The Wooden Monkey

This is more than just about great local food and drinks! In May I visited Halifax for the first time and the local friends invited us to The Wooden Monkey. We were an international group that felt welcomed. The staff was fun. The story of this restaurant with its beginnings made me see how the local community can transform tragedy into support, legacy and connection. You'll find a unique blend of history, sustainability, entrepreneurship and love for community in relics, decorations or pieces of furniture. In challenging times their story stands true to resiliency and culture that goes beyond time. If I won't be back I'll still be touched by what's possible where we are.

We're in Halifax for a quick visit. Our friends suggested The Wooden Monkey. Great choice. I'd like to start off by saying they got slammed, 21 people at two tables, seven at ours, the staff hustled. I can only imagine how busy the kitchen was. Great job by everyone. After 8 hours of flights to be here, the white wine sangria was amazing. We had the trio of dips which were very tasty. The special dip was warm and spicy. I had the Cajun haddock, very good. Cooked just about perfect and with the right amount of spice. All and all, very enjoyable first meal in Halifax.

The Wooden Monkey serves delicious, locally-sourced food with great vegan and gluten-free options. The service was a bit slow during our visit, but the staff were warm, friendly, and made us feel welcome. Great atmosphere and values—worth the wait for a tasty, mindful meal.

Love everything about this place. Cool vibe, supporting local product and lot's of gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options! Staff is very welcoming and extremely nice (Thank You Alice). After a long day at the beach, there Vegan donair sandwich with chickpea salad hit the spot. Full of flavour and for a person that’s not a fan of the sauce I have to admit it was pretty damn good. Looking forward to go back and try the Scallops/Pasta

Had the delicious chickpea salad. Decor was adorable. A burger was also had and yummy. Although the potato wedges weren’t very crispy; almost I don’t wanna say soggy or mushy but definitely would have preferred crispier😁

My son and I went for a pre concert supper, he had the seafood chowder with home made iced tea and I had the monkey Pita with half apple salad, half toasties, with a margarita. All of our food was delicious as always, service was great! Love that we get to support so many local businesses by eating here as so much of their ingredients are locally sourced! Lots of options for vegetarian and gluten free diets. They even asked if there were any allergies when they took our order which was great

Chanced upon this restaurant by accident. Wanted to give it a try and have a good view of the city at the same time. Must say that the food was excellent . We had the cream of broccoli and a veggie pizza . Though the food took a while to arrive, it was absolutely delicious. Would highly recommend the restaurant to anyone visiting the area :)

OK so first off you HAVE TO EAT HERE!! From start to finish this place is outstanding, as soon as we stepped in the door we were made to feel welcome. The atmosphere and ambiance sets the right tone for sure. The waitress was so relaxed, friendly and helpful Now let’s talk about the menu - so much variety and choice and it’s all local!! My wife has to eat gluten free which can often prove to be a problem but not here, just about every item on the menu can be made gluten free!! Once you actually eat your food you will, without question, be back. I cannot wait to come back to try another choice from the menu. Without question one of the best restaurants in Halifax.

Great food. Great ambiance. Excellent service. Highly recommend. The chef focuses on locally sourced ingredients and beverages. Had the fish and chips and the 3 dips. All was great

The food at The Wooden Monkey was ok, but someone decided to salt the food all over with tons of salt. It was a weekend and the place was packed which did kind of reduce the ambiance.

The restaurant has a great location near the Citadel. We enjoyed our food but it took a long time to receive our meals. If you have more time to spend and aren't in a hurry, it is a solid choice. They also have outdoor seating.

Nice place to people watch and although a bit noisy, it's cheerful, welcoming noise. The server was wonderful to this solo traveler

Sadly our experience was underwhelming. We were not overly pleased with our pizza or cocktails. The service was good and the ambience was nice though. I'd try it again, as we may have just ordered the wrong stuff.

After work myself and my co workers went here for dinner and drinks. If you want to sample the variety of beers, ales and lagers of The area this is a must stop. They carry over 50 different brands of beer. I had the classic shandy. As an ex-pat I have fond memories of shandies as a kid. This drink brought back those memories. This would make an excellent thirst quencher on a hot day. I downed the thing and ordered another. I had the nachos. While on the over done side it was still a decent portion. My co workers all had a range of seafood dishes and pastas. To a person they all enjoyed their meals. I even had a few staff try a shandy to see what the fuss was about. The place was very accommodating. As a party of 8 we had great seats and the staff provided separate bills. We all left happy and full. Cheers.

