A sign in the window saying “Authentic European Bistro” appeared at 650 Washmill Lake Dr. under further investigation I found the name is Budapest Bisztro (so we can assume Hungarian influences)

A couple weeks ago I mentioned Guelph, ON based chain Ren’s Pets was opening in Dartmouth Crossing but they are also opening in Bayers Lake as well

The folks at Roll the Dice are splitting up part of their Quinpool Road location and opening Naan-N-Curry Indian Cuisine

A second M&J‘s Eatery is now open inside of Menz & Mollyz on Gottingen. Their first location is in the Esquire Plaza on Bedford Highway.

Metro Deli in Young Tower has closed and some of its menu is being integrated into a return to North End Halifax for Pizzatown this June

The Velos Pizza on Dutch Village Rd appears to have closed, doors locked during regular hours and no answer (phone is still active). I have heard a new name will be opening there soon. Velos has be a name in Halifax pizza for decades.

I guess Halifax wasn’t up for a Country Bar in the city After 13 months Ruby’s Rhinestone has closed it’s doors. I hear in the coming months an “Asian restaurant ” will be taking over the space

Ripsters Halloween Shop has closed its year rounds shop in Lower Sackville.

Construction on the new Lion’s Head begins this week right on the corner of Demone and Robie. The current location will stay open until new one is ready.



One of my favourites is closed for a while, Staggers suffered water damage after the nearby construction site broke their buildings roof with fallen debris. They will be reopening in the coming weeks once everything is repaired.

The Wendy’s on Kempt Road has reopened after a 5 month complete makeover.

The former Exchange on Hollis reopened as The Mercantile Social

I think I forgot to post that location two of Bi-One had opened at 1030 South Park. But now I’ll mention that the original Bi-One on Quinpool is moving across the street to the former Jixiang

Alex Lee and Joe Dunford opened Cortado Tasting Room on Gary Martin Drive in Bedford in 2016 and now they are set to open Sine Coffee Labs on the Barrington Street level of the Maritime Centre.

The coffee labs will be located inside of the recently expanded entrepreneurial hub, Volta Labs.

Sine Coffee Labs will feature espresso, drip and pour-over coffee. It will have coffee beans that are roasted at both Cortada and Java Blend. It will also offer rotating coffee roasts from all over the world, as well as partnerships with other local vendors to provide a few food options, including baked goods and light lunches like wraps and salads.



Lee told me that the Lab’s namesake comes into play in the afternoons and evenings when they will use the space for coffee education. All of their employees will start at a lower wage, and then go through a training and certification process to help them develop their skill set.

“The purpose of this place is to train baristas to go into competition and to get into other aspects of the industry,” said Lee. He added that being a barista is often seen as a part-time or a temporary job, and they “really want to change that.”

Lee recently traveled with staff to attend the five-day Specialty Coffee Expo in Boston where they attended seminars about coffee, as well as the World Barista Championship. They are now looking at building the barista-competition culture here.

Lee and Dunford are set to open Sine Coffee Labs by the end of May.

Open City is back for it’s 8th year! Great to see my little idea continue to happen!

See The Full List Here But lots of Backdoor Takeouts and discounts all around the Peninsula and Downtown Dartmouth



The Curio Collective at 1566 Barrington St. May 11 & 12

Halifax’s first ALL vintage show feat 25+ vendors! Come for some free popcorn and shop the curated collections of the city’s top vintage and antique sellers!

$2 admission Sat 10-7 Sun 10-4