I had a really good experience at Darya Restaurant. The food was fresh and tasty, and the atmosphere was very welcoming. The staff was friendly and attentive, which made the visit even better. It’s a great place to enjoy a nice meal with family or friends. Definitely worth visiting again
ClaireCallanan
Vegan options clearly marked on the menu and staff were very knowledgeable. The food was amazing! This was my favourite meal in Halifax by far! Everything was so fresh and the flavours were fantastic! Well worth a visit.
Priyanka Subramani
Love the ambience..
Mohamad Mustapha
we ordered 4 plate mix middle east food, each plate require at least 2-3 bread to finish it but they give us only 2 bread for 4 plate and they charge us 4$ for each bread --- hello do i order 4 burger 1 with burger buns and 3 with out burger buns. thnaks
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Paula Hartigan
From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warmth and genuine hospitality. We were celebrating a family wedding, a group of 5, including the Bride and Groom. The atmosphere was inviting—perfectly balancing comfort and elegance. We were no sooner seated when we were treated to a complimentary bottle of bubbly. This was followed by a variety of dips and bread compliments of the chef. Every dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor, clearly crafted with care and attention to detail. The Bride was gluten sensitive and every effort was made to ensure her experience was gluten free and truly enjoyable. The service was outstanding: attentive without ever being intrusive, with staff who were knowledgeable and passionate about the menu.
It’s rare to find a place where everything—food, service, ambiance—comes together so seamlessly. This restaurant is a true gem, and I am already planning to return. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Julian
Best Meal of the Trip – Quality Over Quantity Done Right
Our brunch at Daryâ was hands-down the best meal of our trip so far. For $35, the brunch buffet is an absolute steal considering the quality of food and the overall experience.
While the selection isn’t massive, everything they offer is executed flawlessly—and honestly, you don’t need 50 options when each dish is this good. The potato latkes were a standout—crispy, flavourful, and probably the best we’ve ever had.
We also treated ourselves to the 12-for-$42 Mimosa Tree, and it was such a fun and tasty addition to the meal. The variety of flavours was impressive, with Cranberry Vanilla, Guava, and Pistachio Pear being the unexpected stars of the lineup.
From the elegant atmosphere to the impeccable food and drinks, this place nails brunch. Highly recommend if you’re in Halifax and want something elevated without being stuffy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rena Wang
I am writing to formally express my disappointment with the service I experienced at your restaurant on September 1st at approximately between 4:30 pm - 6:30pm.
At the beginning of our visit, the service was acceptable. When I raised a concern about the octopus being overcooked, I greatly appreciated the assistance of the lady in black attire (whom I believe is the manager). She handled the matter with professionalism, offering a discount on the dish and a complimentary dessert. Her response was thoughtful and left a very positive impression.
Unfortunately, this was overshadowed by the conduct of the blonde waitress (approximately 166 cm tall) who later delivered the bill at the manager’s request. Her demeanor was unprofessional and discourteous. She placed the bill in front of me abruptly, saying “Here is your bill,” in a dismissive tone. After I added an 18% tip, she only asked whether I needed the receipt and left without so much as a “thank you.”
This behavior came across as unnecessarily arrogant and impatient, leaving me feeling disrespected at the conclusion of an otherwise well-handled situation. While I am grateful to the manager for her professionalism, the waitress’s attitude made what should have been a positive resolution into an unpleasant overall experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Elizabeth MacBride
Amazing place for a meal, thoroughly enjoyed this cultural taste explosion. We went for our anniversary, and celebrated in style. Thank you all wholeheartedly for this experience. Highly recommend. If food is your love language then you gotta eat here!! Had Buffet and Mimosa. Will be returning everytime we are in Halifax. Thank you for the high standard of food, fantastic service and ambiance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rachel Howlett
Plates are a little small & on the pricier side but wow the food is delicious. The atmosphere is wonderful. We’ll be back at some point. Also very conscientious of allergies including celiac
Vik Ya
Amazing oceanview! 🏖️ delicious food! 👌 (I know what I mean by that - living back in Easter Europe, I know how it should be!) Wonderful service! 💫 Highly Recommend! ❤️
UPDATE: Changing my earlier 5-star review to a 1-star The cost went WAY up and the quality went WAY down.
I’m honestly sad to write this, because I was such a fan. But a restaurant is only as good as its consistency — in service, food quality, and pricing. And Darya has lost it.
