Niva's Restaurant in Thunder Bay

A little too noisy when its full. Seems you always be full.

Always friendly, courteous staff. Service is very prompt. Food is always home made and delicious!

Very expensive with charges for everything extra Potatoes not included in breakfast nor is coffee so easy to cost &20 o more for basic bacon & eggs breakfast - Just way too much actually it s a bit of gouging. $70 (before tip) for three breakfast - not likely to return Food

Should update their hours, it says until 2am but it s actually until 2pm. They also turn away customers at 1:20-1:30 stating that they re closed Blonde woman at the front just looked miserable and seemed crabby.

Great Food and service!

The food is good. But wow, have the proportions changed...so small. 15$ for one egg, one small pancake, 1 slice of bacon, and 8 to 10 under average size harshbrown potatoes. It used to be our favorite place. Not anymore

AMAZING!!!!

Good food and service. Could freshin up interior

Delicious food, friendly staff. Reasonable prices.

So good!

Great food, open room so noisy.

Excellent breakfast and friendly quick service, definitely would go again next time through Thunder Bay.

Fantastic food and service! Our server was so friendly!! And food was delicious!!

Stopped in for breakfast with my father. Lots of parking space. Stepped inside and the level of noise is brutal. Ive been in quieter bowling alleys to be honest. Ridiculously LOUD. There were at least a dozen people ahead of us waiting to get seated amid the cacophony. No offence Nivas but if your food was served on a bed of $100.00 bills its still not worth waiting in line and tolerating this level of sensory abuse. We left immediately and went to Santorellis truck stop. No wait, food is great and I could actually talk to and hear my Dad.

Excellent mojakka!

Didnt realize the Hoito was no longer available for my Finnish Pancake Fix, so I was told of Nivas. This DID NOT disappoint! Good food & atmosphere.

Finally got to Nivas. It reminds me of my favourite restaurants in Southern Ontario, and I mean that in the best way possible. Amazing staff, great service, prices are very reasonable, and food is absolutely outstanding! Looking forward to trying out Nivas again. Dietary restrictions: Had some really lovely diabetic friendly food options

Always a pleasure enjoying a meal at Nivas. Great service at a family owned business.

Excellent as always.

We were told by our host in Thunder Bay to visit Nina s for authentic Finnish pancakes which this area is known for . Nina s staff and homemade food was outstanding. We even purchased fresh Pulla bread. It was a great experience!

Amazing! I love it

Good experiences here, but it would be helpful for them to update their hours here. Several times that I went, they were closed temporarily. Phone ahead.

Perfect little breakfast spot!

Always great staff and food.

Nivas is always great

The location of Niva s Restaurant is a Thunder Bay landmark, as it was formerly The Blue Parrot restaurant. While the two dining establishments could not be more different, Niva s carries on the tradition of being an iconic Thunder Bay eatery. Their menu consists of comfort foods only and offers something for every palette. From Gramma-quality hot turkey sandwiches to the mile-high clubhouse, Niva s offers so much more than just the city s best Finn pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. For me, it is always the Finn pancakes with strawberries minus the whipped cream that my Ella takes instead. The Finn pancakes are not just my favourite; they remind me of a simpler time. When all I worried about was my kids and how I had screwed them up by knowingly marrying the wrong guy. Whenever I needed to distract them after their father left, I would take them for Finn pancakes, especially to the Scandinavian House. So, whenever I visit Niva s, I feel the world unwind for a moment and accept the opportunity to reconnect with my kids.

Always great

Id consider this a better alternative to the good-old Hoito Restaurant in terms of food types, portions and service.

It was too expensive. Bland food. Great service, though..

Great breakfast and service.

I beg to differ regarding the gravy. I rarely eat restaurant gravy as most is made from a powdered gravy base. Niva s is actually made from the protein s drippings. I m not a big eater so when I go there I eat all the fries with their wonderful gravy and get the hot turkey to go. I then have another two meals. One as half a hot turkey and the other as a sandwich with the gravy drenched bread (( stuffing ) and cranberry sauce mmmm. In all fairness to the negative reviewer I have yet to try the hot beef or anything else as I can t get beyond my love of the turkey and you can request white or dark meat unusual for most restaurants.

We absolutely enjoyed our Finn pancakes. The service was friendly and inviting, even on the busiest of days.

Really good customer service.

This little diner is clearly a local fave, which is great. We went for the Finnish pancakes, which were delicious. Its a little pricey for the overall atmosphere and quality. Could do with new carpet and some other updates. Family friendly.

Excellent pancakes! Fast food service. Friendly staff.

