Expensive for what you get and lack of variety. Gave it a try a few times. Nice patio though

Phenomenal food!! It's not cheap, but worth every cent and then some. Highly recommend!!!

We had made reservations for our anniversary dinner. What was supposed to be a special dinner was ruined by the worst service I have had in a very long time. It started off well enough with our drinks and salad arriving promptly, but after that we didn't see our waiter for 45 mins. In that time our dinner still hadn't arrived. When I had the chance to get our waiters attention he curtly said that our dinner would be out in 2 mins. When it still hasn't arrived 10 minutes later I called the manager over to say that we would be leaving and to get the bill for our wine and salad. When given the excuse that the kitchen was busy there was no answer as to why others tables around us (with another waiter) had received their meals. The manager did apologize and offered to give us our meals to go on the house as by this time they were ready. But I wasn't interested in eating reheated fish. Our waiter never offered any sort of apology or explanation as to why he had neglected us or what had actually happened to our meal. read more

What an extraordinary place. Quite frankly, the most satisfying risotto I've ever had. Then again, I adore chanterelles, and it was chock full of them. The oysters Rockefeller were outstanding, coated in butter and cooked to perfection, and a little added lemon took them out of this world. Mixed grill was loaded with tender and flavourful venison, melt-in-you mouth fillet and savoury sausage. Trip of cream brûlée was worth the trip all on its own. read more

Very delicious food here! The staff are super nice and the food is always good.Highly recommend checking this place out if you haven't already! One of my favourite spots when I'm visiting this town. read more

They called us in the afternoon to push our reservation forward 15 minutes from 7:15 because of a 40 person group (can you even book such a huge group during Covid?!). That was fine but when we arrived at 7:30, we were asked to wait at a second table which we did until 8:15. Finally seated we ordered and waited, and waited, and waited. At 8:45 we finally asked about our order which had apparently gone to another table. We ate at 9:05. The food, when it arrived, was phenomenal. The halibut risotto, gem oysters and mussels were outstanding as was the creme brûlée. One more note, the restaurant has hand sanitizer everywhere, but are not delivering food safely to each table in the same way. And there is no social distancing being practiced between servers and with pay pads at all. We were comped the food portion of our bill. read more

Impeccable service. Great wine selection. Our appetizers were divine. Grilled prawns and the seared scallops were cooked to perfection. My partner was not convinced by the broth in the bouillabaisse but the seafood was wonderful. My steelhead salmon was wonderfully cooked and very tasty. Locals is the only place I will order a risotto from and it did not disappoint. We did not need it but we could not resist sharing dessert. A berry pie with a lavender gelato that was amazing. It was a terrific evening. read more

At one time this local charmer was known as The Old House. You were guaranteed a fantastic dining experience. We had not visited it since the name changed to Locals and saved it for a special night......our anniversary. What a Bummer!!! Due to covid the restaurant was scantily occupied. In spite of that we waited and waited. Finally someone stopped to take our order. Then we waited and waited for appetizers. When it came there were 3 scallops on the plate, hardly enough for one let alone two. Then we waited and waited. When our entree arrived it was tasty enough, but the portion sizes were dime sized. We left feeling ripped off. It was not a pleasant event. Our hostess knew we were not pleased, but she was quite wooden and did not help the experience. We wish now we had gone elsewhere and will not be back. read more

This is a good Resturant. It is cozy and intimate. My seafood trio was over cooked or I would have given it a 5 star. I will go back for sure. read more

Wow! I can see why this place has such good reviews. It's been a long time since I've had a meal like that! The bread they brought to the table when we were seated was delicious! Then my seafood dish came and it was perfect. Scallops done to perfection along with big prawns in a wonderful curry sauce. I could've licked that plate clean. Tempting. And the service was stupendous! I look forward to returning SOON. read more

If you have never tasted extremely fresh seafood, this is the place to go. Don't think of the restaurant as over priced food, think of it as more as, you get what you pay for kind of deal. The restaurant was part of 'Dine Around Comox Valley' and it took this opportunity to eat out and enjoy what the Comox Valley had to offer when it comes to restaurants. From talking to a few locals, they recommended Locals. The restaurant uses locally harvest foods to be a part of their menu which also includes their wine too! I haven't had seafood in awhile so for my appetizer and my main dish, I had the dungeness crab and the salmon with veggies respectively. The crab tasted like it was the catch of the day. I did not smell or taste a hint of ocean water in the crab at all. The salmon was delicious. I wish I was able to finish my meal. I usually don't eat an appetizer so I had to force feed myself to finish the salmon. The panna cotta was made with vanilla bean paste and I would have to say that it was the best panna cotta I have had to date. The service was good and I can't wait until the restaurant moves to its new location in May. I said the service was good because the waiter ruined the mood by coming to our table every 5 minutes asking how our food was. read more

