THE RESTAURANT

The Canteen on Portland is an award-winning restaurant located on Portland Street in beautiful Downtown Dartmouth.

Our restaurants offers a bright, cheerful space to enjoy a special occasion, a hand-crafted cocktail with friends, or a business lunch with colleagues.

We have created the restaurant to feel like a home away from home. With a large window looking into our kitchen, you can watch the culinary team working hard on our many dishes, while being taken care of by an experienced front of house hospitality team.

THE LOCATION

We're conveniently located on the lower end of Portland Street only steps away from the Alderney Ferry Terminal. Our location puts us in the heart of our thriving downtown community. We are surrounded by amazing shops, restaurants, bars and beautiful parks. 

Crafting The Classics with Care.

We will bring the same food philosophy to The Canteen on Portland that successfully guided The Canteen's original location - honest, unpretentious food, made with love.

Our menu is influenced by classic French, Italian and traditional Nova Scotian cuisine - with a little bit of Renée's magic thrown in. We offer simple and approachable menus that are sure to please every palate - including kids! 

We also include a rotating list of local wines and craft beers and spirits that we love so much.

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ORDER TAKE OUT →

Renée Lavallée

CO-OWNER & CHEF

Renée was born and raised in Shawville, Que. She left home at an early age to attend George Brown College in Toronto. After more than 30 crazy years in the business, including many stints in restaurants around the world, Renée now called Nova Scotia home for 20 years.

After a brief hiatus to raise her family, Renée jumped back into the ring to open The Canteen. After fewer than three busy years The Canteen opened up a brand new full-service restaurant and takeout shop called Little C only two blocks from its original location.

She has a long list of professional accolades and has been the spokesperson for a number of culinary brands and organizations, including Taste of Nova Scotia, Select Nova Scotia, Community Food Centres Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Renée is no stranger to the camera and has appeared on numerous television shows. She was a competitor on Season 7 of Top Chef Canada, a judge on Season 1 & 2 of Food Network’s Wall of Chef and various other programs including Big Food Bucket List, Avec our Sans Cash, Les Quatre Coins de l’Assiette

As an ardent supporter of local farmers, fishers and various other types of food producers, Renée can often be spotted at any number of local farmers’ markets with Doug, daughter Zoe and son Philippe in tow.

Doug Townsend

CO-OWNER & OPERATOR

Hailing from Halifax’s west end, Doug developed an interest in food in his early twenties. After completing his degree in marketing at Dalhousie, Doug worked in the telecommunications industry for several years. In 2007, he went to work for Taste of Nova Scotia as the director of marketing. During his time with Taste of Nova Scotia Doug was fortunate enough to travel the world promoting Nova Scotia’s incredible culinary scene.

After having spent more than a decade living and working in Downtown Dartmouth, Doug jumped at the opportunity to work full time with Renee in 2016.

Both Doug and Renée are active volunteers in the community. Doug serves as board chair with Discover Halifax and The North Grove. He is also the past board chair of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission.  In 2021, Doug was the recipient of a Dalhousie University Aurum Award for contributions to the community during the pandemic.

The Team

We are a group of dedicated culinary and service professionals united by our passion for honest food and exceptionally hospitality. Our menu at The Canteen is created in collaboration by the entire team. Upon visiting our restaurant, one of the first things that you'll notice is that our kitchen is open to the dining room. We don't want to hide how much we love our work and our customers. If you have any questions or comments, don't be shy - we love to talk food!