Gabriel's Cafe in Nanaimo

Great breakfast place in Downtown. Will go again!

Amazing food. I got the Tunisian tajin and it was so tasty and flavourful. Local ingredients and wonderful people. Thank you

Great brunch place, right in the middle of downtown.

Cold potatoes, cold sausages (food safety?), cold lentil cakes 26$. get it together guys

Great place for brunch

Monday 11-45 am - fairly crowded, all tables were taken. Americano was acidic. Ordered Egg Benedict with salmon - it was horrible and there was no hollandaise on it. Potatoes were dry and felt as though they were reheated. Absolute disappointment

As always food exquisite. Very expensive so cant go often.

Great food, good for you!

Tastes great! Easy on the belly

Dietary restrictions: Lots of Gluten free options, attention made for cooked separately for celiac. Food

Dear Gabriel s Team, I wanted to share my disappointment regarding my recent visit. Gabriel s has always been my go-to spot for breakfast, a place I could confidently recommend to anyone. However, my last few experiences have left me questioning whether the business has changed hands, as I didn t recognize any familiar faces, and the level of service and quality of food were not what I ve come to expect. During my last visit, I encountered significant issues with both the service and the food. The staff member at the till repeatedly got my order wrong, despite my efforts to clarify it. Unfortunately, the order still came out incorrect, and the quality of the food was far from what it used to be. When I tried to bring this to the staff s attention, I felt dismissed, and no effort was made to address my concerns. Given the price point, I expect a certain standard, and unfortunately, this recent experience fell well below it. I hope that these issues can be addressed, as Gabriel s used to be my favorite spot, and I d love to see it return to the high standard it once held. Thank you for taking the time to consider my feedback. Sincerely,

Good stop for organic food love their vegetarian options Changed my rating :ordered their coconut pancakes, and had smoking taste in the pancakes. Upon asking the server , they explained it might have happened due to cross contamination between other food. We order the eggs Benny too and it was missing the signature avocado Hopefully they fix it , as this used to be my favourite go to for Sunday brunch . Will be changing my rating once I have great experience again ..

Excellent recommendation from Harbour Air staff. Great breakfast. Daily specials etc.

Loved that pokey bowl!! So much tuna and other goodies. It was perfect just as it came.

Great food and very kind staff recommend!

Stopped in for a quick snack. I had the North African tomato, chickpea and yaw stew. In a word: amazing! A great comfort dish or hot dish on a cold day. The flavours were magnificent and complementary. Served with a couple of pieces of bread and butter. Highly recommend for that person looking for a good vegetarian option. At $10 for the full bowl, I felt it was good value for the amount served. The staff was very friendly and attentive. The service was good!

Looks nice enough, pancake was ok, coffee good unfortunately I asked for a side fruit bowl which was miserable, 4 pieces sour pineapple. If you dont have it, say so.

Gabriel s has been my favourite place to eat in Nanaimo for years! They have awesome food and tons of healthy options. Love how they support local farmers. You can definitely taste the love from farm to table. Their staff is always very welcoming and friendly. Highly recommend! Vegetarian options: Tons of vegan/vegetarian options for anytime of day

Cute place, yummy food and friendly service. We ve been a few times, would recommend for breakfast or lunch!

excellent everything.

Yum....I enjoyed this a lot! The mixture of flavors and the attention to details. The poached eggs were perfect! The corn and bean cakes were the perfect landing for the eggs, salsa and goodness. The only thing: I wish they would have asked/we would have told them NOT to butter the toast!

Stopped by Gabriel s Cafe for a quick to/go lunch and was not disappointed. I ordered their coconut curry special bowl and my husband ordered their pulled pork sandwich. Both meals were delicious and hearty! I enjoyed my bowl and was also impressed by their portion. I will definitely be back if I m passing through Nanaimo again.

Gabes does not disappoint! Great food and latté, friendly service and chill vibes.

Had a great time. Food was really great. My only thing and, even though every time we go there it works out, not necessarily having a table when you order your food is anxiety inducing. It is half coffee shop and half sit-down restaurant. And while I have no problem waiting for a table when I get a coffee, the thought of standing with a plate full of food doesnt sit the same way. But I will say, every time Ive gone, it just works out. I almost think theres a sign they can have: Believe us. We know what youre thinking. And yes, youll get a table. We promise. Youre not going to have to eat Eggs Benny off your lap.

