I was only in town for three days, but ended up coming to this lovely restaurant twice during my…read morestay. Apparently the owner chef has been there for more than 10 years. The food quality was outstanding and service was top-notch. I highly recommend.

We came here for the Reuben and were not disappointed! Thankfully we decided to split the sandwich…read more(with fries) and added the Little Gem salad. Wow! What a great combination and great flavours! Plenty enough for lunch for two people. The meat on the Reuben was so juicy and flavourful and the Little Gem salad was amazing. We throughly enjoyed our meal. The service was great; quick, friendly and welcoming. I would definitely come here again when back in Nanaimo.

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

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!

I visited Balam while on vacation, and it was so good that we ended up going back a second time…read more Balam offers a unique fusion of Peruvian, Colombian, Brazilian, and Asian-inspired dishes, and they absolutely nail it. We tried a variety of dishes across both visits, and every single one was fantastic. The balance of flavors and the way different cultures are blended together is seriously impressive. Some standout dishes: the truffle ceviche was incredible, and the black tiger prawn causa had a sauce that was absolutely fantastic. The tallarín de marisco is a must-order, we loved it so much we ordered it twice. We also had the salmon anticucho and Colombian arepa, and everything was fire. Everything tasted fresh, well thought out, and perfectly executed. You can tell a lot of care goes into each dish. If you're visiting Whistler, Balam is a must-visit. It was easily one of the best restaurants on our trip to Whistler.

If you're looking to enjoy a vibrant, upscale dining experience with friends, Balam Restaurant…read moredelivers a memorable night out. We opted for family-style dining on the outdoor patio, which set the tone perfectly--great ambiance, relaxed energy, and ideal for sharing plates and good conversation. Tatiana, our server, was fantastic--pleasant, attentive, and genuinely friendly, which made the whole experience even better. Food came out quickly, which was impressive given the variety we ordered. We went all in on the menu: * Truffle ceviche * Scallop ceviche * Black tiger prawn causa * Amazonian fish with prawns * Bistek a la Parilla * Yuca fries Everything was fresh, well-presented, and packed with flavor. The ceviches stood out, and the Amazonian fish dish was a highlight. It's definitely on the pricier side--more than I'd typically go for--but when you're on vacation with good friends, it's one of those "worth it" experiences. Great food, great service, and a setting that makes you want to linger a little longer.

Located inside Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre. I wanted to come here for happy hour and to see…read moretheir Halloween décor, which was truly impressive. They also had a Halloween cocktail list. The hostess was friendly, but our server killed our experience. Her words were friendly but her facial expressions and body language revealed how much she disliked serving us. My husband and I spoke after, we both felt she was probably racist. Their happy hour menu had a big selection of food items but no drinks. Everything was pretty expensive for happy hour. We tried the raw Albertan elk tartare and potato puffs. We enjoyed both dishes and the portions were big. As much as we enjoyed the food, we probably won't return due to the slow and uncomfortable service.

The restaurant is located inside a hotel. The food here is amazing! Everything we ordered was…read moredelicious, particularly the crispy brussel sprouts, poutine with fried chicken, gochujang cauliflower, melted Brie, and lemon square cocktail. There is ceiling lighting which is nice, along with a mix of booth and chair/table seating. Service is good, and friendly.

this place had amazing cocktails, delicious food and a bubbly atmosphere. they had a great prix fix…read moremenu when i was in, and every bite was amazing. i had the kimchi tuna, the bolognaise pasta, and the gelato. i was full! the service was amazing! both cocktails i had were crafted well :)

We made an impromptu visit for dinner here based on the yelp reviews…read more Our oldest child has severe allergies including dairy, eggs, fish, and nuts. We were unfortunately not able to order her anything off of the food menu and needed to just get her some fries for dinner. The burger patty had egg, the pad thai noodles had fish in the sauce and the noodles were made with egg. I'm giving this restaurant top marks for how careful and thorough they were with confirming allergens across all of their foods and sauces. They tried to offer us multiple alternatives that my child would be able to eat, but we just have such a wide range of allergies that we were difficult to accommodate. We got the salmon for the adults which was nicely cooked, and the gnocchi was a hit. Fries were nice and crispy. I would definitely visit again when I'm in the area, and a special thanks to the staff for being so careful with our family's food allergies.

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

On our last night in Whistler, we decided to head to Bar Oso. Whistler Village has so many…read moredifferent restaurants and cuisines and during our stay, we've had Japanese, Latin, Indian, Italian, and American. So we thought it would it would be nice to end our stay with some Spanish tapas. We tried: House baked bread Assorted cheese board - the chutney was delicious Crispy artichokes Spicy, fried cauliflower - one our favorites shishito peppers chorizo sausage gambas al ajillo tuna poke - definite highlight beef short rib - delicious The atmosphere of Bar Oso was warm and relaxing. The highlight of the renovated space is the lighted/glowing bar at its center. Service was excellent. Great experience to share with friends.

Currently my favorite spot in Whistler! Vibe is immaculate, love the glowing bar table. Servers…read morewere incredibly nice and personable. Food is high quality, flavorful, and super delicious. I recommend the Montaditos. We asked the server to pick her 5 favorites, and we loved the range and different flavors. Cocktails were delicious as well. Lots to choose from. I had one of their specialty gin tonics -- would recommend!

Burger was okay but your water was really gross. Actually concerning type of taste please look into…read morethis. I also think this should be a table service establishment vs having people sit down, read the menu, get up to order and go back to the table.

Friendly, fast service in a great spot with amazing views. Really good fries and onion rings that…read morewe had as a snack after hiking the Skookumchuck narrows. Recommend sitting on the patio on a nice day.

Stopped again this spring with friends from Manitoba and as usual didn't disappoint. Had bbq prime…read morerib sandwich which you could cut meat with a fork, very tasty ,fish and chips were excellent as always. Thank you again for a great ending to a perfect day . Don't forget to order a Cesar love them.

From the owner: Canada's first and only local Rumhouse, the Highwayman Saloon proudly offers more Rum choices and…read moremore Rum based recipes than anyone else on the Island... V.I.'s home of Booze, Blues, and Ocean Views has been the local favorite watering hole for over a Century... The room has an atmosphere like no other and the friendly staff & management add to the comfortable, welcome feeling you will notice on your first visit. Our Menu offers many reasonably priced items all made in-house using as many locally sourced quality ingredients as possible. We are proud of our home cooking, but the only way you are going to know is to try it for yourself. With a reservation of 4 or more we will prepare a Special Dinner prepared just for your party, tailored to your request, and served as if you were at your moms. Some examples are baked ham, pork chops, or prime rib... all cooked to perfection with the sides of your choice like scalloped potatoes or baked beans, served to your table on platters for