The Bicycle Thief

This place came highly recommended by a few people, and always seems to be on every "must eat" list for Halifax. We were incredibly disappointed with our experience. Our server was not very engaging, didn't make us feel welcome (not even a hi how are you, and I don't think they looked at us in the face once). More than once they muttered words of annoyance past our table after interacting with other tables in their section. We just felt like a burden being there.
The food was ok, the location is obviously beautiful.
I hope this was a one off, but we're not really inclined to go back. We spent a lot of money to feel like we were a pain being there.

This is hands down my favourite place to take out of town guests for its ambiance and outstanding dishes. Had a delicious lunch with my daughters and visiting friend today and just had to post about our amazing server, Matty — Funny, friendly, charming and so on it, he is upbeat, knowledgable and so good at what he does. I’m going to ask for him next time I have an out-of-towner

Shared a number of dishes with friend and it was all phenomenal!
Lobster corn chowder, scallops, octopus apps and seafood stew. All fresh, flavourful and perfectly cooked.
For dessert, had a lemon meringue tart and pistachio cheesecake. If I had to choose one, I'd go with the cheesecake.
Visiting Halifax on business and this by far was my fave restaurant.

I always have the best time receiving good service and delicious food in this amazing restaurant.

Exceeded all expectations! From start to finish, this restaurant was unbelievably good. Food, drinks, service and ambience, all 10/10. They even have homemade gluten free bread!

Had the Lobster linguine (recommended by the server) and my friend had the diavolo linguine. Both dishes were pretty bland and lacked seasoning, which was pretty disappointing considering how well this place is rated. We also had the calamari which wasn't horrible, just alright. Focaccia bread was super soft, but it was cold and the tomato pesto they give you with it was also really bland.

Overall wished it was better. Great service though.

Amazing food, Service and pet friendly on the patio! They gave us bread and hummus, we tried 4 different pasta dishes which were all amazing, and finished it off with their gelato. Highly recommend!

The ravioli was EXCELLENT.but.the portion should be a bit bigger (wife's seafood pasta and son's burger/fries were quite large but the ravioli (4-5 pieces?) was very small). I still gave the food a 5 though. Despite the portion the ravioli tasted amaaazing. Our waitress, Fraya (spelling?), was fantastic; very attentive and helpful. Thanks for a great evening! I'd highly recommend Bicycle Thief to anyone

Great food and view of the discovery district and waterfront. Really enjoyed our lunch! Had the burger and a lobster roll. Started with the panzanella salad. Would highly recommend all three.

Excellent food and environment. Don't think I've ever had shrimps so tasty like the ones prepared by them. Will definitely go back when visiting Halifax.

Wow so good
Prices are very reasonable
Serving sizes on some dishes are huge the food and service was spectacular
Definitely going back

A great experience. Seated in a quiet location next to a fireplace. Service, atmosphere and food was amazing:)

Great service and food! I have several dietary restrictions for health reasons in the last few months. The waitress was excellent and very attentive to my needs. I was even surprised by some warm rosemary glutein free bread. We'll be back!:)

Love their food! Would recommend to the fullest! I can eat tons of tasteless bread with their chowder and sauce! Seafood is just exquisite and tasteful with all wonderful flavors:)
Would come again for sure!

Great friendly service. The food and drinks were delicious. The servings are big, you can definitely share appetizers and desserts.

There's nothing negative to say about this restaraunt! The service is phenomenal, the food is delicious, the location is beautiful, the wine/cocktails are great, ambiance is amazing. 100% recommend dining here, you won't be disappointed!

The food was decent! My friend ordered the ravioli and only got 6! I ordered the lobster roll! It was quite good and enough good for me to share with my friend so she wouldn't be hungry.

Was wonderful to be back eating at this great restaurant. The whole evening was wonderful. The food was delicious and portioned perfectly. Our server was wonderful and very helpful with recommendations. Can't wait until our next visit.

