Our Story

Barrington Street was widely regarded as the most fashionable street for promenading in Halifax, and by the 19th century, it was considered the main commercial district of the city. Although the origin of the name “Barrington” is unclear, one account suggests the street is named after William Barrington who served as a Secretary of War but was “an unknown” in 1749 when Halifax was founded.

This beautiful building was designed in the Late Victorian Plain style by architect J.C. Dumaresq and built in 1893 by Max Cohn. It was rented and later sold Ungar’s Steam Laundry and Dyeworks, who occupied the space into the 1950’s. From 2001 until 2009, 1662 Barrington housed Granite Brewery downstairs, and Ginger’s Tavern upstairs. In the fall of 2015, Murphy Hospitality Group began the transformation of the vacant space into what you see today, paying homage to the building’s steam laundry history in the design details. We hope you enjoy your time at The Barrington and welcome you to join us in our philosophy that a relentless commitment to great steak, fresh seafood, big wine, and Maritime hospitality come together to create the ultimate dining experience.

Chef Paul Huggins

Chef Huggins was born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario to a large Italian family. During his early years, he got his inspiration and love for food from cooking with his grandmother. After winning the title ‘Iron Chef Niagara’ in 2014, Chef Huggins decided to test the waters of Bermuda, where spent two years working closely with Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson and opened two new restaurants at The Hamilton Princess & Beach Club by Fairmont Hotels. More recently, he was the winner of the ‘Platinum Ladle’ in the 2018 Empty Bowls Fundraiser and was the Goderich Rotary Club Chili Cook-Off Champion in 2020. We’re thrilled to have Chef Paul leading our culinary team!