The waterfront in downtown Halifax is officially one of my favourite places to spend a sunny afternoon with my spaniel – and I’ll tell you all about it soon.

But first, where can you eat with your dog in Halifax, Nova Scotia? At the dog-friendly Garrison Brewing Co. within walking distance of the waterfront and the Nova Scotian Westin Hotel. Not only on the patio, either. Dogs and their people are welcome indoors, too. Yes, inside and on the patio.

First, you’ll have to pick up your own pizza at Tomavinos Ristorante around the corner.

You can bring your dog to the Garrison Brewing Co. for a beer (or flight of five), but you’ll also need to bring your own food. Fortunately, steps away on Marginal Street there are options. Everyone’s favourite is Tomavinos, at least among micro-brewery fans.

Lunch at Dog-friendly Garrison Brewing Co

So, I leave my pup outside the door of Tomavinos and order an Eros – feta cheese, Kalamata olives, caramelized onions and roasted grape tomatoes – and a classic Margherita.

Not wanting to leave my dog for long, I lurk in the doorway at Tomavinos where I’ve been directed to pick up my takeout order. I cautiously stick my head in to see if it’s ready. “No, not yet,” an older woman in with a heavy Italian accent yells: “What do you think, it’s made in one minute?” Perfect, I think. If you get yelled at in Italian, this stone oven-baked pizza is going to be authentic and really, really good.

I was right … eventually.

First, I head into The Garrison and saddle up to one of the wooden tables painted with a flag – Canada’s my choice – anchor my pup to the table leg and order a flight of beer for me and a package of dog treats for her. I love that – the Garrison makes crunchy canine treats from spent beer grains (similar to those we found in Grey County, Ontario). The treats give me something to feed my dog who’s anticipating the taste of oven baked hand-tossed dough as much as I am.

We wait for the pizza – it takes more than one minute, you know.

We’re not the only ones doing pizza and beer this afternoon – Tomavino boxes are piled high in the recycling bin  – but we are some of the few opting to sit indoors on this sunny afternoon. The Garrison doesn’t serve food, only snacks. Beer with your dog, apparently, is entirely within the health code, and I’m not arguing with that.

Dog-friendly Halifax and Hotel

The Garrison is dog-friendly, both on the outdoor patio and inside the brewery – since we’ve already spent the day in the sun during our summer 2022 Canadian maritime road trip visit, I opt to sit indoors with my part Springer/part Cocker Spaniel. We’ve arrived in Halifax after camping at the Kejimkujik  National Park, so I was ready for a luxury stay at the dog-friendly Westin Hotel, a short jaunt from The Garrison.

It’s also not the first time on the trip I’ve enjoyed pizza and beer indoors with my pup either – Saint Johns, New Brunswick was our first dog-friendly brewery stop. I’ve got to say, I’m loving the dog-friendly brewery partnering with local pizzaria trend.

Established in 1997, The Garrison Brewing Company is known for its Tall Ship ale and Irish Red malt, but I preferred the Pucker Up – a bright pink ale brewed with pomegranate, hibiscus, rosehip, and cranberry. That’s the advantage of a flight with your pizza: you get to sample five microbrew options (including Lil’ Juicy fruity IPA) before selecting your take home pack.

The list of beer varieties is surprisingly long – and seasonal. Some only appear on tap and in flights at certain times of the year. For instance, in 2019 the Garrison Brewing Co. Created the limited edition Wienerful Wheat beer and donated fifty cents per can to the Nova Scotia SPCA.

Where to Find the Garrison

Located along the Halifax seaport across from the oldest farmer’s market in North America and Pier 21 Canadian Museum of Immigration – in other words, in a popular tourist area – The Garrison is arguably a mandatory stop on a dog-friendly journey to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

What else is dog-friendly in the city? A lot, actually. Up next on dogtrotting.net is our guide to taking your dog to Halifax, Nova Scotia … stay tuned.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America, and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria.