Simonholt Restaurant in Nanaimo

6582 Applecross Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9V 1W4, Canada

★★★★☆
(557 reviews)
Categories: Restaurant Bar

About

Vibrant place with a diverse menu including burgers, burritos & pasta, plus 3 patios & weekly music.

Website
simonholt.ca
Address
6582 Applecross Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9V 1W4, Canada
Plus Code
6XP5+X8 Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Time Zone
America/Vancouver

Business Hours

Monday
3:30–8:30 PM
Tuesday
11:30 AM–4:30 PM
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
11:30 AM–8:30 PM
Friday
11:30 AM–9:30 PM
Saturday
11:30 AM–9:30 PM
Sunday
11:30 AM–8:30 PM

Services

Service options
Outdoor seating Delivery Takeaway Dine-in
Highlights
Great cocktails Live music
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park Wheelchair-accessible entrance Wheelchair-accessible seating Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Offerings
Alcohol Beer Cocktails Coffee Healthy options Late-night food Small plates Spirits Wine
Dining options
Breakfast Brunch Lunch Dinner Dessert Seating
Amenities
Bar on site Toilets
Atmosphere
Casual Cosy
Crowd
Groups
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards NFC mobile payments Credit cards
Children
High chairs Kids' menu
Parking
Free parking lot Parking

Photos

Reviews

4.1
★★★★☆
557 reviews

Most Mentioned

fish and chips (15) party (15) patio (12) seafood (12) happy hour (10) brunch (9) chowder (8) paint (7) dip (7) pub (6)
5 stars
268
4 stars
149
3 stars
75
2 stars
31
1 stars
34
★★★
December 15, 2024

We just had our first dinner for a Birthday. The server was really nice. The food is very average. 5 of 7 people ordered the Thai Chicken Noodles Curry. The portion is huge and could have been shared in couples, but the curry was disappointedly bland.

★★★★★
December 15, 2024

We just had lunch here with The Dutch Network, party of 28. Our host, Trisha and her team did an excellent job serving us. Considering the size of our group the food came in a timely manner and the atmosphere was great!

★★★★★
August 16, 2024

Finally stopped in for dinner last night, and we are glad we did. Our food was excellent and our Server was very sweet and couldn't have been more helpful. We had the lamb burger, fish & chips, and a delicious zuccini bruschetta with garlic aoili appie. So good. It is now tempt us every time we exit Costco as we do so often!

★★★
November 27, 2023

The Apitizer (Tomato soup) was decent, the Raspberry lemonade was enjoyable, and the Dragon Bowl was okay but a bit too sweet for my taste. However, the cheesecake was disappointing; I couldn't understand why it tasted overly salty and minty.

★★★★
October 29, 2023

Overall: 4 Stars FOOD: 4.5 stars The food here is great, we ordered 2 drinks and they were both delicious, and we got a chowder which was not a traditional chowder, it is on the sweeter side. Very unique. And my partner ordered a chicken wrap which came with fries. He said it tastes awesome and hits his spot. I ordered a special which is a Chinese influenced stuffed Bao. My food was very over seasoned and spicy. So watch out if you plan on ordering that. ATMOSPHERE: 3 stars The restaurant decor could use an update. You can definitely tell that the furnishings have served for many years and the overall colour are dull. If partitions or dividers are added, it would make the big room look better. Currently there is not much privacy, I can see what others are eating and can hear all they were discussing too. SERVICE: 4 stars The service was good, food took about 20 minutes to come. We also had to wait awhile before our order was taken. The waitress made good recommendations for drinks which I loved. She was very friendly and professional. PRICE: 4 stars I have uploaded a picture of my bill which was over 70 dollars for 2 people. The portions are just enough for one meal. It could be cheaper of course. But they do claim that everything was handmade in the house so if that is true, then it is worth the price.

★★★★★
June 15, 2023

What a wonderful experience to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We searched for somewhere in the local area to go for lunch for our anniversary on our way to the ferry. We found this restaurant, looked at the menu and reviews and decided we would like to give it a try. Well! Were we surprised by the amazing experience that we had! We were welcomed in and shown our seats. The restaurant was very nice, low music playing and we had an immediate sense of a welcoming atmosphere. Joe and Jenny were our servers and nothing was too much! The gave us menus, returned to see if we would like drinks. The iced lemon water was on the table in a matter of minutes. We found what we wanted on the menu. Service was fast and the food was not only beautifully presented, but was hot, fresh and delicious. I had the chicken wrap with a side salad. My husband had an order of the prawns and a "small " pecan and goat cheese salad. The food was a work of art! The portions were generous and tasted so fresh and tasty. The prices were very good. Lots of choices on the menu. A carefully and well prepared menu. The restaurant and washrooms were clean. We did order a dessert, the key lime pie. It was not quite what we wanted and we found it a little dense and not having a strong lime flavour. We mentioned it, we were offered a new slice. Much to our dismay, it was the same, too much of a cheesecake consistency. They asked if they could bring us something else, we declined as we had our minds set on the key lime pie. They immediately removed it from our bill. That truly impressed me that they tried to be so accommodating and willing to make it right. They certainly did that! We really appreciate your service and restaurant, thank you for being so accommodating and making our anniversary lunch date so special. We will be returning when in the area next time. I 100% recommend this restaurant for their food and service. ✅️

★★★★★
June 8, 2023

The food at Simonholt was amazing! I had the coconut prawns appetizer. And let me tell you there were PRAWNS! Not multi dipped shrimp, not "jumbo" shrimp.. PRAWNS! Delicious, cooked to perfection mouth watering PRAWNS the likes of which I have not seen in decades! And the sauce... a perfect balance of flavor and a touch of heat to elevate them! I also had the small artisan salad... spectacular! FRESH!!! This salad was amazing as well. We noticed a TripAdvisor Award of excellence on the wall when we came in. Clearly it is well deserved! The service was even better than the food! Hard to believe, but it was! Jenny and Joe are clearly very well trained professionals who are excellent at what they do! We would return to Simonholt in a heartbeat! In fact it was sooooo good we are going to go out of our way to return! Prices were reasonable, service fantastic, and there was something for everyone on the menu. We highly recommend Simonholt!

★★★★★
May 20, 2021

I had a disappointing dinner experience so I was hoping my lunch would make up for it and it really did. Very nice servers, attentive but not overly so and very friendly. I just popped in for a quick lunch and was seated on their rooftop patio which was lovely! I had the bbq chicken and brie wrap (very good sized portion) and a glass of rose. For such a simple dish the flavours were complex, there was a fruit chutney on it too with apples that complimented both the brie and bbq flavours really nicely and the chicken was very tender and moist. I had the French rose and it was crisp and refreshing, finished it off with the key lime pie, for me I would prefer it a little more tart, it was quite creamy and sweet, but still very good. I'm only visiting but I plan to return to the island soon and I will definitely come back! 👍🏼

Local Guide
December 21, 2024

Disappointing. Sea food fettucine came with 2 shrimps. 35 cad without tax. It wasnt tasty either.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 1, 2024

Had our work party here last week, food and drinks were great, and the service from Trisha was awesome.

★★★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

We go here to hear some really good jazz. The food is acceptable, nothing outstanding.

★★★★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

Went there to see Ryan McMahon, food was awesome, drinks were great and the music wonderful.

★★★★
Local Guide
October 22, 2024

Food was great, service excellent! Atmosphere was good but furniture getting tired. Kid-friendliness: They have high chairs!

★★★★★
Local Guide
October 22, 2024

All greatness, its so and down nowadays. But everything is made to your liking Vegetarian options: Most salads are vegetarian friendly and you could add tofu Dietary restrictions: Knowledge staff will let you know if there is any issues with the ingredients Kid-friendliness: Kid friendly, small kids menu

★★★★★
October 22, 2024

We went for brunch this morning and felt like couldn t eat anything more for the rest of the day. Even the kids breakfast are large sized. Food are tasty and reasonably priced. I am very satisfied that they have whole wheat toast to choose. Hash brown is crispy and flavorful. We also tried the special Mexican benny it was really good to me. The meat was a little bit spicy but it was totally ok. Chelsea is very helpful and attentive. We would definitely come back again. Parking: Best seafood chowder in town! Kids also like to come to try new food every time. Kid-friendliness: The photo speaks for itself. My son is a picky eater but finished all his food.

★★★★
September 22, 2024

Excellent service made the whole experience!

★★★★★
September 22, 2024

Food was fantastic, service was great, drinks super refreshing and in and out in an hour on a Friday Night !! We will be back thanks for the impeccable service

★★★★★
September 22, 2024

I have been to Simon Holt several times this summer, 2024, with family and friends. The food has always been excellent, and the service top notch. This restaurant has a nice atmosphere, is in a quiet location, worth finding, and has easy parking. I will be back :)

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

Brunch was the best Ive in a long time. Of course sitting at the bar watching the Bjays win was good too. Food : 5/5

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 22, 2024

Yesterday I had a dinner here with friends. It was a bit troublesome because I brought a baby with me. The store still provided attentive service, there are childrens dining chairs, and the space is relatively large. Each of us was very satisfied with the meal we ordered. It tasted good and the portions were generous.

★★★★★
August 22, 2024

Over the past 4 weeks I ve visited here several times with my 95yr old wheelchair bound father and have had nothing but an exceptional service. Nothing has been too much trouble for the staff and particular thanks for patience, understanding and utterly amazing customer service goes out to all the staff, but in particular and I think the management ought to recognise the work of Jen, Kurt and Joe. These staff members have gone above and beyond and are a real credit to Simon Holt, and I look forward to their company over the next two weeks before I take my father back to England. This evening on the sole recommendation of Kurt I have thoroughly enjoyed the Penne with Chicken and Chirozo Pasta; an extremely filling dish with amazing flavours and one I hope to have again before I leave Vancouver Island. There s always a buzz in the bar and the restaurant, yet no matter how busy the establishment is you re always made to feel welcome and included. I wish I d found this place sooner, it will forever be a firm favourite and one I will absolutely revisit when I return to Canada in the coming years. Wheelchair accessibility: There is only one dropped curb stone to enter the premises but it is almost opposite the main door so is easy enough navigate. Automatic door holders are fitted to the main front doors which allows easy access to the restaurant. All tables on the ground floor are at a good height for those in a wheelchair and I had no problems in assisting my 95yr old father to enjoy his meals.

★★★
August 22, 2024

We were suggested this place from the hotel we were staying at, first off because we didn t hav reservations they put us out in the patio. Which was ok, the weather was nice. My husband and I ordered the fish and chips. There was too much batter on the fish. The fries had way too much pepper on them. My husband was not offered a refill on drinks. It felt like we were being ignored since we were out on the patio they hardly came and checked on us. We were a little disappointed that the fish wasn t freshly caught, there was a problem with one of the ovens so they couldn t even make the crab and shrimp dip or the flatbread. Portions were ok. They did take a little off of the bill since we had issues with our meals. I did enjoy the local Rosé at least. If we came back out to the island again, we will not be eating here.

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Great place great food

July 22, 2024

Second time coming here First time I ordered the fish and chips and was severely let down. What s usually a pretty hard dish to mess up was oily mush that left a bad after taste and over cooked fries. The second time I ordered the sirloin lamb medium rare. While the meat was cooked perfectly and seasoned well, the cut itself was very chewy similar to an overcooked cheap steak. The potatoes were good but the vegetables were a little undercooked and almost felt like an afterthought. Service and atmosphere are similar in that you don t really know what s going on. Overall won t be returning again unless they seriously make changes.

★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Good food, good service. Parking: Lots of parking Food : 4/5 |

★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

The waitress was careful with my food allergies.

★★★★
June 22, 2024

Delicious brunch of a Blackstone Benny & Hash Bowl. Huge portions, fresh and prepared perfectly. Extra hollandaise was needed; it was so creamy and flavourful. Our server was friendly and attentive. Nice spot for a Sunday brunch.

★★
May 22, 2024

Food wasn t good like it used to be. I ordered seafood fettuccine and it was a small portion of noodles beside two massive pieces of bread, not worth $32-35 in my opinion. My husband got the Thai noodles and it was awful. They were advertised as spicy and they were swimming in sweet peanut sauce, the bell peppers were overcooked and mushy, and he couldn t eat more than four bites without wanting to be sick. Staff timeliness was poor. The host got us sat fairly quickly, but in a mostly empty section (3 tables of couples), we waited 20 min between ordering drinks to ordering food and then was ignored by the waitresses who were all gossiping behind their counter. I stood up twice and approached them to ask for chili sauce to see if that would make my husband s food better, and it took them more than 15 minutes to do so. I m not coming back, this isn t the first time I ve had service this bad and it seems like management isn t interested in ensuring their staff are capable. 5-6 waitresses to 12 tables of couples and one group of 14 isn t that difficult to manage.

April 22, 2024

A absolute waste of time and money. NEVER go here! Wheelchair accessibility: None! Food : 1/5 |

★★★★★
April 22, 2024

Simon Holt is the perfect place to dine in! The food is delicious, and the service is fantastic. It is great for a work dinner, I love bringing the DAM Good team here for a quality meal!

★★★★★
April 22, 2024

10/10 would recommend. I can t wait to go here with by best friend Sego again.

★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

The staff are outstanding and will make it right The fish and chips are probably the best in Nanaimo. Food

★★
March 22, 2024

What a weird place. Identity crisis, is it a bar, is it a restaurant? Its dated atmosphere is tinged with sadness. Families having a meal next to the stage TVs everywhere showing the sports games, just not a great vibe. Server was super friendly and attentive, no complaints there. Food was pretty dismal, weird combinations, greasy fish and chips. The most depressing thing was after we finished our meal we realized that most of the patrons were semi drunk middle aged men that clearly are regularly hanging out at the bar, each alone, but congregated, desperately trying to flirt with servers 30 years too young.

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Exceptional service and food!

