This place is absolutely a tourist trap, and that's okay, because if you are here, and you know…read morethat it is, and yes, there are Goats on the Roof, then you are going to love this place. Firstly, if you come here "late" like after 10am, then it might be a messy bit to find parking, but there is both parking behind and down along the drive into the property, or across the street also. Once you park, I recommend just heading to the Old Country Market itself, find a space a few meters back, and look on the roof, The roof has a rotating set of goats, which live up top. They are the attraction, and that is it. You got a place with Goats... on... the... roof. Once you have accomplished that, time to head inside and check out the offerings. First, if you are just rushing through, it's just going to feel like some random grocery market. Yes, lots of things are mass market, but when you SLOW down, and look around, you may start to find some lesser known, and okay, still Made in China, but local flair nevertheless. I recommend heading to the meat counter (assuming you like meat) and getting some Jerky, or other items.. because those are made locally. Then as you meander through the trinkets, you are going to find a mix between local and imported things. As you wonder back toward the baked products, you are going to see piles of loves of bread. I didn't try them, so can't recommend, however head past that, and you will find delicious case of based goods, including their house made Sausage Rolls, which are darn tasty. Go with their original one, then branch out. Again, meat lovers here. As you slowly, go around the store, being bumped by everyone around you, because there are too many people here, in this little shop, take in the fact that ABOVE YOUR HEAD, on the roof, are up there. So look, it's a trap, to be sure, and don't doubt it's going to be a mass of people, but honestly, you came here because it was a tourist trap, so go early, and take your time. Also, highly recommend the used book store nearby, once you free yourself of the money you are going to spend here in the market.

We arrived a couple of minutes just before the goats woke up (9am)…read more The market offered so many different products from their bakery to souvenirs to home decor. I enjoyed my time looking at everything. I will say their bakery was disappointing as a lot of products looked over baked. Some of their products in their display case looked interesting, but were really pricey. 4.5 stars

Didn't expect much from the food here as the servers seem hot and annoyed... BUT…read moreOrdered tomato soup which was absolutely fantastic tasty spicy beautiful served with great baquette. Ordered salad Nicole's - another rave! Lovingly chopped potatoes,cucumber,boiled egg,tuna, with a lovely lemon dressing. Best food ate all weekend in Nanaimo.

The food is nice, esp all the Benny, I ordered bacon Benny and my son salmon Benny, both are nice…read more My friends ordered sandwiches, they said it's nice as well, and it's really huge size! But the coffee could be improved, too dark roasted and too diluted

Red's is the best cheesecake period. I take everyone that visits from out of town here and have…read morenever been disappointed. Plus the owners are absolute gems of human beings. always a great selection of cheesecakes, too

A must-stop spot for anyone visiting Nanaimo! You can't go to Nanaimo without trying a classic…read moreNanaimo bar, and Red's Bakery is the perfect place to grab this iconic treat. We also picked up the banana cheesecake, and it was packed with banana flavour. It was definitely a great choice for banana lovers. Everything is ready to go and nicely packed, making it super convenient for a quick dessert stop. Service was fast and friendly. The bakery has a few tables inside, but if they are full, you can enjoy your treats outside or head across the street to the Vancouver Island Regional Library, where there are benches that make a nice little dessert break spot. A simple, convenient, and delicious stop to experience a true Nanaimo classic!

Come with me and you'll be In a world of pure imagination…read moreTake a look and you'll see Into your imagination Yes, to me, this place is the cheese equivalent of Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory - cheese, glorious cheese, for your sampling pleasure. And not just any cheese, prize winning cheeses! After gorging ourselves on fruit wine and cheese samples we took our purchases, accompanied by Stryder, the adorable big black poodle farm dog, to their lovely picnic area. It even has a sink for you to wash your hands before you eat, since it is impossible to resist petting all of the baby animals that you encounter along the way. They provide a self-guided tour map for you to explore this working farm with very few limitations. They only ask that they respect their property and that you leave it in the pristine condition that you found it. For those familiar with their cheese products from stores or farmer's markets, this store sells some artisan cheeses that you won't necessarily find in the other stores. Their factory is undergoing a major refurb which will not be complete for a short while so we were not able to do a factory tour but that by no means diminished our visit.

We brought our little one here to see some farm animals although you can't pet them. She was…read morefascinated with some of them and kept pointing at the goats and cows. One thing that surprised us was that there is a milk dispenser where you bring a 1L bottle to fill up or you can buy a 1L bottle from the farm. You do have to get a token. I'm somewhat lactose intolerant however I was able to drink this milk with no issues. Their cheeses are good so we got some to take home with us.

