Was disappointed with eggs Benedict served to myself and my sister. We each received beef instead of ham on our eggs Benedicts today. This was our 1st time eating here and so we weren't sure if this is how they typically serve this dish. Picked the beef of the bun and ate it separately; the beef didn't taste great. Disappointed with the eggs Benedict. As for the washrooms, inadequate lighting made it difficult to see clearly and very messy at the sinks, no paper towels - so I informed the staff who replenished the towels. Overall, not impressed and won't be going again unfortunately. Server was excellent and attentive.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Scott Marshall
This is not the first time I’ve experienced rude, dismissive behavior from a hostess at this restaurant, but it will absolutely be the last. Perhaps its the training methods as my visits were a good year apart and pretty similar or just lack of character judgement
The only reason we gave Black Rabbit another chance was because La Stella was closed.
On Friday, January 9th at 4:45 p.m., we walked in to find the hostess on the phone with her back to us, completely ignoring our presence. After finishing the call, there was still no greeting, no acknowledgment nothing. A waitress had to step in, greet us, and ask if we were a table for two.
The waitress was pleasant, but then passed us back to the hostess, who told us we would need to wait 10 minutes while she “checked” with the only server on shift to see if seating us was acceptable. She then wandered around without ever speaking to the server. At that point, we left. The restaurant was nearly empty, with only one table occupied.
Blaming short staffing because someone called in is not an excuse especially when you’re turning away paying customers in an empty restaurant. If you can’t manage basic front-of-house operations, the hostess should pick up a pen and pad and help instead of standing around with an attitude. Multi task perhaps.
In this economy, restaurants survive by being efficient and welcoming. Black Rabbit is doing neither. Poor customer service, weak operational awareness, and a front-of-house that actively drives customers away is a recipe for failure.
Unless there is a serious overhaul starting with customer service, I would give this place six months.
We will not be back.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Lindsay
We went for NYE and loved it. The drinks and wine suggestions were wonderful and the food was delicious. Thanks for a great night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrew Cox (Andy)
Always have a great meal here!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Taisa And
A nice low lit mood, great creative cuisine, and wonderful staff
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
rick heglin
Wow. Best restaurant in Nanaimo Great service dood that has to be experienced Great atmosphere. Truly a fantastic experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Majestic Soul Lifestyle
Food was good, service was quick.
Brian Cross
We’d been meaning to try this place for ages, and finally made it up for Sunday brunch — and wow, it did not disappoint! The food was absolutely fantastic, and every member of the staff was friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming.
Sitting in the beautifully restored 1920s train station added such a unique charm to the experience. As we enjoyed our meal, it was easy to imagine the countless travelers who once waited here — some setting off on new adventures, others eagerly awaiting the arrival of loved ones.
A wonderful blend of history, atmosphere, and amazing food. We’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eden Jaycock
Fresh nourishing food in a funky heritage building (old train station). Friendly attentive service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Fyfe-Brown
Not sure how I felt about seeing a pork chop on a menu and let me tell ya, best pork chop your mama never made!!! The way the Black Rabbit team prepares and cooks their meats is simply PHE-nomenal! Can’t wait to see what they have lined up for their fall/winter menu!
Went here because I really wanted beef tartare - we ordered a lot of different things and they were all delicious. I will definitely visit again if I'm in Nanaimo.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Dee Mer
My son brought me here to treat me with his first salary 😍 it looks very humble and cute but food and service were delicious, fancy and professional. We enjoyed many different appetizers so much so we couldn’t order a main dish but loved every bite of them. Next time we will try main dishes too. Thanks so much making our special night more fun :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tammie Hunter
The Black Rabbit Kitchen was the venue for my Daughter and new Son-in-laws wedding and I was impressed! The rooms, staff, food and drinks were all outstanding, we enjoyed everything about the “Rabbit”. Oh and did I mention the food, each dish served was as good as the last, tasty fresh and of very high standards. The staff were all welcoming and friendly and the service was top notch. If you are looking for a beautiful place to host an event or enjoy a perfectly prepared and served meal this is the place! By far the best dining experience I have ever had in Nanaimo!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emma Peacock
We had a great lunch, and they have a cute shop inside too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
N Brown
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An unforgettable dining experience!
We absolutely loved the family-style dining experience — it’s so much better being able to order exactly what you want without worrying about what sides come with your meal.
The staff were incredibly knowledgeable. I always trust the servers’ recommendations to help shape the dining experience, and they absolutely knocked it out of the park this time.
Our favorite dish was the chopped salad — an outstanding complement to the carrots and parsnips. The bright, balanced acidity of the salad paired perfectly with the roasted vegetables (we’re still talking about it!).
The mushrooms, fried in a light gluten-free breading, were perfectly crisp and absolutely delicious.
We also highly recommend the Agnolotti Doppio — a melt-in-your-mouth pasta that’s perfect for sharing.
For dessert, we had the brownie, which featured seaweed mixed into dark chocolate chunks — such a creative and surprisingly tasty twist!
