New players in town

Halifax newest go-to game crew (Photo by Mel Hattie)

Grab your D20 and get ready to roll for initiative, The Board Room Café is open for business.

Nestled in the lower floor of the Thompson Building on Barrington Street, this stylish café boasts a collection of over 350 board games for you and your friends to sink your teeth into, from classics right out of your childhood, to more contemporary hits like Ticket to Ride, The Manhattan Project and Lords of Waterdeep.

“It is a place for people to experience a different social atmosphere than what they’re traditionally used to in Halifax,” says retail manager John Gallant. “You can’t talk to each other at the bar or at the movies. Here you can sit down, relax and have a bunch of fun. It’s not an average café.”

The Board Room Café has an interesting dichotomy. One can pay a five dollar fee and play any game they want for as long as they want, or waive the fee and simply enjoy a drink and a snack in one of the many large, comfortable couches set up around the well-lit space. Or you can do both, with drinks ranging from tasty soft drinks to Nutella-infused hot beverages. The café has recently received its liquor license and now will be, serving up Porter and Garrison brews.

Founded by Kris Moulton, a Halifax native and a veteran employee of the Snakes and Lattés café in Toronto which offers similar services, The Board Room aims to provide a service for the gamers of Halifax. Being the only café of its kind in the Atlantic provinces, and differentiating itself from the more event-oriented style of stores like Games People Play, The Board Room hopes to become a hub for people looking to have a more social experience.

As Gallant wisely puts it, “Don’t think you know what this place is before checking it out.” The Board Room Café is located at 1256 Barrington Street, with the #7 bus stop just outside. Check it out any day of the week from 11:00 a.m. until close.