Restaurants Near the Light House Arts Centre, Halifax
Going to a show at the Light House Arts Centre on Argyle Street? Filipino dinner at Barrios, about seven minutes away on Barrington Street, before the show or after on Friday and Saturday, with directions, dishes and prices.
Barrios Restaurant & Bar
10/30/20263 min read
Restaurants Near the Light House Arts Centre, Halifax: Filipino Dinner Before or After a Show
The Light House Arts Centre (often spelled Lighthouse Arts Centre) is at 1800 Argyle Street, on the second floor, in downtown Halifax, the same address as the Scotiabank Centre. If you have tickets for a concert or show there, here is where to have dinner nearby.
If you are looking for a Filipino restaurant near the Light House, Barrios Kitchen & Bar is at 1571 Barrington Street, on the west side of Barrington just south of Sackville Street, about seven minutes away on foot.
Walking from Barrios to the Light House
Walk north on Barrington Street. You pass the Grand Parade and City Hall on your left. Turn left up Duke Street and you are at 1800 Argyle. It is about a seven-minute walk.
If there is also an event at the arena that night, leave a little extra time.
Dinner before the show
Check lighthousearts.ca or your ticket for the doors time, then book a table early enough that you are not watching the clock, and tell your server when you need to leave. Prices shown are from our current menu and may change.
For one plate each, these come with rice and make a full meal:
Chicken inasal, $22. Grilled chicken marinated in citrus, garlic and spices, with garlic rice, a soy vinegar dip and pickled daikon and carrots. There is no pork in it.
Beef tapa, $18. Our tapsilog: thin-sliced beef marinated in soy sauce and spices, pan-fried until the edges caramelise, with garlic rice and two eggs.
Beef caldereta, $24. Slow-braised beef brisket in a Filipino tomato-based sauce with roasted carrots, baby potatoes and green beans, with steamed rice.
If you are sharing, start with spring rolls ($9 for four), filled with seasoned ground pork and vegetables, and a sizzling plate of pork sisig ($20), chopped roasted pork with soy sauce and chili, a raw egg you mix through while the plate is hot, a squeeze of lemon, and steamed rice. Then add a noodle, such as pancit guisado ($17), made with vermicelli and chow mein noodles and your choice of chicken, crispy pork belly or shrimp.
If someone at the table is vegetarian, the pinakbet at $14 is made without shrimp paste or fish sauce and is vegetarian and vegan-friendly, the torta at $12 is an eggplant omelette, and pancit bihon or guisado can be made with vegetables and tofu if you ask.
After the show
For a meal after an evening show, come on a Friday or Saturday. We are open until 11 PM, and the last seating is 10 PM. A show that lets out by about 9:30 PM leaves time for the walk. If yours ends later than that, eat before instead. Saturday nights usually have live music.
Tuesday to Thursday we close at 9 PM, with the last booked table at 8 PM, so an after-show dinner on a weeknight usually will not work. After a matinee, come any day from Tuesday to Saturday. For a Sunday matinee, come for Filipino brunch first, 10:30 AM to 4 PM, at $29 for adults. Brunch ends at 4, so it works after a matinee only if the show lets out well before then. Reservations are recommended.
If you only want a drink and something to share, the barbecue skewers ($15 for three) go well with a Nova Scotia beer on tap, like Propeller Galaxy or Nine Locks Dirty Blonde, or a cocktail like the Manga-Rita ($13), tequila with lime and mango. There is no bar seating; all our seats are at dining tables.
Coming as a group
The restaurant seats up to 60, with no room fee and no minimum spend. For a group of eight or more, call ahead.
Visit Barrios
We are at 1571 Barrington Street, open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 AM. Sunday is Filipino brunch only, from 10:30 AM to 4 PM, and we are closed on Mondays. Book a table or call 902-444-2515. The full menu is online.
Quick answers
Where is the Light House Arts Centre?
At 1800 Argyle Street, 2nd floor, Halifax, NS B3J 3N8, the same address as the Scotiabank Centre. Barrios is about a seven-minute walk away at 1571 Barrington Street.
How do I walk from Barrios to the Light House?
North on Barrington past the Grand Parade, then left up Duke Street to Argyle.
Where can I have dinner near the Lighthouse Arts Centre?
Barrios Kitchen & Bar, at 1571 Barrington Street. One plate each keeps it simple: chicken inasal, beef tapa or beef caldereta.
Can I eat at Barrios after a show?
On Friday and Saturday, if your show lets out by about 9:30 PM, since the last seating is 10 PM. Weeknights close too early for most evening shows.
Is Barrios open on Sunday evening?
No. Sunday is brunch only.