A busy cafe with some delicious classics! We are from metro Vancouver travelling in Nanaimo, and this place is quite a nice surprise! They have some very good bennies, and some great soups of the day. I highly recommend their vanilla latte also, great cafe all around :)

The poke bowl was enjoyable, but the tagine was a letdown. It lacked seasoning and was overly sweet. The cauliflower rice, which I paid extra for, was raw and undercooked, while the chicken was tough and chewy. This could have been a 4-star experience if not for the issues with the tagine. On a positive note, the portion sizes are fair for the price, and the service is friendly!

Food was mediocre ! Coffee was almost cold when served and when we asked to have it heated up , they said they don t have a way of doing that ??? Didn t offer to make a new !!! It s a bloody coffee .. how much would it take to get a fresh one made ? We asked if they had regular pancake and they said yes but we still got their coconut flavoured one ! It was our first time in and not coming back !

Nice vegan options.

Many of the dishes can be made vegan. I got the veggie hash special made vegan. It was one of the tastiest vegan breakfast dishes I ve had. Highly recommend this cafe!

Love how their breakfast were not typical boring offerings! Very tasty and laid back atmosphere :)

Love this place!! :)

Great food and service but a very loud atmosphere which I personally dont like. Loud chatter and a kid screaming. Food

Such a nice spot to spend your morning if you have some time to kill. Lovely staff, amazing food and very accommodating! Outside seating as well

Great coffee. Phill was friendly and super helpful

Gabriel s used to be better. Under these owners it feels like they re trying to be high class but it comes across as pretentious. The prices reflect a place where you would get sit down services yet it s more like a fast food place where you order at the counter. You have to tip before the food comes. The food was just okay.

Great food! Very fresh and tasty

Never had a bad experience here!

For a breakfast place I thought Gabriels was outstanding. I ordered a Kimchi Salad Bowl and thought it was one of the best salad bowls I ever had. My son ordered A Simple Plan and it was, as the name suggested, pretty simple and typical of an eggs and bacon plate. I highly recommended this place.

Great counter order, self seating spot. Espresso was solid. Nice patio.

Delightful dining experience. The food and atmosphere are both delightfully fresh. Service was efficient, kind, and accommodating. I had their special hash, and was very impressed. Dietary restrictions: Many delicious gluten-free options

Lays

We visited Nanaimo for the long weekend and we had a great time. We thought we would try Gabriel s Gourmet Cafe. The lady serving was professionally abrupt. We ordered a couple of vanilla latte s . Probably the weakest coffee we have tasted, Starbucks has more flavour and that is saying something. Hate giving poor reviews, but that was our experience and you might have a different experience than us.

Love this local eatery - great food and drink selection! Highly recommended.

Food was delicious and nutritious. Portions for the rice bowls were big enough for two people or to bring home second dinner! Good value for money! Vegetarian options: Many

Always a good choice! Unique food that is always delicious

Stopped by because of the claim of having gluten free breakfast ood items. We were there right when they opened, one of 2 tables and then boom the place was packed with customers. And we could see why: Excellent tasting food and we found the portion size was just right- my partner is a big eater and he was pleasantly stuffed. You do pay a bit more but the food was of excellent quality and prepared very well. Coffee was done expertly. It is cafeteria style- go to the counter to put in your order and then your food is quickly delivered to your table. The place has a great vibe: reclaimed wood furniture, repurchased burlap coffee bags as upholstery and local artist art on the wall. Very inviting: small patio outside the Cafe on the street: great for people watching. Definitely will return if we are in the area again. My partner couldnt stop raving about the place when we discussed our experience to the friends we were visiting.

Our family of four had a lovely breakfast here. More than just eggs and toast, but great combinations of vegetarian and vegan options... with truly friendly service.

Nice breakfast place. Looks like a no nonsense place and the breakfasts were very good. Orderd at the counter. Would definitely eat here again.

Most delicious breakfast I ever had!!!

Amazing food. Seriously, the pancakes, the poke bowl, the house salad, they were all fantastic. Best pancakes I have EVER had. Would highly recommend! Vegetarian options: Lots to offer, incl vegan options Dietary restrictions: Have seen GF options on the menu Kid-friendliness: Great menu for kids, lots of healthy options

Good food. The avocado was a little too ripe, but otherwise great. Would recommend

Food was okay but took forever. Service was average. Nothing special but not bad.

Delicious food in downtown Nanaimo. Rice bowls and poke. A variety of healthy options.

