Pavia Gallery – Espresso Bar & Cafe

This location probably was the only café left in HRM area that I haven’t visited, until today. It was (is) a beautiful morning and I had a pleasant drive down to this neighbourhood. I was greeted by a clean, bright atmosphere and very delicious smelling biscuits. I recognized the barista from the Halifax Public Library location (which is another gem in Halifax), and the other staff were extremely friendly and helpful.
I would love for this kind of location to be closer to the city. East Coast Canada still has this mentality of a café being ‘hipster’, or ‘overly cozy’. However, around the world, some of the most successful cafes have a more modern, and high-​end feel to them. Pavia, is definitely expressing a refreshing atmosphere in the entire East Coast region. I cannot wait to go upstairs in a few minutes to check out the gallery, and to try their delicious smelling food items.
The only downside would be that the espresso tasted a bit over roasted, or dead. BUT 5-​star none the less, since the same drink I got at the Library location tasted superb.
Oh, and I am sincerely enjoying their selection of piano concertos and violin sonatas.

Locally owned coffee company. They do their roasting in Sackville. Great environment — in a house. Bright interior with art from local artists on display. Coffee was average but the baked goods were fresh and fantastic!
They also serve lunch at this original location — mainly Italian sandwiches that are fresh to order!
A gem in Herring Cove!

Stopped in on the way home from Crystal Crescent beach, that’s the only time I“m in the neighborhood. Has a lovely iced latte on the patio. A nice stop on a sunny day!

I am no stranger to a pretentious cup of java. While stepping in the front door this looked exactly what they had to offer. But today I just wanted a quick coffee fix the kind that comes hot fresh and with the choice of skim milk. You know like almost every place in the world well even the simplest cup of coffee has found a way to get screwed over up, down both left and right at this place. Cold old stale tasting cup with a choice of whole milk or cream. I almost walked that milk jug over the counter and asked then to wash it. How could they not notice it had sour thickly crusted milk all down the side right up to the spout where the it was being poured? My wife ordered the iced latte which she seemed to enjoy. I have to point out for the purpose of this review my thoughts on what she was served. While I tasted it and it did taste good. She asked for skim milk and it was either 2% or whole milk. Now it came in this ridiculous oversized cup. You see the problem was the cup was far less than half full? The guy passed it to me what looked like 7 or 8 sips of latte and he says «We only have one size take away» Well excuse me for paying close to 5 bucks for this. Seriously are you a coffee shop or are you a place where people like me walk in to bother you? For god sakes then take it off the dam menu. There was no way possible this was a 10 oz. latte as they had no way to measure it. Sad to see they go the contract for the new library. Pull it together Pavia when you come downtown or get eaten alive by starbucks much the way second cup next door did.

I love that this café is Italian inspired and still keeps to it’s originality. The artwork, the owner’s dedication and the products are all worth the travelling distance. I’m so glad there is a possibility they could open shop in Halifax’s new Central Library. Keep up the great work local businesses!

Went to Pavia with our friends and had a terrific lunch. The owner, Chris Webb took time to make us feel very comfortable and explained the menu and specials to us. The food was exquisite! The Caprese Panini and the Quattro and the pulled pork panini were all delectable and made to order. The customer service was too notch and they went out of their way to make sure everything was perfect. Try leaving without a spectacular dessert or a piece of art… good luck!
I will definitely be back! Oh, I drive from Cole Harbour, Dartmouth to go there and it was definitely worth the drive!

Halifax’s best kept secret, but it’s so far out! Love my flat whites (a.k.a the Adam) with a ricciarelli (italian biscuit). Yum! They also serve waffles on the weekends which are good.
Overall, fantastic beverages and baked goods, quite area, great atmosphere and employees, plus the place is surrounded by art. What more can you ask?

Cycling out Purcell’s Cove or riding back on the Sambro/​Herring Cove/Purcell’s Cove loop had been missing a café/​espresso bar forever. No longer. Pavia is a welcome treat, rain or shine. The soups are amazing, the coffee a welcome pick-​me-​up, the sweets delicious, the main owner/​operator and staff have always been very friendly. The only con is that the décor makes it a bit loud on the inside when it gets crowded, very clean and modern, no soft edges to absorb sound. But, there’s always the patio…

This is a true halifax gem. A little outside the city but worth it for a delish brunch or any time of day food. The family that own it make everything in a traditional Italian way. They have even trained for how to make esspresso in Italy. I had a double.
Ate there the other day and it was a treat. Had the Nouva Scotia panini which is made with Nova Scotia ham. Oh sweet god and I wish I was eating it again right now. They also had a gorgeous chacuterie platter that was served with a rosemary jelly. I could have died. I may have, and am writing this from beyond the grave.
The café is also a gallery, the exhibition they had when I was there was from the owner. Was really nice. Can’t wait to go back.