Decided to take the ferry to explore the other side of the harbor. Cute restaurant, farm to table style. I ordered a drink and side salad to eat while sitting on their porch enjoying the sun and waterfront views. Service was attentive and friendly. Worth checking out!

The food was wonderful. The service was great. Nice quaint little restaurant. I'm vegan and need gluten-free. They had exactly what I needed. And it was very tasty. I was a happy girl. The best place I have eaten on this trip.

We arrived more than an hour before our rez but staff was so accommodating- we were seated after a few minutes at the cool upstairs bar. Interesting cocktails and yummy fish with fresh veggies. Great service. This was our only night in Halifax and we chose well. I would rate meal and service a 4+.

Delicious food, great service! We had the cream of mushroom soup and haddock burger. Great selection of local beers.

Surprisingly good food and pleasant service. Definitely worth a visit if you're nearby.

took a while but was so worth it. my server was also very awesome and nice. The surrounding is very nice vibes. And the food OMFG just the best.

The waiter was friendly although not very attentive. The pizza was among the worst I've ever had. The crust was thin and the dough seemed frozen and obviously pre-made (not homemade). The location of the restaurant was convenient to lots of attractions downtown though.

Terrific location with a street patio. Enjoyed a breezy late dinner of bacon wrapped scallops with a ginger shandy. Excellent and thoughtful menu of gluten free/vegan/vegetarian dishes for everyone in your party. Attentive server provided great service and local info.

Beautiful location in Halifax. The restaurant wasn't very crowded so we were able to choose where we wanted to sit. Our waiter was super nice and friendly. They even had books and coloring books along with markers for kids. We ordered scallops pasta which was delicious and the scallops were so fresh and perfectly prepared. The rice bowl also had the incredible scallops and tons of vegetables which was nice. The tofu was bland but the dressing/sauce it came with gave it plenty of flavor. The fish and roasties weren't as impressive though. The fish was slightly dry but the fries were good. The parking was bit tricky as only street parking was available at the time. There was construction going on, so hopefully this isn't an ongoing issue.

We ordered a coffee, tea and dessert. The tea was served in a cheap little metal pot. The tea and coffee are almost $4 each. The dessert which was not great was $10. We will never go back again.

Among the top 5 worst customer service I've ever experienced. It's one thing when a single member of the waitstaff or maybe two does it but for the entire restaurant to seemingly purposely ignore our presence is just insulting. Waited about twenty minutes for someone to receive us who had a reservation but instead wanted to wait on the lady in front of us who acknowledged she did not have a reservation. The most we got was an occasional glance our way and then they would all walk away. We left and went to Julep across the street where even in a packed restaurant we were greeted immediately with eye contact and smiles. I have a high respect for people in the food service industry. It is a hard job to do and I feel like I'm very forgiving because it's really tough. But ignoring people is not specific to the service industry. That's just damn rude.

we had a great dining experience at The Wooden Monkey! It's a very cool building with lots of wood and two floors. The staff was professional and friendly and food was great. Bonus-- fun classic oldies playing and not too loud.

Really good! Healthy options which is a plus!

I like the idea behind the restaurant. Locally sourced foods and a good vegan selection. The location is super convenient. I came for lunch and had the soup of the day (sweet potato) and fish. I thought my breaded fish was not bad, but wasn't very good either. The soup sounded good from the description, but again tasted average (maybe even overly peppery). It quickly became a meal for sustenance after a long day of traveling. For the price, overall disappointing.

I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone who does not like blend tasting vegan food that feels like rubber in your mouth

Located on the corner of Grafton and Prince. Very cozy setting. Our waiter Kyle was very personable, friendly and attentive. We ordered their soup of the day which was cream of broccoli and mussels. The soup was okay but the mussels is highly recommended. Good amount of mussels for less than $12. Also, soup and mussels came with delicious bread, too!

We had heard of the wooden monkey and walked by it several times. One night we tried it. Our expectations were met and exceeded. The service was knowledgeable, professional and commeradic. Lots of recommendations were provided and the choices were left to us. After much back and forthing we landed on a couple of dips, bacon wrapped scallops and scallop quinoa-brown rice pasta. The restaurant offers many choices for all kinds of food preferences. If you happen to get a window seat the view is nice to have. Chairs are tables are wooden, warm and comfortable.

This restaurant is fantastic. This was our first meal of our trip to the Maritimes. We found out about the Wooden Monkey through other yelpers. The food is fantastic. Since we are from Toronto we were craving good seafood. I ordered the Haddock Fish and chips. The fish and chips were nicely battered and quite large. My husband ordered the Cajun Haddock and the fish melted in your mouth. The veggies were also really well seasons. I had to try the Tofu chocolate tart. This is a perfect dessert if you love chocolate. This was our favorite restaurant from our entire trip around the Maritimes. Definately recommend it.

