Café Chianti

Someone from this business manages this listing.

#14 of 710 Restaurants in Halifax$$$$, Italian, Steakhouse, Vegetarian friendly

+1 902-423-7471+ Add website

Write a Review

Hours

Sun

5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Wed

5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Thu

5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Fri

5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Sat

5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Improve this listing

What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

525 reviews

#14 of 710 Restaurants in Halifax

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

Learn More

PRICE RANGE

$16.00 – $42.00

CUISINES

Italian, Steakhouse, Pizza, Seafood, European

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

1209 Marginal Rd Unit 100, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4P8 Canada

South End

+1 902-423-7471

Improve this listing

Does this restaurant have live music

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

About

Join us on the Halifax Waterfront in our relaxing dining room or waterside patio decks. Panoramic views of the Halifax Harbor, George's Island and an abundance of local sail boating enthusiasts passing by. It is simply breathtaking, Nova Scotia at its best. We offer a large selection of fresh local seafood including lobster, halibut, haddock and mussels infused in our pasta dishes. We source only Canada's top prime and choice steak cuts which are from Alberta Beef Farmers with a reputation of the World second best beef provider. Now Pizza Pizza Pizza ! We use only 00 flour sourced from Italy, which offers our guests the cleanest flour available. Delivering a light thin crust with bursts of flavor made in house daily. Our wine list pairs well with our cuisine, representing the best vineyards in Italy, California and our local wine offerings suggested by our staff sommelier. Our award winning Chef Avi Prasad and his scratch kitchen is excited to serve you. 34 years at your service!

PRICE RANGE

$16.00 – $42.00

CUISINES

Italian, Steakhouse, Pizza, Seafood, European

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Street Parking, Free off-street parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Waterfront, Family style, Non-smoking restaurants, Gift Cards Available

Contribute

Write a review

Upload a photo

Ask a question

4.5

525 reviews

Excellent

331

Very good

113

Average

Poor

Terrible

Bill D

Dartmouth203 contributions

beautiful dining on lovers holiday

Feb 2020 • none

Once again we chose to visit Cafe Chainte to celebrate Valentines. We reserved for 730 the restaurant was full, warm and perfectly lit. We received a greeting from the Manager who is always ffriendly and welcoming. Sophie was our waitress for the evening. She is very attentative, informing us of the special and othher favorites. The meal began with a nice delicious chooice of bread with balsamic and olive oil, helped by a fine bottle of Itialian red wine, delicious and well priced. This was followed by a ceasar with the main course for both of us being Seafood linguini, once agan delicious, perfectly prepared with plenty of shrimp scallops and mussels. The pasta was perfectly cooked. Sophie had a nice sense of humour, pleasant but professional It was truly and enjoyable evening Thank you

Written February 15, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Judith B

Halifax12 contributions

Excellent As Always

Jan 2020 • none

Wonderful dining experience..food was delicious, fresh and attractively presented. The service was excellent, our server was knowledgeable, efficient and considerate (one of our guests has special needs). The ambiance was warm and inviting. Wonderful aromas greeted us as we entered and we truly appreciated not feeling cramped in the dining room, tables being well spaced, allowing easy, audible conversation and comfortable dining. We have eaten at Cafe Chianti on several occasions and it has never disappointed. The food is consistent, reflecting attention to detail and complimented by exceptional service.

Written January 8, 2020

spago27

Halifax109 contributions

Good food and service

Nov 2020 • none

Have been going here for a long time and the food and service never disappoint. Most of the time I order ravioli if they have it on he menu and they are always excellent and home made. Bread service with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is definitely a nice tough while many restaurants are charging for bread service. Our server Kate was friendly and professional. Will be back.

Written November 15, 2020

Leanne B

1 contribution

Dining Experience

Sep 2021 • none

First I would like to say that my husband and I had wanted to visit Cafe Chianti for awhile and the opportunity presented itself on September 8, 2021. The restaurant atmosphere was very nice so our first impression was very good. We ordered a bottle of wine which was fantastic and then our dining experience took a turn. We both ordered caesar salads which we both enjoyed. I ordered Arancini and our waitress advised they were sold out due to a large gathering in the restaurant. So I ordered Orzo Fritta and my husband ordered spaghetti and meatballs. Few minutes passed and our waitress returned and advised that the Orzo Fritta was sold out so I decided on Gnocchi and again it was sold out. We decided to share the spaghetti and meatballs. The meal arrived and it was absolutely awful. The sauce had a very pungent taste and the meatballs were extremely overcooked. After the waitress cleared the table and brought our bill, the hostess came to our table and asked if we had enjoyed our meal and we were completely honest that we did not enjoy the meal and explained to her that we had been very much looking forward to dining at the restaurant but were disappointed with our meals She discounted our meal $15.00 as a token which was fine. Upon returning home, we reviewed the bill and we had been charged for the Orzo Fritta that I did not have because it was sold out. We will definitely not be returning to this restaurant. It is not usually our style to do a review on restaurants because we appreciate the hospitality industry but given the expected quality of the Cafe Chianti we felt other customers should know about our experience.