Everything was phenomenal. We can’t recommend this place enough! The staff mentioned the menu changes seasonally — this was our fall 2025 visit — so if you want to try any of these dishes, go soon!
Was disappointed with eggs Benedict served to myself and my sister. We each received beef instead of ham on our eggs Benedicts today. This was our 1st time eating here and so we weren't sure if this is how they typically serve this dish. Picked the beef of the bun and ate it separately; the beef didn't taste great. Disappointed with the eggs Benedict. As for the washrooms, inadequate lighting made it difficult to see clearly and very messy at the sinks, no paper towels - so I informed the staff who replenished the towels. Overall, not impressed and won't be going again unfortunately. Server was excellent and attentive.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
This is not the first time I’ve experienced rude, dismissive behavior from a hostess at this restaurant, but it will absolutely be the last. Perhaps its the training methods as my visits were a good year apart and pretty similar or just lack of character judgement
The only reason we gave Black Rabbit another chance was because La Stella was closed.
On Friday, January 9th at 4:45 p.m., we walked in to find the hostess on the phone with her back to us, completely ignoring our presence. After finishing the call, there was still no greeting, no acknowledgment nothing. A waitress had to step in, greet us, and ask if we were a table for two.
The waitress was pleasant, but then passed us back to the hostess, who told us we would need to wait 10 minutes while she “checked” with the only server on shift to see if seating us was acceptable. She then wandered around without ever speaking to the server. At that point, we left. The restaurant was nearly empty, with only one table occupied.
Blaming short staffing because someone called in is not an excuse especially when you’re turning away paying customers in an empty restaurant. If you can’t manage basic front-of-house operations, the hostess should pick up a pen and pad and help instead of standing around with an attitude. Multi task perhaps.
In this economy, restaurants survive by being efficient and welcoming. Black Rabbit is doing neither. Poor customer service, weak operational awareness, and a front-of-house that actively drives customers away is a recipe for failure.
Unless there is a serious overhaul starting with customer service, I would give this place six months.
We will not be back.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
We went for NYE and loved it. The drinks and wine suggestions were wonderful and the food was delicious. Thanks for a great night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always have a great meal here!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A nice low lit mood, great creative cuisine, and wonderful staff
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow. Best restaurant in Nanaimo Great service dood that has to be experienced Great atmosphere. Truly a fantastic experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was good, service was quick.
We’d been meaning to try this place for ages, and finally made it up for Sunday brunch — and wow, it did not disappoint! The food was absolutely fantastic, and every member of the staff was friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming.
Sitting in the beautifully restored 1920s train station added such a unique charm to the experience. As we enjoyed our meal, it was easy to imagine the countless travelers who once waited here — some setting off on new adventures, others eagerly awaiting the arrival of loved ones.
A wonderful blend of history, atmosphere, and amazing food. We’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fresh nourishing food in a funky heritage building (old train station). Friendly attentive service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not sure how I felt about seeing a pork chop on a menu and let me tell ya, best pork chop your mama never made!!! The way the Black Rabbit team prepares and cooks their meats is simply PHE-nomenal! Can’t wait to see what they have lined up for their fall/winter menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Went here because I really wanted beef tartare - we ordered a lot of different things and they were all delicious. I will definitely visit again if I'm in Nanaimo.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
My son brought me here to treat me with his first salary 😍 it looks very humble and cute but food and service were delicious, fancy and professional. We enjoyed many different appetizers so much so we couldn’t order a main dish but loved every bite of them. Next time we will try main dishes too. Thanks so much making our special night more fun :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Black Rabbit Kitchen was the venue for my Daughter and new Son-in-laws wedding and I was impressed! The rooms, staff, food and drinks were all outstanding, we enjoyed everything about the “Rabbit”. Oh and did I mention the food, each dish served was as good as the last, tasty fresh and of very high standards. The staff were all welcoming and friendly and the service was top notch. If you are looking for a beautiful place to host an event or enjoy a perfectly prepared and served meal this is the place! By far the best dining experience I have ever had in Nanaimo!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a great lunch, and they have a cute shop inside too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An unforgettable dining experience!
We absolutely loved the family-style dining experience — it’s so much better being able to order exactly what you want without worrying about what sides come with your meal.
The staff were incredibly knowledgeable. I always trust the servers’ recommendations to help shape the dining experience, and they absolutely knocked it out of the park this time.
Our favorite dish was the chopped salad — an outstanding complement to the carrots and parsnips. The bright, balanced acidity of the salad paired perfectly with the roasted vegetables (we’re still talking about it!).
The mushrooms, fried in a light gluten-free breading, were perfectly crisp and absolutely delicious.
We also highly recommend the Agnolotti Doppio — a melt-in-your-mouth pasta that’s perfect for sharing.
For dessert, we had the brownie, which featured seaweed mixed into dark chocolate chunks — such a creative and surprisingly tasty twist!
Everything was phenomenal. We can’t recommend this place enough! The staff mentioned the menu changes seasonally — this was our fall 2025 visit — so if you want to try any of these dishes, go soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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