We went to Nanaimo for vacation and in our last day we decided to have brunch at this place, the weather was amazing and the food and drinks helped too. Here some amazing photos about our experience.

I asked for easy on the sprouts, I got tons. Patio was nice & good value, wrap special was $14!

Amazing! I highly recommend the When Pigs Fly. The combination of ingredients might seem a bit odd but they all blended together beautifully! And the bourbon maple syrup, wow! My husband had the salmon burger which he also said was really good. If Im ever back in Nanaimo, I would go back to Gabriels.

We were visiting Nanaimo for 3 days and we did two meals from your cafe. We did the second time because the first time was fabulous. Things I love: Healthy kid meals. Fun, delicious and so thoughtful of the parents. Diverse food that is spot on. The tagine with the mint paste was so unique and good. I wanted to try all of your (vegetarian) menu - they looked so creative and tasty. Healthy food. The coconut milk pancakes for kids didnt have anything too sweet including the syrup! Cant recommend this place enough. Vegetarian options: Oh so many options and so delicious too. Kid-friendliness: They have the best kids menus - thoughtful and healthy.

My go to place when Im downtown. Nobody can kill a craving like Gabriels

Amazing creative and hearty dishes on the menu! Cozy atmosphere and friendly staff.

Good portions, wonderful food, nice atmosphere.

My go to breakfast spot. From scratch Hollandaise, the food is superb Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs at all just roll in Food : 5/5 |

great food and super friendly, efficient servers

Hip, trendy are words that comes to mind...Open kitchen, the style you order and how you get your food to sitting down. Your asked to tip before you even get your food or receive anytype of service. Hopefully majority of tips go-to the back of house, as the food is what really brings a person to this place. Anyways there are better breakfast places in naniamo with better service and the same price and taste. Service is super meh, and the cookie cutter industrial look oof.

Nice staff, clean restaurant but small. After reading the menu and ingredients, I was very excited to try something. The food is very bland and underwhelming. Ordered an American misto and tasted like a latte with too much milk and coffee was a miss. Doubt I will ever go back.

Greasy overpriced breakfast eaten while watching the downtown homeless deal drugs. Stay home.

Love the food here. The bowls are amazing. Farm to table so everything is flavorful and fresh!

Weve had breakfast at Gabriels a few times previously and had a positive enough experience to stop by again this morning after dropping my wifes truck off at the service shop for an oil change. It had been ages since we treated ourselves to breakfast out (usually our breakfasts out are with out of town guests). Unfortunately, breakfast at Gabriels today wasnt quite as good as we seemed to recall. Firstly, despite being early (just past 9:00 on a Monday morning) and the place being mostly empty, I stood in line for what seemed an awfully long time waiting to order. Then the food. I ordered the A Simple Plan with sausage. Now, Im not a gourmet diner by any stretch of the imagination, but the first thing I noticed when our breakfasts arrived to our table was the presentation--or lack thereof. My breakfast literally looked like the food was just thrown onto the plate. Once I started eating, I was surprised and disappointed to find both the sausages and the hashbrowns were cold. The eggs, however (done over easy), were fine. The coffee was almost undrinkable. I enjoy a strong coffee (we use dark French beans at home) but this was a Columbian blend on overdrive (Im still buzzing now three hours later). Thankfully there are several other good options around town; I dont think Gabriels would be top of mind next time we decide to treat ourselves to breakfast out.

One of my favourite breakfast/brunch spots in Nanaimo, always great food I love the tofu scramble! The patio is great when the weather permits definitely a must go-to for good eats. :D Vegetarian options: Love the tofu scramble I get it every time I go! Dietary restrictions: Very accommodating to most dietary restrictions and food is always fresh

Great vegan options

Our group of nine, visiting Nanaimo from the mainland for a work team retreat, arrived at Gabriel s on a Friday morning without a prior reservation. The staff quickly accommodated us and provided excellent service. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast, appreciating the variety of vegetarian options and the chance to dine at a locally owned, farm-to-fork establishment. Highly recommend Gabriel s!

We ordered the Eggs Benedict, the eggs, bacon, avocado & English muffin was pretty standard. The side of potatoes were fresh but very bland! No effort to season anything. We both left the plates half full. Coffee extremely bitter. We don t see ourselves rushing back

Was in Nanaimo for a couple of days and busted this place twice! If I was there for a bit longer I would have gone everyday. Food was delish. Had the coconut pancakes Greek yogurt with fruit Poke bowl Butter chicken. SO GOOD! Service was very good, loved the atmosphere.

