The Coast's 25th Annual Best of Halifax 2019 Readers' Choice Awards were announced on November 7, and it's no surprise that over 100 Downtown Halifax businesses, public spaces, and events have once again been awarded bronze, silver, and gold awards for best Food & Drink, Public Life, Shopping & Services, and Arts & Culture.
Below is a list of Downtown Halifax businesses, public spaces and events who have made their way to the top 3 of the 'Best of Halifax' list! For a full list of winners visit The Coast online.
FOOD & DRINK
BEST BAR:
BEST BARTENDER:
- Silver: Sabrina Cooke, Freeman's Little New York, Downtown
BEST BARISTA:
- Silver: Dan Weir, Weird Harbour Espresso Bar
BEST BEER SELECTION:
- Gold: Stillwell Beer Bar
BEST BREW PUB:
- Silver: Garrison Brewing Company
BEST CAESAR:
- Silver: Stubborn Goat Gastropub
BEST COCKTAILS:
- Gold: Lot Six Bar & Restaurant
- Silver: The Middle Spoon Desserterie & Bar
BEST COFFEE:
- Bronze: Weird Harbour
BEST CRAFT BREWERY:
- Silver: Garrison Brewing Company
BEST TEA:
- Gold: World Tea House
- Bronze: Wired Monk
BEST WINE LIST:
- Gold: Obladee, A Wine Bar
- Silver: Little Oak
- Bronze: The Barrington Steakhouse & Oyster Bar
BEST ATMOSPHERE:
- Gold: Lot Six Bar & Restaurant
- Silver: The Bicycle Thief
- Bronze: Antojo Tacos & Tequila
BEST BAKERY:
- Bronze: The Old Apothecary Bakery & Cafe
BEST BURRITO:
- Silver: Burrito Jax
BEST BUTCHER SHOP:
BEST CHEF:
- Bronze: Stephanie Ogilvie, Chives Canadian Bistro
BEST CHICKEN WINGS:
- Bronze: Halifax Alehouse
BEST COOKIE/CUPCAKE/DOUGHNUT:
- Silver: Layers Cakes
BEST DONAIR:
- Silver: Johnny K's Authentic Donairs
BEST FARMERS' MARKET STALL:
- Gold: Noggins Corner, Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market
- Silver: Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet, Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market
BEST FINE DINING:
- Gold: The Bicycle Thief
- Bronze: Ristorante a Mano
BEST FRIES:
- Silver: Willy's Fresh Cut Fries & Burgers
- Bronze: Stubborn Goat Gastropub
BEST GLUTEN-FREE FRIENDLY:
- Gold: The Wooden Monkey, Halifax
BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT:
- Gold: GIO, The Prince George Hotel
- Silver: Tempo Food + Drink, The Barrington Hotel
BEST ICE CREAM/GELATO/FROZEN YOGURT:
- Gold: Cows, Halifax Waterfront
BEST ITALIAN:
- Gold: Ristorante a Mano
BEST LATE-NIGHT FOOD:
- Gold: Willy's Fresh Cut Fries & Burgers
- Bronze: Mezza Lebanese Kitchen, Downtown
BEST MIDDLE EASTERN/PERSIAN RESTAURANT:
- Gold: Mezza Lebanese Kitchen, Downtown
BEST NACHOS:
- Silver: Durty Nelly's Authentic Irish Pub
- Bronze: The Lower Deck, Downtown
BEST PASTA:
- Gold: Ristorante a Mano
BEST PATIO:
BEST PIZZA PIE:
- Gold: Morris East, Downtown
BEST PIZZA SLICE:
- Silver: Sicilian Pizza Donairs Subs, Pizza Corner
- Bronze: Pizza Girls, Pizza Corner
BEST POUTINE:
- Gold: Willy's Fresh Cut Fries & Burgers
- Bronze: Smoke's Poutinerie, Pizza Corner
BEST PUB FOOD:
- Silver: Stubborn Goat Gastropub
- Bronze: The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse
BEST RESTAURANT:
- Silver: The Bicycle Thief
- Bronze: 2 Doors Down Food + Wine
BEST RIBS:
- Gold: Boneheads BBQ*
BEST SALAD:
