Location: Nanaimo
Top Restaurants in Nanaimo
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Most Popular Canadian food in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Discover Restaurants offering the best Canadian food in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver Island's second-largest city is a picturesque oceanfront town with fabulous mountain views and a busy harbor. Home to events like the harbor's Bathtub Race, the city of 75,000 offers outdoor opportunities from full-moon kayaking to golfing. Boat-fresh seafood graces tables at an ever-increasing number of restaurants. This gateway to island adventures is easily reached by fast ferry or floatplane from downtown Vancouver or by scheduled ferries from Horseshoe Bay and Tsawwassen.
Things to do in Nanaimo
10. Longwood Brew Pub & Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 625 reviews
Fresh and local West Coast cuisine combined with in-house handcrafted Ales and Lagers, all served up in a warm and friendly atmosphere.Longwood Brew Pub is central Vancouver Island's first Brew Pub and Nanaimo's favorite rendezvous destination. Our restau
Reviewed By blueeyes2008
We took my husband's parents here as I heard a lot of good things about this place.Everything was good, we all had a hard time deciding what to order as it all looked good! I would love to come back to this restaurant the next time we come back to Nanaimo. :)
9. Mon Petit Choux
Overall Ratings
4 based on 297 reviews
We make all our breads and pastries using organic flour, butter and sugar. our eggs are from a local farm and our coffee is from Drumroaster in Duncan. We serve delicious breakfast and lunch using only high quality ingredients in a relax and friendly atmo
Reviewed By GrannyAC
We ordered pastries for our trip and enjoyed the breakfast sandwich and coffee. We arrived first thing in the morning and therefore, we were treated to fresh pastries. The Nanaimo bars were a nice treat.
8. The Nest Bistro
Overall Ratings
4 based on 443 reviews
Restaurant, lounge, bar, al fresco patio, scratch made food, locally sourced ingredients.
Reviewed By 861timh
We picked it because it was ranked #3 on Tripadvisor for Nanaimo, and it was walking distance from our hotel. It was so-so. A bit expensive for what we got at $150 all in for three people - we ordered three appetizers, three drinks, a mocktail and one dessert. Three of the drinks we wanted to order were not available and the glass of wine I eventually ordered tasted like it had been opened a while ago. The "polenta fries" were an interesting idea but rather lacking in flavour (the three sauces helped, but they would've been better on a tastier base). The seafood pasta was OK, but not stellar. Seafood three ways was pretty good but came with two of the same sauces as the polenta fries.Bottom line - I would not go again if I were in Nanaimo.
Where to eat Japanese food in Nanaimo: The Best Restaurants and Bars
7. Mambo Gourmet Pizza
Overall Ratings
4 based on 143 reviews
Reviewed By scribsign
Great people that own and run this joint, mostly a takeout or delivery, it has a few seats. Delicious assortment of gourmet pizzas to select from or design your own. great sauces, fresh toppings on an awesome crust. you can stop in quickly on the run and grab a slice of their premade pizza for lunch of snack,
6. Crow & Gate Pub
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1113 reviews
English-style Pub and garden located in the countryside. Licensed for patrons 19 and up. Sorry, no minors.
Reviewed By paxnrth
The Crow and Gate Pub is on the road to no-place special, and as you drive looking for it there is nothing unique about this area except Vancouver Island farm land. Then you drive down a slightly marked driveway and suddenly you are at an English Public House in the middle of an English flower garden. It is frankly both magical and astounding. The Pub itself is all dark wooded, well aged, and poorly lighted. The gardens around are flowered and tended and beautiful. For non-publicans they have alcohol free beverages, but children are not allowed. I had an immensely satisfying Plowman's Lunch, with lovely fresh bread, at least 200 grams of cheese, salad and relishes. Sitting in the garden on a summer day, in this bit of transplanted Old England, sipping a mug of some brown soft-drink and enjoying the wonderful large plate of cheese and friends was an unanticipated delight.