Best nachos in NS....said a guy who spent a week in NS . Seriously, unlike most places that throw stuff on a pile of chips, what I liked about these nachos was the effort to layer the chips with toppings: clearly by laying out a base of chips, adding stuff, adding more chips, then stuff, etc. Great craft beer selection as well. Go upstairs for a nice view of the city.

Menu could have been richer. Decent beer. I had the pulled pork beef burger, it was ok. The pizza (bbq chicken) was only ordinary, nothing special. The ambiance is happy, friendly and inviting. A number of NS beer to choose from. I picked the Bug Spruce Org. Cereal Killer Stout. I enjoyed drinking it ! Staff are super nice and helpful. The only minus is that some items on the menu were not available.

We are flying out of Halifax tomorrow and were in the area getting our Covid tests done. So glad we stopped at The Wooden Monkey, it was one of our favorite restaurants of our trip! Convenient parking nearby - it's a hotel parking garage. You do have to pay. I had the salmon. I could have done without the bacon on it, which made it just a bit too filling/rich but it tasted great. My mom had the lamb burger which she loved. My dad had the lentil burger and apple salad. We all absolutely loved the chocolate tofu pie. Don't be scared off by the tofu, it was absolutely fantastic. I also had their virgin blueberry/lavender mojito which was great. Friendly service. I highly recommend.

We had a nice dinner with an amazingly friendly server. We like that they make healthy foods that are sourced locally. We had the pulled pork beef burger on a gluten free bun with a sweet potato fries substitute and the fish and roasties. Both meals were quite good although I found the gluten free bun was a little too tough instead of fluffy. The fish was good as well and since it was not deep fried it wasn't crispy as you would normally get but still tasty with a nice flax seed breading.

This place is a must try. Very unique from The choice of beverage, starters and entrees. Had to ask about dessert too and again pleasantly please!

I appreciate a gastropub with lots of yummy choices that caters to those with special requirements. This is a cute, homey yet bright space near the waterfront. Service is friendly and very helpful. We ordered: Nachos (with some ingredients deleted). This does not sound exciting but it was exactly what my kid wanted. Fish and rosti. The fish was baked and tasty Salmon with bacon glaze with my choice of baked sweet potato rosti. This was healthy and fantastic. Wow. Refreshing lemonade Garrison tall ships ale was enjoyed Lemon-lime soda tasted a bit like apples Blueberry crisp was huge, perfect for sharing. This mad packed with wild blueberries, an interesting crunch topping and maple whipped cream.

Meal was misrepresented on the menu (chickpea salad), dining room was hot, and wait staff was cold.

Great lunch joint right here! I got the seafood chowder which was portioned just right for me. I didn't want a ton of food but I did want great flavor and this dish did it for me. My buddy got the curry taco special and said it was awesome! The atmosphere was fun. Looks like the restaurant has won several awards (pic provided). Solid place for great food!

Really disappointed in the food and the value for money at this restaurant. I came here with a group of six after a conference day at the convention centre which is really close by. The rice bowl was extremely salty and almost inedible. When I told the waiter they did offer to give me a free dessert or add more rice however I felt like the food itself really couldn't be eaten and I didn't want to stay for dessert. I will say the service was very friendly and he continually refilled our waters throughout the meal. I would not recommend this place for dinner however they did have some decent beers on tap and if you wanted to watch the game in Roger's square across the street - then you could sit at a window seat here and still be part of the action.

Fresh, interesting, and delicious food. Everything I've had here has been delicious. Great location, laid-back atmosphere.

Amazing food, well worth its price. The Novascotian Salmon was delicious, perfectly executed. The maple syrup on top did not over power to fish but complimented it. Also the Cajun Haddock packed with flavour that surprised me when I took my first bite. Both main dishes came with mash and veggies. Mash was just right and the veggies were cooked wonderfully. My brother hates ginger but the ginger served didn't have the strong taste, never knew ginger could taste like that. The desserts were made very tasteful as well. The apple pie was overall good and the blueberry crisp was interesting. Both complimented with whip cream. The whip cream was not overly sweet. Well balanced EDIT: forgot about the mussel starters. They gave us a good portion for three, pretty good

Was disappointed with the meal - roasted chicken sandwich was very tasteless and the roasties were burnt to a crisp. The live slug that came with our meal was extremely disappointing. Although pure accident, the response on how it was handled was extremely disappointing . :(