- Bronze: Ristorante a Mano
BEST THAI RESTAURANT:
- Silver: Talay Thai, Halifax
BEST USE OF LOCAL INGREDIENTS:
- Silver: The Wooden Monkey, Halifax
BEST VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY:
- Silver: The Wooden Monkey, Halifax
PUBLIC LIFE
BEST BARBER:
- Gold: Robyn Ingraham, Sailor Bup's Barbershop
BEST FESTIVAL:
- Gold: Halifax Pride
- Silver: Halifax Busker Festival
- Bronze: Halifax Jazz Festival
BEST HOTEL:
- Gold: The Prince George Hotel
BEST LOCAL CHARACTER:
- Silver: Theodore Tug Boat
BEST MUSEUM:
- Gold: Discovery Centre
- Bronze: Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
BEST PARTY VENUE:
- Gold: The Lower Deck, Downtown
BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE:
- Gold: Halifax Waterfront
- Silver: The Board Room Game Cafe
BEST PLACE TO DANCE:
- Silver: Midtown Tavern and Boomer's Lounge
- Bronze: Pacifico
BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE GAME:
- Gold: HFX Sports Bar & Grill
- Silver: Niche Lounge
- Bronze: Rogers Square
BEST STUDENT HANG:
- Silver: The Board Room Game Cafe
BEST TRIVIA NIGHT:
- Gold: The Board Room Game Cafe
- Bronze: The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse
SHOPPING & SERVICES
BEST BARBERSHOP:
- Silver: Sailor Bup's Barbershop
BEST FLOWER SHOP:
- Silver: The Flower Shop
BEST HAIR SALON:
- Silver: Bowtique Hair & Makeup
BEST HOME DECOR STORE:
BEST INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE:
- Silver: Venus Envy
BEST INDIE GIFT SHOP:
- Gold: Black Market Boutique
BEST JEWELLERY STORE:
- Gold: Fireworks Gallery
- Silver: Black Market Boutique
BEST MANICURE/PEDICURE:
- Gold: Spirit Spa, Downtown
- Bronze: The TEN SPOT
BEST MEN'S CLOTHING STORE:
- Gold: Biscuit General Store
- Bronze: RCHMND
BEST RECORD STORE:
- Gold: Taz Records, Halifax
BEST SPA:
- Gold: Spirit Spa, Downtown
- Silver: Interlude Spa, Halifax
BEST SPORTING GOODS STORE:
- Gold: Mountain Equipment Co-op
BEST TAILOR:
- Silver: Sherzad's Tailoring Shop
BEST WOMEN'S CLOTHING STORE:
- Silver: Biscuit General Store
ARTS & CULTURE
BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION:
- Gold: The Colour Purple, Neptune Theatre
- Silver: Cinderella, Neptune Theatre
BEST DANCE COMPANY:
- Gold: House of Eights Dance Studio
- Bronze: Halifax Dance
BEST PHOTOGRAPHY:
- Silver: Applehead Studio Photography
BEST GALLERY:
- Gold: Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
- Silver: Argyle Fine Art
BEST CLASSICAL ARTIST/GROUP:
- Bronze: The Halifax Music Co-op
BEST LIVE SHOW OF THE YEAR:
- Bronze: Metric at the Scotiabank Centre
BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL:
- Gold: Halifax Jazz Festival
- Silver: Halifax Pop Explosion
- Bronze: Halifax Urban Folk Festival (HUFF)
*HALL OF FAME:
A business, person or place earns Hall of Fame entry once it has won gold in a cateory 10 consecutive times. Congrats to Boneheads BBQ for being inducted for 2019 for Best Ribs.
Congratulations to all of the winners, especially repeat winners and those who have won in multiple categories. Year after year, you continue to prove that there's no place better than Downtown Halifax to grab a bite, go shopping, or enjoy a show.