Ristorante a Mano

a Mano used to be one of my go-to spots three years ago, with its rich, diverse menu and bold, memorable flavors. Unfortunately, the recent visit left me feeling underwhelmed. The updated menu is now heavily seafood-focused, and the smell of seafood was quite strong as soon as you get in the restaurant, something I personally don’t enjoy. At first glance, we even considered leaving, but decided to give it a try. We ordered two pizzas, which were just average, not bad, but nothing memorable either. The fettuccine, unfortunately, was overwhelmed by lemon flavor. That was the only note I could taste, and I barely managed three bites. Don't get me wrong, I love lemon but I was hoping for rich creamy fettuccine. The tomato-based pasta was okay, nothing special. I also wasn’t a fan of the soft drinks being from a fountain machine, something I tend to avoid. Overall, I really miss the a Mano of the past. The quality and variety that once made this place special seem to have faded. I hope they consider bringing back some of the original charm.

The food, service, and location itself was impeccable. Nathan was our server and he was amazing! The hosts were also fantastic, we were a walk-in but they still got us a table ready in 10 minutes.

On a busy Saturday evening we were lucky to get a patio table for our party of 3. The food was excellent overall. However, the person who is enjoying the lasagna noted that the tomato sauce was a little acidic, which was a surprise. The Tuna and pizza dishes were good Our server made the evening and when.one of my dining partners mentioned my birthday the server brought out a surprise dessert. An absolutely lovely atmosphere and with the staff being so attentive and enjoyable selectionsI would definitely come back again.

Nestled at the Halifax waterfront amongst historical buildings, the A Mano is a beautiful Italian restaurant that serves traditional fares with great pairings of wines and the usual beers. Service is smooth overall, but we did have a small issue with a gluten-free order, which needed to be rectified. We were a group of 8 and a wide selection of food was ordered. The Schiacciata, Sgabello, Calamari Fritti were good and perfect for a chilly evening. As the main course, Quattro Carni, fresh Halibut with Shrimps, Lasagna, Lamb Shank, Seafood Stew and the Linguini were good. We were too full and ordered the share Torta Per Due cheesecake and were not disappointed . Overall, good restaurant and great vibes for a chilled dinner next to the water.

Amazing experience!! Our server Ryan was amazing, very quick and polite service. Food was delicious and filling. Great recommendations on drinks and food and everything else. We started with calamari, took about 20 minutes to arrive very fast considering it was the night after valentines. The main pasta dishes took about 25-30 minutes after the calamari and they were amazing. Everything tasted perfect. I highly reccomend trying this place for yourself!!!

Fantastic Italian Restaurant. Authentic Italian Pizza 🍕, Seafood, and Pasta Dishes. My favorite is the Linguini frutti di Mare, which is outstanding. Tortellini al Prosciutto, also remarkable. Shame that unlike Traditional Italian Restaurants, the door not offer Bread. They have an Appetizer Bread Sticks, but not the same. Wine prices are a bit steep, though in line with neighboring eateries. I highly recommend having dinner here, though I suggest making reservations as seating is limited. I ate at the Bar several times.

The service was spot on. The food was wonderful. You will be very happy with any pizza you choose! So good! We had the 3 cheese with pear, pizza and the mostly meat pizza with meatballs. The meat balls were the star of the show! Amazing beet salad, and eggplant (starters for us). The Bombbetta Draft beer was extremely good. See pic. We highly recommend this place!

The place was nice and clean, they put a fresh flower on all the tables for Valentine's Day. The service was good, our server was kind and attentive. The appetizer - calamari was really tasty. The pasta was just okay for the price.

This has become our go to restaurant for celebration meals. It's virtually impossible to order something you won't like - everything is so good. The only downside is wanting more, but that said I've never left feeling hungry. It's a nice environment, generally not too loud even when very busy. And the service is consistently good too. Would highly recommend!