5. Smokin' George's BBQ
Overall Ratings
4 based on 312 reviews
Every city worth its salt has a place that locals talk about⦠you know, that place that serves up the tastiest, smokiest, most delicious BBQ. In Nanaimo, that place is Smokinâ Georgeâs BBQ! Every day, weâre chopping up seasoned hardwoods to smoke up the m
Reviewed By Rob A
We went searching for dinner after a long day of biking through Nanaimo. We asked the people at the Visitor Center where would be a good place to eat. They asked "Do you like BBQ?". I answered of course! We we were told we had to try Smokin George's.We drove to the restaurant. As we have found, most great local places are in strip malls. Smokin George's was no different, in a strip mall in the industrial part of town.We walked in and it was just what I expected, nothing fancy, just a focus on food.You order at the cashier, they recommended the BBQ feast so we went with that.It came with 2 large pieces of corn bread, fries, brisket, sausage, chicken, pulled pork and ribs. Sides were coleslaw and beans that were more like chilli.We dug in and it was amazing. The brisket was super tender and lots of flavour. And they did not overdue it with bbq sauce. Everything else was great as well, but the brisket was the best.A note on the coleslaw, it has a very vinegary dressing, not creamy. We mentioned the strong vinegar taste to our server and he acknowledged that it was not for everyone but that was the way they made their dressing.We had leftovers for lunch the next day, and that was an awesome lunch.We would go back in a heartbeat. If you are in Nanaimo and like BBQ at all, you MUST try Smokin George's.thanks so much for taking the time to write an amazing review and share your experience at Smokin' George's BBQ! Hope to see you back next time you visit Nanaimo! Cheers!
Most Popular Healthy food in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
4. Mahle House Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 288 reviews
Charming 1904 heritage building with ornamental and vegetable gardens. We focus on fresh and local ingredients with warm professional service in a casual upscale environment.
Reviewed By FoodieChefHungry
We wanted to try Nanaimos only fine dining restaurant and unfortunately it didnt quite meet our expectations. We started with the charcuterie board which was a nice concept but poorly executed - a small amount of meat and cheese overpowered by unidentifiable pickled vegetables. I had the $28 flatiron steak with no flavour and rock hard vegetables that fly off the plate when you try to eat them. My wife tried the stuffed chicken and said flavour was alright but chicken itself was bone dry. Service was average, not overly friendly or attentive. Decor was marvelous and the restaurant was very comfortable and inviting. All in all, very overpriced for what they deliver, but may be worth a second visit to try something else.
3. Gabriel's Gourmet Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 389 reviews
Reviewed By katieksr83
We had the beef and bean rice bowl and the Malaysian peanut curry. Portions were very large (I had to take half of mine home with me). The food was good quality and would like to go back if we were staying longer in the area.
2. The View Oceanside Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 149 reviews
We are a casual fine dining restaurant located oceanside with tremendous views in beautiful Nanaimo. We offer new and old trends using local ingredients in a scratch kitchen. Our bar contains some of the finest local beers and wines. Our dining room boast
Reviewed By lindenCR
Found this little gem quite by accident but sure glad we did! Atmosphere is lovely, the staff (and there were only 2 working the night we were there!) were extremely friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu, and the food....OMG...the food was out of this world! Hubby had the dinner special (rib eye with prawns) and said it was one of the best steaks he'd ever had! I had the summer carbonara and it was the best pasta dish I've ever eaten! Portions are large, everything is fresh and the prices were extremely reasonable! We'll definitely return to this spot when we're next in Nanaimo to try more delicious offerings on the menu!
1. COCO Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 123 reviews
COCO Cafe is social enterprise that provides employment, training, and socialization opportunities for people with developmental disabilities within their community. In June 2011 COCO Cafe opened its doors and began providing employment for people with de
Reviewed By VancIslandFoodies
Coco Cafe does a superb job of meeting 2 needs. First it's an excellent cafe that serves delicious breakfasts, lunches and coffee break treats. Second, it provides valuable job opportunities for community members with special needs.Coco Cafe also offer an excellent catering service and sells ready-made meals to take home and heat up.I love to eat at Coco Cafe, have hired them to cater a dinner and often take meals home with me. I've told many friends about it who now enjoy Coco Cafe too. Thank you SO much for all you do to support us! We are thrilled that you have been pleased with your experiences and can't wait to see you again soon!
Where to eat Mediterranean food in Nanaimo: The Best Restaurants and Bars
