The Nest Bistro in Nanaimo

They watch you outside of their window and as soon as they see that youre not walking into their establishment, they scream at you that its private parking. The parking lot was completely empty. They didnt have a single customer inside. There were no signs saying no parking. I was parking there for 5 minutes to deliver a parcel. Not very friendly people.

Delicious well prepared meal.

My husband and I had a really good dinner last night, with excellent service. Its a cute little obscure restaurant, but worth it!

One of my favorite places to go for a nice dinner in Nanaimo! Its a great location to celebrate a birthday or enjoy a nice date night. The food is pricier but well worth it for a once in a while splurge.

Good food and service I find the menu limited and bathroom was a mess Food

It was a very nicely prepared meal at a good value. I had the 7 oz sirloin that was perfectly medium rare and nicely spiced, with a herb risotto. Delicious. The service was prompt and professional.

Owner was very rude. I had a vehicle breakdown, pulled into her parking lot, and explained that we were from out town and stopped to check on a smoking engine. She told us to leave because she had a full restaurant. Myself (mom) and my two kids left. We decided not to eat here because of this. We walked by 15 mins later, and then again 1.5 hrs later, there were only 2 cars in her parking lot each time. She didnt ask if we had reservations or planned to eat there. There are so many great restaurants in the area. So glad we waste our money here.

Discovered this place by accident and loved it. Great food, great patio, great service. We go through Nanaimo regularly and are excited to now have a favorite place to revisit

Very well received by the owner who tried to speak in French. The pizzas were delicious, their crust crispy, the servers very attentive and friendly. We recommend this place.

The mushroom risotto was the best thing i ve ever eaten! writing this review a year later because I still think about how good it was Dietary restrictions: Staff were very helpful when I asked about dairy free options.

This place is the cats pyjamas! A must try. This is always one of my first suggestions when asked where should we go to eat? The ingredients are thoughtfully chosen, everything that I ve tried is perfect, no notes. They re very accommodating of dietary restrictions/allergies, just be sure to go during non-peak hours. The atmosphere is divine with warm lighting and wood design. And the view! Oh the view. Staff are always a delight, very, very knowledgeable about the menu, and never rush you. Vegetarian options: The vegetarian options are a little slim, but every dish is great. I wish they would experiment with meat substitutes! As a vegetarian, you will not be getting enough protein with your meal, but it will taste fantastic enough that I assure you it s worth it!

A pricy treat! We came across the Nest whilst looking for another restaurant, and are so glad we did! Although it was probably the priciest meal of our 6 week holiday, the food was absolutely delicious and service excellent too. As for the wine a real treat to try local Canadian produce . The waiter ( sorry, have forgotten your name) knew his stuff. It was a midweek night so very quiet but we chatted to some entertainment locals! The setting is high up and the view is across Nanaimo - unfortunately it s not on the water side so you look out over roads and industry.

Food and service excellent

We had dinner at The Nest. The Cod special with Risotto was amazing. I was looking forward to my pizza. Unfortunately I ordered the Chicken Carbonara Pizza and this one was very disappointing. Pizza was very tough to eat, because the bottom was very hard. Not a lot or no roasted chicken as topping - as described on the menu - I remember seeing one or two pieces on the pizza. The rest was covered in cheese and not very tasty. Still a great evening with friends. Next time I order the fish:) Parking: Private Parking lot outside the restaurant

I had dinner at The Nest for the first time last night and ordered the Chicken Parmigiana. Seriously the best Ive ever tasted. The Spring Bunny lavender margarita cocktail was a home run. Ill be back for sure. There are so many dishes I want to try.

I have been here several times with my fiancé and family. Every appetizer, meal, and cocktail I ve enjoyed has been exceptional. The staff is always friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. The seats are comfortable and I always love the view from wherever I m sitting. Absolutely my favourite restaurant in Nanaimo when it comes to food, service, and atmosphere!

Quite literally the best in town. Best service, best homemade Italian cuisine & best cheesecake. It s our favourite spot & Jen the owner is truly a gem.

Amazing food everytime we have eaten here! Sara, our server was very friendly and attentive as was the manager. My only wish is that they bring back the white table cloths they had before COVID. It really changes the entire atmosphere. But what really counts is the food and the service, and they have covered that beautifully!

We absolutely love this place! Its a family run business and they really take care of their customers. The food is absolutely DEVINE!!! Their service is also FANTASTIC! I have not come across a more cozy and comforting place to eat an amazing hearty meal.

Delicious Food and phenomenal service.... exceeded my expectations by miles, will definitely revisit on my next trip to nanaimo!

