Two If By Sea

I went to college in Halifax 8 years ago and I still dream of the croissants today 😋 I went to the shop by the ferry terminal on the Halifax side (which appears to be gone now unfortunately). They were better then the ones I've had in France by FAR! I live in Toronto now and all the croissants here have been a disappointment so far...

A local recommended this spot for croissants but we were quite disappointed. Croissants are supposed to be light and buttery and melt in your mouth but these were heavy and dense and chewy (as others had noted). Also, the coffee tasted awful. 2 stars for super fast and friendly service but still a hard miss.

Another famous Dartmouth institution in an absolutely lovely spot. Very few places I actively recommend for travellers or visitors as a "must go," but TIBS is one. It's been a long time since I've been there, quite a few years, since the "unpleasantness" that need not be mentioned, but this is better times, at least for TIBS. I used to live more-or-less next door, but I was feeling a hankering for their famous croissants. Usually, for seemingly gimmicky fare like artisan croissants, you don't expect them to be so constantly busy all these years later, but every time I drive by there's a line. So, I purchased two croissants. My favorite, the prosciutto and provolone and a new-to-me croissant, the donair croissant. I was QUITE EXCITED. After biting into the P&P croissant, I was overjoyed. Crunchy, buttery, flaky, salty, sweet. The hard outer crust of their croissants is hit-or-miss for people. The donair croissant was something else. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it seemed like some sort of science experiment croissant engineering. It definitely is something for a donair enthusiast, and quite good, but somewhat more novel than anything else. Coffee keeps the doors open, and I don't drink coffee anymore or caffeine, but I know a good cup still when I taste one. I had a medium roast, and it was quite good, smooth, slightly sweet even black. I had a taste of my companions latte, and it was quite good. It was exactly what you should expect from an upscale coffee place, but not the best I've ever had. Coffee drinkers will get tons of mileage out of TIBS, more than I would nowadays. I rate this place at five stars even though there are four star establishments I would visit much more frequently, and my reasoning is this: TIBS does precisely what it sets out to do—make a premium artisan croissant. It executes this perfectly. It's a rich treat to enjoy on occasion.