From the moment you walk in your are welcomed to a contemporary Italian restaurant with an excellent atmosphere for dinner. I arrived and placed my name on the waiter list. Not being from the area took a walk along to board walk and enjoyed the water and numerous shops in the area. I ended up sitting at the bar which is my preference when traveling along. Started with the scallops with capers which had a great presentation and flavor. Wish there were a bit more for the price point. Then had the fresh pasta with ragu which was rich in flavor and perfect for a chilly night. Finished with crème brûlée which was a perfect ending to a great meal and night. Will for sure be back when in town

Homemade pasta stuffed with lobster and mascarpone...pansotti all'aragosta. Try saying that three times fast. Great meal and sat on their heated patio which was nice and quiet. Inside looked warm and inviting too. Would I eat here again? Yes. Also had some excellent panko and almond crusted scallops capesante al sugo. Also prepared

Nothing......Our experience was perfect. My wife and I choose Amano to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary with our 2 adult children. Kalece, our server, was wonderful and made a point to wish us a happy anniversary. We frequently dine at Amano and our this experience only made us want to come back again. There was another server that was very kind to us but we did not get her name. She was working behind the bar and was also moving tables around during our visit. She had a sleeveless top on and tattoos on her right arm. She was wonderful and checked in on us during the evening to ensure everything was going well. I cannot say enough about our experience and the great service and atmosphere. Thank you and we will see you again.

A beautiful and charming spot right by the waterfront -- with delicious food, nice staff, and a great menu. The pizzas are the right size for one person and you might have a slice left over. The pasta is made from scratch and is perfect. Halifax is full of great food but I'll have a hard time leaving the waterfront district now that this one is on my regular rotation.

This is a phenomenal Italian restaurant. Don't miss it. Excellent food, excellent service, all around top-notch eatery.

the food was so tasty and the employees were really nice, it was also very fair priced :3

6 of us dining and we all had something different but we all agreed that everything was 110%%. This was our second visit as we only come to Halifax once a year but this had become our "must do"!

Very happening place in downtown Halifax on Thursday night. If you want a quick table, make sure you get reservation online before you come. Ambience is slow paced and you don't feel rushed. This is a place you can actually tell they have a good chef that cares about the food. I don't remember the names of food I had but we loved it. Rigatoni with chicken, very flavorful and delicious. The sauce didn't feel like it was dumped in my pasta like most restaurant. Good food overall.

Ristorante a Mano is located in downtown Halifax by the scenic waterfront. The inside is dimly lit and has a nice ambience. Menu consists of typical Italian dishes such as pasta, pizza, and seafood options. The main seafood dishes tend to have smaller portion size compared to the pasta and pizza dishes. Service is pretty friendly. The restaurant has dine-in, heated patio, and bar seatings. It tends to get packed, even on weeknights. Making a reservation ahead of time is recommended.

Should you go here? One thousand times YES!!!! Try this place!!! I had the wine and pizza. The pizza rivals the BEST I had in Europe AND NY. It's SO good!! Service was great, setting is a small cove of businesses-

Had an amazing date at a Mano. We got the mushroom pizza and the fettuccine with Demi glaze pasta. Both were super delicious and flavorful. The pasta was super rich and cooked perfectly, while the pizza was super flavorful and delectable. Everything on the menu looked really amazing so I would definitely come back, I would try the lasagna or one of the other pasta dishes if I were to go back.

Affirming my earlier review. Tonight's treat was takeaway, and what better time to order something messy that I am less likely to order to eat in? The scallop starter and lobster spaghetti survived the walk back to the hotel. Consumed on the rooftop deck of our room. :) The scallops were perfectly cooked. My gold standard for lobster spaghetti is Joe Beef's in Montreal, but this version was much less expensive and less heavy on my stomach. A bit of spicy oil with toasted breadcrumbs. A normal sized portion of pasta. I always enjoy a meal at this bustling cozy restaurant by the water.

