Jutting out into Halifax Harbour in a dramatic glass-wrapped building, Mystic, with its clean modern lines, captures the play of light on water — a fitting stage for an exploration of Atlantic Canada’s bounty. Chef Malcolm Campbell (ex Cabot Cape Breton) proposes two signature fluid and hyper-seasonal eight-course tasting menus in the main dining room, but guests seated in the Galley with its view of the open kitchen have their own improvised version. In the signature menus, snacks precede the Acadian caviar course of smoked egg yolk and wild sea flora, followed by perhaps a lobster raviolo enhanced by locally grown saffron, or baby halibut paired with gnocchi, smoked mussels and pickled wild leek. Meticulous presentation makes each dish a visual event, but aesthetics is just the beginning. Ingredient harmonies are spot-on and flavours sing. Sommelier Samuel Melanson’s wine pairings draw on a deep cellar of classics, as well as some of the region’s best, such as the delicate bubbles of Lightfoot & Wolfville’s Small Lot Trio Brut and Blomidon Estate’s Chardonnay Reserve. Service is polished and warm, with guidance that is thoughtful, yet conversational (and certainly unscripted).

A beautiful location for an incredible Maritime coastal experience.” Lanita Layton