I had the best birthday dinner here.Very friendly staff, the food was amazing,the ambience is perfect. Definitely recommend to anyone looking out a hot spot in nanaimo.

I would not recommend this place! My order was dropped so had to be re-made. My husband had finished his meal by the time mine arrived, which was 1 hour after we sat down. The order that arrived was a regular pizza, but I had ordered a small. Server said I was wrong and refused to change the order. I was charged full price for a regular pizza. No discount was given for the delay as a result of the dropped pizza.

We had dinner here on Wednesday this week. My dinner came and the server said they had an accident with my other halfs order having been dropped on the floor. She waited another 45 minutes for her order to come out. She had ordered the small pizza. Was given a large. Obviously communication is a problem. Im not one to complain but the service and expectations in a fancy restaurant should be a lot better. 1/5 stars. Will not be returning here ...and as I can see from the owners remarks on other unsatisfied customers...clearly they dont care what people complain about.

Very disappointing. We went with friends to this place for dinner. The starter, sambuca prawns, was a bit bland, although looked good. My wife s steak arrived medium rare, but cold. When we pointed this out it came back, warmed up! But not as hot as the other cooked items on the plate, but warmer than the salad. Really a bit disappointing, obviously to get it up to temperature would have resulted in overcooking. Get it right not try to cover mistakes. Our friends all were of the opinion that the food was ok, not good when we were spending roughly $75 (including taxes) a head for the meals. There are a lot of options these days, for places to eat, this is one we will all avoid in future.

This place really knocks it outta the park! The pastas and risotto are my favorites but the entrees are really good too and you pick your own sides which my wife loves! Better save room for dessert, because they are made in house and to die for!

My family and I went to this restaurant for a dinner. We had to wait for the food for 50 minutes, since we ordered it. Waitress was nice but when our food arrived I was shocked, the Parmesan fries in a truffle oil looked so tired,were barely warm and were completely tasteless,amount of it was barely a handful, when we asked our waitress to take them back explaining the reason,she just asked But what did you expect? And took them away. My partner s pizza was super greasy and soaked in souse in the middle as a result was undercooked. We decided to give it a shot and ordered a tiramisu as for a dessert. I don t know where the recipe came from but it was far away from original tiramisu . Waitress was reassuring us that they used the mascarpone cream when it tasted like a margarine. Both my partner and I left restaurant half hungry, in an hour both started feeling sickly . Eat here or not it s up to you but I wouldn t come there again.

The Nest Bistro is a very intimate place. Their food is original and their wine list is exquisite. I highly recommend this resto. The service staff are professional and very knowledgeable about the quality products they are serving.

This restaurant has great potential. They are doing all the right things. The atmosphere is upscale but at the same time relaxed and cozy. The service and food quality were good. Your palate will dictate how you do here. The food was all very good but none of the dishes I would have expected to had bold flavors. If you prefer excellent food with more subtle flavors this is your place. It s situated in a spot where the view would be exceptional if there was something to look at, so a window seat here isn t as important as some places. The entrance is not well marked so I have included a picture of the green door off the patio to help you find your way. This is a smaller spot so I highly recommend a reso.

One of the most delicious places to dine in Nanaimo! I always bring out of town friends and family here, everything on the menu is amazing!! The salmon and risotto are my favorite! I love the atmosphere in the restaurant its cozy yet classy. The food is all prepared in-house by the owner & chef. If you love perfectly excutied meals and service you gotta eat here!! Make sure to leave room for dessert!! Vegetarian options: Many delicious options Dietary restrictions: Extremely accommodating Parking: Parking right beside restaurant

Every time.....top notch service, consistently amazing meals, local chef/owners put out from scratch meals that are always a highlight of my stay in Nanaimo. Try the potato crusted salmon and the sambuca prawns! Pizza is a fav of mine too!!

Just went there for my one year anniversary with my girlfriend. Honestly one of the worst dinning experiences I have ever had. The waiter took my order wrong after I specified that I am not a fan of truffle. He then goes on to bring my plate of food with full truffle pasta all over the meal. The second waiter goes on to try and convince me to just eat the truffle pasta because apparently its really good. I was told to scoop the truffle oily pasta off my plate and eat around the oil. Do not go there if you care about customer service! Additional note- And I have to add that the owner is so rude and entitled! Look at her responses to complaints. She think people have time to wait for another hour for food to arrive. Too many excuses from this business. DO NOT GO THERE Wow look at the pettiness of the owner! False information when I went to the restaurant and youve acknowledged that! This was my experience at your terrible establishment. You are so insecure and it shows in your business standard.

