Bar Kismet

this is my favourite restaurant in Halifax, maybe my favourite restaurant I've ever been to. Every single dish is mind blowingly delicious. I visit Halifax about 2 times every year and since my first visit, always make a plan to eat here for a night or two when I'm in town. I can't applaud the waitstaff, bartenders, or Chef & Kitchen enough. The flavours that come to you in every dish ate perfectly balanced and keep us excited to try more, beyond our favourites. Here are some pictures from my visits this past April.

Wow, wow, wow what an experience! If you are ever in Halifax or just Nova Scotia in general do not miss out on Bar Kismet. Some of the best dishes I've had, could of ordered the entire menu if we had room! And our server Kolby was absolutely amazing and so knowledgeable of the food and beverage she guided our dining experience which was 20/10. I will 1000% be back ! Thank you to all the Bar Kismet staff, you're the real MVP

We brought our 16month toddler with us and we had an amazing time. No high chairs but we still had a great time on the patio. The food, the drinks, the servers, the ambiance was perfection. We would highly recommend. We had both pastas, the raw scallops, the floppy disk, bread and marinated olives and everything was delicious. We will definitely come back on our next trip to Halifax.

Incredibly clear why Bar Kismet hit North America's top 50 list this year. We dined with 4 people. The hosts were incredibly quick and attentive, and provided expert feedback on menu items when asked. I was impressed by the drink menu, the Kale-ing Me Softly was a particularly well crafted and probably one of the most thought provoking drinks I've had in the past little while. The non-alcoholic options made one of the diners we were with feel incredibly included, and you could tell just as much care was put into them as the alcoholic options on the menu. Dishes came out very quickly and were hands down all great. I'd honestly lean toward preferring the veg dishes Particularly the beet and endive, but don't think that speaks poorly of the fish on the menu, it just goes to show how much care is put in throughout the whole thing. The grilled mackerel and the striped bass came out a bit slower than the other courses, but that's to be expected with the size of the protein. Dessert was reasonable as well, with the pavlova being a standout - The meringue tasted like a molasses spice cookie, and the tiramisu being pretty darn good as well. Overall great experience with Bar Kismet and would implore anyone looking for a great, seafood focused dining experience to grab a reservation! Vegetarian options: Although Bar Kismet is seafood focused, they definitely put care into the vegetarian dishes on the menu. The beet and endive and the squash crown ravioli were particularly great.

There is probably not a single person from halifax that will not recommend bar kismet. The atmosphere is cozy and warm and the staff is always wonderful. They have a rotating menu but one of their constants is the tuna tartar and it is a must have, it never fails to disappoint and there is just something about the flavours that is incredible. On their current menu they have a squash crown that is the perfect savoury but sweet pasta dish drizzled in brown butter its such a warm tasteful dish. You cannot go wrong with their food or drinks here - you can tell the owners care about the restaurant and want every visit to be just as good if not better than the last. I would book your reservation in advance since they are so good it can be hard to get a reservation but it is well worth it if you do!

What a delicious and fresh dining experience. The food is quality and the cocktails are amazing. We had a lot of fun and the food was mouth watering. Ilya was Knowledgeable and friendly. Super nice guy and knew his drinks. Definitely recommend going to see him for drinks.

A gorgeous spot. A fun and original cocktail menu with lots of good beer and wine options. Food was all amazingly delicious though we did need to Google a few items before ordering. Laid back staff are knowledgeable and check in the perfect amount. Prices are reasonable considering the care put into every aspect of this venue. Good stuff.

Over our Halifax holidays we’ve focused on food and drink, and this place was tied for top of the list. Overall an amazing dinner, great ambiance, and good service. Highly recommend everything we tried, and would return again if we could. Food: We started with Raw Oysters small dish but packs a delicious punch; toppers are flavourful and overpower the oyster itself; still recommend, bread standard but well priced; few “dipping” dishes, and Tuba Tartare toppings are potent and you mix them in to your liking, including an aioli with matches the skinny fries it’s served with; recommend. The mains were Carrots, Crab and Bernaise strongly recommend; best dish of our trip; not as sweet as expected, but so so good and Grilled Perch strongly recommend; umami, with possibly pickled celery giving sour notes to compliment a minty/cilantro chimichurri on the perch. Dessert was strawberry rhubarb eclair simple but creamy and delicious. In general I will say celery and salt are common ingredients, but I loved it. Drinks: We love complex drinks, so while all were delicious, our favourite were Approaching ease tangerine sweetness to offset herbal feature of gentian and fur and Pinkshinyultrablast favourite of the night. Others were Badge of Honour, Mint Condition least complex, but good to balance heavier Bitter Optimist, Bitter Optimist old fashioned style; cherry came through at the end, and King of Impracticality clarified drink; dessert drink that’s coconut forward.

Such a cute bar, deserving of 5 stars! Will definitely be back to try more of the menu. The carrots and crab were incredible. The butter profile was delicious. Carrot before the horse cocktail. Just try it. It works.

Superlative Halifax restaurant worth visiting. Homey, yet hip, with a warm Atlantic Canada decor. Our servers were very attentive going over every item we ordered with knowledge and a smile. Questions were answered patiently, service was paced beautifully and the dinner was pitch-perfect. If you get the chance, try the Ahi Tuna Tartare & Allumettes Fries. Raw Scallops were divine, especially dusted with black sesame and slivers of fresh radish. Same goes for the Fried Smelt Sandwich, the Carrots, Crab & Bearnaise, as well as the Orange & Poppyseed Semolina Cake for dessert. Oh, and definitely be sure check out their bathrooms with one of their signature cocktails in hand. Ideal for a social media snapshot.