We chose this place for their celiac gluten recommendations. They definitely accommodated celiac…read moreand shellfish allergies. The staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable, even when we showed up close to their closing time we did not feel rushed, pushed out or an inconvenience to a staff considering we were there at closing. The place was very clean. The food was EXCELLENT definitely exceeded expectations. You will not be disappointed by coming here. Whatever staff chef was working July 29 at closing definitely deserves recognition. They did really well. We are not from Canada, drove all the way up here and this was the best food that we have had in a very long time even from our local area.

First time ever going there. Born and raised here…read more There was six of us tonight and our waiter was not good. I had high expectations going in here. He was so unprofessional. Read and study the menu and drinks. Learn to multitask. That's all I have to say. We will never come back here.

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 lived this little pub on the ocean. First time sat in the restaurant, second time on the outside…read morepatio. Service could be better but the seafood risotto I had was delicious. Would go back!

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 !

We stopped in on the way to the ferry to go back to Vancouver, and were delighted by this charming…read moreplace. I had the halibut fish and chips and they were so good. I look forward to coming back the next time I'm in Nanaimo.

3 ate for around $84 CAD. Had 2 plates of fish and chips (halibut and COD) and one roasted salmon…read moreburger. All cooked well, batter was good, and dill sauce on the burger and side was nice. It's on the water, so the platform moves. Not a whole lot of seats, and of course there's birds but I didn't mind it. Service was good and quick. Would go back again!

Food was amazing. Service was great. We chose this for celiac gluten options and it did not…read moredisappoint. Only downfall is whatever oil they fry. Everything is gave me horrible Gerd.! Still recommended it was great fish and chips. Sitting on the water was very nice. A very clean.

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.

We have eaten at Astera's Greek Taverna twice and have not been disappointed. We arrived by boat,…read moreand walked a short distance through the trail and park, to Old Quarter. Astera is located in a lovely home, with plants around and little touches. The wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The menu is varied and tasty. We loved our tasty Moussaka meal. We will return.

What a wonderful dinner! We were impressed with the cozy, warm interior, friendly staff, and…read moredelicious flavors. We'd visit again in a heartbeat!

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.

PATHETIC customer service! ! Stayed at the Dorchester Hotel (great service) my last night in…read moreNanaimo (Jun. 24) and stood at the entrance waiting for 1 of the 2 waitresses to acknowledge me. Neither of them did. After 10 minutes, the bartender (kudos to him) ended up seating me with the menus and brought up the extended Happy Hour. The "blond" waitress whose section was where I was seated, showed up with a glass of ice water and said "I'll be back". For the next 30 minutes, she repeated walked back and forth past my table, intentionally avoiding eye contact, and even thought it was more importance to wipe down 1 of her 2-seater pub tables than to return and take my order. After 30 minutes, I walked out, was provided the restaurant owner David P's personal email by the front desk (they apologized) and emailed him my experience on Jun. 26. He's never responded ! ! I can only presume that he's the one whose set the standard (or lack of) for how his waitstaff conduct themselves. I've had many breakfasts at Top Notch and the morning staff have always been fantastic. But after this experience, I'd strongly recommend that Dorchester guests and non-guests check out the better quality restaurants in the area (Modern Cafe, Gina's, Minnoz Restaurant in the Coast Bastion). The customer service and food are both far-superior and you'll never have the bottom-tier service experience at those options.

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.