My boyfriend and I decided to dine here for our anniversary yesterday. We were able to get a table, although its strongly reccomended to book a reservation. Honestly though, I wish they turned us away.... the service we recieved was disappointing and seeing how the owner responds to critique is actually just sad. My meal was fine, I ordered the caprese salad and half portion of mushroom risotto. But, it was hard to enjoy as the meal my boyfriend recieved was not what he ordered. The issue was the truffle sauce that was all over the chicken parm and roasted veg, having a personal preference of not liking truffles shouldnt be an opportunity on the wait staff to try and convince someone to try it anyways because its really good. You shouldnt have to eat around food on your plate. The plate shouldve immediately been taken away and redone with what was actually ordered but instead we were given a side plate to scoop off the truffle gnocchi and asked if we wanted the rest of the plate to go... why would we want this food for later if we didnt want it here now in the restaurant? We decided to cut our losses and just order a half portion of the mac n cheese, it was also just fine but lacked salt. We understand people are human and make mistakes, the excuse we heard multiple times was that the table next to us ordered the same thing so he just punched it in wrong, may we suggest a pen and paper? No shame in writing down an order if it means theres a better chance we can recieve the items we order. Looking at the owners reply to reviews my partner wrote is just odd, they mention we were offered for the meal to be remade and paid for but that didnt happen, they let us sit with the plate for a bit of time -maybe thinking minds and flavour preferences would be changed? It was getting close to closing and we just wanted to leave, not waiting another 30 minutes for a new meal. We were still charged for the half portion of mac n cheese. We will not come back if you value a proper dining experience do not come here.

Nanaimo is so lucky to have this restaurant. My husband and I have made several trips all the way from Victoria to celebrate special events at The Nest Bistro and the service and food are always top notch. Cant wait for our next visit!!

Our waiter was friendly and attentive. We had a party of 12 and the food came at the same time and it was hot and delicious. I would go back any day so I could try the other dishes. Oh yes, and the tirramaso was to die for but plan to share because the portion is too much for one person.

Enjoyed a pleasant dining experience with friends. The service was excellent, Sarah our server was amazing, our meals arrived in a timely manner, we liked the wine selection, we were not rushed. A cozy dining exoerience and our meals did not disappoint. Try the Nanaimo Bar cake! Delicious Dietary restrictions: Lots of gluten free options and vegetarian

First time there, decided to try something new for our anniversary. Amazing food, super nice waiter and a great atmosphere! Perfect anniversary dinner

Just an amazing experience. Went in for dinner and the food was incredible. One of the best meals Ive had on the island and at a fair price. Our server Brody was a cool and friendly guy with great knowledge and recommendations. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone I know and will definitely be back.

Amazing food, the mushroom risotto was top notch, and our server recommended the perfect wine. Easily one of my best meals on the island, all at a pretty decent price.

Nice food

Many thanks to the staff at The Nest who totally made my Dad s 90th birthday celebration a success. Our server was amazing, the food was absolutely delicious, and our host even had half the restaurant singing Happy Birthday! (The Island Soul Choir was there at the time and graciously sang for my Dad. Amazing, Thank You!) Everyone at our table is looking forward to going back to sample more of the fabulous food (pizza, prawns, pasta arrabbiata, risotto, salmon, tiramisu ) and the fantastic atmosphere. See you soon!

We attended the Nest Bistro with friends, Terri and Dominique, for a dinner reservation. We were greeted by owner Jen and served by a great waiter, Brody. The ambience was amazing eating outside on the patio on a warm evening with grape vines cascading down from above us. The food was beyond amazing prepared by Nick! Such a varied and delicious selection of foods all made fresh in house. After dinner try their dessert menu with the best delicious coffee I have ever tasted. Don Oliphant Parking: Parking is adjacent to the Restaurant with plenty of space and very close to the Restaurant entrance

Hands down some of the best food in Nanaimo. If you want to try something out of this world you come here, the whole menu is absolutely delicious. Can t wait to keep coming back.

Wow!! Super recommended, delicious Italian food in Nanaimo And Saras attention is wonderful. Thank you we will return Kid-friendliness: Children welcome pizzas and pastas to their taste. Thank you

We were given a hit certificate for The Nest Bistro and had such a pleasant date there! The food was amazing, I was very impressed by the butternut squash ravioli and would highly recommend it. I appreciated the choice of smaller plates. Service was excellent, so was the carmel cheesecake was incredible.

