1 hour ago, MaryIsobel said:Willbe heading to the Island, Qualicum in particular - would love to hear any suggestion you may have between Nanaimo and Qualicum.
We haven't been eating out the way we used to, but we hear a lot about two places in particular in Qualicum. One is Q Burger, which was called one of the Top 5 burger places in Canada by Canadian Living and has been super busy since. Plan ahead if you want to try it out. We were going to go there a couple of times but ended up going somewhere quieter.
https://viqburger.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral#menu
The other is in Coombs, which is a short drive away. I love Coombs, it's a quirky little community but it's become a huge tourist draw (see the goats on the roof, the General Store, etc) and it can be busy in a very annoying way. However, one restaurant keeps getting really good reviews and that's Cuckoo Trattoria. And I admit to loving the goats. 🙂
To enjoy Qualicum Beach, you'll likely be driving along Hwy 19A and following the ocean route. There are a few places that have such lovely views/locations that they might be worth the risk of less than stellar food. For example, Shady Rest was getting a bit long in the tooth, but they have been doing some renos and it's a great location on the beach. We have eaten there half a dozen times and it was always ok, sometimes quite good but maybe not spectacular. Again, we haven't been there recently so it may be consistently better now, it gets good online reviews.
There's also an adorable little spot right on the beach and I can't remember or find the name, but you'll notice it with it's umbrellas and location. We've had some decent fish and chips there. Maybe it's Shore Restaurant? https://www.eatatshore.com/
You can find various restaurants in town and at the golf courses, but at this time of year, I'd want to be on the ocean or going somewhere fun.
Around Nanaimo, same thing. Lots of choices for good food, but if you want quirky, ocean experience then maybe consider something like Dinghy Dock Pub on Protection Island or a trip to Newcastle Island via short ferry rides.
https://www.dinghydockpub.com/
https://newcastleisland.ca/saysutshun-concession
Edited to add: Not sure if this is your style, but if you let me know more, I can ask friends who live in those communities.