Such good pizza! We ordered two. We just devoured the Fig and Chevre pizza. The crust is…read moreperfect, not too thick, thin, or chewy - but just right. The toppings are very fresh and the flavours are a delicate medley of delight. So good! Artisan all the way. Plan ahead and order your 'take and bake' pizza early! Open Wed thru Fridays from noon until 5 with pizza pickups on Fridays. A nice end of the week treat! Their online ordering is super easy. I totally recommend Wild Culture Artisan Bakery Pizza.

In every little town, there are bakeries. Many do wonders, both for the community and for bringing…read morepeople in to try something new. On our family trip, my wife a constant searcher for a good Scone and Baked Pastry, saw the sign for this place as we drove between Qualicum Beach and other sights to be seen. In that, we quickly looked them up, and saw they have been around for a long time (1995), and give ourselves a waypoint to stop on our drive back to our holiday rental. So when you drive up, you feel like you might be traveling to a farm house, which happens to be a bakery. The vibes definitely put you into that mood. On our occasion, it was a mild but warn day, and people were outside on their stone patio having baked good, so maybe we were in for a treat. Upon entering, you are in a small room, just enough for a few things on the side, then the case of goods, front of center. They were well stocked with lots of delights, and breads too. Sausage rolls, scones, cookies, bars, and cake slices. Today, we got a couple sausage rolls and a scone... and let's just say, each was proper delicious. That said, we were in the out, because as we stared ordering, a line of people started to show up, and we quickly paid and left. So is it worth coming, sure. Is it delicious, yes.

Hidden Gem Alert! If you're in Nanaimo, you need to check out this cozy little bakery & cafe that's…read moreas cute as it is delicious! Bodhi's Artisan Bakery It is Locally owned and full of charm. They have a variety of Handcrafted pastries that melt in your mouth, Freshly baked bread you'll want to take home, and Coffee that feels like a warm hug. Whether you're craving a quick treat or looking for a spot to relax, this place is a total vibe! We got the cinnamon bun, strawberry and blueberry cheese danish, and almond croissant. Everything was truly delicious but the blueberry cheese danish stole the show. It was the best cheese danish I've ever had! Heads up, they only accept cash and debit. They also have limited seating available and tend to sell out fast. We went at 9:30am on a Saturday and of their items were gone and by the time we left at ~10:30 they were almost halfway sold out. Food 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 (very cozy and homey/local) Parking 4.5/5 Service 5/5

Excellent bread, rolls, danish, scones, etc. Multiple types of bread all from quality flour. You…read morewill not be disappointed!

Meh Food was good enough for breakfast. Not fancy, and not bad. The service was complete…read moredisappointment. Ordered water, got coffee. My husband said- no problem, he would keep the coffee. Waitress walked off and never came back with my water. Had to track her down twice to request water before I finally got water. Ordered basted eggs with English muffin, got eggs over medium with whole grain toast. Politely said, I actually ordered English muffin, (did not mention that I didn't order fried eggs) she said "are you sure you don't want the toast? I said, no, I would like the English muffin. She walked off and served several other tables and started filling their drink orders. My husband tracked down a different person to get my English muffin, by then my not basted eggs were cold. I get it, mistakes happen to the best of us. A simple acknowledgment or apology would have been welcome, but not a word. It made me feel like I was the one being difficult and I hate being that person. It isn't cheap eats, so I simply wanted what I paid for. The fried potato hash towns were tasty and well seasoned, the eggs (however they were cooked) were good enough. Overall the food is what you expect for a traditional breakfast. If you don't expect amazing service you will enjoy the meal well enough.

Stopped in after our hike to Little Qualicum Falls. Nice selection of artfully prepared baked goods…read moreand the pastry on my chicken pot pie was exquisite as was the Reuben and Omelette and Omelette and Avocado Focaccia sandwiches. Will stop by again when on hwy 4

OK, this bakery rocks! If you are going to or passing through lady smith, this place is worth a…read morestop. We were walking and saw a huge line so we continued walking, and then came back and the line was still long! We wanted to get some pasties and coffee so waited patiently (about 10-12 mins) in line. They have such a huge collection of pies, tarts, sausage rolls, croissants, cookies, breads and cinnamon rolls, etc. We couldn't decide what to get and don't want to go crazy as we had bought pasties earlier on from elsewhere, so bought two different cinnamon buns and a latte. The poppy seed and cream cheese cinnamon buns were incredible! Latte was delicious! Haven tried the rhubarb and strawberry cinnamon bun yet but looking forward to it tomorrow! There are limited tables and seats inside but it's crowded. The staff are friendly and the regular locals are amazing! We had a chat with the lovely folks in the line and they were recommending what they love, which was pretty special! I'm giving five stars because they deserve it - their food, drinks and hospitality.

Old Town Bakery's sweet goods are off the charts d~lish They're well known for their cinnamon buns…read more Their bread is good too. Quite often there's a line up which speaks to their popularity. I highly recommend this establishment.