Great healthy food & nice staff

The best flavors I have tasted in a long time. Very calm and pleasant environment and excellent treatment. Totally recommended!

Really great option for all kinds of dietary needs. I love the emphasis on sourcing ingredients from local small farms wherever possible. My only complaint is that the food wasn t very hot as in hardly even warm. But that s an easy fix. I look forward to trying something else next time!

Best value, great food, pleasant staff, popular venue.

I wish I could give half stars as Id give another half. This place is definitely the breakfast and lunch spot in Nanaimo. If youre a healthy eater or have allergies, this place is amazing but if you like meat heavy or traditional meals like myself its not a 5/5. There were still options I like, the staff is great, although you arent waited on, and the decor and atmosphere is great. Lunch sides are disappointing with only salad or soup but you can get hash browns if youre a potato lover like me. Overall pretty great. Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options

Highly recommend the When Pigs Fly breakfast dish

This is our second time to Gabriels and it did not disappoint. The food was delicious and we were stuffed when we left. The coffee is also amazing! Food in photo: Green Eggs and Ham Yam I Am.

Favorite item on menu: When Pigs Fly. Pulled pork and fried egg sandwiched between two coconut pancakes with a side of bourbon maple syrup. Ive come back to this restaurant a few years later and ordered the same dish. Spectacular. Parking: Free 2 hour parking on weekends.

Ordered 4 eggs with ham and avocado. Quality was great and everything was nice and fresh! Recommend this place if you are in the area! Food

have done takeout twice in the last couple months. Both times I ordered in-person and waited at the restaurant for it to be ready. Both times it took nearly 30 minutes for me to get my order. This last time, I saw a to go bag put out for staff and it sat ignored for at least 15 mins as staff walked by it. Turns out it was my order and they never bothered handing it to me until I asked a staff member for it. Also the rice in my lunch was undercooked and from the bottom of the rice pot (chewy). The flavours are good and I like the place but shame take out is so poor and slow. I wont be doing takeout again.

Brilliant! Thank youuuu

Please get better coffee beans!! Everytime I have coffee here it tastes SOUR. Food was barely warm. $20 for a curry bowl that was all rice.

What a busy but successful Cafe! Met with a close friend & unexpectedly our order did a deep 6 in the kitchen. Two women catching up over Coffees! When we finally inquired the apology was exceptional. Absolutely more than expected ! Thanks so much- so generous! Will definitely be back. The food was so tasty!! Thanks.

We love Gabriels!! The chicken curry is sooooo good. We are impressed every time we go! Fresh, whole meals that dont make you feel gross after eating. It can get busy, but we love the more hands on ordering so you dont have staff bugging you while trying to connect with your party. Would absolutely recommend to any locals or tourists!!

Such a great place. I always stop here when visiting Nanaimo for lunch.

I was a bit skeptical about their vegan option because the presentation wasnt the most appealing, however, I can confidently say that it was worth ordering. Super tasty and filling!

Honestly, I dont see the appeal. An omelette and a couple of coffees came to $30 before tip; the omelette was well-made but under-filled and lacking in seasoning, came with some fried potatoes (overly oily and also lacking seasoning), and a couple of heavily-buttered pieces of bread. The espresso was over-extracted and bitter. While I appreciate that the restaurant aims to be farm-to-table and a good employer, that shouldnt prohibit producing good food - it may be clean and local food, but its rather bland and I was left wondering why on Earth I paid what I did, given that the restaurant is entirely self-service with mostly communal tables like some sort of cafeteria. This is likely a great place to go if you put a huge emphasis on the ethical aspects of your food, and Im fairly sure the positive reviews are largely from those who find the farm to table aspect highly appealing; I care about that, but not to the tune of being willing to over-pay for average (at best) food with no actual service to speak of. I believe my opinion would be significantly better if the restaurant was more affordable, but you can go across the street to one of the other cafes and get a better breakfast for less money while still supporting a local, non-chain business.

I ve been going to Gabriel s since I moved to Nanaimo 2 years ago, and it s one of my favourite spots to grab a bite after a walk down by the boats. They have a North African Veggie stew that I always get. It s so nourishing and warming! I ve noticed they have a few new staff there and they are so friendly, always greeting us with a smile. It goes a long way!