️Can’t visit to Halifax without eating here — in 2019 we waited for 1hr45mins to be seated but all so worth it️ Today we ate here for lunch️ Great food & excellent service by Beverley

My wife and I dined at The Bicycle Thief on the last day of our honeymoon and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This restaurant was recommended to us through family and we are so glad we went. We were kindly greeted when we entered, seated at a table with a beautiful view of the water and were offered complimentary champagne with them having learned that we had just gotten married. Our waitress Emily did an excellent job at setting the table, bringing out food, providing recommendations on the menu and even left us with a free dessert. Though only having worked there for a short time, she contributed to the great experience, particularly when she came over to ask how the flavours of our pasta was with everything (rather than just asking "how are the first couple bites" which you hear everywhere). Everything about this restaurant was above our expectations. The service, the food, the 15 minute regularly cleaned bathrooms. We highly recommend eating here to anyone and we will definitely be back to our new favourite restaurant in the maritimes!

Alright so I have heard a lot of good things about the Bicycle Thief but I don't think it lives up to the hype. The service was very good, and the atmosphere was lovely, but all the food fell flat. The scallop appetizers came with a puree that sweetness wasn't balanced in the brown butter. The spaghettini had the base of an almost there dish but the pasta tasted like it was out of a box and there wasn't enough flavours in the dish to incorporate the seafood set beside it. All the seafood in the fisherman's stew was cooked perfectly but it fell short in seasoning.

My biggest complaint if the serving size of the ravioli. For the price I would have expected more than the 6 ravioli that the dish came with. Even with cutting them into small pieces my partner finished their plate far before we finished ours and was still hungry. Luckily there was the free bread. The deserts we're good though.

I do hope they keep up the covid screens after things die down as it kept the experience much quieter and private.

I would give it a 3.5 if I could.

First dinner of my first trip ever to Halifax was the Bicycle Thief. Did not disappoint. Had the lobster chowder and shared seared scallops with a friend. Both were so good. Bartender can make a virgin drink for DDs. Highly recommended place to visit.

So delicious!
Fantastic atmosphere with tasty menus.
Love to visit here for a special occasion.

Great service - attentive and prompt. You could tell that they were busy but needs were definitely met. Shared the calamari which was fresh. A little lacking in flavour though. The fruiti del mare was delicious, the sauce separated a little leaving the last bites rather oily. Seafood again was very fresh!

From start to finish, this was an amazing experience. Atmosphere of fire place and dim lighting made it the perfect spot to view the waterfront. Staff is attentive. Food was beyond expectations. Calamari was light, crispy, and with a hint of lemon. Scallops were delicious. Sopped up the left over cream sauce with the homemade foccaccio. Lobster linguine was delicious with lots of lobster.

Food is amazing, temperature is perfect, never a disappointment. Can't say enough about the service! Thank you!

Lovely wine bar w beautiful ambiance and top notch unassuming yet professional service. Only downside were the so so scallops. All other seafood was outstanding, highly recommend this restaurant.

So delicious. Had the pasta with frutti di mare using a white sauce. Mitchell, our waiter, was fabulous and gave us recommendations of where to visit in Halifax. Would go again! 10/10

Place was hot and stuffy didn’t open the doors until later and air cond wasn’t on. Food was okay but nothing outstanding. Service was inattentive had to look for waitress multiple times. Very disappointed.

A must do! Very expensive. Very delicious Italian Fare. Great Service and atmosphere as well. Right on the water which is always a plus!

What an amazing meal. We visited from Ontario on Monday for a great honeymoon dinner. The food has been perfected. Everything is well thought out. And that coconut cake pineapple cake was to die for.
Highly recommend. Great vibe and service also

The food and service is great. But…
We had a reservation from a week in advance for a table inside. We got there on time, had to wait half an hour just to be seated. The table was outside (on a pretty cold day) and by the parking, not the water view!
Very disappointing for such a high end restaurant!