Good food! and a fair price

Always great service. Everyone is very friendly and accommodating. Great breakfasts always. The pancakes are obviously a big draw but their French toast is a hidden treasure. Niva s is too expensive to visit more than sparingly, however. Shockingly expensive.

Great, hearty food with very pleasant service.

Great food good service.

Felt very rushed even though there was very few in there and no line up.

Breakfast was excellent

Good overall value and quality of food. More breakfast selections than other restaurants, at a more reasonable cost. Great service, never had to wait for a refill.

Good food and service

Came to Thunder Bay to visit my daughter. Took her to Niva s for breakfast. The waitresses are very attentive and food was great. Highly recommend!

Food is always fresh, hot, and flavourful. Nivas is always consistent. Although the atmosphere feels loud and rushed, the establishment is clean. Parking: Parking is easy and lots of spaces for handicap

The waitress staff is outstanding. You will never go without your coffee being topped up. The service is superb

Best breakfast

Best breakfast in Thunder Bay!

Great food and service!

Charming old-style restaurant. Everything was perfectly cooked.

Good food, good service.

Great food and hospitality! Friendly staff!

Great breakfast place

Nice quaint place

The food is good and the staff a great. Decent prices.

Called to ask a question they were very rude . pretty much hung up on me glad i never just showed up there to eat they obviously do not enjoy their job .

Customer Service was enjoyable, sandwich and chicken soup was very good.

Great staff, great breakfast. Brought my mom here for mothers day. Enjoyed every bite of it.

Lovely staff with prompt service. It was my first time eating Finnish pancakes and they were excellent! The strawberries and whipped cream were a lovely addition as well.

Excellent service and absolutely delicious food!!!!!!

Love this place. We stopped here after driving all night when we asked for a place to eat by a local. Absolutely did not disappoint. Also love that they had some Gluten Free options.

This is very good restaurant. Loved the Finnish pancakes. Great service

Food always great here. People always welcoming with great service.

First experience at Nivas and what a great experience it was. I had the Finnish pancakes with strawberries and sausage. Strawberries were chilled, pancakes were identical across the table, and the sausages were the right kind of breakfast sausage. Dietary restrictions: Diabetic syrup upon request Parking: Ample parking Kid-friendliness: While the majority of guests were retirees during my visit, there were some kids that had a great time. Absolutely family friendly environment

Great service, nice meals. Very busy at lunch time.

Good food and excellent service. My only complaint is the strong smells in the restaurant.

The Restaurant is stylish with some charm. The staff is nice and accommodating . The food was real good. I had French toast and homefries. Two Spanish Omelets toast And home fries x2. One Earl Gery tea. The price even without the $5 tip. I still cant believe what I paid!!! .

Kid-friendliness: great staff Amazing food Out of this world hollandaise sauce the best I have ever tried Definitely will go back

Parking: Easy parking out front Kid-friendliness: Is kid friendly both menu and seating

Good food friendly service!

Would be nice if the restaurant was market as temporarily closed when it s not open for around 2 weeks.

Wheelchair accessibility: Easy access no stairs to climb.

Parking: Ample

Great food and great service. Never disappoints!

The staff were not very friendly although the service was prompt and the food came quickly. The scrambled eggs are microwaved so I asked for mine to be cooked on the grill. This wasn t a problem. However, when my husband said his bacon tasted funny the bill was on our table and we were not offered even a coffee refill. Will not recommend and won t be back!

Perfect

This place was recommended as a replacement breakfast since Hoito burned. Parking: Dedicated handicap parking spaces. Wheelchair accessibility: No steps

Great breakfast, luckily Eggs Benedict was on the board that day but heads up its not on the menu.

The experience in Nivas was amazing. I enjoyed a delicious breakfast with family and friends. The people that works there is so nice, and the food is tasty. I ordered eggs Benedict and it was fantastic, also the pancakes that they served. You must visit this place.

Nivas was terrific. Good was awesome. Hollandaise sauce was the best I ever had. Very busy but they had lots of help, Rare these days, and paid attention to customers.

Loved loved loved their breakfast, super lovely staff.

Lovely local breakfast diner. The staff is wonderful and friendly. I wasnt too sure about having their desserts and said I would skip them because of my peanut allergy so our server went the extra mile and had their kitchen staff come talk to me and reassured me that their desserts would be ok for me and that they dont use peanuts/peanut butter in the kitchen.

Service is excellent food is really good very busy finish pancakes are top notch

Great service, make you feel like family

Most amazing breakfast in town!!! Friendly service that makes you feel like family every single time. Delicious food and great service!!!!