Absolutely delicious! The aioli that comes with the fish cakes punches you in the tastebuds (in a good way). I LOVE that there is an apple salad for us vegetable-picky folks who still want to attempt to be healthy. Roasties were amazing. Great value overall. Would definitely order again :)

My husband and I were looking for a good lunch place near the Halifax Citadel and came across The Wooden Monkey. Loved the food and the charming atmosphere. I had the scallop pasta which was just the perfect size. It was creamy and delicious. My husband had the Chorizo pizza which was very generously topped with Chorizo. The beer list had a good amount of local brewers on tap and I appreciate that you could order a small 10oz size. Would recommend it!

Just arrived from Texas, we were hungry, the door man at Prince George hotel suggested The Wooden Monkey, man was he correct. Melissa took great care of us, her suggestions hit the spot, plus she is a excellent waitress, her choice of music for the background is also great. Plus the Ice Tea and desserts man what else could ask for. Thanks Melissa

Was downtown today and saw this place and decided to check it out. When entering it had an inviting atmosphere, plus they were playing Fleetwood Mac on their sound system, which is always nice. As it was only 5 pm I got a table and was served right away. The waitress, Kayleigh, was really friendly and recommended the pulled pork burger. I followed her recommendation and it was tasty and very filling. I would go back to this restaurant again in the future.

Very friendly, accommodating staff, especially during covid. The food was absolutely delicious (I enjoyed the scallop pasta). Overall, excellent experience!

Centrally located by the Citadel, the Wooden Monkey makes a convenient stop after a visit to the Citadel. They have a good selection of vegan/vegetarian options including a lentil burger that looked tasty. My beef burger was decent and they have a representative draft beer selection. They also have an outdoor patio. If you are looking for a low key option downtown this may be a good choice.

Really enjoyed it - good food and service. Good selection fir those with celiac disease.

Great food; some vegan, some vegetarian, some meat. Great service. Lots of character, bohemian feel.

A great spot for a the delicious sangria, not to mention that amazing apple salad! A group of 5 of us ate before fun party cruise on the Silva. They were accommodating to our time constraints. Our waitress was lovely. I ordered the scallop pasta as well. It was quite lovely.

Have you ever been served by Batman? I have, and I have documentary proof of it. Check the server's name on the bill when you visit this small resto that prides itself on local, organic offerings. Seating options are the standard table-and-chair combo and bar dining. The décor is nothing special, but there is a giant monkey poster on one wall. Reasonable prices, even on alcohol. Steinhart is a NS gin. I had a Steinhart G+T at Wooden Monkey ($7). Bought a bottle of Haskap Berry gin (one of their specialty gins) at the Seaport Market on the same trip. My dining companion had the 9" pulled pork pizza with BBQ sauce ($17) which she found tasty and filling. I had the large beet salad ($13.50); it would have been better if the beets were served warm. I believe that she had a lemon tart for dessert. She almost licked the plate - for real. Batman was entertaining and efficient. He must have been wearing the suit underneath his street clothes...

Great restaurant right on the Dartmouth Waterfront. Excellent food, service and that view!

Went there for dinner and had a vegetarian curry and added the local fresh scallops. Hmmmm!!!! It was so so delicious! The flavours were just heavenly and you could taste the freshness of all the ingredients. The scallops were cooked to perfection! The restaurant has two levels, we sat upstairs and it's such a cool place there. All the tables and chairs are different. The interior boasts a rustic and comfortable feel and there is so much to look at and to enjoy! Every single individual of the staff is super friendly and welcoming, making you feel right at home. I highly recommend this place!!

Fantastically delicious meal. I had asked a work colleague to choose a restaurant to celebrate a work achievement and he had gladly selected the Wooden Monkey to dine together. You enter the restaurant and it's set in an old downtown building with creaky floors but has that "Haight-Ashbury" SF feel to it. Free, eclectic and individualistic are the best words that come to my mind. The menu looked to be an amazing offering of carefully selected menu offerings. Everything looked just so damm good that I had a hard time coming to a concensus on what to choose. So I had decided to go with their vegetarian curry but with an added serving of NS Scallops. This was one of the most delicious curries I've had in some time. It was the perfect balance of fresh vegetables with a sauce that was slightly sweet but fragrantly aromatic and creamy. It was one of those meals in which you savour and yearn to come back to test more out. Service was cordial friendly and not too intrusive. We also had an explanation of the new convention center being built across the way. Exceptional meals rest with you as a memory that need to be repeated.