The View Oceanside Grill

No wait time, easy to read menu, and great service. We order steak with mushrooms, fries, and…read moreveggies. Also a sushi pizza with the pulled pork. So yummy live the fried bread rice in the pizza and the steak was yum! Not very crowded so not very loud but it was great.

The restaurant was near empty, didn't get attended to for a while, worker had attitude and didn't…read moreknow the menu. It took over 20 minutes for 2 items.

Sushipizza

Steak with mushroom sauce

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Jambalaya

Lighthouse Bistro & Pub

2.8(96 reviews)

0.2 km

We've stayed in the neighbourhood a number of times in downtown Nanaimo and have read about this…read moreplace a few times. Finally took the plunge, and really wish we hadn't, and certainly will not again. Our server was quick to seat us, took good care of us, gave us some insight into the menu items, and generally speaking was great. The view from the top floor part of the Lighthouse is great. Overlooking the marina and sea plane dock in downtown Nanaimo, there is plenty to see, and plenty to watch, it should be a licence to print money. Sadly to food was atrocious, in both taste and the visual. Looking at it as it was as delivered, we should have left right then. The salad that I chose with my beef dip was terrible. The mixed greens part had black ends, and black slime on it. I tried picking through it, and finally gave up and didn't touch it. The dip for the sandwich was thick, very dark and had what looked like the part that sticks to the pot while it's reducing. The meat colour looked a little off as well. K had the wings and clam chowder. The wings looked like they had been sitting for quite a few hours in a bowl on the counter prior to tossing them on the plate. The cut veggies had also been out for a while, she had to cut each end off the celery. The soup was hot, but had no flavour. I could go on, but you get the idea, don't go to this restaurant for food. Have a beer enjoy the view and eat elsewhere. The photos attached say a lot!

We wanted a restaurant on the water with a view. This restaurant has that…read more We were seated and then no one came to give us menus or take our order. Finally, after having multiple employees walk past us, someone stopped and asked if we had been helped. They apologized and we got water and menus. We ordered a local wine which turned out to be the only item we ordered that was good. We ordered clams for an appetizer. Those were basic and nothing special. They were out of oysters which was our first choice and the waitress recommended the clams. We ordered fresh halibut fish and chips for dinner. The fish was way overcooked and dry. We were only traveling through so we will not be back. We recommend you find another location for dinner if you are traveling through.

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Off The Hook

4.1(18 reviews)

3.1 km

We went for lunch and decided on halibut fish and yam fries and cod fish and chips…read more The batter on the fish was light and crispy not your traditional beer batter. I came with house slaw and tartar sauce. We really liked the slaw because it was tossed in a sweet vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise. The only thing I would say is that they should watch their music playlist. We actually joked about it to the waitress.

Nice atmosphere despite being in an out of the way place. We were thrilled that the fish and chips…read morewere gluten-free and they were amazingly fresh and good with great tartar sauce!!! The hamburger not so much ...not much flavor nobody wanted to finish it ...gluten-free roll should've been buttered and toasted. Cocktails and gluten-free beer were excellent server did not know why everything was gluten-free would've liked to appreciate that. But, a fun meal !

Halibut tacos. Excellent!

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Pacific Katsu Chicken Bowl

Trollers Fish & Chips

3.8(73 reviews)

While walking by the harbourfront, we saw this nice little place and we wanted to try it. Cod fish…read moreand chips was delicious, I wish the cod serving was bigger. Seafood chowder was yummy too. The staff were amazing so that made it even better.

We learned about Trollers by talking to a Canadian family who comes to Nanaimo on holiday every…read moreyear; they make sure to visit Trollers several times each visit. So of course we had to try it! Both the salmon and the halibut fish and chips were amazing! Crunchy, flavorful, light and not greasy. Would love to live closer in order have them again! The location in the harbor, casual atmosphere and seating were ideal, and we enjoyed a stroll along the harbor after our plentiful and delicious lunch, dining, literally, on the water. It's a floating restaurant, how fun is that?!

Menu

Fish and chips Halibut

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The front of the restaurant

Minnoz Restaurant & Lounge

3.7(30 reviews)

We stayed at Coast Bastion Hotel and after walking all day, it was nice to have a place to eat…read morewithout leaving the hotel. Yes, they were pricey but the food was delicious. We ordered crab cakes and top sirloin . Service was awesome.

