Gold Winner The Fireside
Silver Winner The Bitter End
Bronze Winner Niche Lounge
When you think of The Fireside, you think Martini Monday. The sugary drinking tradition—where five-dollar concoctions are the name of the game—is a Halifax bar scene legend. “They’re inexpensive, the staff are terrific,” says Lynne Ferguson, who’s also co-owner of another one of the Best, Tom’s Little Havana. Both bars have recently closed their doors to gear up for new locations on Birmingham Street. The Fireside “kind of has the same group of people [as Tom’s], with a twist.” She says the 20-year-old bar’s demographic is a special one, with younger folks hitting up the cheapy Monday night drinks, older folks cozying up by the fireplace for dinner and drinks on the weekends. That’s something Ferguson hopes to hold on to in The Fireside’s next wave.