Bare Bones Cafe and Bistro

Bare Bones was recommended to us by the innkeeper at our B&B on a recent overnight stay in Parrsboro. What a gem of a restaurant! My husband and I sat outside enjoying the view of a cove in the Bay of Fundy. After cocktails we shared a Caesar Salad that was delicious and beautifully-​presented. Both of us choose a pasta entrée with lobster and a chili/​lime cream sauce. The flavors were amazing with just enough of a «bite.» And once again, the presentation was beautiful. The price wasn’t inexpensive but we’ve paid much more for food that wasn’t prepared or presented nearly this well.

After finishing up the Not Since Moses mud race in Five Islands and exploring the area a little, I was famished and didn’t have high hopes for lunch. In such a small place, you kind of expect your basic fish ‘n’ chips or cheeseburger options. Enter Bare Bones. The place was lovely and really surprised me.
The lunch menu had a really cool, original twist. My grilled chicken sandwich was loaded with toppings and came on a tasty focaccia bun, and my fiancé’s veggie sandwich was barely a sandwich at all — lots of veggies between two pieces of tasty cornbread — but totally delicious.
And our desserts! The blueberry cake soaked in syrup (not sure it was syrup, but it was moist in a good way) was delicious, but we couldn’t finish it after practically fighting over the cheesecake wonton. Basically a small eggroll type pastry filled with warm cheesecake, on top of a bowl of the same pastry filled with ice cream and drunken berries. Yum!
Plus, I enjoyed a cold glass of the house white wine (Jost) for only $ 6. Pretty awesome! If you find yourself in this area looking for a bite to eat, definitely check out Bare Bones.

We had to pick up a coffee table in Amherst and decided to take the scenic drive down back to Truro.
We arrived in Parrsboro and headed for Partridge Island and passed this location.
We turned around and stopped for lunch. Wow this place is awesome, the presentation is simple but refined. The menu items were different from the usual items I’ve become to seeing.
I opted for the daily special, the butternut squash soup with bread sticks. Wow!!! one of the best soups I’ve had. The presentation was very well done.
Overall, the bill was cheaper than what would expect in Halifax. I will certainly come back again.

What a delightful surprise! On Day 12 of a 19 day trip, we wandered into Bare Bones. I was just hungry, and the place looked open, so we decided to try it.
From the moment that we were greeted by our waitress/​hostess, Gloria, I knew this wasn’t the hole in the wall that I had assumed it was. It turns out that the chef/​owner did his training in ‘the big city’ (Toronto?) and decided he wanted to come back home to Parrsboro… which resulted in this funky, somewhat eclectic establishment in a remote corner of Nova Scotia. However the FOOD, the PRESENTATION, and the SERVICE were all brilliant, and factored into my giving them five stars. The Bare Bones Café was, without a doubt, the most pleasant culinary experience we encountered during our 19 days. It is, by itself, worth a trip to Nova Scotia!