Excellent food locally sourced with friendly staff. Located next door to The Old House Hotel. Intimate atmosphere. I always look to go here,any time I am in town. read more

Yep, it's really that good. Stayed across the way at Old House and Locals seemed like the logical option for a late night feast. Other reviewers had mentioned some difficulties with procuring a table and/or the service; I certainly had no issues with either. Called ahead to make a reservation; probably wasn't crucial but ended up with a stellar table. Waitress was spot on, professional yet chatty and personable. Helped with drink selections and explained the menu very well. Ended up with the mussels & clams, half dozen oysters, and seafood linguini. Really appreciated the amuse bouche and treat with the bill. Also had the apple pie with lavender ice cream and rosemary whipped cream. Wow wow wow. Only quirk of the night (for me) was that the place was entirely empty by 9:30 pm! Island time, I suppose? Thanks, Locals, for one of the best meals of my trip on the island! read more

This restaurant looked promising on its' website with creative sounding food so we made a reservation - when we arrived and realized it was connected to a hotel, we were prepared for the fact that it might not be as good as expected and we were right. It was absolutely packed so obviously a local favourite - and the atmosphere was very nice - cozy, warm and inviting. The server was great as well. But the food. Just not very good. The West Coast Cakes appetizer which listed artichoke and hearts of palm as the first ingredients didn't appear to have either of those ingredients - it tasted mainly of chickpeas which weren't fully cooked. The raita was missing in action and the portion of lemon aioli was also extremely skimpy. The Thai Curry Seafood dish was bland and didn't taste like anything resembling Thai flavour. It seemed very much like a family restaurant so it's possible that the flavours were toned down but we were really disappointed, particularly when the cheque arrived - $175.00 for one appetizer, a Curry dish and one bottle of wine. read more

Locals offers a fantastic atmosphere and 5 star food that is almost impossible to find on the island outside of Victoria. I have never had a better cooked scallop. Beautiful brown hard crust on the outside while remaining just slightly translucent in the center. Perfect! Everyone else raved about their meal as well! read more

Pan seared oysters were delicious, with garlic scape and sauce. Yum! And the seafood creeps were fantastic. A really nice lunch. We hung around drinking coffee for 3 hours. Nice server "Terra". Very good experience. read more

Locals - These oysters were fantastic. And a generous serving for an appetizer. Interesting tablecloth, sort of like chamois. - Seafood Near Me - Courtenay, British Columbia

Phenomenal locally sourced creations that I would definitely go back for. The seared scallops with pork belly on carrot purée and kale was a burst of flavour. read more

4..5 stars On our way back from our 20km hike to Cruikshank Canyon in Strathcona Prov. Park, we were both s t a r v i n g and wanted to pick something awesome as a reward :D To be honest, when I saw all these 5-star reviews on Yelp, I was super skeptical but nothing else that showed up in the Courtenay region piqued my interest so we decided to give it a go. It's in a corner of a small plaza but when you walk in the decor is warm and inviting. The tables are set apart so you don't feel cramped or near others which is really nice. They just happened to come out with a $35 3-course dinner menu on the day we came, which suited us perfectly. We went with the following: APPS - island bison rillettes - baked fanny bay oysters MAINS - chanterelle and pumpkin pasta - stoney bog farm chicken DESSERTS - pumpkin pie - star anise poached pear with ginger ice cream Presentation of plates was beautiful and there was a complimentary amuse-bouche and bread basket. The bison rillettes were good, had a nice texture (I haven't had many rillettes before). My bf enjoyed the oysters (I passed since I'm not a fan of oysters). The pasta came with a generous amount of chanterelles which made me happy. It's too bad they didn't try out the pasta before serving it though because it was WAY overcooked, it literally felt like mush in my mouth. Not sure if the mushiness was from using pumpkin but it wasn't a really pleasant texture. I was too hungry though and ate a sizeable amount of it so I didn't mention to the waitress as I normally would have. Little glitch in an otherwise great meal so far. The farm chicken was good and was served with interestingly plated veggies. Out of the two desserts, the poached pear and ginger ice cream was the star. The ginger ice cream was amazing - nice strong ginger flavour to complement the fresh pear. The pumpkin pie filing in shortbread crust was also delicious but a heavier dessert which we couldn't appreciate fully because we were full from the meal. To top it all off after clearing our dessert plates, they presented us with yet another complimentary plate of mini mousse-filled choco dessert cups!! I love the fact that they source everything locally (hence their name). This was easily one of the best meals of 2012 for me! NOTE: With most of the dining room filled, it was a loud dining experience so probably not the best for a romantic quiet dinner. read more