★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Food +service good. Reasonable sizes priced reasonably.

★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Very nice fancier restaurant. Kid friendly and kids menu. Good food and drinks.

★★★★★
February 22, 2024

We had a lovely time at a jazz performance. Lots of room and great service for a few drinks and appies. I will go back for a full dinner soon. Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Amazing food

★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Food you cant get anywhere else. Interesting. But I cant imagine eating bone marrow. YUCK.

Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Been there 3 times, mostly on work events. Waitstaff were not remotely interested in their jobs, and mistakes made each time I went (requested for a modification to dodge a food sensitivity but found it in the entrée, wrong drink, wrong bill). Pricing also very high for the quality of service and food portions. The dining area is very dark and the floor plan has no surfaces to absorb sound, so the more full the restaurant is, the more people are yelling to be heard. Every time I have been here I see waitstaff serving alcohol to excess and not keeping up with water and cutting people off - last time someone was getting sick in the womens washroom. Feels more like a dive bar than a restaurant.

★★★★
Local Guide
January 22, 2024

Nice atmosphere. Food was very good. We will go back.

★★★★
Local Guide
January 22, 2024

The food was ok. Not many options on the menu. The server didnt bother to come check on us.

January 22, 2024

Got there at 8:00 on a Friday and the girl had to ask the kitchen if they were still cooking? Took the servers suggestion and got the Dragon Bowl. Honestly I never complain but it was horrible, I mean horrible! Had lots of sauce but absolutely no flavour? It was like it was burnt or something? Not to mention the price of $30. Also got a 6oz glass red wine for $19. This place is so overpriced for the quality and maybe thats why we were the only table in the restaurant and you have to close the doors at 8:30. Avoid at all costs. Im never going back!

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Sorry about that. Thanks for reaching out.

December 22, 2023

Very sad to hear my favorite bartenders havent been seen in a while, they made my nights enjoyable. Will not be returning. Marilyn and Larry have not been proving to be good owners so far. THUMBS DOWN

★★★★
December 22, 2023

The beer was good, the atmosphere could use some work. I didnt try the food but the menu looked to have great items Service

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Nice atmosphere and great food and service.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Great food. Great soups!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

This is a great restaurant! Downside is no staff, like most places. The servers work very hard. Be nice, be patient and enjoy your meal because its worth it.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

I am so glad this restaurant still has their wait staff wearing masks around customers. Since rules were relaxed many businesses no longer have employees wear masks regardless of vaccine status. So vulnerable patrons cannot be sure they wont be exposed to covid. There were many options in the menu for celiac patrons and the service was great. The food portions were more than generous. We had not dined out for over a year so we were thrilled with the experience with food, service and safety and plan to return.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Simonholt has a private room that is reservable for groups. Candice our server was great. Thank you. We went during off hours on a Saturday. I would do this again for a birthday party. The food was great. They had higher-end prices for food but we enjoyed it very much. Wheelchair accessibility: Good parking for accessibility, close to the front door. Chose this location for a one-level layout. Party was for my Mother in law who is aged to perfection.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Cod and prawns were overpriced and underwhelming. This is my second time for a meal and both were meh.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Great service and good food.

★★★★
December 22, 2023

The burger and fries I had tasted great. The staff was very friendly and the prices for my meal were only slightly above average. Only wish the servings were slightly bigger, me and my wife were still kinda hungry after we left.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Great space, food, drinks, & service!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

great food, really nice people, weird vibes

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

The beer was icy cold and hit the spot!

★★
December 22, 2023

Bland food. Way over priced. Kid-friendliness: Ok kids menu

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Simon holt is always a must

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Nice experience on the patio.great food

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

A restaurant with great potential unfortunately empty on mothers Day. Reflection of poor

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

We ordered the Tomahawk steak. It was juicy and tasty! We really enjoyed it.

December 22, 2023

I had tickets to go to a music event at the restaurant. I had had a bad experience before, so I thought I would check the reviews on here. I saw that they were quite mixed, so I went to the restaurant with very low expectations. My fish and chips dish was OK, mediocre at best. My dinner partner ordered the chicken burger and could not finish it because she said it tasted like something on the grill has been burned. To the restaurant s credit they replaced it. However, my friend could not finish the replacement for the same reason. They gave us a complimentary dessert, which we also did not finish. I hope the restaurant figures this out as they are acquiring a reputation for hit and miss food. Go at your own risk.

