We visited Bocca Cafe as our second stop out of three for Nainaimo Bars. This is a pretty cozy cafe, with only a couple of tables and seats for people to relax in. When we visited on a rainy Monday afternoon and there were a couple of people inside, sipping on coffee and working. Traditional Nanaimo ($5.99) - This Nanaimo Bar is very thin, about half the height as compared to Bar 1. It shears while cutting, causing pieces to break off in chunks rather than cleaning going through. This happens to both the icing in the middle and the top and I'm not sure what causes it. The top layer has a nice rich chocolatety taste. The bottom layer has finer coconut shreds and a nice cocoa flavor, mixed with crushed silvered almonds for nuttiness and crunch. The layer is able to easily shatter. It's dry and almost powdery in texture. The middle icing isn't that noteworthy other than being sweet. As a whole, the bar is hefty, hard and very dense. It's very sweet. (3/5) Salted Caramel Nanaimo ($5.99) - This is similar in texture to the traditional with the same shattering grittiness. The middle layer is caramel icing and top layer has some flaky salt sprinkled on top. Otherwise again it's very sweet and crumbly. (3/5) I can't say I was a huge fan of these Nanaimo bars. They are definitely higher quality than the last bakery we visited, but they are a bit too dry, gritty, and powdery for my tastes. Based on my enjoyment of the food, I would normally give Bocca Cafe a 3 star rating, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and raise them to a 4, especially because the employees were very nice. Maybe i just don't like Nanaimo bars that much! Washrooms - One unisex room. read more

See all

Bocca Cafe was pretty empty when we stopped in, but the ambiance was cozy. The interior had colorful walls, covered in art for sale. They also had some cute holiday decorations. I ordered a Matcha Latte and my boyfriend got a Dirty Chai Latte, which were both tasty and came in large mugs. We also ordered a Caramel Brownie to share. The brownie was super decadent and rich, but delicious. I was glad we only ordered one for two people. Service was friendly and reasonably fast. Overall, cute cafe - would return! read more

See all

The server just accused me of taking photos and videos of them because I was leaning against the wall waiting for my food with my phone out. Although they have no right to look at my phone, I showed the owner my camera roll and he agreed I had no photos of them but didn't even apologize. I won't be going back until this employee is fired and the owner apologizes. This place hasn't been the same since the original owner left. I want my tip back. read more

I travel for food experiences, and document them on my FoodSherpas site and socials. So I came here from Chile...despite my 2 years of strict keto and 0 sugar...to try my first Nanaimo bar. And Bocca Cafe is regarded as having the best. I ordered some to-go to bring to a friends home...where I could dress them up to meet my presents standards. But I had to drive about 30 minutes with the rental car to get to my friends home. So I listened to Star Trek: The Next Conversation during the drive to build my appetite for the Bocca Cafe Nanaimo bar goodness. But I had to pull over. Based on the groundbreaking podcast episode, considered by many to be the best podcast in the world (so much so that there is talk of rebranding the word "podcast" as "Miracast")...I found myself needing to put of the Canadian sugar high for something more important; searching for a Kai Opaka Star Trek DS9 figurine. The sadness that ensued when I found out that not only were there no official Kai Opaka figures, but that even the black market Kai Opaka are out of stock, well, it hit me hard. The result was a tribute to the OG Kai, with a single strawberry bridging 2 Bocca Cafe Nanaimo bars, the represent the natural sweetness of uniting two waring cultures on a desolate planet. I enjoyed my first Nanaimo Bar from Bocca Cafe, and poured a few crumbs while I pointed to the sky with a somber "Secunda rules". Thank you for my first Nanaimo Bar, Bocca Cafe, and thank you for bringing me closer to the one true prophet; Kai Opaka. podcast for STTNC. Peace to all Opakans. read more

Bocca Cafe - Nanaimo Bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

See all

Get. Their. Nanaimo. Bars. Not too sweet and they have a broad assortment! Their Nanaimo bars here are famed. Cute little coffee shop. My favourites are the original and the strawberry. Tax free if you buy 6! :) read more

Hearing about their great nanaimo bars from Instagram, I knew I couldn't leave our trip to the island without one of these famed desserts. I came to pick up their traditional Nanaimo bar and it was really good! I dont have them often so I did think that it was a bit sweet, especially the custard layer in the middle, but the flavours were iconic. With the classic coconut/oat layer on their bottom and a chocolate ganache on top, I was glad we made a stop here before our ferry! read more

