33 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Nanaimo

“Everything was beyond my expectations. Both my husband and I loved every dish we ordered. Excellent service, beautiful calming atmosphere. We ordered tofu and spring roll appetizer and eggplant dish and mushroom with rice. Plenty of leftovers. Highly recommended.“

“We were a group of three for lunch yesterday. I had been going to Greek restaurants in Vancouver for 40 years before I moved back to Ucluelet. The wonderful experience surpassed all of the past ones with the best authentic lamb souvlaki and tzatziki, exceptional service and welcoming atmosphere I have ever experienced. Huge kudos to a truly destination restaurant.“

“I have now been to the Milton Street Pub twice in the past 1.5 weeks. On both occasions I had some of my best ever food experiences. I had 2 different kinds of wings…Monster portions and quality ingredients. I also had the tomato soup ( homemade marvellous) and polenta fries. My partner had the burger which I tasted and fries which are absolutely the best. My Mother in law had the flatbread pizza…Yummy and my nephew had the Mushroom pasta…HOMEmade!!! We had the cheesecake ….WOW. The service on both occasions was amazing. Even gave me a Tylenol when I was in pain. Melanie was our first server…but everyone including the kitchen staff is determined to provide the best cuisine experience. The only issue was the first time atmosphere was a bit noisy and I have chronic pain issues so the chairs are a bit short for my long legs… Otherwise Perfection!!!“

“Such a great restraunt Everything is delicious 😋 highly recommend our favorite pho“

“Sushi was THE BEST we have ever had!! Staff are super friendly and helpful!! Prices were reasonable, atmosphere was busy, and fun!!“

“Best pizza around 🤌🏻 the sweet garlic dip is to die for 😮‍💨“

“amazing food! we loved the freshly made salsa as well.“

“Food and staff were amazing, highly recommend“

“LOVE the slapdown!!!! Always fast, always friendly, always kind when it comes to service. And always, always delicious when it comes to food!“

“Tania's always serves up an excellent breakfast for us with phenomenal service too. We love this place and always stop by when we need brunch!“

“One of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants! We come here at least once or twice every month. I once brought a Vietnamese elder who immigrated to Canada 60 years ago from Vancouver — he spoke Vietnamese with the server, who recommended the Bun Bo Hue (Vietnamese ham, beef brisket, pork balls with vermicelli in hot spicy soup). He said it tasted truly authentic, just like what he used to have back in Vietnam.

My personal favorite is the Bun Cha Ca Rau Can Doc Mung (fried fish cake with vermicelli in soup). The broth has tomato with a slightly sour and sweet taste — very appetizing! All the other dishes are delicious too, and the snacks are freshly fried, not pre-fried. Highly recommended!“

“The Cactus is always our go to on the way up island as it’s consistently amazing for food, drinks and service but this time was exceptional for two reasons. The first being our server Shane, he was the best server we’ve EVER had. It was our anniversary and he made it an even more spectacular day than it already was. His service was perfect in every way, friendly, fun, engaging, and knowledgeable. The second being your new menu! We had the scallop ceviche which was to die for (forgot to take a pic) prawn crunch roll and salmon aburi roll, which were equally as delicious! Beautiful presentation and taste!“

“Went for early dinner before heading to the ferry. Well priced and really fresh! Everything was nicely presented; Chirashi bowl looked especially nice with all the other fillings hidden under the rice! Ordered other rolls and what was amazing was that the outer rice was so thin! And the rest was fish! Very nice!“

“Very good sushi, friendly staff who accommodate my allergy, and usually very little wait time.“

“Amazing service, good food, and great atmosphere“

“Enjoyed wonton soup really delicious“

“We visited Gabriel’s Café in Nanaimo for breakfast and coffee on our last day and were pleasantly surprised. The breakfast was excellent, with fresh, high quality ingredients. The café states that it prides itself on sourcing local produce, and that commitment is clearly reflected in the food.

The coffee was also very good by Canadian standards. I ordered a Piccolo and had to explain what it was, but the staff were happy to accommodate. It was served in a larger cup than the traditional Australian style Piccolo, but the flavour was excellent. Best of all, the coffee didn’t have the burnt taste that is often found elsewhere.