Great service and amazing food. Best seared Ahi tuna I've had with pasta. The vibe is great. The decor is classy but comfortable. House-made desserts. Halifax is a long way to go, but don't miss this place!

Worst hosting. I've been there 100 times before and the new female was rude and said "no table for you" with an attitude after being on the wait list for 59 mins yet tables were available. I know the male host who is amazing but she is new and rude and unorthodox. Not worth the wait.

Excellent food and superb service. I do find it a little loud, but it doesn't take away from the exceptional food the tortellini is amazing.

Good pasta and pizza. Nice ambiance and quick service. Price was very reasonable as well

We had an absolutely excellent meal. Everything was so amazing. The service was great. Wish I lived in Nova Scotia so I could go back on a regular basis!

Wow this was seriously the best pizza I've ever had!! The server mentioned the pizza chef is from Italy - we've had pizza all over Italy and this Napoli pizza was better. The have a nice patio with nice greenery around that was heated/ covered so it kept us warmer on a cooler day. They had a good wine list here also - best pizza and wine = best date afternoon. It will be our first stop next time we visit Halifax again! 10/10!!!! Side note: Book a reso so you aren't waiting

Outstanding service, classic Italian menu. Drinks OK. Reasonable prices. We dined outside on the patio overlooking the parking lot.

We started off our trip to Nova Scotia Halifax. We are excited to start off our Seafood binge week. Went here for lunch. Ordered the seared scallops, and yes... this was a great start! .. fresh, perfectly seared. The Espagnole sauce was a new surprise. I've added it to my list of fav sauces. Calamari spot on, daughter gave thumbs up. Her most memorable meal of the trip was the kids pasta! We're from Vaughan ON, so she knows. My wife's fav was the Sherry, garlic cream sauce on the jumbo shrimp. Soo good, we cleaned the plate using the pizza crusts. Truffle oil, with mushroom pizza 5*. Great service and accommodating our large group. Thank you for the great memories!

Very popular restaurant and busy. Definitely book ahead of time to get a table. Great selection on the menu with pastas and pizzas, something for everyone.

Another great restaurant on the boardwalk in Halifax. Like all of the sister restaurants in this group you can expect great food, great atmosphere and excellent service.

We tried this restaurant, by luck. The restaurant was full, and we did have to wait for a while since we had a large party and wanted to be seated outside. Excellent bar and wine list by the glass as we waited. The wait was worth it, as the services was excellent and the food was spectacular. We shared a few appetizers, calamari, scallops, and focaccia. Wonderful presentation and very tasty. I tried their spaghettini all'aragosta, and it has been one of the best I have tried anywhere. Everyone at the table was very happy about their choices, the service, and the ambiance. A Mano was one of the memorable meals we had in the area, so i I am ever back in Halifax, I will be returning more than once.

I usually come here for date nights or other special events! The food is always delicious and the service is always very friendly. The food comes out promptly and the drinks are good too. My one complaint would the noise- it can be hard to have a conversation with the person across from you when you're competing against the music and other folks around you. Other than that, it is definitely worth visiting! (The outside seating is a lot quieter and I will always ask for that option if it's available and weather appropriate!)

A great place to eat...we ordered calamari which is one of the best in the city, Pollo pizza as well as their spaghetti with meat balls is really tasty. The location is also spot on. I would suggest maybe giving some bread and butter or something to start with while people are waiting for their food especially because there's already a long wait to get a table. But overall, we highly recommend this restaurant.

Excellent, friendly service and very good food. Their outside patio is a pleasant place to spend an evening. It is right in the city so the city sounds are very much with you.