Why I won’t be back (unless things change):
1. Menu + food quality inconsistant I don’t mind a menu update. What I do mind is when dishes keep the same name but come out completely different.
The hummus was unrecognizable — way too much citrus and za’atar, so acidic we thought it had gone bad.
The Muhammara? More like a saucy/soupy red pepper dip with chunks of walnuts. Not the creamy spread it used to be.
And on top of that each $16+ dip only comes with one pita. Want more bread? That’s another $4 per piece. YES $4 EXTRA FOR PITA!!
2. Ridiculous pricing $21–$26 gets you one skewer of meat on a plate. No sides. Rice, fries, or veggies? NOPE. Those are another $6–$7 each.
3. Undercooked food They didn’t even ask how I wanted my beef cooked. It came out nearly raw.
4. The service has gone wayyyyy downhill Our server never checked on us, never refilled water, and was flat-out rude. When we mentioned how shocked we were by the menu changes, she brushed it off and said, “Well, I was just hired two days ago, so I can’t help you with the menu or what it used to be like.”
Funny thing is… we recognized her from brunch months ago. So either she forgot, or that was just an excuse.
To top it off, we asked her for water on three separate occasions AND never got it.
We brought family from out of town, specifically to Darya because it used to be fantastic and it was embarrassing. We spent over $200 on a meal that was basic, overpriced, and disappointing.
I feel completely ripped off.
If you want great Lebanese food that doesn’t nickel-and-dime you, go to Au Liban. Full plates, fair pricing, and they actually treat you well.
FORMER REVIEW when Darya was better quality below--> Always so good. Brunch is the best in the city. It's done buffet all you can eat style but very aesthetically. Amazing price for what you get
Service is exceptional. But docking one star because the buffet is inconsistent.
Saturday's are not as good as Sundays.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Lena Abbaszadeh
I went back because I thought the chef is still persian, which was not. Everything has changed, even the service. The food was not good at all
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Rojanne Saadi
Good food. But terrible terrible service. Hostess is rude. Server waited for one for about 10 minutes and then arrived and just disengaged
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Dawson
Excellent food with incredibly poor service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Ryan Veenkamp
Food was incredible. The spanikopita was amazing. But definitely could have been half the size and a share plate instead of a main.
I had a really good experience at Darya Restaurant. The food was fresh and tasty, and the atmosphere was very welcoming. The staff was friendly and attentive, which made the visit even better. It’s a great place to enjoy a nice meal with family or friends. Definitely worth visiting again
Vegan options clearly marked on the menu and staff were very knowledgeable. The food was amazing! This was my favourite meal in Halifax by far! Everything was so fresh and the flavours were fantastic! Well worth a visit.
Love the ambience..
we ordered 4 plate mix middle east food, each plate require at least 2-3 bread to finish it but they give us only 2 bread for 4 plate and they charge us 4$ for each bread --- hello do i order 4 burger 1 with burger buns and 3 with out burger buns.
thnaks
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warmth and genuine hospitality. We were celebrating a family wedding, a group of 5, including the Bride and Groom. The atmosphere was inviting—perfectly balancing comfort and elegance. We were no sooner seated when we were treated to a complimentary bottle of bubbly. This was followed by a variety of dips and bread compliments of the chef. Every dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor, clearly crafted with care and attention to detail. The Bride was gluten sensitive and every effort was made to ensure her experience was gluten free and truly enjoyable. The service was outstanding: attentive without ever being intrusive, with staff who were knowledgeable and passionate about the menu.
It’s rare to find a place where everything—food, service, ambiance—comes together so seamlessly. This restaurant is a true gem, and I am already planning to return. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best Meal of the Trip – Quality Over Quantity Done Right
Our brunch at Daryâ was hands-down the best meal of our trip so far. For $35, the brunch buffet is an absolute steal considering the quality of food and the overall experience.
While the selection isn’t massive, everything they offer is executed flawlessly—and honestly, you don’t need 50 options when each dish is this good. The potato latkes were a standout—crispy, flavourful, and probably the best we’ve ever had.
We also treated ourselves to the 12-for-$42 Mimosa Tree, and it was such a fun and tasty addition to the meal. The variety of flavours was impressive, with Cranberry Vanilla, Guava, and Pistachio Pear being the unexpected stars of the lineup.
