A curation of some of our favourite places in the area to eat and drink.
The Mahle House
This upscale restaurant is located within an historic home and offers European and west coast cuisine, from delicious steaks, lamb and duck breast to prawns and salmon. Wednesdays are dedicated to a exclusive 5-course Chef’s menu where the regular menu is not available, but a selection of choice picks from the Chef is sure to please.
This English-style neighborhood pub has been a landmark of Nanaimo since 1972. Offering pub classics like small-batch soups and chowder, beef dip, scotch eggs, and bratwurst sausage, this pub has a diverse assortment of comfort foods to please anyone. Of course, they have a selection of local beers and imported Guinness and Kilkenny beers on tap.
Located just outside Nanaimo in neighboring Lantzville, Camas offers a gourmet restaurant experience. Featuring tapas and upscale seafood, Camas is worth the 15 minute drive from Nanaimo center. They specialize in the “Seafood tower for two,” offering ocean selections such as oysters, mussels confit, scallop crudo, octopus garcia, dungeness crab profiteroles, and sablefish sliders. Nanaimo is located right at the water’s edge and the seafood here is an ideal place to try the best of it!
A curation of some of our favourite things to do in the area surrounding our store.
Explore Newcastle Island
Take a short ferry ride to Newcastle Island, a provincial park with beautiful trails, beaches, and picnic areas. It's an excellent place for hiking and wildlife viewing. The Saysutshun ferry generally runs every half hour, leaving Nanaimo on the hour and half-hour, and leaving Saysutshun at 15 and 45 minutes after the hour.
Stroll along the picturesque waterfront walkway in downtown Nanaimo. You can enjoy the views, watch the boats moored in the harbour, and stop at waterfront cafes and shops for coffee or ice cream.
Explore Nanaimo's history as an early mining post and visit its most iconic landmark at the Bastion (“wood fort”). This Hudson’s Bay Company bastion was built in 1853 and is the last remaining wood bastion in North America. You can take guided tours here and learn about the city's past. It’s steps away from the Nanaimo Museum and the Vancouver Island Military Museum, for history enthusiasts.