Nice homely atmosphere with very friendly staff.

Got that hometown friendly vibe from the decor. Friendly waitresses and the food came fast.

Good breakfast and lunch menu...great Finn pancakes!

Loved the service here and the old place charm this restaurant has. The food is really delicious and have lots of options.

Lots of pp eating very fast homemade yummy food

Fast service, great food and friendly staff!

The food is pretty average. Im disappointed

Nice clean place nice atmosphere. Very well organized and good friendly service. Food was good, portions were sufficient. Will visit again.

It was great to get the group together again at a great place. Great food and great service.

Great food.

Good service

My favourite brunch item is the eggs benny. Mmmmmmm. Enough said.

Awesome food and phenomenal staff.

Great service. Friendly staff. Good homestyle food. The French Toast was fantastic.

Make sure you have the pancakes

Nice little place with friendly staff. They care about the customers. I had the breakfast with eggs, skinny pancakes ham and fried potatoes. Reasonably priced filling meal. Lots of options on the menus. I forgot to check the allergy choices.

Good food great staff

Our food came out in a timely manner and and was very good. Our group sat and enjoyed talking and no one was rushing us out.

Very fast and good breakfast I eat there often when in the city

Our go to place for breakfast.

Great service, great food. Would recommend to others.

Its better than the hoito, go here instead of the hoito

Great food great service and friendly

Amazing service and great food, Ill be back

Staff are super nice and its a great breakfast spot

Superb

Best fin pancakes in town, also their baking is to die for

Food and service great. Finn Pancakes are really good

What an amazing place for the whole family ...friendly staff ...foods delicious..and timely for sure my favorite place to eat

Good home made food. Service was fantastic..Lots.. and I mean LOTS of staff on duty !

Had the spaghetti and meatballs. Delicious

The best breakfast in town. Nivas has never let me down. Even when its busy, staff stay friendly, the wait isnt usually long, tables are clean and the food is hot and delicious. If you like Finn pancakes, this is a hidden gem.

Customer service was good, lovely waitress, but Mediocre food, I was expecting more delicious foods.

Our first time trying finnish pancakes and its very good. servers are very nice and we really enjoyed the food. This is a must if you are visiting Thunder Bay.

#1 Breakfast, forget everything else.

Cute place, great food,

Im a big fan of how this places operates. Food comes out quickly and both the food and service are exceptional

Excellent as usual. Friendly staff and great testing food.

One of the best places for breakfast in TBay. If haven t been there before I recommend their pancakes and for desert their cinnamon buns.

Had breakfast at Nivas, was so delicious and menu is perfect, something for everyone. Very professional service, will be back definitely!!

Always good service

Love the home cooked meals and super friendly staff.

Great service and food

Great food. Friendly service.

Got my order wrong, they did not bring enough coffee and water for our table. Definitely not as good as Tinas in my opinion.

Excellent breakfast

Heavy , boring food. Place needs a facelift big time and so does the food.

Awesome

Super attentive staff. Really good food especially the Finnish pancakes (aka crepes). Eggs perfect, sausages yummy. It was a Great experience.

Love it there

Fantastic eggs Benedict! Great service - good prices

Great homestyle food.. generous portions . .fair pricing .. Locally owned.

Worth making the trip to, usually busy peak hours. However once you get seated you will not regret it!

Best breakfast Ive had at a Thunder Bay restaurant, well worth the money.

Very friendly workers and made accommodations to my order without any fuss at all! Great food, great service - who could ask for more?!

Great food & great service!!!

Awesome food, great service and reasonable prices; all in one family friendly venue. This restaurant is at the top of my list for where to dine in Thunder Bay.

What a well oiled operation that team is one of the best I have ever experienced and I have been in the business a long time

Great service the food is always amazing the best fin pancakes in town

Hands down a gem in thunder bay!

Not sure why I was told that this is the best breakfast place in Thunder Bay. The price for breakfast was ok, the home fries, bacon and Finn pancakes were decent, but the eggs were runny (ordered poached hard). Worst of all, one of the servers there was incredibly rude to us (made a big deal when we told her that we had cancelled the cinnamon roll in our order before the server left the table). Needless to say, we wont be back.

Good food. Priced fairly.

Fantastic Finn pancakes! Must go to place for breakfast in Thunder Bay

Delicious and super friendly. No matter how busy, Ive always had fast service. If you like diner food, youll love this place!

Friendly staff, good service, good food, my 3 & 4 year old enjoyed their time there because of the staff and coloring.

The service is spectacular, and the food is decent.

food is good. reasonable value. More selection would be good.