1 week Ago By Tim Johnson Special to the Star
For a long time, Saint John, N.B., seemed like a rough-and-tumble port city that just kept getting tougher.
But over the past decade, Canada’s oldest incorporated city has undergone a true renaissance, starting in the formerly neglected historic core, Uptown. First rebuilt by architects in the 19th century, after the devastating Great Fire of 1877, the district’s Greek revival, gothic and Italianate buildings have now been restored on the steep streets next to what was once one of the world’s busiest harbours. The more recent influx of people moving back to Uptown has also re-energized the area, allowing for the flourishing of restaurants and bars in a compact radius — the locals keeping the businesses humming through the tourist off-season.
And it’s not just Uptown. A high tide has swept across this city on the Bay of Fundy, and beyond, as I learned on a recent trip, which I spent exploring the food and drink scene, guided by advice from local friends. Here are five places to check out on your next visit.
Area 506 is a new retail/entertainment “village” built from repurposed shipping containers. Just down the hill from Uptown, in a tourist-friendly location on the busy harbour — right where cruise ships dock — roughly 60 repurposed shipping containers have created a whole new waterfront village, home to retail, food trucks and special events. Opened in 2022 and named after the city’s area code, it’s an excellent place to spend a sunny afternoon.
Browse a wide variety of goods, from retro candy (including root beer popsicles) to marine supplies, jewelry, beauty products and plenty more. Then grab a taco (or classic East Coast donair) and a pint, and enjoy the view from the upper level of the Docks Container Lounge. The idea here is to bring hops and Scotch together, in a stylish space.
And they pull it off, with a dozen beers on tap (mostly local craft brews), plus a whisky list that tops 250 labels — with a decided preference for single malts from Scotland. And in a city with a very solid patio scene, Hopscotch has one of the best. Tucked away around back, you’ll find a small, comfy outdoor sitting area with patrons gathered around flickering faux fires.
The bumbleberry daisy is one of the whimsical cocktails at Kakuteru. You can order off the minuscule, ever-changing menu of whimsical creations, like the lychee milk punch or bumbleberry daisy cocktail — or better yet, let owner Eric Scouten make a drink to suit your personality. “Just tell me your story,” he advises guests sitting around a horseshoe-shaped bar, which he made himself from old church pews, and he will custom-fit your cocktail.
Opened in 2022, this 13-seat back-lane spot is ultra-personal, with Scouten insisting the lounge doesn’t even have a name. “It’s ‘cocktail’ in Japanese, spelled out in English phonetics,” he says. “And this just helps people find us.
” Somehow managing to avoid pretension, he talks guests through his cocktail process, from the intricacies of shaping the ice to the technique of the pour-over. The popular Italian by Night serves up staples like spaghetti and meatballs. Now one of the city’s most popular restaurants (every table is routinely packed, even on weeknights), this spacious spot started as a tiny deli by day that the owners converted to a very small restaurant for the evenings, hence the name: Italian by Night.
Today, only the latter concept remains — now a big, bright place serving up Italian staples using seasonal ingredients, like chicken Parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs. Reaching the Kingston Peninsula is just a 15-minute ride on the free Summerville-Millidgeville Ferry, which will transport you (and your car) from Saint John’s northern edge to a different world. Driving is the easiest way to travel this bucolic peninsula, where country roads twist past farms and hidden beaches.
And set on the west side, in Long Reach, N.B., Yip Cider is a worthwhile destination.
In 2021, the family-run business opened a new building, complete with a taproom, where you can sample their boozy yet refreshing seasonal ciders, made with apples grown in their own orchard (or sourced from nearby farms). Pull up a chair on the patio and sip the Yip while you enjoy views over the river..