Great food Great staff and great atmosphere never had a bad meal here

Loved our meals and the service. We both had wonderful pizzas, one full size and one small. They were very accommodating with our food allergies. The calamari was lightly breaded and cooked to perfection. Loved the patio with grape arbor, made it so cozy and like a secret garden.

One of the best bistro in town. Went along with my girlfriends, and came back home with satisfied taste buds. Loved the atmosphere, cozy and perfectly dimmed lights. The service was amazing, Miche knew what was the best and served us delicious food. We had garlic prawns, crispy squid (must try), sambuc prawn spaghetti, and gnocchi in rosè. Definitely gonna visit again.

One of the best Italian restaurants. Great food. I asked for risotto with tomato sauce which is not on the menu, and they made it amazing! Thank you, great experience.

The food was absolutely delicious! The staff is super accommodating and extremely friendly. A super cozy and beautiful place to have a dinner.

Great tasty pasta dishes, amazing London Fog cheesecake. Mich was the best, made it a great meal out for us. Thank you.

My mistake I listened to the waiter and got the special crab ravioli. The crab had no taste, the portion was TINY just enough to make you hungry even if you were not before you came in. The cheese sauce tasted overwhelming, the 3 prawns were small. Overall just disappointing and very bland. Im sure I would have had a better experience by getting an Alfredo chicken but it is what it is. Save yourselves the headache, do not get the special ...

Great experience, Food was great and friendly service.

Worst place I ve ever been to or eaten at, would NOT RECOMMEND!! Staff aren t nice either.

The food was fantastic! But, make sure to save room for the desserts - WOW!!

Absolutely wonderful!!!

We booked a party of twelve in December 2021 and had an amazing time. The service was good considering the demands we placed on them and seeming to be short staffed. I had gnocchi with mushroom sauce and was blown away by all aspects of the dish. I cleaned my plate. I ll most definitely be retuning in the future.

Wonderful food with beautiful, truly local, ingredients. Great knowledgeable staff who really care about what they serve and you knowing all the effort that went into the menu. Chef is owner and it is truly his passion project.

Service was friendly restaurant looked immaculate but unfortunately the food was disappointing... Ordered the chicken parm soggy and just taste of salt pasta with shrimp still had the tails on had to dig them out and get my fingers dirty The amount of pasta sauce drowned my plate friendly staff but unfortunately the food is lacking for what we ordered. Maybe it was an off Night as the reviews are high but for a late night valentines dinner for me and my wife that never go out was disappointing

I think this the best restaurant in nanaimo. A bit on the fancier side, but they deliver. Sambucca prawns are amazing.

The food was excellent, the ambience is very nice and the service exemplary. Sarah is a very attentive server. It is a quaint restaurant with very pleasant staff. Highly recommend.

A nice place! The gnocchi was very excellent, highly recommend getting the gnocchi. The wine list included a lot of local BC wines and was very reasonably priced. The best part is the view, Even though the view is not facing the ocean it is still a very beautiful view of mountains and the city

Superb restaurant, great food, knowledgeable and helpful staff.

Came here on a whim for a pasta craving with my boyfriend. When I say this was the best pasta I had ever had in my entire life, I m not kidding. I truly believe every food lover needs to experience this place. I am in love 10/10 and will definitely be coming back.

The only reason I give it a 3 is your server should take a few lessons in serving. You not in school any more, change your don t care attitude . You are out in the big world now. Try smiling and better manners. That s why your tip reflected you service. Good food:

Food was absolutely wonderful. Service was excellent. I would definitely come back.

We really loved the atmosphere and the service. Above average service by Brodie! He was knowledgeable and prompt. Unfortunately the food just wasn t that good. We had 5 different dishes and all of them were just ok. The price you pay for these dishes isn t earned. It s too bad because the staff are friendly and the atmosphere is great. Just the food wasn t that good

They made a mistake but the server helped us fixed the situation with a smile! The pizza was not that good, but the risotto to die for!

Only gets a one because you need to rate. Word to the wise-if you don t have a reservation you will get turned away at the door. No other time offered, zippo! Disappointing

Another date night, another amazing restaurant here in Nanaimo! Tonights food tour was Nanaimos second-best (La Stellas got new competition) Italian restaurant, The Nest. We started with a bottle of Nelson, BCs own Cactus Red, followed by butternut squash ravioli and crab arancini, and followed it up with the truffle risotto and sambuca prawn spaghetti, and finished it up with 20 year old Port and a chocolate ganache pyramid and homemade ice cream. Words escape me. I cant pick my favourite dish, although sadly the arancini was not as good as La Stellas. But the rest? A triumph! Thanks for an amazing meal and another beautiful date night!

we have been going to the Nest for many years, every time we are in Naniamo, we love the service and the food is phenomenal

As a very picky eater I must say that this was an incredible experience! The food tasted absolutely great 5/5 (especially their sambuca prawn spaghetti). Serving size 5/5. Environment 5/5 sitting outside on their porch with grape vines makes me feel like Im in Italy. And our server was great too 5/5. Finally, the price is so good! ONLY AROUND $25 Per PERSON!! This is easily one of the best dining experiences Ive had.

