Review by W. Addison White • Halifax • 2024-08-18
Stardust Bar and Kitchen opened this past Wednesday on the corner of Barrington and Prince Street in Halifax, and promises to be one of the best queer spaces in the city. The owners Alex Biafora and Teri Appleby have made an excellent choice in location and the interior space is amazing.
The four of us arrived just after 5:00 on Saturday: me, my two partners and our very good friend Geri, whose birthday is next weekend. From the time you walk in through the door you are welcomed by bright smiles and excellent customer service.
Our waitress Pankti, who goes by "she/her," was amazing as were all of the staff. Kudos to those who did the hiring! I have worked in a lot of the queer establishments and I can tell you the staff here go above and beyond.
We started off with some drinks from the large and diverse drink menu. I had the Cha Cha Heels which is... "divine" -- pun intended for you John Waters fans. It's made with tequila, almond syrup, pineapple & lime juices, lime and Jagermeister. you can really taste the pineapple and a slight hint of tequila. It was very refreshing on a hot summer day.
One of my partners had a Paloma which is tequila grapefruit juice, lime juice and soda. I personally felt that it needed a little bit more sweetness, but it was a really good drink. My other partner had their Stardust lager which is made by propeller breweries. It is very light and crisp and served with the just right amount of chill creating a very refreshing experience.
Geri the birthday girl had the Princess Peach which consisted of Cîroc Peach vodka, St Germain elderflower liqueur, cranberry and lemon juice. Again this was a really nice summer drink served on ice with just the right amount of peach flavour.
Stardust has multiple options for those who do not drink alcohol: I tried the Propeller ginger beer, a really nice crisp soda, not too sweet and local. I also had the nonalcoholic passion punch: lemon juice, pineapple juice, and passion fruit juice that is shaken and served in a cocktail glass. All I can say is: perfection.
We ordered two items off of the appetiser menu, which they call the "shared menu." Because we are a throuple, we ordered a throuple of dips: bacon jalapeno, dilly pickle, and red pepper lentil dips served with freshly made bread (or tortilla chips.) The dips are extremely delicious; we had to ask for more bread. The other shareable we ordered were truffle fries which are Nova Scotia potatoes with truffle oil and salt and they serve it with this amazing garlic Parmesan dip. I highly recommend this dip. It is one of the best dips I have eaten in years. This is no exaggeration, it is a beautiful thing.
For entrées we ordered five different dishes. I ordered the peanut noodle bowl and fish tacos; one of my partners ordered the Star Burger with a side Caesar salad. My other partner ordered the fried chicken sandwich.
This restaurant has a number of vegan options that anyone would be happy with. Geri chose one, the Earth Salad with an extra of chick peas. The mixed greens are from Riverview Farms which is an amazing producer of greens and herbs, topped with cherry tomatoes, apples, almonds, goat cheese, cranberries and an amazing Maple garlic vinaigrette. Although delicious, it was humungous and Geri couldn't finish it. Bravo to the chef and their crew.
The peanut Noodle Bowl was my favourite on the menu and was like a cold Peanut Satay Pad Thai with added vegetables and cilantro. I had this alongside the fish tacos which were so fresh and so delicious. They were served with a cabbage slaw, jalapeño sour cream, pickled onion and cilantro on a fresh corn tortilla. I would highly recommend this and I wish they had the option for a half and half with the peanut Noodle Bowl that could be served with one of the fish tacos. I think this Asian South American Fusion would be an excellent addition to the menu.
The Star Burger is a house-made beef patty topped with cheddar and maple bacon, mixed greens, tomato, pickle and their Star burger sauce on a brioche bun. The burger itself was a bit lean causing it to be a little dry; the burger sauce was reminiscent of a generic burger sauce; it was okay but not special.
My partner ordered a side Caesar salad which had a dressing with little flavour. I'm not sure whether it was house made. The croutons were kind of moist, not crunchy, which was unexpected and disappointing. But for $19 for a burger and a side Caesar salad it could have been much better.
The decor is very welcoming, very queer and reminds me of the old 1990s Halifax bar spaces.
My other partner had the fried chicken burger with a side of fries. The menu said it was a crispy chicken made with the house made batter and a blend of spices topped with slaw dill pickles and spicy mayo, again on a brioche bun, which was its saving grace. The chicken was not crispy and the coleslaw did not have a lot of flavour.
For dessert, we shared the almond crust New York style cheesecake with a wild blueberry compote and whipped cream it was amazing. I would just go back for this. They promise to change the dessert menu frequently.
The decor is welcoming and queer, and reminds me of the old 1990s Halifax bar spaces. As soon as you walk in you see the "Cheers Queers" rainbow sign so there's no question what kind of establishment this is; the Stardust sign is up on the back wall. This is what a queer owned establishment should look like.
There are lots of lights with a modern feel and a disco ball hangs in the middle of the room. I was told in the evening they can clear the floor to allow dancing and mingling. The main level has multiple tables and bench seating. There's lots of room to walk between tables.
The bar itself is gorgeous. The bartenders are attentive and know how to make drinks, which is rare in the queer bars. If you want a real cocktail, this is the place to go, and if you don't drink alcohol, this is the place to go for a mocktail.
Past the bar, there are some pub tables with high bar stools which look very inviting. There are televisions throughout the bar which I assume they will put on later at night.
The space is appears to be physically accessible -- the tables are well spaced there would be no issue with sitting for a meal or a drink if you use wheels. There is an accessible washroom on the main floor which I don't see in a lot of establishments. Upstairs, there are three single red-glitter-walled washrooms which were some of the cleanest washrooms I've seen in the city.
So we know you're thinking, "How are the prices?" Well, I would say these are very reasonable prices for the service that you receive and the quality of food.
I don't think you would find the variety of drinks in a lot of other establishments whether it be queer or not, locally. I was totally pleased with the service from our waitstaff and bartenders; everything was one thousand percent and more than what I was expecting. For the four of us: two shareable appetisers, five mains, two of with sides, one dessert, four alcoholic drinks and two non-alcoholic drinks, the bill including tip came to $252.60. This was very reasonable and we will be back for a meal and also will go down some evenings just for drinks just to see what the nightlife is.
Stardust Bar & Kitchen seems very promising, and I do wish the owners, staff and everyone involved the best of luck. This is the type of establishment we need for the peer community in the Halifax area. It is a safe space, an accessible space and a welcoming space. You can tell from the smiles on all the staff that this place was made for us.
W. Addison White is a Queer Daddy Bear living in Halifax with with his polygamous partners. Addison has worked in many queer establishments since the 90's in Halifax. One of the top 30 International Bears of 2023 according to Bear World Magazine, a foodie, and someone who appreciates a good drink. Afficionado of tequila.
