Could not be happier that the Arbutus Lounge exists (and the distillery) in our town. This place…read morerivals the best quality cocktails I've had in major cities, and when you factor in the INCREDIBLY low price, it truly can't be beat. From the classic martini to the weird and wonderful Where the Wild Things Are, and everything in between, the drink list is unique and exciting with something for everyone. The mixologists are amazing, and they even have board games and snacks available. They also do a happy hour, but I can never get there in time so can't speak to it. By far the best kept secret in Nanaimo!

Just discovered this place! Awesome craft cocktails from a serious mixologist. Never even knew this…read moreplace was here, as it's kinda hiding out of sight on a bit of an industrial park road. Nice cozy eclectic atmosphere with herbs and flowers drying all around. The cocktail menu is lengthy and def has something for everyone. Each drink has a chart letting you know sweet, herbal, boozy, etc. Not very busy on a Friday night, I imagine people haven't discovered it just like we didn't! Check it out!

Duncan's best-kept secret just set the gold standard. From the moment we walked into the Old…read moreFirehouse, it felt like we were stepping into a vibe that hits that rare, perfect note: elevated but unpretentious, energetic but intimate. Huge shoutout to Owner-turned-Mixology-Mastermind Jeff, who absolutely crushed it behind the bar -- every cocktail and mocktail was a handcrafted work of art that could hold court in any top-tier city. We're talking serious flavour fireworks here. And April -- what can we say? Her service made us feel like VIPs who owned the joint. She read the room, anticipated every move, and wrapped the whole evening in the kind of hospitality you can't teach: pure instinct, heart, and grace. The food? Next level. Every bite was a flex of flavor and presentation. The kitchen is clearly playing in its own league, balancing creativity with pure culinary muscle. Combine that with an ambience that feels like cozy meets cool, and you've got an absolute home run. If you haven't experienced Firehouse Grill yet, fix that immediately.

Excellent eats and great service. Interesting specials, and a cozy vibe. No notes. Friendly and…read moreattentive staff.

Omg!! First time ever being there. Service was great and our…read morewaiter answered all our questions about the menu, Food was phenomenal!! No wonder there is always a wait time to get on. I highly recommend this restaurant.

We have had many great Sunday Brunches. Staff are wonderful and so are the drinks and foodread more

Cute cottage cocktail bar on the island. First stop on our college girls reunion trip and it did…read morenot disappoint. The ambience is cozy with a little nautical flare. Bar seating & a handful of bar top tables located inside. Self serve water crafts and a whole menu of fun cocktails and light bites with locally sourced items. The So Long Summer was a refreshing drink. The owner chatted with us and gave us the run down of all items harvested today. Blueberries being one of them, score! Definitely a must pop in to start off an island vacation.

Great ambience and drinks. Really fun to sit at the bar and watch the bartender do her thing. Light…read moresnacks, not heavy food items, so beware. We stopped before dinner to grab drinks and hummus plate - it was perfect!

Love the place very friendly and good serves the owner is a a hoot a great person I recommend it…read morehighly give it a try and tell her Leo says Hi

Had SO much fun!! Delicious cocktails, clean comfortable space, and the staff are the best. Thanks…read moreto Jason for taking care of us on our night out in Nanaimo! We had the best time! Love forever! ^_^

We went here on a Saturday night and made a reservation on OpenTable. It was a bit strange that…read morewhen we called the restaurant, they claimed they can't accommodate us until 9:30pm, but OpenTable shows availability well before then - starting at 8pm, so it was a strange experience with the inconsistency. We sat indoors with the option to be seated outdoors with heated lamps but we didn't want to smell the smoke from people smoking outside. We ordered the Dark Spell Latte, Albedo Spritz, and Final Word. The Dark Spell Latte is like an espresso martini with chocolate syrup added, which is pretty solid. The Albedo Spritz is a red wine cocktail with hard liquor, and stood out to me as they had 5oz of alcohol so this was fairly strong, but I would imagine most of the ounces came from the wine itself. I liked the gold dusted blackberry. The Final Word is fruity and smoky, which I enjoyed, but not warrant a hefty price tag compared to the other drinks. Service is decent and in line with other restaurant bars. Overall, solid drinks at okay prices that I can see myself recommending this spot. Given the name, it would be great to see more alchemy themed cocktails or decor as what draws me as a frequent bar goer is themed and unique drinks.