Hours posted are not correct. Went there when it said they were open, but they were closed.

Amazing little restaurant with a great patio! Delicious food and very fun menu!

The food was amazing with great service. Highly recommend for a great dinner when in Nanaimo.

A gem of a place. My gal and I went for dinner while in town for work. We wanted a steak and found this great spot. The food was fantastic and the service was excellent. Our waiter was a fine young man with a quick wit and personality to match. The chef puts out delicious creations,the cheese cake was crazy good too! We will be back. Thanks for doing it right!!! Bravo!

The food was amazing as was the wine. We had great service and enjoyed our evening on their deck.

Good food

All staffs were very friendly and food were amazing

Food and service are amazing, make sure to make a reservation.

Great place.

We were en route to the west side of Vancouver island with a stopover in Nanaimo and discovered The Nest - what a little gem! Delicious food we shared a pizza and a salad, really excellent service and a good selection of drinks too. A lovely little terrace that they had really decorated nicely - made for a really enjoyable and restful evening .

Where do you park? No signage, they look to have maybe 4 stalls.

Great food, staff and atmosphere!

So friendly and a killer carbonara

We dined at The Nest Bistro last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! I have been there several times now but my partner had not. We were celebrating a special occasion and chose The Nest as we wanted to dine . We started with the seafood trio appy, which was absolutely delicious! The crab cake was well seasoned and then fried, the prawn skewers were crunchy, tasty and delectable as was the squid all dipped in the tasty sauces provided. Next we had a side salad with house dressing that was lovely and fresh. After that we ordered two bread sticks that I would highly recommend! They were a very tasty treat! Then we had our mains. We both ordered the Flat Iron Steak, rare but just past blue rare and did they deliver! Thank you! Our steaks were cooked absolutely perfect! My partner ordered the roasted potatoes and mushroom risotto as his sides. The little potatoes were perfect and tasty but the risotto was a dream come true! It was creamy and smooth with the wonderful rich flavor of mushroom. Nicely done guys! I ordered the fried gnocchi and roasted vegetables. The gnocchi was the ONLY disappointment of the evening. It just lacked any anything. It was just little pieces of fried dough with no real flavor. Maybe that s how gnocchi is supposed to be, but I didn t really care for it... on the other hand the roasted vegetables were wonderful and tasty. For dessert we ordered the lemon cheesecake with blueberry sauce. It was delightful and rich and tasty and everything a cheesecake should be but up a notch with their blueberry coulee. It was a memorable meal made all the best by our wonderful server Danielle. Thank you so much for your attention to detail, kindness and experience. You made our evening the wonder it was!

Fantastic food (and is the only place in Nanaimo I can think of that has risotto on the menu). The service is great and the staff genuinely friendly. Its a relatively small restaurant, so it can get busy. If I was forced to come up with a list of best local restaurants, the Nest would be in the top 5.

Really enjoyed Valentines dinner here. Cozy atmosphere and a nice evening view. The food was excellent and my partner and I enjoyed the 3 course Valentines dinner. Service was very friendly.

The food is always unreal and the service is always great. One of our favourite restaurants anywhere weve gone!

Wow, this is my new restaurant for feel good in your belly food. Im a lover of food and this Bistro has my vote one of the best on the island!! Yorkies are freaking fantastic!!

First time to go in a year and a half. Quality of food has deteriorated incredibly. Absolutely absolutely disgusting.

Great food and pleasant atmosphere

We expected to enjoy this restaurant but unfortunately the dishes from the menu were not very good. Tip: avoid the crab cakes.

Great meal. I had the Arugula Caesar salad and the seafood risotto. It was excellent. The service was really good. Really good restaurant.

Food and service were both very good, my only suggestion would be to season their steaks more.

Amazing service, amazing patio, amazing food, I highly reccomend

My fiancee introduced me to this restaurant for a date night and it was amazing! Cozy little spot and the food was incredible. Get the warmed olives and cheese bread!! Makes my top 3 with Asteras and Cuckoos for Mediterranean cuisine!

