Built in 1896 for a ship merchant and strong enough to endure the Halifax Explosion in 1917, this unassuming Victorian home in the North End remains a monument to true East Coast hospitality (largely thanks to an eight-year bootstrap renovation). The atmosphere feels as if you’ve strolled into a grandparent’s home, from the memorabilia-filled rooms to the menu of comfort dishes like Dutch Mess (braised haddock in a cream sauce with wilted greens, chopped egg and fried smashed potato) and the Boiled Dinner (house-made corned beef, hearty root veg and crispy leeks). On weekends, fiddlers are often joined by a banjo player or a bagpiper. In the winter, grab a pint of hand-pumped local cask ale and camp out by the crackling fire.