We got the diavola pizza and it was amazing. Best crunch to the meat on the pizza which made it…read moreamazing to eat. We also got an old fashion and a whiskey sour and they were also delicious. You can the tell the owner takes great pride in this establishment as he was always making sure we were ok with our order. Beautiful inside and atmosphere was great. Hope to visit again soon. PS... we didn't take a pic of food bc we devoured it fast

Loved the Zombie last time I was in, a bit pricey but ambiance was worth it. Hope to come back…read moreagain. Any happy hour specials??

TL;DR: Yes, it's a tiki bar. That's about as far as it goes…read more Drinks: Coming from someone with a rum shelf and a closet of tiki mugs, this was thin. Very limited rum selection, nothing distinctive. The menu reads like flashcards: Trade Winds, Trader Vic's Grog, Saturn. Correct, competent. Vibe: The ambiance is fun and well done. It checks the boxes, but it doesn't push past them. What could be better: Depth. The rum program feels bare, and there's no sense of curiosity. Bottom line: If you don't know tiki, you'll probably have a good time. If you do, have a daiquiri and move on. My review matches what the locals say - Yup, it's a tiki bar.

Four words: Happy hour house chips. Warm, thin, crispy, yummy salt and pepper flavor. Best potato…read morechips I've ever had! Korean fried chicken was also delicious and made with dark and white pieces. Everything was stick-to-your-ribs good and well-made. Summer tourists, get your grub on here at least one meal during your visit!

8 of us came for Boxing Day brunch. Food was Exceptional, Service was wonderful, barhrooms lovely,…read moreno problem with seating us. We were there 2 hours, our choice, continuing coffee and tea, and they never stopped topping us up. Order any Benedict, or anything with housemade chorizo it's 'stupid-good' I can't wait to get back. Thank you for a GREAT respite from the xmas crazy. I recommend 100% and will return!!

Nice place to visit. Great cocktails. Unfortunately their products aren't up to snuff. I bought…read moretheir Lavender Gin at a local liquor store. It is the worse hard liquor I have ever bought. Lavender?? No, just some slightly amber gin that I can't even mix with anything. Whitley Niell makes a great Parma Lavender Gin that I first tried in a cocktail in Portsmouth UK. It isn't sold in Canada anymore unfortunately and was only for a short period. That was the reason I snapped up the Roots and Wings gin but I am resigned to using it for cleaning. I did try some of their other products and only the Abisnstine impressed me. I would have loved to have given a great review of their liquor but that wasn't possible. Drinking their cocktails is a different thing as they have a great mixologist. My advice- visit them, get a sample before buying, and buy only what tastes good to you. Everyone has different tastes.

Was at Fort Langley for lunch so figured I should stop by here on my way home since it was less…read morethan a 10min drive away. It wasn't busy at all when I arrived. I was the only there since it was 1pm on a Monday after all. Was about to grab to an Old Fashion after looking at their online menu, but was then told that they did flights so that's what I got. The flight; You choose six from a list of about 15. They do primarily vodka, but they do have some whiskey, gin, and even am Absinthe. I was very happy with all 6 and would order them again. I won't really go into any detail about each spirit since everyone has their own preference when it comes to alcohol. What I can say is that their Old Fashioned Spirit was my favorite. The service: The person working at the time was really friendly and helpful. Willing to answer questions about the spirits and make recommendations. The distillery: It's small and due to Covid Protocols they're only accepting 6 people in the building; however, they have a lot of outdoor space to enjoy. Their pick-up truck bar is the most eye catching so that's where we sat. I'd 100% come back here and if I lived in Langley I'd probably make this place one of my go to hangouts.

The food was delicious and the service staff was nice & Friendly! The ambiance was relaxing. I…read morewould have given this Inn restaurant a 5-rating. But one mushroom dish that we ordered was very salty. Their prime rib special was so delicious and priced right. I highly recommend this place. Nice and cozy!

I go here all the time, and I always have an exquisite experience. The ingredients are all of the…read morehighest quality--fresh, local, and organic. Many come directly from the garden on site! The service is fantastic and the ambiance is quaint and warm. If you can, plan a meal around sunset for an epic view!