Delicious food.

Small cafe with decent menu and variety of items. Staff were courteous and the food tasted good. I don t like kimchi. So, that threw me a bit on my sandwich. In reflection, should have ordered without or on the side. It was a complimentary pairing. Just too much of it for my liking. But again I don t like kimchi so any is probably too much Parking: Street parking can be a little tricky, but there is a large parkade a block over from the cafe. Both options are paid parking though.

Great food, quick service, great atmosphere. The food was quite unique and delicious. I had the eggs benedict which had a great twist (see for yourself). Best in town

Yummy coconut pancakes and the portion is big - good to be shared by 2.

Food: 3/5 We got a black bean burger, tofu rice bowl and kids pancake. The burger felt too dry and its ingredients did not come together. The tofu rice bowl was good - had nice sweet and spicy flavors and well cooked veges, yam and tofu - all coming together. The kids pancake was just like a regular pancake. Nice and fluffy. Ambiance: 4/5 A hip and modern but casual atmosphere. Nice wooden and warm feeling. Service: 4/5 Would have liked them to be a bit more proactively helpful and empathetic. Giving them the benefit of doubt as we came close to their closing. They were right in asking us to leave but could have been empathetic and helpful to help us speed up rather than being straight toned.

Just finished our breakfast from Gabriel s. Enjoyed a yummy mimosa in the cafe while we waited, and took our food to go to the ferry terminal. Had a delicious picnic overlooking the bay. Food travelled extremely well. The special Benny and omelette were amazing. Really appreciated that it was open at 8am on a Sunday. Beautiful atmosphere and cute little patio out front. Thank you to your amazing cooks and front of house staff. Sincerely looking forward to visiting again when we are back on the island .might even have to move here.

Goddam those were some good pancakes. Nomtacular.

Friendly service and good coffee

Highly recommend this cafe - great options for all dietary requirements - we had lunch (poke bowl and hash special) - it was so good we returned to have breakfast before leaving town today - food and coffee was good and the service was friendly and helpful

Went for brunch with a friend and we both got the lucid wrap. It was advertised as a chipotle, pulled pork & egg wrap, but didn t have any chipotle. The pork was dry and flavourless, and 70% of the wrap was just eggs and tomato. The servers seems tired and stressed, and overall was not a great experience. I d highly recommend going to the modern cafe just down the street instead!

We asked for their largest coffee and ordered a Eggs Benedict. The food was not hot and the hashbrowns seemed a bit stale. The largest coffee was 12oz and didnt even look to be that. Obviously about the convenience for the establishment over convenience for the customer. The coffee was excellent so for that reason giving 3 stars.

They forgot about our order, apparently, as it took almost an hour after we paid to receive the food. When it did arrive, the eggs and potatoes were way overcooked. Overall not impressed for the price.

Came for breakfast (Sunday 10am). Small lineup to order at counter. Self serve (and water) seating. Food was brought to us. Breakfast was good but wasn t impressive decoration and quality. Good to try.

The food was very good, but they must confirm your order very well. since they made a mistake with mine and they only served me one breakfast for two children Vegetarian options: Hey Im vegan

Best brunch in town!

Been here now 2Xs and enjoy the food and atmosphere every time. I had the kitchen salad, with brown rice, avocado, pickled onion, kimchi, pea shoots and daicon and a light tasty dressing. They also have vegan options. There is seating outside as well as inside. Its located in the old part of downtown Nanaimo, waterfront. Its pay street parking on any of the streets in the area. Check this incredible tasty food place out! They even had a water bowl outside for thirsty pets!

Great place to grab a bite!

I was very impressed with the delicious food! Staff very friendly, nice casual atmosphere. Food was so fresh and lots of healthy choices. It is farm to table and you can really tell. 10/10 would go back

Awesome food

We always make a point to stop by Gabriel s Cafe for breakfast when travelling to the island. They have a great variety of items on their brunch menu and it s always tasty, fresh and healthy. There can sometimes be a bit of a wait but usually we ll worth it.

Green eggs and ham say wha? Delicious! Americano was perfect. Service was attentive. Only thing missing, which is no fault of the staff, is the lack of plugs. Like, no plugs. Otherwise, Ill be back, just with fully-charged laptop and phone.

Had brunch here yesterday. The atmosphere was wonderful. The outside seating was great on a sunny day. The portions were really large. Overall decent experience.

