34 Best Coffee Shops in Nanaimo

“very nice little cafe with lots of greenery.“

“A health care provider recommended this coffee shop while I was waiting for a friend at the hospital. Am so glad I tried it out! delicious muffin that was fresh out of the oven and a tasty iced vanilla latte! highly recommend“

“Kind staff, fresh from the oven gluten-free scone (!), great coffee. Thank you!!! 😊“

“Definitely one of my favourite coffee shops. I visit regularly- the staff are very friendly and attentive, the atmosphere is always relaxed and welcoming. The coffee is first class!“

“As a group of six we were delighted to find such a lovely place to stop for brunch. Dropping our son at university was the reason for our visit. Rick the manager went out of his way to chat with us and help explain what was available. Three of us had breakfast ciabatta, a ham/cheese panini and two lots of waffles. All delicious. Drinks were good, place was spotless. Staff not overly engaging but polite. Rick thanked us for visiting which was a really nice touch. We will return. Many thanks.“

“From Calgary - we drive through Nanaimo once every year to head up or down island. We discovered The Vault about 5 years ago and try our best to make sure we have time to stop for a coffee and a bite to eat. The place is always busy - which is a good sign and the food and coffee are delicious. The breakfast wrap is sooo good and I usually clean them out of their Snickerdoodle cookies. Always worth the stop - and much better than the food and coffee on the ferry.“

“Huge thanks to Ivy for the fantastic service today! She is always so bright, welcoming, and genuinely polite, no matter how busy the drive-thru gets. Getting my morning coffee with a side of great customer service completely starts the day off right. Thanks, Ivy!“

“A health care provider recommended this coffee shop while I was waiting for a friend at the hospital. Am so glad I tried it out! delicious muffin that was fresh out of the oven and a tasty iced vanilla latte! highly recommend“

“Today was our first time trying out Waffle🧇 Magic🪄and it was absolutely DELICIOUS😋 Definitely the first of many more🙂Hidden gem💯“

“We have visited this coffee shop several times over the years. We came here this morning and found it has been renovated and expanded. What a beautiful job they have done. I had a cortado and orange cranberry scone and my partner had a breakfast bun & coffee. Both breakfasts were lovely. We love supporting independent businesses and highly recommend giving this place a try. You will often find locals gathered here sharing their stories and just connecting. We will definitely be coming back.“

“This place is great!!! Food is awesome, service is great and reasonable prices! Highly recommended“

“Stopped in at Serious Coffee last weekend while road tripping around the island and honestly wasn't expecting much but the harbor view from the window seats totally sold me. Ordered a maple latte and a breakfast sandwich around 9am on Saturday and both were solid, nothing fancy but well made. The staff behind the counter were friendly and quick even with a line out the door, which I appreciated since we were trying to beat the crowds at the seawall. Parking nearby was easy to find too, so overall a nice little stop before we kept exploring Nanaimo.“

“This is our go to coffee shop! Great cinnamon buns and muffins! Lovely atmosphere and staff!“

“All in all, I think that this is the best coffee shop situated in Nanaimo. I may be biased, but the atmosphere makes you enjoy your delicious coffee even more than one could believe. I loved the richness of the dark roast blend, and the creaminess of the amazing lattes, not to mention the artwork attached to it. You can almost be certain that the crew makes sure to put in more time and effort into their creations and skills. Please be sure to visit when in the area, or when headed to one of the close by islands. Immaculate service! Thanks to the amazing Artigiano team.“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A cozy and relaxing spot to unwind for about an hour. I really enjoyed the cappuccino — rich and perfectly made — along with a delicious dessert. The atmosphere is calm and comfortable, with friendly staff and pleasant seating.

The only downside was the washroom cleanliness, which could use some attention. Overall, a lovely experience and definitely worth stopping by for a coffee break in Nanaimo.“

“Nice staff,friendly almost immediate acknowledgment“

“Had a really nice BLT and coffee, great service Thanks“

“THEIR CUPCAKES ARE SO GOOD. I'm soo happy they have vegan gluten-free options that have good flavour and are moist and delicious 😭❤️🥹 And love the extra sprinkles ;)“

“They went to a lot of trouble to make it an enjoyable experience The tea was brewed to perfection This place is really a good tea shop!“

“Thank you to the people that were working today (may24) at 9:30! to the baristas- you all were so sweet and helpful! Thank you so much for the compliment on my sandwich bag, and shoutout to the guy stocking stuff- behind the scenes work shouldn’t go unnoticed.“

“Thanks for my Birthday gift. Tried your breakfast bacon Gouda sandwich, delicious😘👌 Can’t afford it too often though. Just a special treat:-) My daughter treated me to an Almond Chai Tea Latte, that also was delicious!“

