So... This is a bizarre review…read more.. The food, I have to say, was pretty good. Solid pub fare. The most enjoyable hot wings I've had at a pub in years. Nachos that were cheesy and loaded with toppings. Weird toppings maybe, and a very strange tasting salsa, but not bad... The ambiance on a Monday night is a little meh. Only about 6 tables seated in quite a large, voluminous space, made it feel a little vacuous. Maybe if they turned their lights down a bit the vibe might be a bit nicer. They sure like their decorative lights here.... The server was very nice. Pleasant, but could have come around to check on things a couple times more, especially since it was so quiet. Now, for the weird part... Toward the end of my nachos I lost my appetite when I saw a mouse scurrying on the floor. It was very daring and was exploring under tables right up to me. I notified my server and she said "oh we know, we try to catch them but it's difficult. I think we caught one a couple days ago. Yesterday I saw one run up the stairs. I'm sorry you had to see that. Would you like a box for your nachos?" Um, no thanks! I finished my drink while watching this mouse wander around a few more times, and ANOTHER mouse come out from the opposite side of the room. and decided it was time to leave. There was no other response from my server about this - I just paid my bill and left. I get that this is a port town close to water, but it seems like these folks probably need to get a bit more serious about pest control.

I got a "mango smoothie" which at first tasted like water. And then when I sent it back for them to…read moreremake, it just tasted like mango flavoured water. I also have a friend that got served raw frozen fish. How do you even do those things that bad?!

Very authentic British Pub, a very warm and cozy atmosphere!…read moreNever had a bad meal, so good! Servers have always been friendly. I always go here when in the area. Wouldn't miss it!

The place is cute, but your really paying for the ambiance. The food is very average, the beef dip…read morewas more like heated up deli meat and tough to chew, and my partner had the burger and described it as so greasy is kept sliding out of the buns. The service is friendly but if you're not willing to wait you'll probably have to sit inside on a nice day.

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! ^_^

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.

Extremely dirty bathroom, can't be up to code. Open mike, unorganized, no sign up sheet, started…read moretoo late. Great idea, but make a few improvements.

Under new management. Brian and great staff deliver superior customer service in this small bar…read morein the heart of Nanaimo. Lovely place to rest and enjoy a beverage. No food sold yet but you can bring in your own or order from a great kiosk a couple doors down. Give them a try - you won't be disappointed.

SERVICE To start…read morethings off, the service was amazing! Me and the other ten people i came with were seated immediately and were given our orders from the menue within ten minutes of ordering. Our waiter was a very kind woman named Ashleigh who worked very hard to get our food out as quick as possible, and was lovely. Overall service: 10/10 FOOD The food our group ordered was well made and cooked to perfection. Four of us ordered the fish and chips, which were well cooked, and the general consensus was that the fish itself was pretty good. It was a tad bit to doughy, but overall was pretty good. The fries were great, however, the tartar sauce was very un- consista t and was served steaming hot, rather than cold. Overall, the fish and chips was a 8/10. The linguini was also well recived by the two people who ordered it, and there were no complaints from their end of the table. Overall, the linguini was a 7.5/10. The chicken tenders were some of the best chicken tenders ordered by the party member. The plum sauce was amazing and the chicken wasent too flakey or too Hard. Overall, the chicken tenders were a 9.5/10 The light house burger had very good sauce, and one of the best patties that our party member had ever had. It was the right amount of chewy and flavour, and was a overall 8/10 The nachos had a wide variety of sauces to select from including guacamole and salsa. However, the sour cream was quite bland, and tasted like you average Walmart sour cream. Overall, the nacho plate was a 8.5/10 RESTROOMS The mens room was well maintained and in fairly good condition. The laidies room however, was in poor condition, with the toilet missing the seat, and the stall duct taped off. The restrooms were in a separate area from the restaurant entirely, and required a pin on the door to access the hall in which the restrooms were located in, giving it a "restricted area" feel. The overall restroom experience was a 6.5/10 Some other last minute things to add include: Decent wifi access A lovely view of the harbour A Comfortable seating area Minimal wait time for seating FINAL SCORES Service: 10/10 Atmosphere: 9/10 Food: 8.5/10 Presentation: 8.5/10 OVERALL SCORE: 8.5/10 Recommend? YES

What is going on!! Now a deep fried Cisco quality wing costs as much as an exclusive bc oyster!!…read more Theres more to the story, but that alone should give food for thought. Oh, and in the time we were there, over 1.5 hours, nobody came to fill the seats we were not allowed to sit in. -Totally understaffed. -worse than vancouver pricing.....its Nanaimo!! - Absolutely no interest in providing value for your$$ -I feel sorry for the staff but I absolutely recommend NOT going here - what a waste of a great space Oh, and I've watched it come to this ive 20+ years

The weather is warming up and after a morning of yard work, it was time for a cold one with lunch…read more Ordered the Deep fried pickles, Black and Blue Salad and the Plain Jane Burger along with cold beverages. The deep fried pickles are always good and crispy (we already ate 4 of them before taking a pic), this was the first time having the Black and Blue salad with chicken (absolutely delicious and filling, there was enough for two), and the plain Jane Burger is always good and fills the craving for a good burger. The service and atmosphere is great.

