Menu very different, shellfish steamers over done and tasted off,my wife had beet salad, looked o.k. Lettuce was different long stems and our meal was very expensive. My wife had to rush to the bathroom 30 minutes after eating and has had diarrhea all afternoon.
nancysH9454WW
We stopped here on a sunny afternoon for a bite to eat before the night market began. It was my first visit so I had no idea what to expect. I ordered a macaroni and cheese bake, it was described as mac and cheese with a bread crumble on top, baked in the oven. What came to the table was not like the description at all. Overcooked elbow macaroni, topped with marble cheese, that had obviously been thrown in the microwave and heated. No bread crumble on top, no salt, no pepper, no seasoning. It was like a student meal you make when you live in a dorm with only a microwave and you don't know how to cook. Absolutely gross, and I paid over 20 bucks for it! One of the worst meals that I have had in the last couple of years!! You'd be better off at McDonald's. Obviously we won't be back. If you're debating going to this restaurant, look elsewhere, anywhere but here. So disappointed!!
dougmS7381ZV
3 of us had dinner at the Modern this evening. The new menu is odd. It seems to try too hard. I ordered the squid but they were out of it. I then ordered the Coast Cakes that were supposed to contain salmon, tuna and crab. They tasted bland and with no hint of anything that had ever seen the sea. Saffron rice was the main ingredient. Won't be back until things change again.
Zach W (Awesome Cheese)
Nothing that special about it. The service was good the taste good. I have found that they put way to much croutons on the creaser salad which is my favourite.
Aura M
We came here to escape the hustle and bustle of the city in this quaint neighbourhood (we stayed at a beautiful place right around the corner with water views) Each dish we tried had something so special about it! My son is a steak fanatic and it was the accompanying mushrooms that floored him... one of his “all time favourite meals” (hard to admit, being that I’m his mom Lol) For me it was the salmon entree, and my daughter was in love with their coastal cakes (similar to crab cakes but better) crisp on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth tender inside and a decent size portion. Although it’s a new menu, Gabe has been cooking for decades and is a true master of his craft. An experience of it’s own! Well worth it!
Ipek C.
Great place. Excellent food. Highly recommended . Would come back again. Tastefully prepared
irishlatte
We had high hopes for this place but unfortunately we had to wait 45 minutes for our breakfast after waiting 20 minutes for a table and 10 minutes for water and a server. Service was very slow and not much communication from our server. Most places would have offered to cover a meal and the coffee for such a long wait, but they didn’t. Would not recommend.
Izel Van Heusden
Over priced terrible food. We had a charcuterie board if you could call it that (see image ) wow the saddest charcuterie board I have ever experienced, 3 rolled up salami , 2 strips of pickled beets , a cut in half carrot oil soaked bread and raincoats crackers ..oh and 3 strips of Costco cheese for our main we had the prawn boil ...ok it was cocktail shrimp a few old potatoes and 1 ear of corn cut up ...sooo disappointing, just have drinks at this place skip the food
60PKRIP
When I got here the place was - at most- about onr quarter full.It took about 15 minutes before someone took my order and about half an hour before the order arrived.The food was ok but the coffee was barely drinkable and extremely overpriced at $4 a cup.They have a weird division of duties here: two of the staff show customers to their tables and bring them their orders and bills.Two other staff take the orders and colkect payment and one person buses the tables.The first two, who serve the orders, were spending a lot of time alternately chatting with each other and walking into and out of the kitchen empty handed.The two who were taking the orders were spending extra time making small talk with the xustomers and the cook kept popping out of the kitchen to talk with the other staff.The entire time the restaurant was stifling hot.There are very few options for dining out in downtown Nanaimo.The food at the Midern Cafe is reasonably good though quite pricey and the staff, though disorganuzed and inefficient are friendly and seem to be trying their best.It would be advisable to come here when there are as few other customers around as possible.
Hugh_Jorgan_1966
Absolutely terrible experience. We went for brunch on Saturday. The server brought us water and took our order. 45 mins goes by and no food. I hear another patron across the room make a comment about waiting well over an hour without food. I also hear the bar tender swearing to a server about “issues going on in the back”. We call over the server who hasn’t checked on us once and she states “oh Sorry there’s a few more tables in front of you”. Your order will be another 15 mins. Would you like some more nice cold water? (The place was at maybe 40% capacity). I tell the server we can’t wait we have plans. She comes back and says the kitchen will try for 10 mins and they will be starting you food soon. At this point we get up and leave. Here comes the good part! We walk across the street to another cafe. I’m assuming a manager comes running through the door and starts yelling at us “you didn’t pay for your drinks!” “That’s dine and dash”. We’re like “we had only water” she proceeded to tell us she was going to go “check our story” and she was going to “call it in”. I’m assuming that meant call the cops on the tap water thieves? I have never been so insulted. I’m still working out next steps on this one. Absolutely unacceptable behaviour by this staff member.
Lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Only had the brunch menu available on a Sunday afternoon. Service is friendly but a little slow.Food was decent, the burger was undersized but the Mac and cheese was very creamy.
Madi L.
It's just not what the menu says at all. Had meal redone, still could not eat it. Waited a hour, wasn't busy.. left with no food.
Scott Durkop
Great father's day brunch experience. Our server Morgan was friendly, attentive and quick. Food was phenomenal.
Michael Patrick
Tonight was my first time ordering from Modern Cafe. I ordered the Bison?Burger?with a side of fries?and loved it?Absolutely delicious?Definitely a return visit coming very soon?Service was top notch??
Ricky C.
I tried their full breakfast with honey garlic sausage and they did this dish quite well. It doesn't look like much because of how simple the dish looks, but everything was cooked nicely and the portion was just right. The one thing they could have made better was instead of adding one piece of sad spinach leaf on the plate for garnish is perhaps add a bit more salad if they wanted some more green on there. The waffles were also nicely done as well.