Just had breakfast. Yummy coconut pancakes and the largest breakfast scramble bowl Ive ever seen. Really good!

Their kimchi tasted good! The staff were friendly.

i want to love gabriels. i love that they have vegan breakfast options, but they re just a miss. i think it would be amazing if they didn t toss the potatoes in sauce because it just makes them soggy and ruins what could have been an amazing crispy hash brown. my partner and i were definitely about that. i ll try again and mod the order because it definitely has potential. i also wish it was more traditional in serving style rather than having to go up and order because it would be a lot easier to add to your order when your server checks up on you, and it s just a more personal experience. overall, i think it s a great concept and maybe just ordered the wrong thing.

Great spot in downtown Nanaimo for brunch. Their patio seating is really pleasant on a sunny day. We came and spent about 2 hours eating and finishing our coffee. The servers were polite and attentive and checked in with us fairly often. Great place to stop in before walking along the harbor or spending some time shopping in town.

Awesome place for lunch! It got really busy when I was there at 1-2pm. The lighting and atmosphere is great. You have to grab your own menu at the front, order and pay at the counter, self serve water etc, and wait for your food. I got the breakfast vegan tagine which was a huge serving, super filling and flavourful. Everything is quite open and you can see the kitchen in the corner. The only thing I could say is it gets pretty hot inside. Vegetarian options: Lots of vegan options! Dietary restrictions: Plenty of gluten free options!

Very nice lunch ..

Great food. we had the house salad and Poke bowl. Huge portions and super yummy. This was all super fresh, and I believe it was locally sourced. I highly recommend Gabriels!

Amazing food and HUGE portions.

Yummy poke bowl!

Delicious food with unique taste! Just what we were looking for.

The food isn t great. Went there with 9 of our friends and they were able to seat us which was nice but again, the food wasn t good.

Food was not good. Service was not good either. In fact, you have to stand in line to order at the front till and pay before you receive any food or service (which is just them running the food to your table).

The food we had was honestly not great-- it was cold! We had ordered the simple breakfast of sunnyside eggs, hash browns and toast, and the toast was cold and barely toasted (floppy toast ew) and the hash browns were soft with no crunch to them despite looking browned (theyd obviously been reheated), and were also pretty cold. The avocado we had with it was pretty brown. Not impressed given the price and promotion of local food...if youre going to serve at a premium, people expect hot food, and food prepared with respect for the ingredients. Not just reheated stuff. The service was a little chaotic--its not immediately clear when you walk in that its a order-at-the-counter style restaurant, and plenty of older tourists were confused, I noticed. Its also not clear if people need to clear their own dishes after a meal or not. The atmosphere was fine, plenty of people there for brunch on a Saturday. May be that they just need to staff up for weekend brunches to improve service...but there were plenty of staff there imo. Wont be going here again next time Im in Nanaimo unfortunately, and cant say Id recommend it.

Great food and service at Gabriels. Vegetarian options, meatlover options. Just great all around. Nice patio as well!

Delicious food and great atmosphere.

We both had Left Coasters which was absolutely delicious! Also had a nice red wine and an extremely tasty fresh orange juice (and they really can vary in flavour and quality). The ambiance was good with long tables to share and friendly and efficient staff. (The toilets were clean too which, in my view, is pretty important). There was a good menu choice and we would love to visit again some time!

Got pulled pork with the south African soup. Wait time was quick, came at 3:30 on a Saturday. pricy

It was very busy, and no wonder! I can see why this place is so popular. The food was excellent and the coffee was probably the best Ive had on my trip.

Good selection of items. Sizable portions. Order at the counter and they bring your food to you. Outdoor seating available.

The food and venue are terrific! However, I went back to the counter to order another coffee, and when I came back, the server had cleared my table, which included my not-yet-finished breakfast. Honest mistake, and Ill probably come back, but definitely leaves me feeling disappointed.

Food was good, service quite fast considering that they were packed. I just wish they had smoked salmon Benny on the menu and the hollandaise sauce could have been a little more creamy , but was still good overall. Will add to my come-back-for-more list

Great food but chaotic. You order from a counter and then pick a seat. A lot of anxious people have someone in their party holding a table before they have ordered making finding a table difficult.

Awesome fresh local food. Will come again to try more of the menu.

Cool place, has a lot of vegan options, I got the Hey Im a vegan and it was excellent. Vegetarian options: Has a lot of vegan options on the menu, well served.