Friendly service, quality local ingredients, and great coffee make this a café well worth visiting when in Nanaimo.“

“Stopped in for an early dinner today and had excellent service as always. We are not from town but stop here every time we come as we always have such a great experience. We wanted to specifically shout out our host Renny who recommended us the Cubano sandwich, he was so polite and very helpful with the suggestion. Our server Jay who we have had several times was wonderful, and as well Lexi has served us in the past and was awesome. A really great team working at this browns!“

“Comfort food at reasonable prices. Great service and best view in town !“

“Had lunch there today- bento box - good price, great variety. Servers were polite and we didn't wait long for food. Will definitely be back.“

“Out of the pub/lounge venues in Nanaimo, they were the quickest to respond to our request to reserve a table of 20. Our group had a great time socializing and enjoying good brews. My personal favourites were the Radler (mango, pineapple, lime) and Ciders (Rum based and cranberry based). Great atmosphere, easy to socialize, staff were great. Thanks for helping me make the after work social a success! I only wished we could have stayed longer into the night. Thank you White Sails for a good night.“

“Very fresh, very tasty, see you soon !“

“I love all the food , but the family and friends I met here are the best , my princess Laya and Roy are my storm troopers“

“Food was good. Service was good. Black Current Pale ale was tasty“

“We found Lighthouse Bistro through Google Maps while looking for one of the best restaurants in Nanaimo, and after seeing the waterfront location and reviews, we decided to come here and try it for ourselves. Honestly, it was a great choice.

The first thing we noticed was the view. The restaurant sits right by the Nanaimo waterfront, with huge windows looking out over the harbour, boats, kayaks, marina, and mountains in the distance. The natural light coming through the dining room makes the whole place feel relaxed and special. The patio area outside also looked beautiful, especially with the water right beside it.

For food, we ordered the fish and chips and a chicken avocado salad. The fish and chips were exactly what I hoped for from a waterfront seafood restaurant. The batter was golden, crispy, and light, while the fish inside was flaky, hot, and fresh. It was not too greasy, which I really appreciated. The fries were simple but satisfying, and the tartar sauce, lemon, and coleslaw made the whole plate feel complete.

The salad was also much better than a basic side salad. It came with grilled chicken, avocado, egg, cucumber, greens, bacon bits, and a creamy dressing on the side. Everything tasted fresh, and it was a nice balance after the fried seafood.

Overall, Lighthouse Bistro is a great Nanaimo restaurant. It is the kind of place I would visit again and bring my friends over, especially if they want to enjoy the Nanaimo waterfront while having a good meal. Definitely a 5-star experience.“

“Arrived at 2 so had options from the regular and happy hour menu. The street corn dip was fantastic. Combo plates included enchiladas and our favourite dish - Chile Rellenos. Great staff, funky atmosphere and amazing food. Can't wait to come back!“

“First time trying Noodlebox. I tried their pad thai with chicken (I've eaten many pad thais in Thailand). The flavor was spot on, but the noodle was undercooked. Beansprouts were crispy but there was no chives. :(
The cashier was friendly and the service was quick. Next time I'd like to try their Cambodian jungle curry. Sounds interesting.“

“knowing some of each others friends. some of the best I've had in my last 40 years“

“My wife and I went to the food court in Woodgrove Mall, Nanaimo a few days ago. We chose the three choices meal from the Manchu Wok. We chose Sweet & Sour pork, Salt & pepper fish and Honey & Garlic chicken accompanied by vegetable fried rice. There was plenty for the two of us. The meal was very tasty and enjoyable and represented excellent value for less than C$ 15. Staff were very helpful. I'll be going there again!“

“I had a great experience at Barburrito. The environment was clean, comfortable, and welcoming. The service was amazing, especially Sam, who helped me with my order and was very polite and professional. The food was fresh and delicious. Highly recommend this place!“

“Good food good service but too noisy for my taste. I understand that's a sport bar but when you look at the clientele it's not just a bunch of young men and women. It would be nice if they would try to accommodate a variety of clientele. Despite all the positives I'll not go back because when I go out with friends I want to be able to enjoy my visit and to have a nice conversation without having to worry about an annoying noise level.“

“The food was OK....but was not impressed with the dust on the rungs of the chairs and the dividing glass on the booths were pretty dirty...especially when the sun shines through the dirty windows.“

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