Great Italian restaurant by the harbourfront of Halifax, NS! The location is perfect for those visiting (like me!) and it is great to people watch! We were a group of 7 and we sat outside. We started off with some beers and wines and then ordered a bunch of appetizers to share including the calamari, the minestra della sposa soup and the beet salad. The calamari was so good and the beet salad was the best I have ever eaten! I ordered the pistachio crusted tuna which was well cooked and so delicious and it came with spaghettini pasta which nicely complimented the fish. The other popular dish at the table was the gnocchi which was cooked with toasted hazelnuts. We got a pizza for the table- word on the street is that this is some of the best pizza out there. Loved the staff- so very friendly, loved the location, loved the décor but most importantly loved the food!

went recently with my cousin and it was AMAZING. i am a huge italian fan and the pasta and bruschetta was amazing. the bruschetta came with 3 different toppings, mushrooms, tomatoes, fig and cheeses and every one of them was delish. service was good especially considering that it was very busy in the restaurant, as for ambiance the restaurant was very nice and had a nice italian atmosphere, only complaint is that it was very packed and close together so it was hard to hear talkinf sometimes but that is very minor, definitely would recommend!!

I have gone here several times and I really like the pasta here. Great variety. My favourite is the tortellini.

We went with our parents and in laws. I think we all enjoyed what we had. Our waiter was so personable and lovely. We were ready to adopt him into the family. I had a scallop orzo pasta dish. Every bite was a masterpiece.

Went there for supper with some friends the other night, it was very busy but the service was amazing..... The food is great tasting, great selection . We we extremely happy, I highly recommend this place!

Offering an excellent ambiance by the waterfront with quality service and food, A Mano is for sure one of the best in Halifax, but its not saying much It doesnt take away the care for quality and craft that A Mano delivered in this city with barely any food scene. Chacuterie board was really good assortis of quality meat and cheeses, the salad was good, and the pizza while unbalanced in flavours and way too salty was still better than average I would recommend going to their sister restaurant the bicycle thief for a better overall experience

Loved the décor, loved the service, loved the food. Beautiful, thick glass lighting fixtures, fancy Italian soaps in the bathrooms and Italian music playing (Zucchero, I think. I would suggest that they add a few female singers to the mix. Hard to hear the music in the main dining area, but it is piped into the loos). Seating options included tables with chairs, tables with mini-banquettes (you'd have to see them) and bar dining. Our server was the fun and knowledgeable Trevor who had ready answers for our many questions. He made us feel welcome and made serving look effortless, the hallmarks of a professional. The calamaretti fritti was crispy yet light. I wasn't as keen on the focaccia. The small pollo salad was easily large enough to serve as a side for three people; the grape tomatoes were slightly cooked, not cold and raw as they often are. Prices for food items were surprisingly reasonable, wines less so. An 8 oz glass of an non-vintage Italian was $19. Would happily return.

I cannot possibly understand the patrons' standards who have given 4* to 5* to this restaurant. Four of us went to the restaurant at 1:35 PM (thinking later we go, less wait we will endure) on Friday the 13th. Perhaps the 13th got us! :) We received our food after exactly 57 minutes of waiting! I expressed my dismay to the waitress, stating that we had to to go back to our works, and waiting for a pizza for 57 minutes, under any circumstances, was unreasonable. Ironically, she politely said that she would relay the message to the manager; however, we all felt she felt antagonized, in that she did not come back to our table for 22 minutes. When she returned, she never asked (a) whether we needed anything; and (b) whether the food provided to us was OK! Needless to say that there was nothing done in response to our dismay; no apologies or . . . . I honestly have no idea how this restaurant survives with such a sub-standard of service. All one would think is that the patrons who gave the restaurant such high ratings were perhaps not exposed to decent restaurants with professional service. As for the food, my pizza was OK (6 out of 10)! Amano - NEVER AGAIN! Shame! PS. I WILL share this sad and unpleasant experience with all my coworkers and friends

Went here during our honeymoon. This was some of the best food and service I've had in my life!! The pasta all made fresh, and absolutely delicious! We had the arugula roasted beet salad and loved it so much we asked for the dressing recipe. Located right on the waterfront too so the atmosphere was stunning. Loved it so much we made reservations for two days later. I already can't wait for my next trip home safe I can dine here again.

