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The Canteen Interior- Dining Room - The Canteen on Portland, Dartmouth, NS

The Canteen on Portland

4.9
4.9
3357 Reviews
CAN$30 and under
Farm-to-table

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for brunch
The Canteen is a full-service neighbourhood restaurant in Downtown Dartmouth, serving up chef-inspired seasonal fare for lunch, brunch and dinner. At the helm in the kitchen is award-winning chef and co-owner Renee Lavallee. Her seasonal menus are influenced by classic French, Italian and traditional Nova Scotian cuisine – with a little bit of Renée’s magic thrown in. Signature items include The Canteen Burger, The Crobster Roll, Seafood Chowder and more.



Private dining

Private dining

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Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    CAN$30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Farm-to-table, Seafood, Canadian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat 10:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Renee Lavallee

What 3,357 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.8Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Atlantic Canada

    Best Overall

  • Atlantic Canada

    Best Food

  • Atlantic Canada

    Best Service

  • Atlantic Canada

    Best Value

  • Atlantic Canada

    Great for brunch

  • Atlantic Canada

    Neighborhood gem

  • Atlantic Canada

    Most Booked

  • Nova Scotia

    Best Overall

  • Nova Scotia

    Best Food

  • Nova Scotia

    Best Service

  • Nova Scotia

    Best Value

  • Nova Scotia

    Great for brunch

  • Nova Scotia

    Healthy

  • Nova Scotia

    Neighborhood gem

  • Nova Scotia

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Canteen on Portland is a top choice in Dartmouth, known for "amazing food and service" and its "welcoming, bustling atmosphere." Standout dishes include the "crobster," seafood chowder, and carrot cake. Despite occasional noise, the "elevated but approachable menu" and "friendly, knowledgeable staff" ensure a delightful dining experience.

3,357 Reviews
  1. Laura

    Atlantic Canada2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the most amazing service and dinner lastnight! We just sat at the bar for dinner! The bartender/server was incredible!!!!! He made us the best drinks and was very attentive. 10/10 experience.

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  2. KevinM

    Atlantic Canada6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My favorite spot by far. The food, service and vibe are absolutely TOP NOTCH

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  3. arthur

    Atlantic Canada1 review

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The menu was quite small but that is expected with all ingredients made at time of plating rather than frozen foods or sauces. We had 2 duck specials with beet risotto which were very good the other plate was the scallop dish off their menu. All of which were very good and did not dissapoint. The one cocktail we had was very good with nice flavors as they seem to use original recipes with thier cocktails. But this led to thier desert menue. This menue was simple but rather dissapointing compared to the rest of the menue. Creme Brulee which now is everywhere, A Brownie which was served cold and simply put was poor for what should have been expected. A carrot cake (booring and unoriginal). However the value for what we got was very good and i would go here rather than any chain restaraunt out there. Other than the deserts.

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  4. Mossford10

    London3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and friendly service. Recommended in downtown Dartmouth.

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  5. Mary

    Atlantic Canada1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Don't hesitate to check out the Canteen for a quality, delicious meal. Such a great vibe, fresh local ingredients and exceptional staff and service.

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  6. Lisa

    Atlantic Canada2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My partner and I had a lovely evening at The Canteen. The service was exceptional with the server friendly and attentive, but not hovering. The food was amazing, although the chowder was a bit watery than I would have expected. But it was full of a variety of seafood. The seared scallops were nice and the accompanying couscous was a nice flavor. Although I'm a fan of the creme brulee at The Canteen, we chose the flourless brownie for dessert and it did not disappoint. Amazed that it was made with tahini because you couldn't taste it. It had a rich chocolate flavor. The Canteen is one of my top restaurants in the Halifax area.

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  7. Tim

    Atlantic Canada1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice cosy little restaurant. Prices are reasonable and a decent value for what you get. Service was great. I had the Pan Fried Haddock which was the best I've had yet, it was bursting with flavour. My daughter was very impressed with the Squash Pasta, too. It was my first visit, but I'll be back and would definitely recommend it.

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  8. Geoff

    Montreal8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Fantastic first experience at this restaurant! Food had excellent presentation and was delicious. Waitress was outstanding. Will definitely be back!

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Atlantic Canada1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always great food and service. We had a group of 8 and food came out fast.

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  10. DonS

    Vancouver8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and great pricing. Excellent service as usual. Highly recommended

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FAQs

The Canteen on Portland offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (902) 425-9272.

The Canteen on Portland is rated 4.9 stars by 3357 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
Google Map for The Canteen on Portland

22 Portland Street, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 1G9

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    CAN$30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Farm-to-table, Seafood, Canadian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat 10:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Renee Lavallee
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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