★★★★
December 22, 2023

Good food and service, limited menu options

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

My friend and I enjoyed our lunch today. Jetta, our server, was excellent. Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

My favorite place in Nanaimo. Great for lunch or dinner. Parking: Always lots Food : 5/5 |

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Quick impromptu visit, great menu. Enjoyed the Asian pork belly very much. Next time the 80 oz Tomahawk Steak is mine.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

4 stars. The service was good and we had zucchini appy that was tasty and a happy hour special. Supper was noodle bowl and was ok. It needed something else to put it into the wow category (not just salt, which I needed to add). Big portion though with baby bok choy and shredded carrots. We shared a cheesecake that was ok strawberry/rhubarb that had chocolate/Carmel drizzle with a tiny bit of the above mentioned purée. The cake part was brownish-rhubarb??? Still overall better than average. We sat outside on the side deck would have like to be upstairs with the view, but under staffed. But wouldnt you want the best experience for your guests. Close the side patios open the one with the view of the ocean. Sept 1/2023 5 stars Had the best salmon taco (summer special) or tacos I have had at any restaurant, was a big portion with two tacos and fries, big chunks of salmon great sauce and lots of it. Delicious.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Amazing food. Very delicious! Staff very nice. Food served ì Kid-friendliness: Very accommoda Food : 4/5 |

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Service was very slow. Drinks were ok, my beet salad was good my zucchini Bruschetta was good. Staff not friendly at all. That was my 1st time there i do not think Id go back any time soon

Local Guide
December 22, 2023

This was our second experience here, so I m writing this review Went for Turkey dinner under staffed and over booked for the amount of people seated. We sat for about 20 mins before having drinks and food order all taken at once. Turkey dinner was ok, Thai noodle dish was bland (I never use salt and pepper and I did for this to give it something) left half the dish. No ingredients to make 2 different requested drinks. Decided to order dessert, sat there for another 20 mins waiting for dessert, so we cancelled dessert and went elsewhere. The bill came and we were charged for things we didn t even order the male server was unkept (not shaven and not in a groomed manor). The server didn t even know the menu when asked questions. Less than impressed, we won t be back.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Amazing customer service from Joe! Went above and beyond to assist me, and executed everything with professionalism and kindness. Joe is a rare and committed individual, and this establishment is lucky to have him! Thank you again!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Best mac & cheese I had in my life.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

A wonderful restaurant with fabulous live music

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

This place ticks all the boxes; beautiful décor, wonderful ambiance, friendly attentive service, and delicious food. In particular, the chocolate orange cheesecake was heavenly. Parking: Large lot is adjacent to the restaurant.

December 22, 2023

If you don t want to be disappointed, skip this place. The fact the breakfast menu is to 2 pm is a big disappointment as well. Drove 2 hours to meet with some friends and we have decided immediately we would never come back or recommend to anyone.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Went for dinner with my family. The food was excellent. My noodle bowl was very good, too much food but I have leftovers now. The truffle fries were delicious. The fries were home made, not frozen. If a restaurant makes homemade fries they are a winner in my book. The service was very good, Maddy was great. I gave this place a poor rating many years ago but this visit redeemed themselves. Excellent food and service with reasonable prices. Thank you.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

I love the place. Great food and nice service. They have happy hour ,too Food : 5/5

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

My boyfriend and I went out for dinner last night and our male server (I wish I had gottten his name now) was amazing! He was kind and detailed, even though towards the end he got visibly busy he kept his cool and it never diminished his service. My boyfriend got the fish and chips, and I got the bison burger. Aside from the patty being a bit too well done everything was really good. Our first time and won t be our last.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Best wings in town hands down! Nice staff with good selections of food and drink at decent prices. Ive never had a bad meal here. Staff is super friendly and a great group of regulars.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Great waitress.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Great place great menu. Fast and courteous staff. Very nice place

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Great food, drinks and atmosphere. Greek lamb, fish and chips, and chicken burger were all fantastic. The truffle fries were covered in parm and flavour. The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars was the brown for dessert was hard and cold. We didnt eat it but paid for it anyhow. 4*

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Wonderful meal and great staff.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Doesnt look like much from the outside but very cool inside and great food - quick! We stopped in for a bite before heading further up island. I had the poutine with pulled pork and it was DELICIOUS! My wife had the Cod Chowder and a wrap and she loved it. This place would be great for a beer with buddies, good for dinner with family or friends, its good all around. I will be back.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Service was prompt

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Great food and service!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

We rented out the private room for about 35 people. The service was absolutely amazing. Hannah did a fantastic job keeping everyone pleased, full and well taken care of. When it came time to pay all of the bills were perfectly separated. The food was delicious. I 100 percent recommend Simonholt Restaurant. Thank you for a wonderful night

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Smooth fast service. Upscale pub food. Constantly good.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

The service was really good but the food was not enjoyable. All our food was dry as if it had been sitting under the heat lamp for too long. Pretty unfortunate as we picked this place as our go to after not being able to eat out during covid. Wont go here again.

