Guides
Beer Gardens in Halifax, Dartmouth and Bedford
Find your next outdoor pint in Halifax, Dartmouth and Bedford, with beer gardens, our Robie Street patio and a few day trips.
You’re in Halifax. You’ve heard about our city’s grade A beer gardens, but you’re not too sure what they’re about or where to find them.
Well, for starters, we’ll admit it: we’re biased. Yes, we love our beer garden, and yes, we think it’s the best. But it’s not just us saying it. Our Commons Beer Garden has won Gold for Best Beer Garden in The Coast’s Best of Halifax 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Alas, what good is a guide if we don’t guide? Welcome to the Good Robot Guide to Beer Gardens, as we show you around Halifax, Dartmouth and Bedford, with a few day trips at the end. As much as we want you to visit us, we’d rather you visit all of us and have a wonderful time in our beautiful city.
Where are the beer gardens in Halifax, Dartmouth and Bedford?
Start with our Commons Beer Garden on North Park Street, across from the Halifax Common, and our Robie Street patio in the North End. In Halifax, you’ll also find Stillwell on Spring Garden Road, The BG on the waterfront and the Oxford Taproom on Quinpool Road. In Dartmouth, there’s Battery Park and Evan’s at Alderney Landing. Along the Bedford Basin, there’s Bedford Basin Beer Garden and Trackside Social. For a day trip, our Elmsdale garden is at the brewery, and Sober Island has two gardens on the Eastern Shore.
A little seasonal housekeeping. Most beer gardens here run from spring to autumn and close in bad weather. Follow each venue’s link for current hours before you head out.
Beer gardens in Halifax & Dartmouth
Park-side tables, the waterfront, Quinpool Road and a ferry ride away.
Good Robot Commons: our beer garden on the Halifax Common
GOOD ROBOT · Halifax Common · Beer garden
Gold, Best Beer Garden
The Coast’s Best of Halifax 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. See the results
Our Commons garden sits on North Park Street, looking straight across at the Halifax Common. The Emera Oval, Citadel Hill and the Wanderers Grounds are all nearby. On match days, we’ve hosted Halifax Tides FC pre- and post-game parties here.
Pick from our lineup, from Good Robot Lager and Diablo Mexican Lager to Goseface Killah and Tom Waits for No One Stout, or try Good Robot Cider, which you’ll only find on tap at our places. There’s wine, seltzers and cocktails too, and Ultra Daylight for anyone skipping the alcohol. Food comes from Suzanne’s Pizzeria: pizzas like the Cheesy Boi and Jerk & Shout, subs and garlic dough balls, with gluten-free and dairy-free options.
Bring the dog: we hosted Halifax’s first dog wedding here in 2025. Kids are welcome with a parent or guardian until 9 pm (they’ll need to order food), the garden is accessible, and tables are walk-in. The Good Robot Shop on site has cans to take home.
Where: 2223 North Park Street, Halifax
Outdoor service: Seasonal, typically spring to autumn; weather dependent
Stillwell Beergarden
Spring Garden Road, Halifax · Beer garden
Stillwell’s summer garden near the Public Gardens is a downtown favourite: Coast readers voted it Halifax’s best beer garden every year from 2022 to 2024. It pours Stillwell’s own beer alongside a selection from other Maritime breweries, with hot dogs, burgers, pitas, pretzels and snacks to go with it.
Good to know: it’s a summer-only spot, and there are non-alcoholic options.
5688 Spring Garden Road, Halifax · Visit Stillwell
The BG
Halifax waterfront · Beer garden
Right on the boardwalk at Summit Plaza, The BG is the downtown pick for harbour views and people-watching. Almost everything on its drinks list is made in Nova Scotia, from beer and cider to wine and non-alcoholic options, and there’s a food menu for a longer stay. Coast readers gave it bronze for Best Beer Garden in 2026.
Good to know: service is weather permitting, and it runs events through the season.
1599 Lower Water Street, Halifax · Visit The BG
The Oxford Taproom
Quinpool Road, Halifax · Beer garden
Garrison’s Quinpool Road taproom has a garden full of picnic tables, a calendar with music and trivia, and Garrison beer to drink there or take home. West Ender runs a coffee counter inside, so it works for a coffee and something baked as well as an evening pint.
Good to know: dogs are welcome outdoors, and non-alcoholic options include sodas, coffee and matcha.
6418 Quinpool Road, Halifax · Visit the Oxford
Battery Park Beerbar & Eatery
Downtown Dartmouth · Beer garden
A downtown Dartmouth beer bar with a backyard beer garden and a kitchen. The draw is the rotating list of regional craft taps, poured inside and out, which makes it a good place to try something new from around the region. Coast readers gave it bronze for Best Beer Garden in 2024.
Good to know: the drinks menu has local non-alcoholic beers, kombucha, sodas and juices.
62 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth · Visit Battery Park
Evan’s Fresh Seafoods Beer Garden
Alderney Landing, Dartmouth · Beer garden
Step off the ferry at Alderney Landing and you’re there. Evan’s pairs its seafood restaurant with a seasonal beer garden on the Dartmouth waterfront, so come hungry: this is the one for seafood and a pint by the water.
Good to know: the garden runs until the weather turns cold, and the kitchen keeps its own hours.
2 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth · Visit Evan’s
Good Robot’s Robie Street patio
Our original taproom, with a patio for summer and plenty going on inside all year.
Good Robot Robie Street: our original North End taproom
GOOD ROBOT · North End Halifax · Patio
Robie Street is where Good Robot started, and it’s still our home in Halifax’s North End. Come for dinner, stay for comedy and trivia, or head upstairs to The MouseTrap, our speakeasy-style bar with live music and comedy. In summer, the courtyard patio is dog-friendly.
