10 Best Restaurants in South Shore and Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

Firmly established as the best place to eat along this stretch of the coast, La Cuisine Robicheau overlooks the ocean and specializes in seafood and Acadian cuisine. The excellent pâté à la râpure (rappie pie) is usually the first thing to sell out, so come early. Other good choices include the fricot aux poutines râpées à la poule (chicken soup with potato dumplings). 

You don't have to dine on the waterfront in Digby to enjoy great seafood and good views, and this friendly pub offers both. Just uphill from the main street, its two-story deck has great sea views, and the menu mostly features local seafood that couldn't be any fresher. There are other choices, too, including vegetarian and vegan options, and any dish can be downsized for children. All are made from locally sourced ingredients, cooked to perfection by the talented chef, and there's local beer, locally roasted coffee, and occasional local live music.

The lobster rolls served at this takeout-only spot are divine, filled with fat chunks of lobster and served with a pickle and potato chips on the side. Order a classic (with celery and mayo), cajun (spicier version of the classic), or naked (pure lobster) and sit by the water to enjoy. Tom's also serves a few other seafood dishes (smoked salmon bagels, seafood pasta, fishcakes) and all are delicious. 

If you're in the neighborhood during lobster season, this site is well worth a visit. It's one of the largest lobster holding facilities in Canada, storing live lobsters in temperature-controlled pounds until they can be packed and shipped to international destinations. You can pick out a lobster and have it prepared in the "cook shack" and delivered to you in the waterfront dining room. Or buy a live one to go.

Lunenburg is riddled with seafood restaurants, but this one stands out for its location inside a former fish-processing plant at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, overlooking Lunenburg Harbour and with wharf-side dining in summer. Seafood is the specialty, of course, but you can also opt for chicken, steak, or vegetarian pasta. The Ice House Bar has 16 beers on tap and summer rum tasting events.

As its name implies, this hopping waterfront spot serves the expected fish dishes along with pub grub like steak with seafood and fries and Acadian rappie pie, all of which can be washed down with ales handcrafted on-site. Seating is inside a converted warehouse supported by 18th-century beams or, in fine weather, at picnic tables on the wraparound deck. Since Rudder's doubles as a microbrewery, you can also buy beer to go. Live entertainment on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evening is a good reason to linger, and if you're sailing in, they have their own floating-dock marina.

Poised on the rocks near the base of Peggy's Cove lighthouse, this sprawling 180-seat dining room serves a variety of seafood, including orange brandy shrimp and scallops, lobster dinners, and Down East specialties such as salt-fish hash and beans. There are also chicken, steak, and vegetarian options, and breakfast is served from 8:30 to 11 am.

Housed in one of Chester's oldest buildings, with 200-year-old hand-hewn beams and plenty of original features, this dockside restaurant and pub offers excellent seafood, steaks, and pasta dishes in the most picturesque of locations. With decks right on the harbour, the views here can't be beat. 

Head here for great fish-and-chips, juicy scallops, or a lobster roll. Two patios overlook the water, and there's indoor seating too. This casual spot is great for when you want excellent seafood, and a fun atmosphere to go with it.