I took my partner there for lunch today, based on the great reviews. What a mistake! I had the Special - chicken and bacon wrap. Firstly it came alone - not even a salad garnish. Nothing gourmet about that. The wrap itself was cold, not toasted or warmed at all. As I ate, I found no flavour, and the first piece of bacon was fatty, flaccid and pale - barely cooked. I thought it might be a mistake, but two further pieces of bacon lower in the wrap were also both very fatty, pale and clearly undercooked. I left them on the side of the plate. Had this been served on a plate, I would have sent it back. Hidden in a wrap, though, it was not visible. The only sauce in the wrap was a strange, oily but also flavourless dressing that had pooled at the base of the wrap. Not nice at all. As I took my plate inside, I mentioned it to the server who agreed the bacon was not crisped but said it was Foodsafe. As this cafe takes payment in advance of presenting the food, I had paid $14, and added a decent tip, to be served a wrap that was flavourless and undercooked. My partners curry bowl was just OK - nothing particularly great about it, for $20. What was supposed to be a lunch break treat was underwhelming for him and very unappetizing for me. A big waste of money that we could have spent elsewhere on much nicer food than this. Even though it is conveniently close to work, we will not be going back to Gabriels.

Eggs Benny with bacon, tomato and avocado. Eggs cook perfectly but could have been hotter. The breakfast potatoes were ordinary and underwhelming just square deep fried. Perhaps if tomatoes were grilled and seasoned would have been better. Poached eggs on black bean and corn potato pancake with sourdough toast. The pancakes tasted doughy and were not well seasoned. Eggs perfect. Toast was simply warmed bread and had not in fact been toasted at all. Great ambience and nice decor. We d ordered separately and my friend had almost finished her meal by time mine arrived. Not a fan of the self serve / counter service feature particularly for the condiments many of the bottles needed their tops cleaned possibly not top of mind for staff. Not fan of tipping in advance or food and service. We ll go back to try again. Great how many downtown breakfast options there are now.

Had the green Thai curry. Tasty, but nothing to write home about. Clean, but atmosphere is pretty generic. Friendly staff.

The café and its staff were truly impressive; they were exceptionally welcoming and friendly. The food looked fantastic. I ordered The MT Benny, while my husband tried the Omelette. They were both incredibly delicious. The only issue was that my meal was served cold, but my husbands dish was piping hot and absolutely delightful. I would definitely recommend this place.

Great service. Ice cold food - eggs hard but could tell they had flavour - home fries cold and heavily deep fried- black bean cake excellent flavour but ice cold - coffee hot and great! What happened? I was so looking forward to those eggs Benny.

The staff at this cafe are very friendly. We ordered eggs Benedict, which were super delicious, even better than those at PAUL We also ordered omelette eggs, which were also very delicious. We had a lovely breakfast here and I highly recommend this meal.

The food is always so good. Today was the first time that I wasn t fully satisfied and they made it up to me. Very good customer service. There was a server (blonde) and she was more than amazing. Would 100% recommend.

Amazing service with delicious and filling vegan options

Two of us got lunch on a weekday. They were very busy. You order at the counter using a menu on a clipboard but it can be confusing as they have multiple menus so you need to rummage through the clipboards to find the lunch menu. Not well executed. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. The menu choices are varied and good. It was hard to find sides as they are listed on the breakfast menu. It took a while for the food to come out, they were very busy. While they do have condiments they did not have ketchup so we asked our server for ketchup for the burger but it was never delivered. The soup of the day was very good. The vegetable burger was very good. I got a fruit side and liked that it was fresh real fruit. Vegetarian options: Plenty to graze on. Parking: The city has a couple of paid parking garages

Pretty cool spot. I quite liked the combo of counter service with assigned table service. We all had breakfast and the food was very good and creative. So why only 4 stars, you might ask? The food was universally under seasoned and every one of our 4 dishes required salt for the flavors to come out. This is a significant problem for me because it is Cooking 101. As a restaurant you serve a lot of different tastes, and you want everyone to have a meal that they enjoy, I get it. But for the love of god dont be ok with bland and boring. Your recipes and ingredients aret and you only do them disservice when you dont season. Ok rant over. Which isnt exclusive to Gabriels (it seems is a universal breakfast problem) but its extra frustrating when the recipes are interesting, the ingredients are generally sourced local and the service & atmosphere are good. Then when you go to take your first bite and its bland & boring, all because nobody added salt.