There’s a beer store for cans to take home, alcohol-free drinks, and four private spaces for parties of 25 to 220. Plan a party
Where: 2736 Robie Street, Halifax
Outdoor service: Patio in summer; taproom open all year
Beer gardens along the Bedford Basin
Two places to sit outside, with the Basin as the backdrop.
Bedford Basin Beer Garden
Bedford Highway, Halifax · Beer garden
An outdoor bar with Bedford Basin views, on the old China Town site. Garrison and other craft beers are on draft, the kitchen does pub food like burgers and nachos, and there’s live music and local entertainment through the season. Groups can book private events, too.
Good to know: dogs are welcome on the patio, there’s parking on site, and the menu has non-alcoholic drinks.
367 Bedford Highway, Halifax · Visit Bedford Basin Beer Garden
Day trips: Elmsdale and the Eastern Shore
Two drives worth making: our brewery in East Hants, and the Eastern Shore.
Good Robot Elmsdale: a pint at the brewery
GOOD ROBOT · Elmsdale, East Hants · Beer garden
Our Elmsdale beer garden is right outside the brewery where Good Robot beer is made, so your pint hasn’t travelled far. Rotating food trucks bring something to eat, dogs are welcome on the patio, and the beer store is right there for stocking up on the way home.
In garden season, the calendar has trivia nights, markets and the odd cornhole tournament.
Where: 14 Industrial Way, Elmsdale
Outdoor service: Seasonal; the garden and beer store keep different hours
Sober Island, Sheet Harbour
Sheet Harbour, Eastern Shore · Brewery beer garden
Sober Island’s brewery has a waterside beer garden and taproom in Sheet Harbour, pouring its own beer with a view of the water. It’s family- and dog-friendly, which makes it an easy stop on an Eastern Shore drive, and the taproom hosts live music.
Good to know: there are non-alcoholic options.
22462 Highway 7, Sheet Harbour · Visit Sober Island
Sober Island, Musquodoboit Harbour
Musquodoboit Harbour, Eastern Shore · Beer garden
Sober Island’s second, seasonal garden is closer to the city, in Musquodoboit Harbour. It pours the brewery’s beer, welcomes families and dogs outdoors, and has non-alcoholic options.
7895 Highway 7, Musquodoboit Harbour · Visit Sober Island
Plan your beer garden day
Pick a setting:
- By the park: our Commons garden, looking across the Halifax Common.
- On the harbour: The BG on the Halifax boardwalk, or Evan’s at Alderney Landing across the water.
- Neighbourhood taprooms: our Robie Street patio in the North End, the Oxford on Quinpool Road and Battery Park in downtown Dartmouth.
- Bedford Basin views: Bedford Basin Beer Garden and Trackside Social.
- A drive out: our Elmsdale garden at the brewery, or Sober Island on the Eastern Shore.
Or make an afternoon of it:
- Harbour hop: start at The BG on the boardwalk, take the ferry across to Evan’s at Alderney Landing, then walk up Ochterloney Street to Battery Park.
- Match day: meet at our Commons garden before or after a Wanderers or Tides game at the Wanderers Grounds.
- North End night: an afternoon pint at the Commons, then dinner at Robie Street and a show upstairs at The MouseTrap.
Before you pull up a chair
Can I bring my dog to a beer garden?
Often, yes, as long as you stay outside. Our Commons garden, Robie Street patio and Elmsdale garden all welcome dogs, and so do the Oxford, Bedford Basin Beer Garden and both Sober Island gardens. The rules can depend on the part of the patio and the event, so check before you go.
Are Halifax beer gardens open all year?
Most aren’t. Beer gardens here generally run from spring to autumn and close in bad weather, even when the brewery or shop next door stays open. In the colder months, our Robie Street taproom is open all year, and you can order Good Robot beer online.
Are there beer gardens in Bedford?
Yes. Trackside Social is beside the railway at 873 Bedford Highway in Bedford, and Bedford Basin Beer Garden is at 367 Bedford Highway, on the Halifax side of the Basin.
Do I need to book a table at a Halifax beer garden?
Not at ours. Tables at the Commons are walk-in, and there’s lots of seating. For a party or work event, you can book one of four private spaces at our Robie Street taproom, for 25 to 220 guests. Bedford Basin Beer Garden also takes group and private event bookings; other venues set their own rules.
What if someone wants an alcohol-free drink?
At our Commons garden, there’s Ultra Daylight, our 0.5% non-alcoholic beer, plus Propeller’s non-alcoholic lager, Benjamin Bridge Piquette Zero, a No-No Spritz mocktail, Fancy Water sparkling water and kombucha. Battery Park, Bedford Basin Beer Garden, The BG and Sober Island list non-alcoholic options too.
What’s the difference between a beer garden and a patio?
A beer garden is a dedicated outdoor drinking space, often with long shared tables, and it’s usually seasonal. A patio is outdoor seating attached to a bar or restaurant. In this guide, Robie Street is a patio; the Commons and Elmsdale are gardens.
See you by the Common?
Come over to North Park Street for Good Robot beer and an afternoon with friends. Dogs are invited. Have a look at the Commons visit details, then send the invitation you’ve been meaning to send.
Bring a layer. This is still Halifax, however convincing the sunshine is being.
Garden season over? Robie Street is open all year, and you can order Good Robot beer online.
This is Good Robot’s own guide. Our places come first, and the rest is a selection rather than a complete list. Hours and menus change, so check each venue’s link before you go.