This is a really nice little coffee shop near the old part of Nanaimo. We stopped by here to rest on a walk, and try some more Nanaimo bars - this time, the salted caramel variation. They were some of the best we tried on our stop in town - they could maybe have used a tiny bit more salt, but they were really good, and I'd recommend trying them out! The drinks were good too, nothing outstanding but solid variants on all the classics. The layout is a little awkward inside - the till is on a tiny shelf and the place gets crowded really fast, and they don't have prices or ID tags on any of their pastries so you need to either gamble or ask, but overall it's a nice place. read more

See all

Everything in the picture (traditional Nanaimo, mocha Nanaimo and blueberry muffin) were all really good! Highly recommend. The Nanaimo is "the best" my friends have ever had. The drip coffee however wasn't the best and is the reason for the four stars. It tasted maybe burnt or like their machine needs to be cleaned out. The staff were all very friendly and helpful! read more

We went here for one thing - a Nanaimo Bar - and it was delicious. Parking was easy so I recommend this place when you are in town.

Very poor service. Rude and uninterested barista behind the counter. She told us that she was closing in a few minutes (3:25 pm in the afternoon), but would reluctantly make us a coffee and chai latte. I asked for a Nanaimo bar to eat while she made our order. After making our coffee and tea, she finally gave me the Nanaimo bar to go, as she didn't want me to eat it in the restaurant because she wanted to close. Next, she served another customer who walked in after the 3:30 closing time. So, for $ 18.00 we will find another coffee shop in Nanaimo's Historic Old Town, and definitely will not recomment this establishment. read more

Looking for a vegan nanimo bar? This is the perfect spot for it! Come early before they sell out and make sure to pair it with a cup of coffee! Delicious! read more

Swinging through Nanaimo (gateway to Tofino, or in my case this weekend, to a family wedding in Cowichan Bay), it can be tough to find a lunch pitstop that does not involve a drive thru, or pre-prepared, frozen, deep fried pub food. But Bocca Cafe delivers fresh homemade breads, piled high sandwiches, rustic soups and an airy atmosphere steeped in local arts and culture info. A soup and sando combo for $7.95 includes your choice of broiled chicken, roast beef or a vegetarian half sandwich and one of the 2 daily soups. I opted for a vegetarian on sundried tomato bread with chickpea sesame soup. It hit the spot! For coffee though, I'd make a second stop at The Buzz Coffee House http://www.yelp.ca/biz/the-buzz-coffee-house-nanaimo Bocca proudly displays their beans as being Cafe Umbria, but I'm just not a big fan of those. Located in the quaint little downtown core, this cafe looks out onto a small but airy patio/breezeway and has tables both inside and outside. Consider Bocca added to the "must-do" list of east-ish island trips. read more

Bocca Cafe - Soup and sandwich combo! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

We came to Bocca Cafe to try their Nanaimo Bars. We were lucky enough to visit around Easter so they had a mini eggs Nanaimo Bar! It was the perfect balance of chocolate, custard and a coconuty base. The mini eggs were a fun addition. We also tried the peanut butter one, which was delicious too! read more

Passed through this great little café on our way to Tofino - excellent place to grab some delicious (and mandatory?) Nanaimo Bars, lunch, or some good coffee! read more

Just had their Green Eggs and Ham breakfast sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. I'd eat here every day if I lived nearby. An excellent Nanaimo bar as well! read more

Came here for the first time yesterday, and the second time earlier today. My dad and I were looking to grab a quick coffee and a light snack, and he suggested this as one of his favorites. Located in Nanaimo's Old Quarter, it perfectly embodies the image of a cozy Vancouver Island café! A large, hand-drawn menu hangs on the wall across from the counter. Said counter holds a glass case, enclosing about six or seven types of basketball-sized muffins. The selection includes everything from gluten-free, sugar-free dill & cheddar, to the more traditional types such as blueberry bran. There's also an extensive lunch menu, which includes quiche, salads, and assorted sandwiches. My dad opted for a regular coffee and a butter tart. (Speaking of desserts...the dessert display case contains a gargantuan-looking carrot cake, which I hear is a little bit too sweet.) Apparently, the butter tart was good. I was hoping for an iced coffee...what I got was two espresso shits in a mug, with water and ice cubes added. It tasted great, but I strongly recommend that this place get glasses! I prefer top drink an iced Americano with a straw, and doing so out of a mug feels a tad awkward. The kid's drawings pinned under the glass covers of each table are a nice touch. The wall art also adds a west-coast ambience, with a few mixed-media paintings thrown in. read more

I enjoy the signature items at this cafe. It's got a nice little lane way to sit in and sip some coffee and eat a warm lunch. I haven't come across anything else like it in Nanaimo so it's a nice little hidden gem to explore for anyone interested in cafe's with a bit of character and a creative menu. read more