We have been wanting to try this spot for sometime and glad we finally made it. This is truly what you would find in Italy. Sparse furniture with eclectic surroundings. The menu is limited, Paninis and waffles are the specialties… with some wonderful baked good. We arrived early so to avoid the after church rush. Our Café Au Lait was perfect and service at the counter friendly. BUT… it took quite a while to process our order… this is one of the fall downs that many spots run into… it truly is a café… so the customers can see the open cooking area… so we ordered and then watched… and watched… and watched…10 minutes and then our drinks were prepared…10 more and then our waffles were «Started»…because they are using domestic waffle makers they are slow to cook… so with no other orders (for waffles) ahead of us 35 minutes was a long wait for waffles… as we watched Panini after Panini get made… cooked and served while we just sat. By the time our breakfast arrived our drink was gone…:(so were all of the cupcakes. My only point.(as I hate to say gripe) was that the price you are paying for is what you would pay for table service and not the «Cafeteria» style that is there chose method. When it gets busy you have a line as people order and it changes the ambiance as folks brush themselves against you and you table as you eat… or they wait in line only to frustrated by the wait and leave. If I may Pavia, you have the staff there… why not allow folks to sit down. place an order… I know this is not how they would do it in Italy but alas… we are not in Italy. We will certainly try again as the food was delicious.

Pavia is not only one of the single best places in Halifax for extra delicious coffee, latte’s, espresso, and snacks, but the artwork they show in support of über talented local artists is a joy to go peruse.
I personally know both of the owners and they are the sweetest, most kind, thoughtful, generous, and caring people I know. They are not pretentious, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting every time.

All we hear are great things about the Pavia Espresso Bar & Café: Halifax is so lucky to have a unique place like this. Kudos to owners and staff.
You are on our list for our next luncheon stop when we head into Hali!!!

Have only been here twice but have enjoyed both occasions. Pavia is definitely an asset to the neighborhood, wonderful layout, very clean and can’t say enough about the food. Delicious. Great customer service, everyone was quite friendly. Recommended.

Food is pretty good, but the service is slow and the owner is a pretentious jerk. They treat their employees horribly, and are generally rude and pretentious to customers.

I found out about this place by accident, actually, by browsing through the Halifax restaurant reviews on TA and Unilocal.So we decided to check it out after our swim at the wave pool, and found the restaurant easily. It’s at 995 Herring Cove Road, so keep the number 995 in your head as you drive out there.
Pavia lived up to its amazing reviews — chic décor, atmosphere, very interesting art exhibition, staff friendliness, parking, east to find location, customer service, great food, decorative and shapely white dishes. Everything is totally awesome, 10 points. You can bring your laptop too.
We shared a grilled veggie panini and a tasty side salad; some kind of grains were in it. I highly recommend this taste of an Italian town transported to a peaceful spot on the outskirts of Hali, for us all to enjoy. We liked the drive home too, looking at all the boats near the water, on a cool, yet sunny, December day.

We’ve driven by here plenty of times but just recently stopped in on a Sunday evening for a bite to eat with the kids.
If you like delicious bread and high quality ingredients, this is the place for you. The menu is small but what they do at Pavia they do very, very well.
I ordered the Pavia pannini, a delightful combination of feta cheese, manzanilla olives, and pepper garlic jelly from The Tangled Garden. The pannini had a salty sweetness from the combination of ingredients and was fantastic. My husband ordered the Alla’ Amentea which combined fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, green olives, and a drizzle of olive oil. It too was quite delicious. My husband said there was a bit too much cheese for his taste, but he admitted that he really isn’t much of a cheese person. Lastly, our five-​year-​old son ordered the Nuova Scotia, an aged cheddar, ham, and basil wine jelly concoction. He sat there saying «mmmm. MMMMM!» The whole time, and I managed to snag a bite and it was also fantastic.
Dinner for the three of us was $ 37 with tax and tip and I was happy to pay every cent. We will be going back soon to sample the coffee and sweets!