“As an Aussie travelling Canada for the first time, I had never heard of a Nainaimo Bar (I'm so glad I now have!) 🤩 ...Bocca Cafe have a huge selection of both traditional and specialty flavours, though if you're like us and come near the end of the day, be prepared for many of the fancier flavours to already be sold out (proof of how good they must have been!). We ordered the traditional one and a blackberry lavendar - the first was quite sweet, the other more subtle (& my favourite of the two!). I also ordered a Maple Latte 👌I absolutely LOVE that they were all gluten free! 🤩🍁“

“I placed my first order on the Saturday of a a long weekend and it was shipped first thing Tuesday and at my door by Friday. The mugs were perfection: exactly as advertised, an excellent price and quality. Packaged expertly for shipping, they arrived in perfect order with 3 free tea samples. I couldn’t be happier with this company.“

“Good location for when I go for my walks plus friendly staff...😎“

“I’ve been to plenty of Tim Hortons locations, and this is the only one I’ll consistently go out of my way to visit. The difference is noticeable the moment you walk in. The food is always fresh, well prepared, and served the way it should be, whether it’s breakfast, coffee, or lunch. I’ve never had a disappointing meal here.

What really sets this location apart is the staff. Everyone is friendly, welcoming, and genuinely seems to care about providing good service. Orders are prepared quickly and accurately, even during busy times, and the restaurant is always clean and well organized. It’s clear that the team takes pride in maintaining high standards.

Consistency is what keeps me coming back. Every visit has been a positive experience, which is something that’s becoming increasingly rare. If every Tim Hortons operated like this one, the brand would have a much stronger reputation. I highly recommend this location to anyone looking for great food, excellent service, and a team that truly goes the extra mile.“

“Drinks and sweets were good, tasty and served in good shape. A bit pricey though. Staff were nice and patient. Location is inside a shopping square and hard to find sitting area. If you have to wait for your sailing, it's an option to treat yourself during waiting time.“

“super good, huge servings, great service, and great atmosphere. We would go back there again.“

“Excellent customer service and food.
Around 12:17 a white boy took my order and he made it exact same ice latte which i was expecting and the egg wrap was fantastic perfectly grilled and also the girl who made the wrap was amazing.
Thanks to Both of you guys
Appreciate your hard work😇
You just made my day“

“I spent an hour or so there drinking amazingly wonderful assam organic tea - I’m British so I know a cup of tea I think. It was the best tea ever and the staff were super friendly and helpful - highly recto end plus food looked fab - will be back - special place and away from the good court! Near washrooms though. Great seat. Go there or be square - across from Sephora David“

“I need my java Ana espresso so why not !!!“

“Coffee is great. I ordered a oat milk latte. I could actually TASTE the coffee, and it was more dark roast than any other I've found on the island. The drink was perfect temperature so I didn't scald my mouth, but didn't drink it to quickly. Perfectly perfect. Oh, and the solo barista was awesome, juggling all orders with a smile. She was terrific.

We are traveling from Eugene, Oregon, and I've stopped at many places along the coast and on the island. This, I would say was the best oat milk latte I've had so far.

I figured ordering a latte at coffee stand at the ferry terminal would be so so. I'm usually hesitant to order coffees from random places. I usually check for best coffees near me when traveling, and choosing highest ratings. This one has a 3.2, so I nearly skipped it. Glad I didn't.“

“I went in yesterday and Jae was absolutely amazing. Every time I go in she is just such a delight to serve anyone, she’s always quick, friendly, and thoughtful. The only downside of my time there was watching the other young lady there, Rayne, not helping either the front or the drive thru as she was being asked to. She walked past me before dancing around the lobby several times before Jae came out from the back and immediately served me with a big smile which is the only reason my review is actually good.“

“Hands down the best Starbucks in town! This morning I went in for a coffee before work and there was a long wait time due to a bar machine being broken, the staff was effectively communicating that to any customers waiting and offered refunds to people who needed to get to work swiftly, I even saw who I believe was a supervisor offer someone a coffee that was out of a pot that was made fast as well as a refund so this customer had coffee to have while at work. They hustled and did their very best. A really great establishment. I wish other patrons waiting were kinder as these girls. They were honestly doing a great job with the cards they were given. To the staff that worked this morning thank you for your hard work so we could get our daily dose of caffeine before we worked and I hope you got yours too! ❤“

“While the service was efficient, it was a bit uncomfortable to see a group of employees speaking in their native east-indian language probably Punjabi amongst themselves, which left the only white girl in the team at that time feeling excluded. Promoting an inclusive environment where everyone feels part of the team would make the experience much better.“