Food was great!! If you want some good itallian food this is the place to be.

Really really good food, the steaks are done just how you ask and are so tender. The risotto is also faaaaaaantastic.

So fresh and delicious. Outdoor patio is very cozy.

We are coming after a trip we just went out for dinner we found this place Completely empty and when the host looked to us she said is booked we dont have tables. Never go back again. So Rude

Amazing. Excellent in every way.

Delicious pasta, I had the shrimp pasta with garlic bread, my boyfriend had the risotto and it was honestly the best risotto Ive ever had

Very friendly, welcoming and warm staff. Intimate and engaging space, very comfortable! And the menu is delicious! Excellent arancini, spectacular prawn spaghetti! Recommended.

Great service and Amazing food! It s a good idea to make a reservation as this small restaurant fills up fast. And it s obvious why it s so popular! The servers are very friendly and efficient and the food is absolutely delicious! We love The Nest and highly recommend it!

We visited in August, and sat on the patio. Our server was great and the food was delicious.

Had a wonderful time here with my family that I decided to come back again with my mom. My family is coming to visit again this weekend but we will be cooking at home since one of the people in our party is not vaccinated this restaurant will miss out on the business of our entire party for years to come. Its nice to know that if our government asked certain minorities to put stars on their chests that restaurants like the nest would be complying. Have fun with your 30% drop in business The free market speaks

We have eaten at The Nest many times and have always had great service and great food. The review by Thomas B does not reflect the restaurant s food or service, they are critical of The Nest following the rules that have been set in place by the BC government and by not following those rules could mean fines and closure, then we all miss out on a great local restaurant. If you have an issue with the current rules don t take it out on the restaurant, your issue is with the government and lowering the rating of a great local restaurant does not thing to support local business, it just does damage.

The Nest is hands down one of the best places to eat in Nanaimo. It offers beautiful views overlooking downtown, amazing local and organic choices, and the food is absolutely delicious. The last couple of times I went I had the butternut squash ravioli, so I guess thats my favourite thing to order :) I moved from Nanaimo to Victoria at the beginning of the lockdowns. The Nest is a place I definitely miss! Im looking forward to visiting again.

Always great food, great service and a great atmosphere. We travel from the mainland specifically to visit this restaurant - its that good!

Excellent service, lovely atmosphere.

Perfect mix of formal and fun -- service is always outstanding. Solid wine options and local beer combined with an Italian-inspired menu is a winner--and whatever you do, save room for the rotating cheesecake option or the in-house-made ice cream sandwiches!

The Nest Bistro has always been a favourite of mine. The atmosphere, service, and food is always above expectations. We visited last night and brought a friend from out of province to treat her to one of the nicer restaurants in town for her last night and birthday. We were all super impressed as usual! I highly recommend the truffle fries!

We decided to go out for a nice birthday dinner, we havent eaten out in over a year due to covid and financial difficulties over the last 2 years. Ordered pasta and a medium/well done steak ($30 steak meal) Received a steak, the size of a deck of cards MAYBE, about 4 peices of cooked zucchini and a pile of risotto. But, we expected small portions. My husband cut into the steak and the plate immediately filled with blood, risotto was now red, whole plate covered in blood, not very appetizing to someone who wanted a well done steak. Someone else might not mind. Received nothing but attitude after speaking to the server (blonde ponytailed female) and we didnt think we should have to pay for it as it wasnt how we asked and only had one bite. She did ask if we wanted something else but it was so unappetizing and the other meal was getting cold.They still wanted to charge us $10.00..After this, we were abandoned at our table, then stood by the door to pay...finally the server walks over, doesnt say a word, thrust the debit machine at us. We still tipped her a full amount but now wish we had NOT. Not even a thank you from her for coming in. Restaurants need to realize that they are not the only ones suffering the consequences of covid, us hard working people who cant afford to go out on a regular basis expect better service especially from a place in town with such RAVE reviews. What a disappointment. We will not be back, and word of mouth travels much faster than google reviews!

Yet another amazing celebration at the Nest made even more memorable with Master Sommelier Miche serving up his wine knowledge and suggestions. Their delectable Italian menu always leaving us in awe and coming back for more. Highly recommend and don t forget to order the Tiramisu for dessert!!

We had our company Xmas event here. The atmosphere was good, the food was excellent, and the staff and service were great!! Five star. Would recommend if youre looking for something unique and delicious.

We came here for our staff Christmas party. Food was amazing! Our waitress was hilarious and did an awesome job. Food is very reasonably priced for the excellent quality you recieve. Will be back!