My third visit to this great culinary feast and again we had a great evening! The atmosphere, cuisine and great service,( Sarah from Victoria?!) were impeccable! What else can I say?.....go try it out yourself! read more

This is an excellent restaurant. I would take a random trip to the Northern part of the island any day just for a visit to the Local. Locals feels good. I went without a reservation and the lovely host was able to seat us right away, even though it was packed inside and we were immediately taken care off by the friendly and very professional staff. I ordered tomato soup with roasted garlic for starters and it was done to perfection. Rich, creamy and loaded with flavour which was followed with an equally spectacular warm duck salad. I imagine that's what food in heaven taste like. The combination of locally sourced food and seasonal produce prepared by an evidently passionate kitchen team will put any Restaurant in Vancouver (where I live) to shame. Thanks for a wonderful experience and the extra treats that were send from the kitchen, like the chocolate covered raspberry. Delish! All the way. read more

Absolutely fantastic food and excellent service. Our sever is knowledgeable with good excellent. Busy restaurant and reservation recommend. Located besides river and very nice decorated. It is very impressive and a gem in this lovely small town. read more

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Tasty meals, locally sourced ingredients, friendly staff, beautiful old building along the riverside - what more could you ask for!

Oysters Baked Onion Soup Cheese Board And Creame Brûlée's Trio! Add in Sauv Blanc n Courvoisier and a great meal, service, ambience, and setting! Worth the visit! read more

1 star is for the cooks. Lack of remaining 4 stars is for terrible serving team. This place was my first experience on the island and it was dissapointment. Will not return read more

We were recommended by the Hotel to go to Locals. As out of town visitors we most certainly did not expect the reception we got. First off, the restaurant was empty. We were asked "Do you have reservations?" Our reply was no as stated we were from out of town. Very rudely we were told we do not accept foot traffic until 7:00 pm. Excuse me, this LOCALS restaurant should make it abundantly clear to HOTELS/MOTELS close to this eatery that their guests should in no way shape or form approach the doors before 7:00 pm. Don't talk to down to people who don't know your eating schedules. Next business trip to Courtenay even now, knowing we need a reservation beforehand, won't even be considered. And I HAD to give you one star to log this. read more

If you have the chance this is the place for you. Great space wonderful service. Nothing on the menu is not spectacular. read more

Had mussels and clams to start in a savory creamy fennel sauce. This was served with freshly baked nutty rye bread. Then bison served with perfectly roasted local veggies and flavorful lentils. Tender, moist and the best steak I've ever eaten. I finished off with a trio of brûlée. There is something so satisfying about breaking through that sweet crust. In this case three times. A freshly chocolate dipped BC cherry was served to complete the meal. It wasn't until I was leaving that I'd eaten lunch here 37 years ago! It was the best ace in town at the time and after my visit today I would have to say it is once again read more

Locals - Seafood Near Me - Courtenay, British Columbia

A gem of a restaurant with an incredible menu for foodies and everyone Highly recommended. read more

Proccuito wrapped halibut; pan seared, baked polenta with a roasted red pepper coulis and pesto - absolutely delicious, perfectly cooked. A lovely selection of BC wines to choose from. Pumpkin cheese cake and a latte to finish off a wonderful dining experience. I am soo thankful Locals was recommended, we will be returning the next time we are in town! read more

Had dinner here, the ambiance is amazing, the staff were very Covid-careful and informed, the food was absolutely AMAZING all cooked to perfection and so wonderfully full of flavour, will definitely return! Good job and keep up the gre read more

