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!

We visited Bocca Cafe as our second stop out of three for Nainaimo Bars. This is a pretty cozy…read morecafe, with only a couple of tables and seats for people to relax in. When we visited on a rainy Monday afternoon and there were a couple of people inside, sipping on coffee and working. Traditional Nanaimo ($5.99) - This Nanaimo Bar is very thin, about half the height as compared to Bar 1. It shears while cutting, causing pieces to break off in chunks rather than cleaning going through. This happens to both the icing in the middle and the top and I'm not sure what causes it. The top layer has a nice rich chocolatety taste. The bottom layer has finer coconut shreds and a nice cocoa flavor, mixed with crushed silvered almonds for nuttiness and crunch. The layer is able to easily shatter. It's dry and almost powdery in texture. The middle icing isn't that noteworthy other than being sweet. As a whole, the bar is hefty, hard and very dense. It's very sweet. (3/5) Salted Caramel Nanaimo ($5.99) - This is similar in texture to the traditional with the same shattering grittiness. The middle layer is caramel icing and top layer has some flaky salt sprinkled on top. Otherwise again it's very sweet and crumbly. (3/5) I can't say I was a huge fan of these Nanaimo bars. They are definitely higher quality than the last bakery we visited, but they are a bit too dry, gritty, and powdery for my tastes. Based on my enjoyment of the food, I would normally give Bocca Cafe a 3 star rating, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and raise them to a 4, especially because the employees were very nice. Maybe i just don't like Nanaimo bars that much! Washrooms - One unisex room.

Bocca Cafe was pretty empty when we stopped in, but the ambiance was cozy. The interior had…read morecolorful walls, covered in art for sale. They also had some cute holiday decorations. I ordered a Matcha Latte and my boyfriend got a Dirty Chai Latte, which were both tasty and came in large mugs. We also ordered a Caramel Brownie to share. The brownie was super decadent and rich, but delicious. I was glad we only ordered one for two people. Service was friendly and reasonably fast. Overall, cute cafe - would return!

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.

Rare find!!! So incredibly great breads, pastries, lunches, soups, and service. We make the trip…read morehere from Victoria just to buy bread and gigantic cranberry ginger scones! Highly recommend

We have eaten here three times (so far) on our trip. Every day we have been happy with our food and…read moredrinks. The iced latte has been consistent, the lemonade sweet, the food fresh and hot, and the pastries delicious. All of the employees are friendly and smiling. The bakery is clean and has a welcoming atmosphere

This place is excellent, straight up! It's fairly new, I think, clean and tidy, and nice and…read morebright. The service is friendly, quick and efficient. You order from the kitchen at the counter and they bring to food out to you. The case looked to be full of tasty treats and reasonably priced. K had the skillet which came with toast that was so good. The skillet itself contained a good amount of food that was very nicely cooked. My bacon and eggs came with a choice of hash browns or toast. I chose the has browns and added a side of sourdough. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the bacon nice and crispy as specified, along with a slice of tomato and some fresh basil which was a nice touch. My London Fog left a little to be desired, but that was but a small blemish in an otherwise excellent breakfast/brunch! If you are in Parksville I'd heartily recommend the Brazen Poppy Bakery Cafe. We'll be stopping on our way to Victoria tomorrow for sure.

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

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

Solid French bakery and brunch spot in Nanaimo. We only mostly wanted to try a pastry for a quick…read morebite, as well as some coffee, to start the day. You order in front for pastries and coffee only, or sit down and someone will assist you if you want a full meal. We got the tomato pastry with salad add on since the salad was only 3 or so CAD extra for a more satisfying meal. We tried the drip coffee and red eye (basically drip coffee with extra espresso shot) and both are so strong that we barely finished them. The tomato pastry was good, very flaky and buttery. Water is self serve. Service could be better as they only gave a set of utensils and had trouble flagging someone down to get another set so I had to eat with a spoon. Restrooms are single stall which can be a huge wait when the restaurant is busy.

Needs a little bit of loving for a small, and I do mean small, local business…read more It operates in a compact space inside the Nanoose Bay Community Centre at the side of the building. Enter and there is space for 3 people max. Indicate what you want and he'll bring it out for you. Credit cards taken. Seems like everything is made from scratch. See my pics. Super friendly owner. He used to live in Vancouver in the Kits neighbourhood. He gave me a free pack of butter tarts because I was a first time visitor. $15 value. If there was one critique I'd give, the meat pies are slightly under seasoned. A little salt and you're good to go. The quality is definitely there, no question. Pies are frozen, so take out only. Major CC's accepted.

Pies are always yummy and a great deal.... We buy them often a few at a time. We are so lucky to…read morehave these guys in our community.

Small cozy brunch spot in Nanaimo. We went around 8:45am and it was already quite busy but it…read moredidn't take too long to place the order and get food. Indoor seating is very limited - 3 to 4 seats total, mostly outdoor, but the food is served in takeout format for that reason. We got the smores monkey bread, flat white, and breakfast sandwich on brioche. The brioche do sell out really fast - there was none available when we went and had to already wait for the next batch, so be ready to go right at 8am or expect to wait a bit to get your hands on the brioche. I'd recommend it as it's more special than a bagel or any of the surcharge options. The monkey bread is quite buttery with a generous amount of chocolate filling inside. It's a bit on the sweeter side so it is definitely worthwhile to share it. The flat white drink was pretty standard. The breakfast sandwich is good, nothing super extraordinary, but good price with a good amount of eggs and bacon

Fantastic bagels! My veggie bagel sandwich was delicious. My husband had the cinnamon roll and…read morehe said "it was the best" he'd had in years. The owner really cares about her customers AND her food and how it's presented. Kudos!!!! And yum!!!