It is a nice place, you eat a great food, but I did not like their deserts. From my point of view, they do not have the best desserts in town.

Went there tonight for dinner. Food was OK but not great. I had the seafood trio appetizer. Shrimp, all 2 of them, were about 1/4 the size the server said they were, tasted the same as the calamari which was just coating and the crab cake was mediocre. Their special of cod seemed to be frozen not fresh. However, the server was very good. The entrance from outside and once you get into the restaurant is abysmal. Dark & dreary. They probably lose a lot of customers due to the look of the restaurant.

Good plate with lots of interesting and tasty flavors, great service, and (when you look past the Budget signs) actually a very nice view at night in the rain.

Veddy Cozy

Lovely food, service, decor, and a nice little view of the city.

The staff at the nest helped rescue a Covid birthday celebration. We got a most awesome takeout meal. They were so very helpful, going above and beyond. And the food was incredible too. Thank you!

Managing well with COVID protocols service was super friendly and the food was great. I recommend the risotto.

It is great to see them reopen after covid and work so hard. Everything ordered was delicious and on point. I highly recommend getting the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding starter it was lights out!

Always consistently great! One of our go-to spots.

I ordered the seafood plate. 1 small crab cake and two horribly over cooked shrimp, wrapped in some sort of tastless cut your mouth pastry. That was it for the seafood? The two sides were more like appetizers. Consisting of a tiny square of scalloped potatoes and the vegi was two green beans and a small triangle of red pepper. The waitress informed us that the vegi was beans, red peppers and zucchini. Not one zucchini in sight. This was supposed to be an aintree? I was still very hungry after eating and had to order dessert to feel as though I had actually eaten. For $21.00 this meal was a absolutely not worth it!

Hard to bear this gem in the downtown core. Local chefs doing a great job on traditional dishes with a exceptional flavour Higher recommend!

Great food (especially if you are craving deep fried seafood, but they do have lots of other options), great service, and impeccable COVID protocols.

We have been to the Nest several times since moving to Nanaimo a couple of years ago. Bistro style fine dining isnt very common in Nanaimo, fortunately the Nest is an excellent choice. We have mostly had the lamb dishes. The lamb is excellent and they always have great sides, unlike many similar restaurants that give you something simple you could easily make at home like mashed potatoes. Service is friendly and prices are reasonable.

Really great place. Peacefull and holy moly the food. I got a new york steak and my wife the crab cake.... delicious... the nhoc is great. And service excellent.

Staff made sure we were comfortable! Meals were delicious...the view from the back window was nice.

It was a happy accident that we reserved on the night of The Nests 9th anniversary. Service was excellent, food and atmosphere were very comforting, and the mac and cheese was out of this world. Our server went out of his way to get us sangria despite it not being on the anniversary evening menu. Thank you so much for having us!

The Nest Bistro has a dimly lighted romantic atmosphere excellent for lovers to dine out at night. Their food is artistically presented!

From having the delightful Sarah take care of us, to every last crumb, this was the BEST! Everything was cooked and prepared perfectly. Thank you Sarah and all the staff.

Came here for my ladies birthday and i think it got me bonus points. Delicious food, well plated, perfectly seasoned and great service (our water glasses never ran out once). We will return again! They have a lovely intimate patio to enjoy on a warm summers night. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Quiet intimate and romantic

Everything about service had been thought through and we felt very well looked after and safe. Danielle, we could see was full of smiles wearing her well designed face shield, and was a cheerful and attentive server. She helped us choose from the very reduced, but carefully selected menu, a delicious locally sourced and house cooked meal.

The hotel restaurant was closed so I knew it might be tough getting dinner if I left it to chance. The Nest is well reviewed here on TA and looked near enough to stroll to once we d checked in. It isn t exactly on the main road and we passed a few other eateries that had been recommended.

Fantastic

Great food and atmosphere!

Wouldnt recommend this place to friends, portions were small and expensive, adding a bunch of lettuce to a plate doesnt really add value to a meal, service was super slow, very loud atmosphere even with the small tables we had to lean in super close to have a conversation.

Best burger ever

Wonderful food recomend for sure! One of nanaimo hidden gems!

Excellent food, cozy atmosphere

Amazing service for last minute guests for our 1 year anniversary a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for

The food is wonderful. Nice friendly staff, great service and decent beer but we were blown away by the quality of the cooking. @gastrolingua

Great atmosphere. The food is top notch, drinks are fresh and made with care and the servers are prompt and attentive. Definitely will be back.

