The Ultimate Nova Scotian Food Tour

So much to see, so much to eat! Lunenburg is packed with incredible restaurants offering up the best in local seafood and locally inspired menus. In Lunenburg it’s more of a challenge to find a restaurant that does not serve fresh seafood than one that does!

Visit the South Shore Fish Shack for a simple menu offering up big flavour. For something more decadent visit the Grandbanker Bar & Grill for the Lunenburger, a hamburger topped with lobster and a bacon-wrapped scallop finished with a tarragon butter sauce. Don’t miss The Salt Shaker Deli‘s award-winning chowder, The Half Shell Oysters & Seafood’s fresh seafood dishes on their patio with a spectacular waterfront view, or The Savvy Sailor’s traditional Lunenburg Breakfast of salt cod and smoked bacon fishcakes, or lobster tail tacos right on the waterfront at the Old Fish Factory.

Work up an appetite throughout the day by enjoying a Lunenburg Walking Tour, kayaking at nearby Blue Rocks, or visiting Bluenose II if she’s in port. Stop by Ironworks Distillery for rum samples and a tour and stay overnight in town at one of the many inns or B&Bs in historic homes.

Your coastal culinary adventures continue today as you make your way from Liverpool to Yarmouth. Along the way visit The Emerald Light Kitchen & Bar or Charlotte Lane, both in Shelburne. A must-stop for lobster lovers is Capt. Kat’s Lobster Shack in Barrington, the lobster capital of Canada. Here, the menu offers up such dishes as haddock and lobster bake, creamed lobster (a traditional local favourite), lobster alfredo and their award-winning lobster roll sandwich.

Between Shelburne and Barrington stop at the Black Loyalist Heritage Site to learn more about the role of Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia’s heritage. Walk the on-site trail, learn about Birchtown in the late 18th century which was the largest free Black community in British North America. Visitors can also trace their heritage through the names in the Book of Negroes, a document containing the names of the Black Loyalists who won their freedom by taking up arms for the British.

As you approach the Yarmouth area, the rich Acadian heritage of the area becomes apparent. Visit Le village historique Acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse to learn about fishing and farming traditions at this early 1900s seaside village. While there, savour home-cooked Acadian cuisine. Be sure to also stop at the nearby Red Cap Restaurant for even more Acadian-style cuisine like Rappie Pie. This is also a great place for more untraditional seafood dishes like a lobster club sandwich, lobster scrambled eggs, lobster sauce poutine or seafood crêpes.

Wild Roots Restaurant in Tusket offers up a menu inspired by local and fresh ingredients, while downtown Yarmouth is all about variety. Enjoy burgers or fish tacos overlooking the harbourfront at The Red Shed; patio dining with live music and a vast menu with lots of seafood and beer brewed onsite at Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant & Brew Pub, or coffee, pastries and sandwiches from Sip Café.

As you leave the Annapolis Valley to visit the Northumberland Shore, make your first stop at Masstown Market and Masstown Butchery & Creamery. This favourite road trip pit stop is a great place to stretch your legs and get filled up with tasty treats. From chowder to ice cream, local produce to fish and chips, local cheese to tasty baked goods, you’ll leave this place satisfied.

Next, head towards the north shore and explore the scenic Sunrise Trail. Fox Harb’r Resort is well known for its acclaimed seaside golf course but also home to Atlantic Canada’s first sustainable seafood restaurant. Play a round of golf or enjoy a day at the spa before enjoying an incredible meal overlooking the greens.

As you continue down the Northumberland Shore, visit Jost Vineyards to sample their wines, tour the vineyard and enjoy a light meal in their Seagrape Café. Travel on to Tatamagouche, a charming and colourful village offering up lots to taste and do along their Main Street. Within a 1 km stretch you can sample hand-crafted chocolate at Appleton Chocolates, craft beer at Tatamagouche Brewing Co., enjoy a delightful meal in a restored dining car at the Train Station Inn, and explore the farmers’ market at Creamery Square (Saturday mornings only). Just a short drive to Earltown brings you to Sugar Moon Farm where they host a delicious maple brunch (weekends).

End your day in the town of Pictou where you can walk the waterfront, explore a nearby beach, or settle in a one of the area’s many bed & breakfasts, inns, motels and more.

Today may be a day you’ve been anticipating your entire vacation – driving the Cabot Trail. This spectacular drive is world-renowned for its rugged coastal views, twisting and turning roadway and is mostly located within Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Along the way, be sure to stop at any of the National Park’s 26 hiking trails. Pick up a Perfect Picnic in Cheticamp to enjoy at one of the roadside lookoffs or beaches in the park.

If you’re feeling adventurous and have time, take the extra 30-minute side trip from Cape North to Meat Cove for a visit to the most northern tip of Nova Scotia.

Ingonish is home to Keltic Lodge at the Highlands and Cape Smokey, a year-round mountain playground. Take a ride to the top of the mountain on Eastern Canada’s only gondola, play a round of golf at Highlands Links, explore North Bay Beach and Ingonish Beach and Freshwater Lake before dining at Keltic Lodge.

If you continue to Baddeck for the night, visit the Bell Buoy Restaurant & Supper House, Lakeside Restaurant at Inverary Resort, McCurdy’s Dining Room at Silver Dart Lodge, or Restaurant 100km at Chanterelle Inn.