Restaurants Near the Halifax Cruise Port
One day in Halifax? How to beat the cruise lunch rush, how far it really is from Pier 20 to Barrington Street, and where to eat something other than chowder.
Barrios Restaurant & Bar
9/26/20264 min read
Where to Eat Near the Halifax Cruise Port: A Filipino Lunch Between Excursions
You have one day in Halifax and a time on your card that you cannot miss. Lunch is the part of that day most worth thinking about in advance, because everyone else is thinking about it at the same hour you are.
On a cruise day, the waterfront restaurants get busy around lunch, when passengers are back from the morning's walking and touring.
We are Barrios Kitchen & Bar, a Filipino restaurant at 1571 Barrington Street, a few blocks up from the boardwalk. One thing to get out of the way first: we are closed on Mondays. If your ship calls on a Monday, plan around us.
Two ways to beat the cruise lunch rush
Eat early. We open at 11:30 AM, Tuesday through Saturday. Sitting down then is the simplest way to eat before the lunch hour.
Come on a Sunday. Sunday is Filipino brunch and we open at 10:30 AM. It is a self-serve spread: $29 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under, and free for children 5 and under. If your ship is in on a Sunday, brunch fits a port day well. Reservations are recommended.
How far is it from the cruise terminal?
Ships dock at Pier 20 and Pier 22 at the Halifax Seaport, beside Pier 21, at the south end of the boardwalk. From there, walk north along the boardwalk to Prince Street, then up Prince Street past Lower Water, Hollis and Granville to Barrington. Turn left and go about a block and a half south to Sackville Street. We are at 1571, just past it. It takes about 20 minutes on foot.
Allow the same 20 minutes for the walk back. A taxi is an option if you are tight on time or the weather has turned.
Whatever you do, leave more time than you think. It is better to be back at the gangway early than to spend your last hour in port watching the clock.
Before you order
Three things worth knowing if this is your first stop in Canada.
Prices are in Canadian dollars. Menu prices do not include tax, so 14 per cent HST lands at the till. We take US cash at par, one US dollar for one Canadian dollar, with change given in Canadian dollars. No other foreign currency.
Book early enough, and tell your server your all-aboard time when you sit down. Your card has the real time, and it is earlier than the sailing time. There is free wifi if you need to check in with the ship or with home.
Something other than chowder
Halifax does seafood well and you should have some while you are here. But every Atlantic port does chowder, lobster and mussels, and by the third stop it starts to blur. Filipino food is a real change of pace. Prices shown are from our current menu and may change.
Pork sisig, $20. Chopped roasted pork with soy sauce and chili, sizzling on a cast iron plate with a raw egg on top and steamed rice. Mix the egg through while the plate is still hot, then squeeze the lemon that comes with it over the top.
Spring rolls, $9 for four. Our lumpiang shanghai, thin and crisp, filled with seasoned ground pork and vegetables, with a sweet chili dip.
Pancit bihon, $17. Thin rice noodles with vegetables and your choice of grilled chicken, crispy pork belly or shrimp. Put it in the middle of the table as your noodle course.
Beef caldereta, $24, if you want a braise: beef brisket slow-braised in a Filipino tomato-based sauce with carrots, baby potatoes and green beans, with steamed rice.
If the chef has halo-halo on as a special that day, ask. It is the Filipino shaved ice dessert. It is not on the regular menu, so do not count on it.
If you are vegetarian or managing an allergy, say so when you sit down. The pinakbet at $14 is made without shrimp paste or fish sauce, the torta at $12 is an eggplant omelette, and pancit bihon can be made with vegetables and tofu if you ask. Kare-kare contains peanut and comes with shrimp paste.
A simple cruise-day plan for Halifax
Morning: the boardwalk, or up the hill to the Citadel.
11:30: lunch on Barrington Street, before the lunch hour.
Afternoon: back down to the waterfront, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, or the shops on Spring Garden Road.
At least an hour before all-aboard: start walking back. Allow 20 minutes for the walk, plus time for anything you stop for.
For Filipino crew
Your time ashore is short. Here is what you need: we are about 20 minutes on foot from the Seaport, we open at 11:30 AM Tuesday to Saturday and 10:30 AM on Sunday for brunch, and we are closed Mondays. If you cannot sit down, call 902-444-2515 Tuesday to Saturday and order ahead for pickup.
Kain muna bago bumalik.
Quick answers
How far is Barrios from the Halifax cruise terminal and Pier 21?
About a 20-minute walk from Pier 20 and Pier 22. North along the boardwalk, up Prince Street to Barrington, then left to 1571 Barrington Street, just past Sackville. A taxi is an option if you are short on time.
When should I eat to avoid the cruise crowds?
Sit down at 11:30, when we open, before the lunch hour. On Sundays we open at 10:30 for Filipino brunch.
Are you open every day of the cruise season?
No. We are closed on Mondays. Tuesday to Saturday we open at 11:30 AM, and Sunday is Filipino brunch from 10:30 AM to 4 PM.
How do I make sure I get back to the ship?
Book early enough, tell your server your all-aboard time when you sit down, and start walking back at least an hour before it.
What should I order if I have already had chowder?
Sisig, spring rolls and a pancit bihon to share, caldereta if you want a braise, and halo-halo if the chef has it on that day.
Barrios Kitchen & Bar, 1571 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1Z7. Call 902-444-2515 or book a table before you dock.