Menu very different, shellfish steamers over done and tasted off,my wife had beet salad, looked o.k. Lettuce was different long stems and our meal was very expensive. My wife had to rush to the bathroom 30 minutes after eating and has had diarrhea all afternoon.
We stopped here on a sunny afternoon for a bite to eat before the night market began. It was my first visit so I had no idea what to expect. I ordered a macaroni and cheese bake, it was described as mac and cheese with a bread crumble on top, baked in the oven. What came to the table was not like the description at all. Overcooked elbow macaroni, topped with marble cheese, that had obviously been thrown in the microwave and heated. No bread crumble on top, no salt, no pepper, no seasoning. It was like a student meal you make when you live in a dorm with only a microwave and you don't know how to cook. Absolutely gross, and I paid over 20 bucks for it! One of the worst meals that I have had in the last couple of years!! You'd be better off at McDonald's. Obviously we won't be back. If you're debating going to this restaurant, look elsewhere, anywhere but here. So disappointed!!
3 of us had dinner at the Modern this evening. The new menu is odd. It seems to try too hard. I ordered the squid but they were out of it. I then ordered the Coast Cakes that were supposed to contain salmon, tuna and crab. They tasted bland and with no hint of anything that had ever seen the sea. Saffron rice was the main ingredient. Won't be back until things change again.
Nothing that special about it. The service was good the taste good. I have found that they put way to much croutons on the creaser salad which is my favourite.
We came here to escape the hustle and bustle of the city in this quaint neighbourhood (we stayed at a beautiful place right around the corner with water views) Each dish we tried had something so special about it! My son is a steak fanatic and it was the accompanying mushrooms that floored him... one of his “all time favourite meals” (hard to admit, being that I’m his mom Lol) For me it was the salmon entree, and my daughter was in love with their coastal cakes (similar to crab cakes but better) crisp on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth tender inside and a decent size portion. Although it’s a new menu, Gabe has been cooking for decades and is a true master of his craft. An experience of it’s own! Well worth it!
Great place. Excellent food. Highly recommended . Would come back again. Tastefully prepared
We had high hopes for this place but unfortunately we had to wait 45 minutes for our breakfast after waiting 20 minutes for a table and 10 minutes for water and a server. Service was very slow and not much communication from our server. Most places would have offered to cover a meal and the coffee for such a long wait, but they didn’t. Would not recommend.
Over priced terrible food. We had a charcuterie board if you could call it that (see image ) wow the saddest charcuterie board I have ever experienced, 3 rolled up salami , 2 strips of pickled beets , a cut in half carrot oil soaked bread and raincoats crackers ..oh and 3 strips of Costco cheese for our main we had the prawn boil ...ok it was cocktail shrimp a few old potatoes and 1 ear of corn cut up ...sooo disappointing, just have drinks at this place skip the food
When I got here the place was - at most- about onr quarter full.It took about 15 minutes before someone took my order and about half an hour before the order arrived.The food was ok but the coffee was barely drinkable and extremely overpriced at $4 a cup.They have a weird division of duties here: two of the staff show customers to their tables and bring them their orders and bills.Two other staff take the orders and colkect payment and one person buses the tables.The first two, who serve the orders, were spending a lot of time alternately chatting with each other and walking into and out of the kitchen empty handed.The two who were taking the orders were spending extra time making small talk with the xustomers and the cook kept popping out of the kitchen to talk with the other staff.The entire time the restaurant was stifling hot.There are very few options for dining out in downtown Nanaimo.The food at the Midern Cafe is reasonably good though quite pricey and the staff, though disorganuzed and inefficient are friendly and seem to be trying their best.It would be advisable to come here when there are as few other customers around as possible.
Absolutely terrible experience. We went for brunch on Saturday. The server brought us water and took our order. 45 mins goes by and no food. I hear another patron across the room make a comment about waiting well over an hour without food. I also hear the bar tender swearing to a server about “issues going on in the back”. We call over the server who hasn’t checked on us once and she states “oh Sorry there’s a few more tables in front of you”. Your order will be another 15 mins. Would you like some more nice cold water? (The place was at maybe 40% capacity). I tell the server we can’t wait we have plans. She comes back and says the kitchen will try for 10 mins and they will be starting you food soon. At this point we get up and leave. Here comes the good part! We walk across the street to another cafe. I’m assuming a manager comes running through the door and starts yelling at us “you didn’t pay for your drinks!” “That’s dine and dash”. We’re like “we had only water” she proceeded to tell us she was going to go “check our story” and she was going to “call it in”. I’m assuming that meant call the cops on the tap water thieves? I have never been so insulted. I’m still working out next steps on this one. Absolutely unacceptable behaviour by this staff member.
Restaurantji Recommends
Lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Only had the brunch menu available on a Sunday afternoon. Service is friendly but a little slow.Food was decent, the burger was undersized but the Mac and cheese was very creamy.
It's just not what the menu says at all. Had meal redone, still could not eat it. Waited a hour, wasn't busy.. left with no food.
Great father's day brunch experience. Our server Morgan was friendly, attentive and quick. Food was phenomenal.
Tonight was my first time ordering from Modern Cafe. I ordered the Bison?Burger?with a side of fries?and loved it?Absolutely delicious?Definitely a return visit coming very soon?Service was top notch??
I tried their full breakfast with honey garlic sausage and they did this dish quite well. It doesn't look like much because of how simple the dish looks, but everything was cooked nicely and the portion was just right. The one thing they could have made better was instead of adding one piece of sad spinach leaf on the plate for garnish is perhaps add a bit more salad if they wanted some more green on there. The waffles were also nicely done as well.