Written September 10, 2021

Bill D

Dartmouth203 contributions

Best fine northern Itialian dining in Halifax

Jan 2020 • none

We visited Cafe Cainti last night for the first time in over six months. This was a great and memorable vist to one of our old favorites. We were greeted by our hostess who escorted us to a well located and preferred table that was located on the far wall adjacent to the entry. Chainti is cozy, warm and inviting. The service was absolutely exceptional. The three staff members we pleasant, helpful and very attentative. We selected a beautiful Chainti from Bishops Cellar, our favorite wine speicalty store. It did not disapoint, full and smooth full bodied wine. The bread course was served with balsamic and olive oil, it was both fresh and tasty but not too heavy. this was followed by a wonderful fresh Ceasar Salad topped with a smooth and delectable parmasean? cheese. Our main courses selected from the Pasti's were the lasagna for me and the seafood linguinni for Terry. We agreed they were delivered hot and quick. The Lasgna was the best ive experienced in some time. It was direct from the ovens and provided a memorable taste. The seafood linguine was smothered in mussels, scallops, shrimp, and lobster. The linguini noodles were perfectly prepared. The restaurnant was 3/4 full when we arrived, Nice crowd, the restaurnatwas upbeat but definately not noisy or intrusive. This was an exceptionally nice dining experience and we have already decided that we will return

Written January 4, 2020

Hankssurf

Port Saint Lucie38 contributions

Location, atmosphere and flavor

Mar 2020 • couples

Great classic Italian on the quiet end of Barrington...a small unobtrusive bar and two cozy dining areas await. The lasagna was delicious and fairly light for lasagna, and the crab filled ravioli was fresh and savory. We had a good mix of couples, a business group, and even a family with small children. In a town with lots of bar food and beer places, you’ll feel welcomed in here quickly by the super attentive staff.

Written March 5, 2020

George C

Halifax1 contribution

Disappointing meal but good service

Sep 2020 • none

Nice ambience, great attentive wait staff, orders taken for drinks in good time. Meal orders were also taken in good time so minimal waiting however a couple issues with the food. The bruschetta was small portion, thin bread pieces with a tomato bruschetta spread. 3 pieces on a plate possibly each 2" x 2". Anemic at best for this. The Cog au Vin was a bit dry but passable but not what I would expect for fine dining experience. The Halibut portion was thin and appeared to be an end piece. Overcooked and bland with a strong fishy taste. My wife did not finish it. And she eats fish regularly. Our son enjoyed the gnocchi. The risotto balls were definitely up to expectations and enjoyed. Overall I would have expected a better meal given the price point. The 5 members of our party agreed Halifax offers much better options for value and quality. We could have and will spend the $440 in other restaurants for a better meal.

Written September 13, 2020

Bernie M

Halifax70 contributions

Probably my last visit...

Nov 2020 • none

We went out for my Nephew's birthday on this past Saturday. The place was fairly busy and despite having a reservation, a spare table had to be cobbled together for us towards the back of the room near the kitchen. Fair enough. After some initial confusion with the server about drinks we felt we had better put in our orders or suffer an indeterminate wait. The pizzas 2 of us ordered were pretty good (as were our salads) and my Nephew's girlfriends spaghetti was fine but my wife's chicken pappardelle failed to impress (bland and tasteless). The timing of the whole dinner was off and seemed at times rushed and confused and nary a mention of the birthday we were celebrating. So...combine an out of the way table with shoddy service and we were left with an over-all bad impression. There are just too many excellent restaurants in Halifax to patronize the mediocre. This was my second "meh" experience here in 2 visits and maybe they were having staff issues but I'm most likely done with this place.

Written November 9, 2020

Linda C

Halifax3 contributions

Always a very enjoyable evening

Jan 2021 • none

Cafe Chianti is one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Halifax. Our last visit, just a couple of days ago, was no exception. They were having a special event, "Tuscany Night" with a set 5 course menu banquet style, but we did not want to participate in the event but rather order from the regular menu. Christine, the floor manager (I think), gave us the option of sitting in the bar area to be close to the live music, or going to a back, private dining room. We chose the latter and were so very happy with the environment and the quiet. The food, as usual, was exceptional. Our server, Carolyn, was very attentive. We shared an order of bruchetta, and I started with the Caesar Salad and my companion chose the meatballs. All starters were excellent. My companion chose a chicken dish and requested a substitution of sauce which the chef accommodated. I chose the scallops with polenta. Excellent. We are so looking forward to going back again soon.