Great food. Cozy atmosphere.

This is my favourite restaurant in Nanaimo. Their fried squid is amazing.

This is one of my favourite restaurants. They have a good selection of gluten-free options. I love the atmosphere, its quiet enough to have a conversation. The staff are very nice and the food is AMAZING!

My drink was awful, it was a grapefruit fizz that had zero fizz and tasted like watered down rose. I ordered the salmon, everything was luke warm. The food came out so fast I was shocked, I mean in less than five minutes. I suspect items are cooked then re-grilled on order, which is fine but hot food should be hot.Both my dish and those at our table were sort of plopped on the plate. The only thing I really liked was the sauce. The food wasnt terrible and no one complained but I would never go back based on the poor service alone. I suspect it was just our waitress as other staff treated customers much better

Really like this place. Owner is great, food and service are awesome.

All around very good

What a treat! We went out for a celebration dinner and really enjoyed our meal. Server was lovely and knowledgeable about the menu. We had the nest ceaser salad which had a surprisingly nice spicy kick to it. My boyfriend is not a salad guy and loved it. We both had the hand made gnocchi. I had the gnocchi with truffles cream sauce and added the house made sausage... my mouth is watering just thinking back to this rich delicious meal. My boyfriend had the alfredo sauce with chicken added also really good (mine was better). We hardly had room for it but we had peanut butter chocolate pie at the end and we both could not stop eating it. I think my only negative would be the decore. Looks a bit like they forgot to put away the christmas decorations but who doesnt love christmas? Also the area we were asked to wait for a table felt a bit like a storage spot with boxes seems like wasted space where they could have more tables or increase the cocktail list and if you have a long line offer peope a nice place to enjoy a cocktail as they wait? Just a thought! We will definitely be back!

Very good food, friendly staff but a bit noisy place though.

A gem in Nanaimo! Creative and accommodating menu choices and drinks list. Exceptional quality of food, preparation and presentation. Attentive and professional staff. Definitely worth a road trip from Victoria.

My favorite place to eat in Nanaimo for food, atmosphere, and the staff/ownership. Ive met celebrities here, so you know its good!

The food was fresh, delicious and very worth it. I had the Herbed Chicken with Mushroom risotto and it was one of the best meals I have ever had. The service was excellent and the price was great.

great service and delicious food! hidden gem in Nanaimo. Very pleasant atmosphere too.

Consistently told they arent taking any more tables at around 7pm, place is always half empty... Consistently end up pleased down the street at Milton Public house.

Great service and food. A home cooked meal with lots of love in the preparation

Very tasty food! Try the gnocchi (pesto cream sauce is great)

Great food. The Calamari is to die for.

Yummy. ....good quality food...nice but not huge sized portions..decent prices. Good service. Will be back

Food was average. Service average The nest had a few tables plus a really big table they pushed us out f the nest

Went here twice in one week. Only cause it was walking distance. Couple of good things on menu but their kichen seems stretched. Nothing fab. Going here at night us a gong show. Outside lighting us bad. Bring a flash light. Their wine list is stretched too. Never have anything listed. The only fab thing is the view. When you reserve make sure you get the window tables or else go somewhere else.

Great ambience. Steak was okay.

Honestly out of 6 people 3 meals were really good. Stuffed herbed chicken had no brie cheese in it Very dry. Risotto very mushroomly no flavor to to the rice. Needed more cream. Served with vegetables that u couldnt even push a fork thru Waitress never came back to ask us Bartender was on a break. Took 20 mins to get a This was our wedding nite before Would i go back. Probably not

Fantastic service and atmosphere.

Good food both size and taste

Delicious food. Our waiter Meesh was amazing with suggestions and service. Cute resteraunt decor and cool view out of the big window

Amazing birthday celebration. A must visit

Mmmm yummi pizza? I ate many galapagis

Love the owner,staff and Food. My daughter had her Reception there and it was awesome!!! And the Duck poutine is back on the menu!!

Absolutely exceptional food, to die for desserts, great decor, attentive table service. Perfect for a special occasion dinner or casual gathering with friends or coworkers. Excellent parking for downtown Nanaimo. A definite favourite restaurant to share with visitors and friends.

Horrible food, no labels on them, delivery was too long, everything cold , bland , no flavour, no sauce, salmon was not salmon, overall - terrible.

Very good food and service :)

Make reservations as far in advance as you can, because something this good in Nanaimo is far and few between. A gem. Grateful for their presence in the city!

Great food, great customer service and good tasting food!

Very romantic. I dined alone, but I could tell.