We turned up on spec at 5: 30 pm on New Years Eve having not booked. Although the restaurant was fully booked the were able to fit us in at the bar. We had a fantastic evening. The staff were attentive and very engaging and the atmosphere was busy and buzzing. I chose the quick fried calamari which was superb followed by the wild boar fettuccine which was fantastic and full of flavour all finished off with peanut butter ice cream and a bottle of Merlot. I'm not one for getting excited about new year but my evening at The Bicycle Thief made a fantastic finale to 2018. Thank you.

It's a classy, cozy and expensive place to eat, but you'l meet the greatest folks ever.
Food wise, I didn't have much time to order some while all seats were occupied because of the high season and the passengers of those cruise ships. I assume this place is a worthy luxurious dining one.

The food what we did actually get served was excellent but the portion size owever was way to small for way to much money we ended up leaving there and getting take out somewhere else to fill us

Everyone's experience is probably different but on different categories here's what I think. Decor: very nice, great setting, great view. Food: delicious and didn't take long to prepare. Although, I wasn't happy with the factory quality of the desserts. Tasted like store bought and a let down from the main meal. Service: it was good but at par with all other half decent restaurants in Halifax. Value: although I had an overall good experience I found it very overpriced. I've fed my entire family for the same amount in other places and for the same quality of food. Their prices should be 25% lower. But then again, they probably charge for the view.

Service is excellent and food as well.their flash fried calamari is amazing
pork ribs very good
Only reason i gave 4 instead of 5 is that their tables are so small and uncomfortable as well as chairs and every time.i get there it really makes a difference.a bad one

The name tends to be not related to a restaurant. However I would ride I bicycle through snow to eat here. I have been there every single visit to Halifax and it is always excellent. If you haven’t been there get on your bicycle (or car) and get there. Now!

The food was well prepared and delivered in a timely manner. The hosts were very professional and polite. The atmosphere of the restaurant is intimate and welcoming. A great dining experience.

Delicious food and great location. The patio in the summer is fantastic and they provide blankets as it can get cool by the water in Halifax. Great drink menu and great service. Call ahead to book a reservation if you can! It's very busy all the time, it's fantastic food and service. Lots of Italian dishes!

We stopped in for lunch one day and unfortunately is in the middle of a cruise ship rush. That being said the service was superb and the fare very well prepared.

I’m a burger fanatic, and while most places will ask how done you want your order only to have it ignored in the process, the cooked a perfect medium rare burger: perfect.

Definitely check them out but avoid the cruise ship crowd if at all possible.

That was my first restaurant in Halifax and had wonderful time with nice view at the patio. Lobster sandwich and calamari was the best I had have. Especially it is about 10$ and portion of the dish is more than that. It is worth.

On the water and really good food. Tried the braised fall off the bone beef short ribs and really enjoyed it. I go there at least once each business trip.

Just so happened to be an amazing day walking along the boardwalk for our first afternoon in Halifax.

We got the last table in the sun, it was a four seater but it gave us the opportunity to sit next to each other and people watch. Just after we sat down some buskers from Toronto 'The Louisiana three' started playing on the boardwalk.

Our food showed up, I got the 'Downeast fresh Lobster Roll', she got the 'Penne della Nonna' and both were amazing!

All in all nothing short of a perfect afternoon!

Visited on a particularly busy Thursday night with a friend for late night dinner craving pasta and wasn't the least bit disappointed in the penne della nonna, nor the wine selection available. Service was intermittent and it took a bit to finally be seated (fortunately - the nearby waterfront kept us busy!) but given the sheer volume of diners the waitstaff were catering at the time, that's to be expected. Overall - very satisfying dining experience; you would be hard pressed to find a better restaurant in Halifax for date night!