Written January 31, 2021

Glenn S

Halifax Regional Municipality3 contributions

Anniversary Dinner made special

Aug 2020 • none

Our whole experience was prefect. Our server was polite and made great recommendations like the Salted Caramel Gelato dessert. The Calamari was the best in Halifax. I enjoyed a wonderful Chicken Parmagiana Di Pollo ( chicken Parm). Highly recommend if you want a fine dining experience.

Written August 31, 2020

Relax08541121965

Thank you so much for taking the time to write your lovely review! We hope to see you again in the near future, Cheers, the Cafe Chianti Team

Written September 3, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kate J

2 contributions

Amazing Date Night

Jan 2020 • couples

I had no idea that this place existed until I saw a great Groupon for italian food. I made the reservation online and the whole process was a breeze. The staff were attentive and lovely right from the start. They made amazing non-alcoholic beverages for us at our request. We had the charcuterie board to start and it was perfect along with the fresh bread they serve. For our meal I had the lamb stuffed pasta and my boyfriend had the veal. Both were delicious, my pasta especially was so rich and flavorful. We finished with dessert and coffee and were absolutely stuffed. Our waiter, Sonny, was fantastic and so funny. He always came by at the perfect time and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. We were seated near the wall and the environment was so great for our date night. We just moved to Halifax and have been trying so many new restaurants but haven't really found one that we definitely wanted to return to, until now. The Groupon is an incredible deal but dining here is well worth it even at full price. We can't wait to go back!

Written February 3, 2020

Beth T

Halifax118 contributions

Delicious Birthday Dinner!

Jul 2020 • family

We celebrated my husband’s birthday with a delicious dinner of pizza with two of our children. We love the pizza here and wanted to share the experience with our family! They were not disappointed! I just happened to say it was my husband’s birthday casually in conversation and Tim, our server, remembered that at dessert time and told him his dessert was on the house. We certainly weren’t expecting that at all and what lovely treat! We loved eating out on the deck in the comfy chairs! Everything was perfect!

Written July 20, 2020

robertlt2016

Gander193 contributions

Wonderful Experience

Aug 2021 • none

We decided to have dinner here with friends one evening. Both spouse and I wanted to have some Italian food. Kind of a coincident too as at that particular time/date we should have been in Rome Italy, but COVID changed that. Our friends had not been at this restaurant before, so it was new to all. We had reservations luckily, as that night (actually a Friday) it was busy. We were promptly seated, and ordered some wine. It arrived very quickly and were pleased with our selection. The server came and told us of the evening special and gave us a few more minutes to order. We placed our orders for apps and mains. They came quickly or maybe it was the great conversation and laughter at our table that we didn't notice the time. We were all pleased with our apps and mains. We found all to be well prepared and presented. Delicious was the word. Desserts were as pleasing as well. Our server checked in from time to time throughout our meal and refilling the wine and water glasses. Pricing was comparable to other restaurants, service was very good and the food was very good as well. Based on our experience, we had an enjoyable evening and will be returning in the future.

Written September 13, 2021

Nicole

2 contributions

Delightful anniversary dinner

Feb 2021 • none

We recently had our anniversary dinner at Cafe Chianti. The service was excellent; the food was delicious (ricotta ravioli with lobster; grilled steak with lobster - desserts); desserts were decadent. Enjoyed the atmosphere - quiet with music playing. Covid protols followed. We enjoyed our dining experience very much and would return.

Written February 18, 2021

Andrew N

23 contributions

Disappointing food and service

Jul 2023 • family

We were looking forward to trying this restaurant as I had always heard good reviews but we left disappointed with both the food and service. The restaurant was not busy at all but they still seemed to be understaffed. It took a long time to put any orders in and even longer to receive the food (over an hour to receive our entrées). The calamari portions were small, soggy, and lacked flavour. While the plates were extremely hot the food was cold. It seemed like the food was prepared in advance and sat out until someone got around to plating it. We ordered a variety of pastas for our entrées and they were ok but not great. The gnocchi portion was small but others were average. All of them lacked flavour despite having nice descriptions on the menu. We gave our waiter honest feedback on the food and he shrugged and didn’t know what to say (we weren’t looking to get anything out of it but simply wanted to share feedback for the kitchen). While the waiter was friendly he seemed undertrained and inattentive. In the end, not the experience we were looking forward to. I hope for the restaurant‘s sake this was just an off night but I couldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

Written July 9, 2023

…

Showing results 1-15 of 515

As Featured In