DaMaurizio awarded four diamonds 8 years in a row. Only 13 restaurants in Atlantic Canada have been awarded this distinction this year.

Widely considered Halifax's best restaurant. Three-time recipient of the CAA Four Diamond Award. Known for impeccable service, extensive wine lists and a celebrated northern Italian menu featuring calamari, gnocchi, lamb and seafood. Highly praised by visitors and locals alike.

Subdued lighting, elegant decor, and fresh flowers on the tables make dining a lovely experience at this Italian restaurant. Chef Maurizio's creativity and attention to detail create meals that are both impressive and satisfying and make him a local legend. The excellent seared foie gras is always on the menu, as are the scampi, from the coast of Iceland, which are crowned with a heavenly garlic-and-cognac sauce. For dessert, the zabaglione is likely to leave you weak. The specialty wine list tops out at $325, but nice bottles can still be had for $35.

Since there hasn't been any mention of Halifax on here since early September, I thought I would add a quick review of Da Maurizio, often considered one of Halifax's best restaurants.

I was lucky enough to be invited to dinner there last week. It remains, in my opinion, THE place to go in Halifax for fine dining and great food.

I started with tiger shrimp wrapped in prosciutto, finished with a maderia sauce. Fabulous, if a bit rich. We were all ordering 3 courses, so I followed that up with a wild mushroom risotto, which was supurb, albeit filling. At this point I barely had enough room left for a cup of coffee, much less a main, but I had to order so I decided to try what I thought was one of the lighter choices, seared scallops. They arrived -- 4 huge scallops, artfully arranged, with a dark (I believe port-based) sauce. Incredibly tasty, but again, very rich. Finished the meal with a decaf cappuccino and had some lovely Serego Alghieri red wine with the meal.

Everything was supurb, but my unfamiliarity with the menu led me to order things that were all a bit on the rich side. In retrospect I should have asked the staff for guidance on that. The service was very good, if a bit clinical -- our server was a somewhat formal fellow with a bit of almost a prussian air to him, but certainly very prompt and knowledgeable. Da Maurizio is not cheap -- menu prices for the 3 things I had totalled about $52, plus wine, coffee, taxes and tip -- but the experience is virtually flawless. Highly recommended.

daMaurizio does everything right. Located in a cleverly adapted former brewery, the vast space has been divided into a complex of hives with columns and exposed brick that add to the atmosphere and heighten the anticipation of the meal. The decor shuns decorative doodads for clean lines and simple class. Much the same might be said of the menu. You could start with an appetizer such as squid quick-fried with olive oil, tomato, and chiles, pick through a romaine salad with grapefruit and candied walnuts, go for risotto or minestrone, or just order simple ravioli with sausage. The main courses tax even the most decisive of diners: On a given night, they might include pastas featuring lobster, leeks, white wine, cream, and fresh ginger; gnocchi with Bolognese sauce; pumpkin ravioli with citrus and roasted duck sauce; pasta with king crab and mascarpone, drizzled with curry sauce; a few variations on veal scaloppine; pan-seared scallops with chili and port sauce; or a whole lobster gratinéed with sweet peppers, onions, brandy, and cream. Desserts run beyond tiramisu and gelati to cake; panna cotta; a fruit, nut, and cheese plate; and tartufo, a molded almond gelato filled with chocolate and topped with crumbled amaretti, with crème anglaise and a chocolate ganache on the side. These simple dishes aren't meant to dazzle with outlandish creativity but rely instead on the best ingredients and the kitchen's close eye for perfect preparation.

Located in the Brewery Market, da Maurizio is one of the city's most elegant Italian restaurants—with prices to match. The food is tempting and rich, and the ambience is warm but sophisticated: old stone walls decorated with delicate crystal ornaments and Commedia dell'Arte masks. The menu is constantly changing, but recurring favorites include grilled eggplant with prosciutto and pumpkin-filled ravioli. Ask for the specialty wine list for hard-to-find vintages. Open Monday-Saturday for dinner. Reservations recommended.