From the elegant atmosphere to the impeccable food and drinks, this place nails brunch. Highly recommend if you’re in Halifax and want something elevated without being stuffy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I am writing to formally express my disappointment with the service I experienced at your restaurant on September 1st at approximately between 4:30 pm - 6:30pm.
At the beginning of our visit, the service was acceptable. When I raised a concern about the octopus being overcooked, I greatly appreciated the assistance of the lady in black attire (whom I believe is the manager). She handled the matter with professionalism, offering a discount on the dish and a complimentary dessert. Her response was thoughtful and left a very positive impression.
Unfortunately, this was overshadowed by the conduct of the blonde waitress (approximately 166 cm tall) who later delivered the bill at the manager’s request. Her demeanor was unprofessional and discourteous. She placed the bill in front of me abruptly, saying “Here is your bill,” in a dismissive tone. After I added an 18% tip, she only asked whether I needed the receipt and left without so much as a “thank you.”
This behavior came across as unnecessarily arrogant and impatient, leaving me feeling disrespected at the conclusion of an otherwise well-handled situation. While I am grateful to the manager for her professionalism, the waitress’s attitude made what should have been a positive resolution into an unpleasant overall experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Amazing place for a meal, thoroughly enjoyed this cultural taste explosion. We went for our anniversary, and celebrated in style. Thank you all wholeheartedly for this experience. Highly recommend. If food is your love language then you gotta eat here!! Had Buffet and Mimosa. Will be returning everytime we are in Halifax. Thank you for the high standard of food, fantastic service and ambiance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Plates are a little small & on the pricier side but wow the food is delicious. The atmosphere is wonderful. We’ll be back at some point. Also very conscientious of allergies including celiac
Amazing oceanview! 🏖️
delicious food! 👌
(I know what I mean by that - living back in Easter Europe, I know how it should be!)
Wonderful service! 💫
Highly Recommend! ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
UPDATE: Changing my earlier 5-star review to a 1-star
The cost went WAY up and the quality went WAY down.
I’m honestly sad to write this, because I was such a fan. But a restaurant is only as good as its consistency — in service, food quality, and pricing. And Darya has lost it.
Why I won’t be back (unless things change):
1. Menu + food quality inconsistant
I don’t mind a menu update. What I do mind is when dishes keep the same name but come out completely different.
The hummus was unrecognizable — way too much citrus and za’atar, so acidic we thought it had gone bad.
The Muhammara? More like a saucy/soupy red pepper dip with chunks of walnuts. Not the creamy spread it used to be.
And on top of that each $16+ dip only comes with one pita. Want more bread? That’s another $4 per piece. YES $4 EXTRA FOR PITA!!
2. Ridiculous pricing
$21–$26 gets you one skewer of meat on a plate.
No sides. Rice, fries, or veggies? NOPE.
Those are another $6–$7 each.
3. Undercooked food
They didn’t even ask how I wanted my beef cooked. It came out nearly raw.
4. The service has gone wayyyyy downhill
Our server never checked on us, never refilled water, and was flat-out rude. When we mentioned how shocked we were by the menu changes, she brushed it off and said, “Well, I was just hired two days ago, so I can’t help you with the menu or what it used to be like.”
Funny thing is… we recognized her from brunch months ago. So either she forgot, or that was just an excuse.
To top it off, we asked her for water on three separate occasions AND never got it.
We brought family from out of town, specifically to Darya because it used to be fantastic and it was embarrassing. We spent over $200 on a meal that was basic, overpriced, and disappointing.
I feel completely ripped off.
If you want great Lebanese food that doesn’t nickel-and-dime you, go to Au Liban. Full plates, fair pricing, and they actually treat you well.
FORMER REVIEW when Darya was better quality below-->
Always so good. Brunch is the best in the city. It's done buffet all you can eat style but very aesthetically. Amazing price for what you get
Service is exceptional. But docking one star because the buffet is inconsistent.
Saturday's are not as good as Sundays.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
I went back because I thought the chef is still persian, which was not. Everything has changed, even the service. The food was not good at all
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Good food. But terrible terrible service. Hostess is rude. Server waited for one for about 10 minutes and then arrived and just disengaged
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Excellent food with incredibly poor service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Food was incredible.
The spanikopita was amazing. But definitely could have been half the size and a share plate instead of a main.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
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