Bocca Cafe - Eggplant Parmigiana with beer battered cheddar side soup. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

See all

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch at Bocca. I had the broiled chicken sandwich with sun dried tomato mayo - very tasty! There was a choice of breads, and I went with herb and cheddar. The bread was so deliciously fresh, it must have been baked that day. The coffee was also pretty good for regular drip coffee. Oh the dessert! My partner and I split a traditional Nanaimo bar and a salted caramel Nanaimo bar. The traditional was yummy, as always. But the real star was the salted caramel Nanaimo bar. OH MY GOODNESS. I could have eaten the whole thing and more all by myself. It was just so delicious and a large piece was only $2.95 - bargain! read more

Witnessed disgusting customer service to a skip the dishes delivery person today by the staff working. Everyone is in this together. If you are too busy with a booming business perhaps you should remove your business from skip the dishes. Person was just doing their job. Won't be back!!! read more

I should have known not to expect a mind blowing experience when I asked if we could move 2 tables together and the "waitress" (who wasn't doing anything else that I could see) asked if I wouldn't mind doing it myself. Everything seemed too hard for the 3-4 staff members and the half empty cafe (mostly 1 per table), perhaps if they worked on their speed a little, it wouldn't get too choked up. My coffee was forgotten, and when it eventually showed up, tasted mostly like milk that had been reheated numerous times. The "green eggs & ham bagel" was fine, but seemed to be missing most of the pesto that I was promised. The knife I eventually received to cut the muffin (blueberry/bran/cinnamon which was pretty good!) the knife felt greasy, like it hadn't been properly washed. read more

Staff overly concerned with quitting time and cell phones rather than service. Entered the door at 20 minutes to 4pm and after requesting a couple muffins and coffees for myself and my wife we were told that they are closing in 20 minutes. I said that we would be finished in plenty of time. Guess they hadn't made coffee in a while so we got the bottom dredges of the last couple carafes and wasn't even hot. While we sat at our table one of the staff was flipping chairs up on to the tables around us making us uncomfortable even though there was 15 minutes to go before 4pm. ended up leaving before we finished. Muffins were good though. If this had been our first time at Bocca it surely would have been our last. read more

The best apple and cheddar cheese muffins I have ever eaten, actually they are the best muffins I have ever eaten period! You have to try them, they will spoil you for any other muffin anywhere else! read more

Decent food, service was good and lots of options on the menu. Finding those options is a little hard... Didn't get a chance to try the coffee. read more

I wish I could just wake up here ! The coffee is fantastic and I love the Americano ! The ladies behind the counter are always amazing .

The vegan cake and muffins are the best! I haven't been in a while but last time I visited the only other vegan option was a really dry gluten free sandwich with veganaise and boring veg. I hope they've improved read more

Stopped in here for a quick lunch. Had the ham sandwich and ginger veggie soup. Good was great and staff very helpful, location is great.

A great, warm-hearted place. Fabulous decor, fun staff, great coffee, and lots of great food made on the premises. The outdoor seating is great. Although the inside is regularly packed, there always seems to be space for our toddler. Prices are moderate. read more

One of our favorite lunch/coffee places in town. Cute outdoor seating in a quiet sheltered courtyard. Delicious soups and quiche, and massive cookies the size of your head. Come here for mid-afternoon coffee, tea, Nanaimo bars and pecan pie. read more

Food is good and homemade. Coffee is decent. The venue is small and crowded. The staff are usually friendly but the owner is grumpy and treats her staff poorly. I opt not to go there anymore because I always leave feeling bad for the staff members who make minimum wage and get reamed out on a regular basis. read more

I would live in this cafe if I could. The food is fresh and you get a lot of it. I don't drink coffee so cannot comment on that but the food you have to try. From the savory muffins to the HUGE carrot cake to the GIGANTIC cookies. The owner is a soft spoken sweetheart who is a genius in the kitchen. Oh and the artwork on the walls, just amazing! read more

I go to Bocca when ever I get to that end of town. If I'm craving something rich and fantastic...I have the peanut butter Nanaimo Bar. Something a little more Savory, I'll have one of the Cheddar Onion or Cornmeal Cheddar Muffins. I think I'd have to say that the BIG Cookie is my favorite item there. I like the laid back atmosphere. I have no idea how they manage to create all the wonderful things that they do in such a tiny little kitchen. The staff is always cheerful and friendly. A good experience all around! read more

Unsanitary. Owner is rude. Service is incredibly slow. Will not return. Anyone i know who has visited this place has said the same.

Coffee was awesome and I had the HUGE bocca cookie which was delicious. Definitely will go back to try more of their goodies. Their front line staff are very wonderful to deal with in the morning also :). read more