December 22, 2022

Ive never left a restaurant feedback, but felt the need to here.... We gave the restaurant a second chance. Dined in the first time not long after opening and again recently, it was one of the worst meals weve had both times. So bad that I couldnt eat mine, and my husband wasnt impressed at all by his meal either.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Me and my partner love this place good service good food and not to bad drinks. The chefs know what they are doing and what combinations pair well. We will definitely be coming back and a thumbs up to our server Hannah she is the best.

★★★★
December 22, 2022

Friendly service but not timely. The large truffle fries is 3 meals.

★★
December 22, 2022

A&W makes a better burger.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Great food and service, not at all crowded. Joey greeted us and is one of the friendliest people I have ever met.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

First time here, was enjoyable! Standard fare food-wise, a good selection of food options. Was there for a work meeting, we were able to use theor private room, which was perfect. Our server was excellent - always checking in, but not obtrusive.

★★★★
December 22, 2022

Moved to area Oct 2021 Have been to both lunch and dinner at Simonholt several times now. Never disappointed. Great food, great service, neighborhood place. Its my new go to.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Above and beyond our expectations yellowfin tuna salad of my dreams and hubby got perfect seafood chowder

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

So just stumbled across this place on Google after being stuck in Coombs with no place open for lunch. Some of the photos caught my eyes, and always willing to try something new, we got in the car and made a beeline. Wow - it was worth it. Great food and service. Never knew this place was here, but we will be back next year when we are in town!

★★★★
December 22, 2022

Went for a late bday supper with my bestie. Food was incredible. Server was fantastic. She even scored me a free crème brulée for my bday. Amazing spot.

★★
December 22, 2022

We have had many enjoyable meals at Simon Holt in the past, but we will not be returning. At the beginning of last month my husband called the restaurant to book a dinner reservation for his birthday. We called early because his birthday coincides with Fathers Day weekend and we knew it would be fairly busy. We have had his birthday meal at Simon Holt in the past, almost always on Fathers Day weekend. When he called, the young woman on the phone seemed confused, she told him she would need to speak to the manager. After speaking to the manager she returned to tell him that they had space still for that weekend, but didnt want to have to set up a large table because it was a busy time. My husband said so you wont reserve us a table? And she said no. We were requesting a reservation for 6 people plus 1 infant in a highchair, hardly a massive party. Apparently our money wasnt wanted, so we took it elsewhere and will continue to do so. Very disappointing.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Wings were great! Server was fantastic! 100% would go here again!

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Great place and very good food.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Amazing food! Huge portions. Wonderful service and yummy drinks. The also have a great kids menu.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Good food and service! Kid-friendliness: Kids menu

★★
December 22, 2022

We were in Nanaimo for the day and decided to give this restaurant a try for dinner. Unfortunately, we weren t happy with our food. My pasta was flavourless and hard, and my sister s rice was wet. The service was good and our server was really nice, but we weren t impressed with the food. Not worth our money unfortunately.

December 22, 2022

This restaurant was recommended to us as the best in Nanaimo What a joke. I had the 10oz stake. It was alright, nothing surprising but not bad. Not exactly sure if it s worth almost $50 price tag, but I let it slide. Inflation, right? My wife had this pasta in picture. I only had a taste and a piece of salmon from it, and as we are leaving I already feel little weird in my stomach. But I let it slide too, I have weak stomach I get this a lot. My wife finished the whole thing and got the worst food poisoning entire night and was still throwing up next morning. And she rarely gets food poisoning, it s usually me, as I have weak disgust system. You should be grateful that we didn t go full Karen the next day in your restaurant. We will never set foot in this place ever again.

December 22, 2022

We had a group of 6, made a reservation in advance to celebrate one of our friends birthday tonight. After waiting awhile, watching workers walk past us and ignoring our table we ended up walking out. Not one worker said anything to us as we were leaving. Absolutely appalling customer service, we ended up going somewhere else and had an incredible time. I wouldnt recommend this place to anyone.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Food is pretty good, but when a waiter simultaneously spilled two drinks on two guys laps, the manager only offered to comp the drinks. Definitely not an appropriate response to such a major mistake, but after a great deal of debate with the manager, the two guys got their meals comped. Should have just started with that. Staff are usually friendly, and the atmosphere is casual. Great place for an expensive pub-style meal and an equally expensive drink, or to watch the game, they just need to brush up on the finer points of hospitality. Most of the staff and managers are young students, or just young in general, so lack of hospitality (and life) experience is definitely understandable. Great place to go to support working students.

