RESTAURANTS

RESTAURANTS IN THE ANNAPOLIS ROYAL AREA

Driving from Parkers Cove:

Go back over Parker Mountain to Highway 1 (the Irving Station will be on the right).

Turn right onto Highway No. 1, toward Annapolis Royal. ON YOUR LEFT is SWEET SECRETS RESTAURANT. Very clean, friendly, and the food is good. European specialties, also local seafood. We suggest one of the Schnitzels. There are numerous kinds and they will gladly explain all of them to you. With them we suggest you order the homemade spaetzel and their red cabbage. Their mixed vegetables are the frozen variety so we steer clear of those. We also suggest you don't order the veal. The pork schnitzels are excellent. Nice deserts. Full Bar. Open from 4:30 everyday to 8 pm. Reasonable prices and they offer small and large plates.



Heading further into Annapolis Royal, ON THE LEFT, you will see Dunromin Campground. In the same building is the STONE HORSE CAFÉ. They do not always open the restaurant. Lovely spot for breakfast and lunch. Sometimes serve dinner. Small homey attractive dining room. Family type food with normal size portions. Homemade soups and desserts, home breads, salads. Service is relaxed. Be patient, you might purchase a newspaper in the campground store which is fun to browse. This is also the place for ICE CREAM CONES from dawn to dusk. Huge cones, small price.



Continue over the causeway, past the Tourist Office. You will pass GEMS, the big blue building. This is worth a stop as they have all sorts of things here, wonderful sample dresses and dressers from Vogue shoots in New York are fun to see. Something for the whole family here, not just clothing. Right now he has 3200 pillow shams for $1.00 each. (22 of these sewn together make a fun quilt). Never know what you will find here, a real treasure hunt place sometime you're lucky, other times it's junk.



Continue on to the Signal Light. Turning right will bring you to the GARRISON HOUSE INN AND RESTAURANT at 350 St. George Street. This can be very uneven and pricey. If you hit the right chef it is excellent. 532-5750 for information or reservations.



Continuing on to 298 St. George Street, on the right, is THE FORT ANNE CAFÉ. This is family fare at great prices with daily specials and unpretentious service. Open 8am to 8pm. Until llam they serve breakfast and offer very inexpensive breakfast specials.($3.98 omelettes, pancakes, eggs). This is a locals breakfast spot. There is always a lunch special and homemade soup, perhaps a lobster salad sandwich (called a lobster roll here and in New England, served in hot dog bun). Platters plus great hamburgers, toasted cheese sandwiches, homemade soup and on Fridays they have a good local fish fry. This is not fancy, but great value and good food. Also MILKSHAKES AND ICE CREAM.



Continuing on to the next corner, on the right, is GEMS RESTAURANT (may be undergoing name change) Fran, of Hillsburn's Ships Galley cooking fame, is the chef. Her scallop burgers are a meal in themselves. She has wonderful seafood chowder with lots of fish and lobster (if in season) and no thickening agents besides the ingredients. Corn chowder, daily homemade soup, Caesar and other salads, hamburgers, fish sandwiches, schnitzel sandwiches and breakfast all day (if not busy). Service is casual but the food more than makes up for it. Again, another locals favorite. New European owner who was smart enough to keep Fran as the chef.



Across the street, behind the Century 21 office is a lovely little EUROPEAN CAFÉ with most wonderful view down the river. This is the second year and hasn't quite found a food niche but fun and lovely to at least have tea and desert here just for the view alone. A must for the view and perhaps a stroll on the boardwalk.



Back across the street, on the right, LEO's. Paula serves marvelous sandwiches on her homemade bread, and lovely specials. They are noted for their selection of homemade deserts, fresh whipped cream is an option. Each day there is a choice of a fresh made soup and fresh made chowder. You can order half sandwich and soup or half sandwich and salad…or their platters. Some Canadian specials such as fish cakes. They have wine and imported beers. And yes, there used to be a Leo.



Next door is NEWMANS. Open for lunch and dinner. This restaurant was once named one of the top ten restaurants in Canada in l980's. Since than chefs have exploded on the Canadian scene. But John continues to turn out wonderful meals. Prices reflect the notoriety of being praised by Gourmet Magazine.

The homemade baguette is hard to resist but do tread lightly, locals line up for these baguettes at the Saturday Farmers Market. Everything is homemade, including his special ice creams. He's noted for the wonderful fruit in season HUGE shortcakes, which are a meal in themselves. In summer there is also a lovely back garden in which to dine on a nice day. Dishes are homemade pottery. Note the various painting of the restaurant on the wall. Each year l00 artists come to town on a weekend in August and Paint the Town. The paintings are sold at auction to benefit the Arts Center. You will see many variations of Newmans.



Continue on past the Farmers Market (on Wednesday morning and Saturday morning). You will have to stop as it's impossible to pass by. Hope you are lucky enough to be here when market is open. If you go, don't eat breakfast first.



Behind the market, tucked in, is YE OLDE PUB, the smallest pub in Nova Scotia. Fun place, with nice deck. Open late so often a late stop for hamburgers etc. The deck is usually full during the summer. Good place to take kids as they can "be kids" on the deck. Often there are steamed mussels as special.



Back to the main street, past the Farmers Market, is the DRURY LANE CAFÉ. This is a tiny little spot completely done over from a small dirty blacksmith shop. You must go just to see the transformation. Fifties décor and nice food. Cheery spot for a tea break and sweet or a lovely lunch. Open for dinner some evenings. First winter she stayed open all winter so we are hoping she will do this again every winter.