Such a great place right on the waterfront! We actually went there for a drink but it turned into a bottle of wine night along with their antipasto board which might I say was HUGE! I find that a lot of the boards we've tried have been small and lacking volume but this one was satisfying. We were recommended to order a half side of bread along with it which was necessary because there wasn't much included on the plate. If you have the chance eat on the patio, it's beautiful!

I must do when you visit Halifax! The food was delicious and the service was excellent!! Shout out to server Andrea for offering great service. I ordered the calamari, spaghettini with meatballs, and tiramasu for dessert. I can't wait to go back one day!

Very lively, bustling by the waterfront late into the night - think big American-Italian classics and giant portion sizes and lots of family gatherings. It does get quite loud here, so not a good spot for first dates. Otherwise it's fun and family friendly, though a reservation might be a good idea since it gets jam packed during peak hours. The vegetarian bruschetta starter was very mediocre, just three pieces of bruschetta with supermarket cheese and veggies on top. The seafood soup ($23) did not come with bread to soak up the sauce unfortunately, but the giant shrimp and pieces of seafood were impressive. The gnocchi was a huge portion, standard and otherwise no surprises. Basically the food here is very standard and nothing special, and the place is better suited for a wholesome family outing than for a gastronomic experience.

Best meal we've had in Halifax - and conveniently right by the waterfront so there's plenty to do within walking distance afterwards. Portions are large and incredibly affordable, it would be near impossible to find something this delicious and inexpensive anywhere in Toronto. The only thing we found odd was our party of four was charged $3 each ($12 total) for the still water they brought over to the table - never had to pay for bottles of water on the table before. However I would recommend and go back 100 times over!

Beautiful environment and delicious food! I was later told it's owned by the same people as the Bicycle Thief and I'm not surprised - both have a nice, welcoming vibe. This place just feels a little more casual compared to the Bicycle Thief and is less packed. I got the seafood pasta and the portions were generous - plenty of fresh seafood - and it was delicious. My handsome, young server kept calling me "my dear", which I found both endearing and funny because usually people my mom's age or older call me that. The pasta was cooked a bit past al dente - I would have preferred it with more of a bite - but I enjoyed it all the same and I would totally return!

Thank you to Mallory our server. She was wonderful by answering all of our questions and with some of members of our table deciding to change parts of their order a few times and even after the food had started being prepared (we believe), she made it happened, so that everyone got what they wanted. So a big THANK YOU for your patience. Now for the food. We have been to Amanos before. This was our fifth time and we were expecting the same quality as before. We had not been there in 3 years, but the quality was unbilieveable. Everything looked better and tasted even better than the last times we had been there. I feel bad I'm only able to Amanos a 5 star rating, because the flavor and presentation of my meal as well as everyone else at our table was beyond amazing. Hats off to everyone in the kitchen, your food was amazing. I give this meal and experience 9.5 out of 5. Great Job Amanos.

Pasta La Vista baby, lol. Terrible joke but needed a headline. I love this place. Been here five times, ordered different food every time and was never disappointed! Customer Service: Always great. Haven't had a bad experience. And if they have a wait, they take your phone number and can text you if you prefer. So they are efficient, and friendly. Food: Fantastic. Great quality AND the pricing is a few dollars lower than expected for the area. Which probably explains why it's always busy. Sometimes there is a delay in when the food comes but it always comes warm/hot and ready to eat. Atmosphere: If you want quiet, try the outside patio. It's way quieter. But this is an Italian restaurant. They are notorious for being a bit on the loud side. Washrooms: The mark of a clean kitchen, often shows in the washroom. Not sure why, but I was given this tip a few years ago and find it holds true. Their washrooms are always clean and well maintained. Conclusion: If you want a great restaurant with excellent food, AND want to be by the waterfront but don't want to pay waterfront food prices, this is it!