Second time in this hotel restaurant inside of a week. Both nights had large crowds attending a…read moretheatre event around the corner. Not surprisingly they were very busy. That said, we were there for both "slammed" situations, and endured little, to no, service. Our server last night had no answers to our menu questions and spent entirely too much time leaving us to ask someone else. Specials, fish of the day, etc should be a part of the offering that is well known and sold by the wait staff. We find hotel chain restaurants to be sub-par in general, but this Coast hotel disappointed twice inside of a week. The space is nicely appointed, but we found the folks that followed us in were looking to watch the hockey playoffs at 8 PM. Should be prime dinner/date night out. Overall, so average, which you are not looking for out of a Coast hotel situated a few hundred meters from the ocean.

Foyer at the Bastion Hotel

Crab cakes and top sirloin

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Vermicelli Asian salad , seared tuna

Penny's Palapa

3.3(49 reviews)

0.2 km

Great margaritas and awesome vibes, Pennys makes you feel like you are visiting Mexico for an…read moreafternoon

Adorable little spot on the water. It probably gets a little chilly because the chairs have a…read moreMexican blanket draped over. Bring a jacket. I don't think they take reservations, we came early for dinner and it was fairly busy. Parking was easy at the Public Parking lot. I loved the salsa verde on my enchiladas. And people mentioned the red salsa with the table chips. Mighty delish. My friend enjoyed her burrito as well. Friendly staff. Washrooms are back over the ramp and in a freestanding little building. Ask the hostess for the key.

Penny's Palapas!

Pork Pastor Tacos

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View from dock table

Astera's Greek Taverna

4.6(178 reviews)

0.5 km

This place is great, I totally get why there were rated the number 1 restaurant in Nanaimo. The…read morefood is excellent and very reasonably priced for the amount you get. The service is amazing and the staff is so friendly. The restaurant is adorable, it's an old renovated house and has limited seating, so make sure to get a reservation early.

Well there's a reason this has so many 5 star reviews for so many years. They do what they do…read morewell!! Make a reservation for this lovely place. It's cozy but not cramped and the service is beyond excellent. This was a special treat with some wonderful friends. The roasted lamb was fall-off-the-bone amazing. We also had a few shrimp appetizers which were incredible. So much attention to the flavor details. Very Wow!

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The exterior is funky but welcoming.

Top Notch Burgers

3.0(26 reviews)

0.0 km

I've been here twice in the past year, both during Happy Hour, and the food is not only very good…read morebut affordable. We did have one hiccup, but I've addressed that with the management of the hotel, and will look forward to visiting again and seeing if there's any improvement.

My husband and I ended up trying this place because it was connected to the hotel we were staying…read morein. The breakfast menu was limited but reasonable for the basic breakfast orders. French toast, Eggs, Benny and an egg breakfast. I don't remember seeing pancakes, which would have been a nice addition. The food itself was good, not anything too spectacular or bad tasting. The service was quick and fast, which is something you want in the morning most of the time. We came here twice so that says something. Just a basic brekkie joint.

Brisket hash

A bit over poached but still tasty.

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FRESH START Breakfast with fixings and yogurt/granola. Yogurt was very thick and creamy.

The Modern Cafe

3.5(99 reviews)

Discovering another gem in downtown Nanaimo Modern café is nestled in a heritage site built in…read more1910. They bring a fresh twist to classic comfort food using locally sourced ingredients. We stopped by for brunch and indulged in the Modern Acai Berry Bowl ($16) and the Modern Breakfast ($18). Whether you're in the mood for brunch, lunch, or dinner, this all-day dining lounge has something for everyone. Don't miss out on this unique spot! The Modern Cafe 221 Commercial St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5GB 11:30-9pm (open till 10 on weekends) Food Parking 4.5/5 Service 4/5 Ambiance 5/5

I was visiting Nanaimo for the first time and had brunch here with a large group, it wasn't super…read morebusy and I appreciated the service. I thought it was a decent brunch place however felt that the dish was a bit heavy -- big portion though. The duck while there was a decent amount in the hash, didn't have anything special to it and tasted like a regular pulled meat. I did like the addition of pineapple as that was something I hadn't seen before and the potatoes were pretty good! Overall, for the price point ($26), it's definitely not a go-to for me if I lived in the area however it's a nice spot to visit if you're on the island for a getaway.