In the same building is an excellent European bakery called The Witch of Lake Larose...take something with you the owner is delightful and will talk you into why not try this too if she isn't totally sold out to the locals.



BRIDGETOWN



If you got to Bridgetown, there is a nice little tea room called THE COBBLESTONE TEA ROOM. Turn right off the main street at the Dodge deal and just look off to the left about one block down. It's in a restored old home. Nice seafood chowder and soups and sandwiches.



At the end of Bridgetown, just before you get on the big Highway l0l there is a TIM HORTONS COFFEE SHOP, the Canadian version of Starbucks. Less expensive obviously and nice pastry choices. If you don't get whipped cream on your mocha they charge you 25 cents less, lovely story to take home with you!! Tim Horton was a hockey player, started this chain, and two camps for disadvantaged children. When he died it became a less personal business under the new conglomerate and is being modernized, which means, not as good as the original but it's always busy. In a hurry? They have a drive thru window.



(If you don't take the expressway) further up Highway No.1 is PEARLS OF PARADISE. This is a little old ice cream stand with picnic tables. Always a local crowd. Fish platters heaped with piles of French fries. They give you a number for your order and you pick it up at the window and sit at a picnic table. Again, a great spot for kids. Wonderful ice cream, milkshakes, the works.



Further on to Middleton, on the right is PASTA JAX'S. This is run by two gals from Montreal and combines Montreal food with local fare. They have been so successful, they close Saturday and Sundays. Ribs with various sauces and pasta dishes are a specialty. They always look closed but try the door.



In Middleton stop at the Tourist Bureau and ask for Clara's DESTINY AND DAY DREAMS TEA HOUSE. They will send you off to follow some little signs onto dirt roads and it is worth the trip. Open only for lunch, stroll the garden. The owner was born in the "white room" and family still lives there and runs this restaurant. Definitely worth taking the time to find this. You will go thru some wonderful countryside, a trip back into the old days. Pass the Saskatoon Berry Farm, the old campground and swimming hole, the little town of Prince Albert.

THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST IF YOU HAVE THE TIME. You can also find this by going thru town to the end. On the left will be a telephone pole with a huge ice cream cone advertising the family restaurant across the street. You turn left here and follow the little arrow signs saying "tea room".



Highway No. 8



If you leave Annapolis Royal and drive out Highway 8 towards the South Shore you will find two restaurants, KEDJIMUKUJIK NATIONAL PARK, plus two other lovely spots to stop, plus our wonderful national park: Kedjimukujik National Park, called Kedgie by the locals. Canoe, kayak,swim,hike, petroglyphs, museum, boardwalks.





MILFORD HOUSE on the left, just past the Virginia Road turnoff, is an old moose hunting lodge built by Americans in the l800's with cabins on the lake and a big family hotel. Unfortunately it burned to the ground a few years ago but has been completely rebuilt to the original plans. Worth a stop just to see it. There are tennis courts and usually someone playing croquet on the front lawn, it's that kind of place. The dining room is gorgeous, decorated with homemade quilts and serves dinner. Stop in just to take a little tour it's worth it.



Just before you get to Kedjimukujik National Park there is another spot you must not miss: MERSEY RIVER CHALETS.. (They may not be serving food this year as their guests want to cook in their cottages.) But stop by, ask if you can see the place and I guarantee you will come back next year to stay for a few days, the owner is in a wheelchair so boardwalks are all thru the place, woods, meadows, the lake has a lift to put handicapped into canoes, t pees, and just gorgeous scenery. And if you're lucky, they will again be serving food on the deck overlooking the waterfall.



Further on, past Kedjie park, on the left is a nice little unpretentious CAFE run by a boisterous fun lady. We always stop for breakfast here on the way to the south shore. Suggest you do the same, as it's good halfway spot.



If you’re just out for a drive to Kedjie, you might wish to come back and turn up Virginia Road sign will say RAVEN HAVEN. This is the country park. It's a lake and beach right out of the l950’s, even has the float for the teens to swim out to get away from the little kids, a sand beach, lifeguard, and food stand. Rent a paddleboat for an hour and have an ice cream. If you are lucky enough to be staying on the lake you can paddle over in your canoe for ice cream. There is also an International Youth Hostel here.



DIGBY



The town famous for it's scallop fleet, worth a days trip. Plenty of touristy restaurants. Another trip down memory lane is The Pines Lodge at the end of town. You'll see the massive building with golf course. Owned and run by the province, this is delightful, Sunday brunch is the favorite. Make reservations though. Pricey during the week. Buffet is in the low $20's.



BEAR RIVER



Follow the map. Flight of Fancy Gallery has customers from all over Canada coming here, you will see why! Across the street is a nice little restaurant. English owners started out with gourmet food but have pretty much added local favorites and packaged stuff as that's what the locals in that area want. You can always find something though if you look. Other little shop next door to Flights of Fancy is a gem but she isn't always open. Just enjoy this town was once a harbor for tall ships, see if you can imagine that, the tourist bureau in the windmill has very interesting photos. There's another restaurant at the end of the little town but we haven't eaten there yet. There is also an Indian Reservation here. Indian crafts are available at their cultural center and Rob at Flights of Fancy often has some of their crafts for sale.



There is no way we can mention all the little spots you may discover while you're here, so we hope you will help us keep this updated. Most of All, We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay in Nova Scotia.