Most recent visit: a sunny Monday in Feb 2019 after their new renos (my 2nd visit since the new renos). The place was mostly empty at about 11:40 and still not busy when we left about an hour later. Hopefully the lunch crowd picks up for them, which I assume it will when it gets nicer outside. Anyway, same excellent service as always. We split a pizza as an appetizer, which is not something I'd normally have the appetite for. lol. The pancetta, polpette e funghi (San Marzano tomato sauce, crispy pancetta, housemade meatballs,wild mushrooms, mozzarella....$16) was quite good, lots of flavor, thinner crust style. (as all of their pizzas are). I tried the linguine alla carbonara (Linguine sautéed with bacon, egg, cracked black pepper & parmigiano....$16). There wasn't very much sauce on it at all, the way I am used to a carbonara being/almost alfredo-like. This made me happy though, because I usually want less sauce than most places serve. It was more on the naked side, but still hit that carb craving perfectly, and there was enough bacon to get a small piece per forkfull. For dessert, we each had a coppa al caramello (Salted caramel & vanilla gelato layered with caramel & chocolate sauces, toffee crunch, whipped cream, cookies $9), but we substituted the vanilla scoop for chocolate. It tasted exactly as it sounds. Needless to say, I had to roll to the car when done. But look forward to getting back here soon.

Been here a few times & it'll always stick as the restaurant with my most favourite pasta dish that I have ever ordered; the Penne a la boscaiola, mm! I've also had a seafood pasta dish (I forget which one), it was good but my tastebuds seem to like creamy with seafood rather than tomato. To each their own! Service has always been great as much as I can remember. Can't wait to be back again.. It's always a hard decision to try a new pasta there or go to your favourite dish since you don't want to miss out on what you know you love!

Dish: Calamaretti Fritti Overall: 4.4/5 Recommend: Yes I have been flat out turned away at the door for not having a reservation at Ristorante a Mano. It's not that I didn't have the right connections, it's just that this place gets really busy, really quickly. The staff is friendly; the food looks good, and they even have some pretty genuine Italian looking words on the menu. It's no wonder this place is so popular. As sat tucked into a small corner table (after making proper plans in advance), and began watching the dining room quickly fill with supper time traffic, there was only one question left to ask... "What movie is that on the TV?" (oh...and also: "how is the Calamari?") ... Value: 4/5 The amount was fair, the price was standard, the calamari itself my not have blown me away but the value certainly seems right. First timer: 5/5 The squid here is excellent, and the sauce is ok. The value works in its favor as a "test" as well. I give it full marks here; I think if this were your first taste of Calamari you'd definitely look at trying it again. ... I like this place. More than most. Did they deliver the best Calamari in town?... read the full review at squidverse.com

Met long time friends at our nearby hotel and walked to Amano. We had reservations and we quickly greeted and seated. It was a tad crowded however it did not change our plans. The service was spot on, quick, polite and the server well versed in the menu answering all our questions. Beverages were ordered and dinner began. We started off with the local scallop appy which was divine. Hubby enjoyed the lasagna and I enjoyed the house special. Our server was discrete with keeping the water glasses full along with our beverages. Our desserts were also delicious. I would certainly return to this spot should we be back in Halifax. Well done!!

Even though I like their food and atmosphere, I gave them 3 stars just because the takeout experience was nothing comparing to the dine in experience. Great staff, wonderful ambience, tasty food BUT NEVER EVER takeout from them

We went on a Friday night party of 4 with reservations. We were promptly seated. It took very long to place our orders and we were told that the bar and kitchen were backed up and it would be about 40 min before the food came. It would be courteous to offer at least a small basket of bread so that we weren't drinking our wine on an empty stomach. The pizzas were good, as were the scallops and calamari. The salad was also good. The fish served in parchment was lacking in flavor and was over cooked. The accompanying veg was undercooked. The short rib was tasty but could have been more tender. Overall, a lot of room for improvement in terms of food quality and service.