★★★★
December 22, 2022

So funny that the below review by Colin is the actual waiter who spilled the drinks on the family and was eventually fired. Lol

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Nice venue, just had a beer only.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Loved the social soda with blueberry.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Nice atmosphere, but service was terrible. Had dinner with 4 people. It took forever to take a drink order then a long time to then get the drinks to the table. Food was just okay. Ordered the lamb which they reccomend to get medium rare, which I did and it came well done. The server was nowhere to be seen to check in on us or even offer a second round of drinks. When he did show up I showed him that the lamb was well done, and he didnt know what to do... said it would take a long time to send me a properly cooked lamb, then disappeared to talk to the kitchen/manager and never came back until everyone finished their meals, then just offered 50% off the over cooked lamb. If customer service isnt a priority to a restaurant, its not a place I want to ever eat at again. Combine that with average tasting food and its a definite reason not to eat here.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Great appies especially the deep-fried cauliflower and ranch dip! This place is tucked away in the back of a commercial parking lot. Ive passed it forever never knowing it was there!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Great place with great food!!

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

This place is where its at! Great food. Great drink. Friendly staff, Brynn- our bartender was so attentive and amazing Definitely will be back again - and I highly recommend this place! Cant wait to visit this place again such a great atmosphere

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Excellent food and excellent service

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Waited 40 minutes only got appetizer. After another 20 minutes waiting, got our two main dishes. One main dish overcooked and the other was dried. Won t come back again.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Absolutely amazing staff, food is all high quality and handmade. Bartender Is attentive and caring . Highly recommend!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Nice sports bar/restaurant. Had a really nice meal. Went on a Tuesday, and was really quiet. I liked that, but Im sure a Fri/Sat night would be different. Food was tasty and good value. Ill be back for sure.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

It was good, but I feel it was very over priced. My steak was seasoned poorly but cooked very well. The desert was next level though. Holy moly.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Food was delicious and the service was top notch even though they were short handed. We will be back, many times I hope

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Always amazing service! The food is great.. cant wait to go back and try something else.. kickass burger was delicious..looking forward to the flatbread. Best caesar salad ever!

★★★★
December 22, 2021

Good nice waitress food was good

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Excellent food and service

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

One of my favorites in Nanaimo. Awesome food. Great service and always look forward to going here.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Service was excellent, felt relaxed, the company I was with however..lol

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

This place is unreal , the service the food the environment is far past most restaurants......we will be back thankyou for the experience.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Excellent food.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great food Freindly staff

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Good food, and a patio with room for friends.

★★★★
December 22, 2021

Neighborly friendly with a happy hour.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Always a great meal here

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great service

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Good service but as it just opened at 1130 am surprised to see food scraps on floor and toilet paper on floor.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Great place and great people.

★★★
December 22, 2021

Went to Simonholt for the first time. Started off with the Crab & Shrimp Dip with Tortilla Chips. It wasnt that tasty. Too bland for the price. It needed some herbs or spices for flavor. We were going to stay for dinner. However, one thing that turned us off was the fact that the Womens Washroom used by my wife was very dirty. There was toilet paper and disposable hand towels all over the floor, including cubicles. Her cubicle door would not fasten closed because the handle was broken. Service was slow and the acoustics was poor. Our table bench was in dire need of reupholstering and the wall board at our table needed paint repair. We were genuinely not impressed with this place. Didnt seem upscale to us. Wont return.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Cant criticise or complain about anything! Our server was lovely. The food was amazing (spicy Nashville chicken for me and fish n chips for my husband). If I had to look really hard for one thing to complain about is that I couldnt try a dessert because the main portions were so generous there was just no room left. Next time....

December 22, 2021

I had the Thai bowl, very disappointing. The vegetables were raw. Way too many peanuts, carrots and celery.maybe 6 cubes of chicken. And far too many noodles. My dish was totally out.of.proportion. Would not recommend this place.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great food and fantastic service!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

10/10 hot wings. The wings were so good i compleetely forgot i had a beer to drink! Adding on to this got a second order of wings half the Anderson and half the Sweet and spicy and I cant believe how amazing these are. Definitely get the Anderson wings if you like the taste of hot wings but not the spice. Service has been phenomenal to. This is now my go to place whenever Im in Nanaimo

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

nnice place, good service, fish and chips were a bit overcooked but lots of fish.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Service and food was great. Restaurant was cold though - probably still have the a.c. cranked from summer. Will definitely be back.

★★★★
December 22, 2021

If you like pasta get the chicken and chorizo penne. It was fantastic! Good portion as well. Server was friendly and efficient. Will definitely be back!!

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

excellent, delicious food.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

I have been here several times. The Food is always very good. background music is low enough not to be a distraction. You can actually have a decent conversation. Staff are knowledgeable and generous with their time.