Oh my.that was such a lovely visit.my first day in Haifax I heard about this great place. I was very impressed with the atmosphere and staff.
When i went there it was packed full and the hostess told me that they typically need reservations and that the estimated time to get a table was about 2 hrs, 30min for a seat a the bar. I wanted the table so I was debating whether to leave and make a reservation for another day, but the hostess was really nice and accommodating. She asked if it's ok to give me a table for 1.25 hrs as it was reserved for someone else. So the deal was I take a spot right away but promise to make it available in an hr.i agreed immediately. The table was honestly at the best spot just by the window overlooking the harbor.
The food was exquisite. I ordered the pistachio salmon, it was fresh and melted like butter in my mouth. The flavors of the toppings and sides complimented the fish very nicely. I then ordered the butterscotch and caramel cake. There are no words to describe that other than delicious and incredibly satisfying, it was sweet but not over the top sweet (i didn't get throat burn from the sweetness), i mean it is caramel after all.

Thank you so much for the nice welcome into the city on my first day! Great start.

The high rating is well deserved without the out of reach price. We really enjoyed our lunch on the patio. The service is great and the meals were too. We tried to get reservations, but it was booked solid both nights we tried. They don't book the patio, but we needed to be sure with the group we were with.

I did not go pass of the front door. Got there at 5: 30pm on a Friday, clearly the place has more than enough space. Went inside, the guy asked us how many we were (4), and then tell us that we need a reservation.not judging their business.one star for attitude.

I was visiting from New York, and this place was great.

It was relatively crowded but luckily there was no wait for us. We sat outside, which was fine since it was beautiful out, and didn't wait too long for our menu's. The wait for the food was pretty long, but it was worth it because the food was delicious. Since it was crowded, my party of four also had to share our table with a party of one, which I didn't mind.

The only reason I give this place 4 stars and not 5 is because there were these obnoxious people, looking around their 20s who were very noisy. They got up at least 3 times while we were there and would walk around the gate and say hello to these friends they happened to know. It got kind of confusing for the waiter because when he got there with their food and they were up, he didn't know who ordered what. They would be up for at least 15 minutes at a time chatting loudly (and cursing). I was also a bit annoyed that no waiters said anything to them to at least quiet down or not curse as loudly.

Other than that I enjoyed my experience very much.

We enjoyed a fantastic dinner here during the week. It's definitely recommended to book reservations ahead of time at this place. They are busy every night of the week. Our sever was Emily and she was extremely helpful and attentive. We had the calamari and scallops to start and they were awesome. The scallops were out of this world. Couldn't recommend this place enough! *** Edit***. We actually booked a second reservation for later in the week also! Had the lobster linguine. It was fantastic!

Great location, right on the water of bishops landing, higher prices are to be expected for a fine dining experience, which the Bicycle aims to provide, can be quite busy in the summer months, so I recommend booking a reservation in advance.

Eating lunch there is such a delightful experience. Good food, fresh air and beautiful harbour. They provide red blankets to keep the customers warm while seating on their patio, very considerate!

Very very nice atmosphere. Excellent food with great attention to detail. Wonderful serving staff. In a world where dissapointment is abundant, The Bicycle Thief provided an excellent experience. No regrets spending the evening here given all the choices.

I don't know if this is a standard experience or a lucky one, but either way it was great.

We went here around 2: 30 pm on a Sunday. We were seated inside right away. For two of us, we had a few oysters, calamari, seafood pasta and lobster pasta. Oysters were the freshest I've ever had, calamari was also excellent- crispy on the outside with a nice chewiness inside, and both our pastas were very good. Calamari portion was big for 2 people; portions for the pastas were reasonable. Lots of seafood and lobster in our respective dishes. Our waiter Thomas was very friendly and observant as well! Our bill came out to ~$70+tax and tip. Not a bad price considering the high quality and quantity of food!

Predictably good. A bit crowded, but sometimes that’s a good thing. Only two vegetarian options on the whole menu (one app and one entree), but such is life.

One of most popular fine dining in the city. Very nice environment and delicious menu. Lamb dishes and deserts are the best there. The view on the water front or the fountain square is good as well.

The restaurant has a unique theme with lots of character and charm. The outdoor eating area is waterfront and prime for enjoying the “Frutti di Mare” (Fruits of the Sea). The mussels and chowder were really fabulous as were the local micro brew beers.