Trust me on this one. Whether you know it or not, if you're passing through the Nanaimo area, you want to go here. Whether or not you want to go to a pub for food, you will come here, and you will have an amazing time with amazing food at the Crow and Gate Pub.
With a party of three friends, I went to Crow and Gate, a well-known English pub, for the first time today during our trip from Vancouver, after receiving several recommendations from various sources. We went in at around 4:30pm and the Pub was not too busy, but one could definitely tell that, once stepped through those wooden doors, one would be in for a unique dining experience of epic proportions. Let's put it this way - they have their own sign on the road 5 minutes out, directing you to the Pub's semi-isolated location, which not only means that they have the money for their own sign on the street, but that they mean serious business.
Once you arrive at the parking lot, walk through the scenic, charming route flanked by old cottages which do remind of an old English setting, and go into the Pub, you should go straight to the bar since it's bar service only here. From there, you find a table and seats enough for your party, grab your drinks if you haven't already, and then wait patiently for your food which will be served quickly to your table.
Some dishes that were ordered by my party were:
Beef dip and salad $16.95
1/2 bratwurst plate (full order is $14.50)
Chili and garlic bread $10.50
Chicken and vegetable pie $12.50
Steak and mushroom pie $14.50
Farmer's pub plate $14.65
Honestly, everything was delicious. I could not find one bad thing to say about this fine establishment. There was absolutely nothing wrong with any of the dishes - the beef dip was presented well with a great au jus. The bratwurst was surprisingly tender. The chili was large in portion size, but was a symphony of flavours in my mouth. The pies were delicious, as one would expect of proper English pies.
The accompanying garden salad with each entree, served with a vinaigrette that had a bright acidity, but also a sweet, kind of mustard flavour, was surprisingly one of the highlights of the meal for me. The bread, including garlic bread that came with the chili, served with generous slabs of butter on the side, was absolutely wonderful and made my day. And, of course, the aged Cheddar cheese was the right amount of cheesey.
One final comment I'll make is that, while the food tasted extraordinary, the price point for each dish simply cannot be beat for the quality and amount of food that you get. You could literally order anything on their menu and the Crow and Gate will not disappoint.
Therefore, I am happy - in fact, I am quite pleased - to award the Crow and Gate Pub a 5-star. I'm definitely coming back.
Tldr; it's good. Trust me. You will sh*t. read more