Local Guide
December 22, 2021

We just came from a group function for 40 people. We had everything ordered in advance. They had one server in the room. There were half the number of people in the actual restaurant and they appeared to have 2-3 servers in there. The bills took over an hour to prepare and the server was obviously flustered but that doesn t excuse her behaviour. She was extremely rude and when my bill came out much higher than it should be she just said that s your bill. I just paid it and left. Upon arriving home I worked out the total off of the menu and it was almost $25 less but hey be rude to people. We stood in that line for a long time and I did not hear anyone be rude yo the staff. This is a place that I will not be back too. Bad form Simon holt.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great food. Nice portions. Great atmosphere.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

The dragon bowl is to die for. So delicious.

★★
December 22, 2021

We went for brunch on Sunday. The service left a lot to be desired and thats not because they were short staffed. It took 45 minutes to get our food after ordering and then it arrived cold and not very appetizing. I asked twice for a refill of coffee and didnt get it. Please tell youre cook not to put an english muffin in fat and fry it thats just gross. Wont go back thats for sure

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Good menu and staff. I loved the party vibe in the resto. More music, more energy and great for a winter date night.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

One word BAD It used to be very good but gone down hill drastically They need a new chef

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Great food and service. We had several menu items including wings, artisan salad, ribs, truffle fries, lamb burger, fish tacos and the chicken wrap and they were all delicious

★★
December 22, 2021

Food is over priced. Lamb sirloin was very tough, salmon was over cooked and the mashed potatoes were actually cold. Despite the restaurant being half empty, service was poor. Ive tried this restaurant a few times for supper, will not be going back.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Had the eggs benny and it was fabulous, so was the mimosa

★★
December 22, 2021

ordered a beef dip to share and 2 beer. beer was okay but the food was atrocious. wouldnt eat it. everything was cold and beef was almost raw. chips were small from bottom of the fryer looked like 4 days ago.paid for beer and left. wont return

December 22, 2021

Just had one of the worst dining experiences of my life here with my girlfriend. Drinks were flavorless and we were charged full price when they were clearly on the specials menu and it was well within happy hour. Though the proof was right there the waitress argued me so I just let it go. Ordered the Ribs and they were overcooked and, so dry I could barely chew the meat. My girlfriend had the seafood fettuccine which she also found flavorless. Very disappointing, dont recommend and wont be returning.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Staff go out of their way to provide great service in these crazy times!

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Slow service, but the server was friendly. Seems like a super young staff working there. Seafood dip is awesome... The rest was meh! But Ill probably be back for apps and beer sometime.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Excellent exucution in everything these folks do! Quality comes through from the kitchen through to the on point crafted cocktails and huge wine selection. Enjoy!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Outstanding service from friendly staff

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Happy hour from 2PM. Nice beer on tap options. Kids on Thursday eat free (when adult order a meal). Dont listen to whining people about not receiving their kids free meal. Every time we go there on Thursday, my wife and me order two burgers/pastas/wraps, both my kids enjoy free meal with juice and ice cream.

★★★★★
December 22, 2020

Had a great meal tonight. Glad to see you are open and staff is working hard to make everyone comfortable and safe. We will be back

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Delicious food, friendly service and a pleasant atmosphere :)

December 22, 2020

Asked for steak but the server said they were out but the table seated after had steak for dinner. Not impressed

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Excellent food with an excellent staff to go with it and a great, fun atmosphere. If you try nothing else, ya gotta have the ribs or the fish and chips. Or both :-)

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Great service and food! Classy!

★★★★★
December 22, 2020

Excellent Service and Great Food

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

The service was excellent yet we ordered the beef dip and it was essentially raw meat. We couldn t eat it after 1-2 bites as it was making me feel sick. We had to send it back to the kitchen and leave.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Great service and food

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Great happy hour menu. Good service and generous portions.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Simonholt has their patio open for your convenience. They have a wide variety of foods. One of my favorites is their Beet Salad for lunch.

★★★★★
December 22, 2020

Amazing food and service! Never disappoints

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Went for appy hour... Delicious and reasonable.. we also had the seafood chowder which was also delicious. There are 2 patios one rooftop.

★★★
December 22, 2020

Prices were pretty high, so limited to what we could order. Sadly had expectations to be disappointed and I was. Ordered off the fresh menu and got the banh mi sandwich and the meat tasted like old meat that was on its last limb. Thankfully we werent in a toilet paper shortage that day. Would possibly try again, but worried the food wont match the high prices.

★★★★★
December 22, 2020

Great dinner with spouse and friends

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

Pleassnt envirinment Staff very cordial. Will be back again. Had fish and chips i piece enough for one person. Cooked just ritr

★★★★★
December 22, 2020

i left my date with the bill

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

We were disappointed with our beef dip lunches very blah no taste. We were however very pleased with the service Not sure if we will go back or when.

★★★
December 22, 2020

Needs a paint job and some updating. Food was good. Server was friendly