The more I Unilocal the more I learn that 5 stars really are reserved for extra amazing experiences.
Frankly, I think Pavia deserves it. I’m actually writing this review from a window side table on my laptop on a Friday afternoon after enjoying a lunch which included the All Amantea Panini (made with Italian prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, green olives and drizzled with olive oil) and a cup of their soup. Today’s soup was sweet potato with ginger, lime and coconut. And trust me when I tell you… it was GOOD. Full of flavor, just a hint of heat GOOD.
Now that I conquered my lunch I’m enjoying an Americano, made with Pavia’s special espresso «MokFlor». It is better than my lunch and that’s saying a lot.
But what Pavia does best of all is their service. You can come be like me and come to get a little work done, (hello free wifi) be like others I see around me gathering with friends, or meeting with colleagues. The wait staff and owner are my favorite kind of friendly. They give you your space but attentive to what you need.
I witnessed the following while at Pavia that melted my heart. A little girl who had a sore ankle on crutches hit her sore foot on the way in with her mom and was all teared up. The owner asked Mom if she could have a chocolate chip cookie cure and with Mom’s permission took her over one all done up with a little fresh melted chocolate on top to make her feel special and forget how much her foot hurt. His thoughtfulness worked like a charm.
I love it here, and would recommend it to anyone.
Go, enjoy — and don’t forget to try a ricciarelli (its one seriously incredible almond cookie).

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place.
I have been about 8 times since they opened and the service and quality is always top notch.
The coffee is fabulous — I usually enjoy a latte when there.
The waffles are fabulous on Saturday and Sundays.
Lunch this week was excellent… my friend and I split the Caprese Panini and their new Antipasti plate… all first class.
The owners are so friendly and they just seem to everything so well. My only complaint is that they are not in Halifax closer to me however the drive there is lovely and gets me out of the city and it is so worth the drive.

You have some time in your hands… you’re in the mood for sitting out in the shade and sipping a cappuccino while devouring that book you’ve been meaning to read.
On a whim (and because you’re addicted to Unilocal) you head out to Herring’s Cove and find the little café known as Pavia.
Welcome to a little bit of loveliness.
I can’t imagine this place gets too busy except for the locals coming in for their daily dose of caffeine or on the weekends when people are out and about and that’s why this place is perfect. We came at the height of the lunch hour on a Thursday and besides the two of us there were a total of 4 people.
The barista asked if we had been in before (which we hadn’t) and told us all about the baked goods being prepared on premise, the coffee a blend of their own and the espresso beans coming from a small community in Italy and apparently not available anywhere else.
The inside is a showcase of local artists and sure to start up some good conversations as you wait for the perfectly crafted cappuccino or Americano. The outside deck had the perfect amount of shade and with the Dee Dee’s ice cream window at your beckon call you’ll probably spend more time than you originally planned here.
Special props for the non gender specific bathrooms. As someone who identifies as Gender varient it’s a nice added bonus not to be forced into one bathroom or the other!
This is easily going to become our go to spot when we need to get out of the city for a bit and spend some time pondering our existence (while reading that book we’ve been meaning to get too)

The Pavia Café and Gallery is an fantastic addition to the Herring Cove area, so much so that I already know it’s going to lure me back out more often than my usual once-​a-​year trek to watch the waves on the ocean. I was very lucky to have a friend of mine invite me out to her regular haunt and already can’t wait to spend a day relaxing in this clean, modern house of espresso!
From the outside, you’ll find no indication of the crisp white interior that reminds me of gorgeous urban spaces like FRED in downtown Halifax. It’ll also be hard to imagine that the owners have perfected their craft of Italian coffees in the homeland itself, crafting custom blends of beans for the ideal Italia flavour (60% espresso, 40% Arabica). Their cappuccino was a sight to behold and a joy to savour. Of course, the coffee menu extends well beyond the standard so I can’t wait to experiment. I saw a particularly tasty-​looking cup of sipping chocolate that I’m dying to try.
The panini menu is small at just four or five options but considering I was already tortured trying to decide between the Caprese (basil, tomato, fresh mozza, olive oil) and the Pavia (olives, feta, pepper garlic jelly), I’d argue that you won’t need much more than they already offer. I went with the Pavia which will delight anyone who digs olives as much as I do. Plus, the jelly was out of this world. What I wouldn’t give to buy a jar for home use… (Pavia folks — call me.)
Now this was mostly luck, but we also happened to arrive on a day where the daily soup was carved out of my dreams: sweet potato with ginger. It was perfectly portioned in a cappuccino cup as a side to the panini (I always like trying the soup but never like feeling sickly full after suffering through a huge bowl) with a slice of starfruit over top. The baked goods, sweets, and chocolate truffles looked amazing too but I figured I’d pace myself for one visit. But trust… I’ll be happy to report back on those next time.
The owners were lovely and happy to fill us in on the ins and outs of their Italian ‘research’ trips, proper European espresso practices, and their personal favourite menu items in order to give this first-​timer the proper Pavia experience. One that I intend to recreate often!