English style pub is a cut or two above the rest, thanks to good food and a helpful staff…read more THE ROSES: If you're an Anglophile, Fox and Hounds is a great pub to visit. Wonderful olde English atmosphere. Very good selection of beers on tap. Staff is very helpful in setting up patrons with dishes that allow for dietary restrictions (like gluten intolerance). What I particularly liked is that they were able to make fish and chips for me that was panko breaded rather than battered. I know battered fish and chips is the 'English' way, but few restaurants this side of the Atlantic get battered fish right. All too often it's too much batter, or the fish is really greasy. I didn't feel like taking a chance, so the kitchen breaded my fish and it was really nicely done. The bread pudding is also a standout. THE THORNS: None worth mentioning. THE VERDICT: Fox and Hounds is one of those rare pubs that puts as much (or more?) thought into their food as they do their beer. It's a wonderful 'little bit 'o Britain' in the quiet backwater town of Ladysmith BC Highly recommend!

Visiting the Dinghy Dock Pub is more about the experience than the pub itself. We took the ferry to…read moreProtection Island (cash only if you pay on the ferry, but you can pay by card at the pub), but saw many people arrive by boat and kayak. The interior of the pub was full of nautical decor - anchors, old diving equipment, wood carvings, etc. We ended up sitting on the patio, which had a beautiful view of the water. For drinks, I got a canned Mojito Mocktail - very tasty and refreshing. We also ordered the Classic Poutine to share. It wasn't the best poutine of my life, but still good and very filling. Service was fast and friendly, and the ambiance was excellent. Would return for the vibes alone!

Offers a unique experience for sure! The interior is decked out in the most charming nautical…read moredecor, with cozy, homey vibes that make you feel right at ease. I loved the quirky touch of salt shakers made from empty beer bottles--definitely adds to the pub's character. However, the food didn't quite live up to the atmosphere. The fish and chips were a bit dry, though the fries were crispy and tasty. The seafood poutine was okay, but nothing spectacular. Still, the coolest part was being on a floating pub--it's a fun setting that's hard to beat. While the food wasn't amazing, the overall experience makes it worth a visit if you're in the area!

My First Friend and I decided to check out Oxy last night. It used to be a venerable watering hole…read morein a hotel called the Occidental. We'd heard it had been renovated recently and wanted to see what it was like. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, and got my FF's drink order spot on. We ordered a couple of half-price appys - onion rings and vegetable samosas - and a couple of entrees - a Reuben sandwich and a rib-eye steak sandwich. Everything that was deep-fried was a little too soggy with oil for my taste, and the Reuben could have used some real Swiss cheese instead of processed, but the steak was tasty and the fries were good. Standard pub fare, really, but that's not what folks come to the Oxy for. What they *do* come for is the atmosphere and camaraderie. There was a good mix of younger college folks with more mature types like ourselves, all very friendly and looking to have a good time. We specifically came for the karaoke and were not disappointed; the DJ was friendly and never overbearing, only singing one song himself, and his selection was the best I'd seen in Nanaimo so far. All in all, a fine time. Highly recommended, especially if you're looking for some karaoke on a Friday night. We'll be back.

The Oxy is a classic! Although they sold the pool table to make it through Covid :( great staff,…read moreand great patrons full of stories! Food menu is good, but if you're over 50 and get the poutine, have some tums ready...

I went here with a friend for NYE. We had to wait an hour at the door to get tickets the day if as…read morethe bar was closed the day before and we are not local so couldnt just wander by whenever to get them. We also overheard people talking in the line and saying that theres always issues with trying to get tickets ahead of time. That being said, the guy who answered the phone when I called earlier in the day was super nice. Service here is pretty good for a bar. The waitress was attentive and checked on our drinks regularly. The bartenders are quick and we never had to wait more than 5 minutes for drinks. The process are better than average. A double costs about $9, a single just under $6. The band, the Big Shiny Dudes, was decent for the cover charge of $25. The dance floor was a good size -- it never seemed empty nor too crowded. However, the seating could have been a lot more efficient and it would be better if they had more stools and high top tables instead of restaurant style tables that do not optimize seating. It would also be nice to have hooks to hang purses/jackets under tables, etc. The bathroom ran out of soap very early on and was never replenished although the paper towel eventually was. Location is ok, although definitely not in the nicest part of town. The kitchen closed before we even got in the doors, it would be nice to have the kitchen hours posted online so we would have known to get food beforehand. Or, for the kitchen to at least serve chips and salsa or fries, snacky things.

Don't let the outside deceive you. The inside is charming and friendly. Staff are incredibly nice!…read moreService was great. They have food. We left before the band started, but the music selection was rocking. Cheers!!