‘It means a lot’: 2 Halifax restaurants make the grade in list of top 100 Canadian restaurants

Two Halifax hotspots earn a place in Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, Bars and Chefs.

Two Halifax restaurants have claimed a seat at the table of the top 100 eateries in Canada.

Canada’s 100 Best released its updated ranking of the best restaurants in the county and Bar Kismet and Mystic made the cut at numbers 21 and 71, respectively.

The 2025 list featured a panel of 160 voting judges, including food writers, critics, chefs, restaurateurs and other food service professionals. Each judge was asked to submit a list of their top 10 restaurant experiences in 2024.

“We believe that the 2025 list is an accurate measure of which restaurants excelled in 2024, which makes them great dining choices for today,” a statement on Canada’s 100 Best reads.

“Typically, you see the Torontos, the Montreals, the Vancouver restaurants represented on this list so the fact that not only one but two restaurants in Halifax area has made the list is fantastic news for the industry,” says Janick Cormier, vice president of Restaurants Canada. “It will be a big boost to those specific restaurants, I don’t doubt it.”

The list says Bar Kismet, which is located on Agricola Street, offers a “refined, relaxed and a little bit retro” atmosphere with a menu that draws from Mediterranean and French regional cuisine.

Mystic, located on Lower Water Street, is described as providing a “journey through land and sea” with its two eight-course tasting menus.

Andrew Flynn, general manager of Mystic, said their placement on the list was extra special since they were only open for three months when the judging period happened.

“Given the weight of the list, some really influential restaurants both in Halifax and across the country are represented on this list, some long-standing influential restaurants that have inspired people across the country, so to be included and so young is pretty major for us,” Flynn said.

“Everybody in this building puts their heart and soul into this and they are bringing their best effort every day they come in here so to get a little pat on the back like that, it means a lot.”

-With files from CTV Atlantic’s Emma Convey

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