Yorker subscription keeps me from having to get one - I would never have time to read the whole thing but I can get a good fix by spending an hour reading at Trident once in a while. Drinks here are good, and even though I don't go that often I've had baristas remember my drink order. You can always grab a snack from their dessert case, too, which usually has a selection of 4-8 different sweety snacks to choose from. Oat cakes are a little dry for my taste, but I have also had a mean chocolate brownie and a really bomb carrot cake.
The bookstore component is the real definer of ambiance here though, and you can usually get some good people watching in if you pay attention to those who have come here to deal in books rather than coffee. Be sure to take a little stroll through the shelves yourself, though. I've found a few great things on sale in this limited but mostly well-curated collection.