So, I bookmark a lot of restaurants that I see on TV or read about in magazines because I have a bit of an obsession with good food around the world. Locals is one of those places. I called in to get a reservation on the day of, and surprise surprise, this place is booked solid for the evening. Good sign number 1. Lucky for us, we wanted an early dinner, and they could get us in early. So we put on our big girl/boy coats and braved the sideways rain on our walk over from the hotel. It was worth it. There was a lovely Christmas-sy holiday display in the entry area, and throughout the entire restaurant (as I dripped my way to the table). We were seated immediately and our drink order was taken by a friendly and personable server. Now, there is one thing that kind of makes or breaks a restaurant for me - because I'm lactose intolerant, I need a restaurant to be able to omit ingredients or make substitutions. Locals was fabulous in this regard. When I let the server know that I couldn't have dairy, she made me feel comfortable. Sometimes I feel like I'm being a hassle if I voice my dietary restrictions, but I didn't feel this way at all at Locals. Locals, if you are reading this, your staff are awesome. Anyways, on to the food. For an appetizer, I ordered the Smoked Duck & Curly Endive because I planned to order the Seafood Trio as an entree, and I wanted to try a variety of foods. Everything that I put in my mouth was fantastic, flavorful and the perfect sized portions. The prawns were buttery, the scallops were perfection, and the tuna had just the right amount of sear. The smoked duck was a lovely smokey contrast to the freshness of the endive and the sweet jelly. I feel like a bit of a flowery writer when I say that, but poetry for the tongue is the only thing I can think of to describe this food. It was amazing. 10/10, would eat here again. Great atmosphere, great food, great staff. I can't say enough good things about my experience. read more

Amazing food great service best food in a long time we were staying at the king Fischer lodge and there food and service was terrible after finding this gem made our trip thanks locals was a fantastic meal read more

By way of explanation, we are not from here. As a matter of fact we are from far far away. Well not that far exactly, but definitely not from BC. Not that it matters. We are on vacation and stopped in Courtenay because it was like half way from Port McNeil to Nanaimo where we planned to catch a ferry. Driving through town we noticed that there is something special about this place, maybe the water, possibly the air, more likely the people and history. Something special. The first evening here we went to the Mad Chef and were pleasantly surprised. But nothing prepared us for the surprise we had at Locals restaurant. Chef Ronald St. Pierre has it right. Locally sourced foods that he and team produce into world class fare. We eat out a lot and not that it makes us experts, but we eaten at some well known and overvalued restaurants. Afterwards wondered: "Whats the big deal"? But chef St Pierre delivers the goods. The Bison Carpaccio, the Nicoise salad, the Seafood chowder...outstanding. I can't wait to come back. Go there, if not for your hunger at least for your soul. read more

My husband and I have been going to Local's most Wed nights for dinner for the last 6 months with friends of ours. The food is great as well as the service. They always know our names and usually what we are drinking. I highly recommend for a great meal. read more

A rare peak experience. We are 15 year full-time RVers, have been to thousands of RV Parks and restaurants in North America. We were touring Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. An ad in a tourist brochure caught our attention - local food from local producers. "Chef Ronald St.Pierrs's passion lies in providing a memorable dining experience that marries the bounty of the Island with culinary artistry in a unique dining setting with outstanding service." We went there for dinner and returned for lunch the next day. Menu, food, presentation, ambience, and service all excellent. Moderate prices; dinner entrees in range of $25 to $30 dollars, most expensive dinner meal is three course meal for $39. This is the best restaurant we have ever been to. If you are wondering if we have a financial or personal interest in the restaurant or owner, the answer is NO! We just like to share good things. Enjoy! read more

The food and ambiance was very good. We dined with our two grandchildren and our 7 year old granddaughter said our server was snappy. Our server seemed very impatient with us and our grandchildren. Yes we were asking a lot of questions because we were trying to figure out what was gluten free on the menu. By the end of the meal, our server snapped at my husband for the second time. I would however recommend the restaurant for the food, not the server. read more

Wow! Exceptional service and the food was Devine! I will eat here again and again. I can see why they are award winning. Hands down one of the best dining experiences of my life and I'm extremely picky! A definite must if in the Courtenay area! read more

We came here for our anniversary dinner because we were staying at the hotel next door. The ambiance was great. The food was only alright. The Server had to come back 3 times and tell us that items we had ordered were no longer available. They charged $1.00 for a pop refill (without telling us refills would incur a charge). The fireplace was on behind me and was way too warm and when I asked for it to be turned off I was told it would negatively impact the ambiance. My dates salmon was overcooked after he specifically asked for it to be as rare as possible. read more

My wife and I had been to Locals when we were on the island last year. We went back again today and the lunch was even better than we remembered. The carrot and ginger soup was delicious and our sandwiches were fabulous. Friendly staff. Good service. Outstanding food. What more can you ask for? read more

My husband and I flew out to the Island and wanted to take my parents out for a special dinner. We were totally blown away by this amazing dining experience! Not only was the food spectacular (better by far than the meal I had in London this fall at Petrus) but the ambience and wonderful staff was a delight! Thank you for making this experience so very memorable....we will be back. read more