There’s a new gem in Halifax, and it’s the kind of place every neighbourhood dreams of calling its own. Reta’s, named in tribute to Chef Stephanie Ogilvie’s grandmother, is more than a restaurant; it’s an expression of family, memory, and craft. With every detail, from the eclectic décor to the beautifully composed plates, Ogilvie tells a story. It’s the kind of hospitality that makes you feel instantly at home.
“I loved being in the kitchen with my grandmother,” says Ogilvie. “She always seemed ready for company to drop in, able to have a full table set and ready at a moment’s notice, it was like magic. She would often say, ‘There is always room at the table for one more,’ and that always really stuck with me. Cooking is an act of service, a form of creativity, yes, but more importantly, it creates comfort, community, and memories.”
Walking into the small dining space on Gottingen Street feels like stepping into grandma’s house. Light streams in through the stained-glass windows that builders rescued and repurposed from the church that once stood in the same space, giving the restaurant an ethereal yellow glow. A collection of indoor tropical plants in mismatched pots is arranged along the windowsill. On the wall beside my booth, a wooden rack displays vintage teaspoons once collected on travels, tiny keepsakes of memory and place. I’m instantly transported to my own granny’s kitchen in Johannesburg, South Africa. Wooden ducks perch on shelves, a crocheted lobster hangs nearby, and quirky folk art and paintings dot the walls. Thick wooden ceiling beams and reclaimed church pews for seating complete the space.
“It was really a getting to know the space and work within it before it took shape on design,” says Ogilvie. “It took us a month to flip it, which is not a lot of time… but I love a challenge. The building was a former church, so we leaned into that. The stained glass we kept and moved to the windows to capture and diffuse the afternoon light that pours into the dining room. We thrifted the pews to keep with the theme and create banquet seating, maximizing seating space and keeping it open for large gatherings when needed.”
The funky folk art and trinkets are things that Ogilve collected over the years. “It perhaps was not what I had initially set out to open in terms of dining style,” she says. “Things started to fall into place as we were in the space and getting a feel for what the neighbourhood wanted and needed. This project is very grassroots and deeply personal, so it had to be genuine.”
That sense of authenticity is at the heart of Ogilvie’s career. Hailing from Petitcodiac, N.B., this talented chef has long been a rising force in Halifax’s culinary scene.
A graduate of Charlottetown’s Culinary Institute of Canada, she sharpened her skills in some of the city’s most beloved kitchens, including Black Sheep Restaurant, Jane’s on the Common, the Brooklyn Warehouse, and Chives Canadian Bistro. Her culinary journey took a turn and accelerated during the pandemic with the launch of Hop Scotch Dinner Club. This pop-up dining experience quickly earned a loyal following.
Along the way, she made it to the finals of Top Chef Canada and honed her craft further during a coveted stint at the renowned Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland. But the ultimate goal was always to find the right space at the right time and craft a menu that fully reflects her creativity, passion for local ingredients, and deep roots in East Coast cuisine.
The menu is small and refined without pretension. Every dish reflects quiet confidence: flavours that strike with precision, ingredients that speak for themselves, and a clear sense of purpose behind every element. It’s not just beautiful food, it’s thoughtful, seasonal cooking that evolves constantly and will have diners returning. The menu is a collection of temptations. Harissa spiced roasted carrots with radicchio and buckwheat dukkah, an Egyptian condiment featuring nuts, herbs and spices, and seeds, popular as an accent or garnish on many dishes. A lamb salad brightened with labneh and pistachio gremolata. Honey-lacquered duck breast, rich and tender, paired with roasted kabocha squash. And the finale? Sublime. A sea buckthorn curd tartlette, tangy and vibrant, encased in a flaky shortbread and poppy seed crust, topped with delicate shards of paper-thin meringue and a confetti of edible petals.
Reta’s is a love letter to where we come from and a bold step toward where East Coast dining is going. And like the grandmother who inspired it, Reta’s always has room at the table for one more.
What’s a pop-up?
It might sound like the chef is making toast, but a pop-up dining experience or restaurant is a temporary dining event. You might see one at an outdoor farmers market, or advertised as a one-night only special at a unique location such as a public garden. The advantage to the hosting chef is the freedom to create new menu ideas, raise funds for charity, or host a special meal without needing a permanent storefront with all its expenses.
Recipes
What's sea buckthorn?
Sea buckthorn, also known as seaberry, is a deciduous shrub native to Europe. Its golden-yellow berries are tart with a flavour reminiscent of citrus, pineapple, or mango, and is another of those antioxidant-rich fruits similar to blueberries and haskap. Berries and juice may be found in speciality shops, or even foraged in some locales. Some people may grow the shrub as an ornamental.