mckelvie's

mckelvie's is a mid-to-upscale downtown seafood restaurant that offers the unfortunately named "tall ships fish'n'chips", complete with a propeller beer batter and shoestring fries. co-investigators smolyn, regan, kevin, and muffin joined me in the exciting world of halifax power lunches to see if the food lives up to the hoity toity name. note to self: next time wear a suit.

the restaurant itself is quite pleasant, bright and open, with a clean modern feel that's unusual in the faxxy. the meal was preceded by a selection of different breads which were quite good. as we waited for the meal we could hear the low hum of the city's elite doing dirty deals under the table.

the fish was generous and cooked well, but the batter was thin and somewhat insignificant: more of a light shell than the substance that should share centre stage with the bish. the shoestring fries were crisp and hot. there was a hint of fennel or anise in the 'slaw, which was also dotted with pepper for a bit of extra kick. a pleasant suprise arrived in the form of a squeeze bottle of tartar sauce, unexpected in a restaurant of this style.

for sit-down restaurant service in the downtown area, mckelvie's is the one to beat. co-investigators regan and muffin were disappointed that the server ignored their hints for beverage refills after pushing one on greg. the food is decent and the price is quite reasonable considering the upscale atmosphere. a good place to take business partners, but for the full experience a slightly saltier establishment is required.

price: $9.95 + pop & hst
food: &&&.%/5
atmosphere: &&&/5
overall: &&&/5

mckelvie's
1680 lower water
halifax, ns b3j 1t1
(902) 421-6161