OMG!!! Only one word for the service and food at this Cafe.....AMAZING!!

Order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. Warm room and the service was decent. I had the Korean pulled pork sandwich. It was ok, decent amount of tender pulled pork but the flavour profile was sadly lacking. Needs a real tuneup for spicing, some real Korean gojujang and a real dollop of kimchee. There was some very weak pieces on the sandwich. Maybe on a baguette would be better?

One of the only good vegan breakfast places north of Victoria. We always have a nice time here. I also appreciate unfettered access to a variety of hot sauces. Kid-friendliness: They have a kids menu.

I am so glad we just waited for couple minutes for a seat. It is so popular for people visit here to enjoy breakfast or brunch. Here will not make you disappointed! My best friend in Nanaimo got me here, and I did not order and check. However, I really surprised that on the menu it shows a dish called WHEN PIGS FLY. Very interesting name for food, so I asked for it. Like I said, it won t disappoint you. The pork has been fully cooked soft and mix with some sauces, which tastes like honey with little sweetness and sticky. It is actually maple syrup on side to serve with it. The bowl with tuna and some fresh vegetables is really good and healthy. Canadian style, don t miss it if you like healthy diet. All food is local, support our local business. We got an amazing meal together, and I have enjoy this sweetie sour drink with piece of bacon Definitely will visit again when I come to Nanaimo. I put it in my 5-star list! CANNOT MISS

SO good! Fresh, high quality ingredients, delicious, and healthy. Generous portions. Unique flavours. Ill be back for sure!

Great atmosphere, excellent coffee. Didnt order food, but hear it is amazing and it looked like it would be.

Food was really good! Had the kids pancakes which were yum and weren t sickly, but were a very big portion if a kid was to eat them. Milk options for coffee were slim, only full cream or oat milk.

Very friendly and helpful staff! Great scones!

Food was awesome. The portion size and taste was top notch. The coffee was just how a coffee should be. Not the type you get at Starbucks. The service and atmosphere was really pleasant.

Great food, service. Good espresso. Open to 4:00. Check hours before making it your worthwhile destination. Food

Great spot. I was blown away by the fresh squeezed orange juice. I love that they go the extra mile on that when it would be so easy just to buy Tropicana. Bacon was perfect, and the eggs were delicious. I would definitely recommend this place.

Supports local farmers. Excellent taste. Ive been here three times on my less than week trip to Canada.

Tried this place before leaving Nanaimo, loved the food, great service, and very central to everything.

Had butter chicken with friends. Delicious! Shared with a friend and we each had a lovely lunch serving. I would go here every day!

A rather industrial, impersonal atmosphere. It may be appealing for the lunch crowd for quick sandwiches, but not so much as a warm breakfast cafe. The Eggs Benedict was cold, the muffin really tough to cut, and overall it was flavourless. The plate was otherwise filled with generic potato cubes.

Great food - friendly staff!

When l visit Nanaimo me and my brother start our day with their breakfast specials we always have a problem deciding Hash ? Benny ? so we just come back the next morning and do it again not only is the food fresh and delicious the staff are very nice to deal with . Updated : A lot of things have changed since the start of Covid as we all know not always for the better for example Gabriel s food is now inconsistent in quality and portion control their Eggs Benedict beware they can be extremely tight on the hollandaise sauce .

Exceptional food. Fresh. Local n delicious. Favorite Nanaimo breakfast! Food

The description of the hash special made it sound like it would be a lot more veg rather than 90% potato, but it was delicious no the less. Will definitely be back!

Ate here a few times and used to like it. Here is why i will not eat at restaurants that make you tip before getting your food. I just ordered their Mt Benny. It was horrible. Eggs cooked fine. Hollandaise Thin and runny, potatoes were the worst ive ever had. Unpalatable. Overcooked. Tasted stale and took half the plate. Zero fruit with it. The servers never once asked me how it was and when they picked up my plate the server went to walk away and i said i guess you probably dont care but those potatoes were disgusting she replied thanks ill tell someone. No offer for refund, no care what so ever. This is the last time ill ever give them my business.

Luke warm food. Terrible hashbrowns. So noisy we couldnt talk and just wanted to get out of there. There was no service other than the clearing of plates.

Amazing little cafe in old downtown, everything is made with care and the portion sizes are great! Theres no better breakfast spot to start off a day of shopping and walking the piers

Good eats, great team of staff. It can sometimes get loud but its always good.