Gabriel's Cafe in Nanaimo

With great expectations after trying several times to get into Gabriels, nothing but disappoint. We had eggs Bennie which was cold. The bill for three eggs Bennie was over $80 dollars with coffee and tip. Yah tip, because you pay before you get your meal? I did point out to staff about the meals being cold, didnt really seem to care, but said she would tell the chef. Certainly would not recommend going there.

Food, delicious! Picture is of the rice bowl with peanut sauce. Decor pays tribute to local industry and shows an inventive way to re-use and refurbish old furniture/things. This gives the place a really clean space with personality. The entrance is a little confusing as a first time customer. Wheel chair friendly!

An easy order-at-the-counter style restaurant with your meal delivered to your table. I like the simplicity of the menu, lots of options for vegetarians and those with food allergies. We had a pleasant table in the sidewalk eating space. My husband had the pulled pork sandwich with a delicious bowl of soup and I had the Poke Bowl with the marinated albacore tuna, also delicious with a tangy flavourful dressing and a wide variety of fresh vegetables. As you can read, I really recommend this spot.

The best coconut pancakes topped with real maple syrup and great ham with an egg and strong coffee. I ordered a la carte. Thats a dollop of yogurt on the pancake.

Stopped for brunch. Place probably 1/3rd full.The food was good. Felt fresh and non fussy. Good quantity without being too much.

Got the pulled pork with the south African soup. Wait time was quick, came at 3:30 on a Saturday and it wasnt too busy. A bit pricy

Outstanding!Here for a week from Southern California for business. Wasn’t sure I’d find what I’m used to in terms of food. Asked front desk at Best Western, they recommended.Wowzers, love the overall concept.Service is great and my meal was outstanding. The name Gabriel’s tricked me a bit. I’m going to eat lunch here every day. I’ll send updates.Tuesday 9.6.22 -green curry bowl. Amazing flavor, loved the big veggies, rice was cooked exactly how I like. Very nice size portion (I’m a hearty eater). I am also very sensitive to sodium/excess salt, I’ll let you know if in next post if I have a reaction. I’m very critical when I leave a restaurant not full, today I’m stuffed. Only disappointment was, espresso machine is down, I really wanted a Latte. BUT OF COURSE THIS IS something that can’t be controlled.I hope it works tomorrow.9/9 update- been here everyday this week. Had the Benny today, forgot to take a photo before I devoured it. Fav of the week was the green curry bowl.If I get the opportunity to visit the island again, y’all can find me at Gabriel’s.

My friends and I went to Gabriel’s yesterday for a meal after watching a performance. I was quite excited as the store looked really pretty and the menu seemed good. When we went to order our server was extremely rude and uninviting. She spoke very quietly so it was hard to understand what she was saying. It felt like she wanted nothing to do with us. Then when we got our food it was under seasoned and my sandwich kept falling apart. However the produce was all very fresh. Overall I was really disappointed when we went, too bad because it’s in such a pretty location!

A different take on rice bowls.We ordered: Thai Green Curry, Butter Chicken, and Malaysian rice bowls. The flavour is too low but I get that its a cafe so perhaps theyre keeping it light.Price is right for the portion.The service is a solid 5/5! The food arrived very quickly and the servers are very friendly.

For the people who marked down the place for “bad” service, this is a SELF-serve restaurant… cafeteria-style… so you’re really saying that you were too lazy to get out of your seat. They need to buy a self-help book..This place is definitely 5-star for a self-serve restaurant. Second time in 2 days I have eaten here. Today I brought my wife - “the tagine was outstanding… fresh and spicy without the heat… really Mediterranean” - was her comment. I had the Malaysian peanut bowl today and salmon wrap yesterday. They were both outstanding.

We found this hidden gem few years ago and always visit here when we travel from Vancouver.We are very confused today when we tried the Lucid and Flying Pig. Especially, the maple syrup, we dont taste the burborn flavor anymore. The Lucid comes with the sauce and potatoes. The flavor of the wrap and potatoes taste different.Wondering if they have changed one of the ingredients. Maybe our taste has been changed? But, it odd because there is two of us. We want to know, did the chef or ingredient change.

Really good food and big portions. Loved the peanut sauce bowl. Didnt have to wait long. Had a nice indoor dining area and outdoor seating.

the hush brown is horrible! Even though told them it’s over cook, the next round still bad. The coconut pancake is not bad.

Casual counter service spot for a healthy breakfast or lunch. I enjoyed a fresh tasting poke bowl. They serve beer and cocktails and have a nice curbside patio in the sun.

Even though it was busy, very polite, quick service. Excellent hash special and London fog. Would highly recommend.As a vegetarian, I love the options and choices here. For many restaurants and cafes veg and vegan options are a side note. They are well thought out and intentional here. Well done

We arrived in town late and this was one of the few places still open downtown. Not sure what the standard for prices in the area is, but they seemed reasonable for someone visiting from Ontario. Portions were quite generous. We got a small soup and the tunisan tagine, which was plentiful for dinner for two.

One of our favorites of all the places we ate on our Nanaimo visit. Fresh, tasty, and delicious, in generous portions. I had a fantastic salmon chowder and enjoyed every bite. Service was cheerful and friendly. Looking forward to returning

Needs another non dairy milk like almond milk. Then it would be perfect!We ordered the Simple Plan breakfast and added the coconut milk pancakes with extra bacon.It took awhile for the food to come. Warning the pancakes take a little longer. So be prepared.Once the food came, everything was great. The pancakes were really good. I think the coconut milk adds a nice flavour

The jingle pot was delicious!The chai latte felt for milky than I’d prefer but still good.Great service and waiting time wasn’t crazy👌🏽

Ordered the benny, oat milk late, and breakfast bowl (no meat), and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. My partner’s hash tasted really stale, and coffee tasted burned. The hollandaise was nuclear yellow (definitely not made fresh). I was served a bowl with meat and did not realize it for a couple of bites. This was really upsetting and left me with a stomach ache as I haven’t eaten meat in decades. When I went to point it out I was offered an extra free juice. The bowl that I actually had ordered quickly came afterwards but the oyster mushrooms had a funky smell and taste (like they’ve been sitting for too long in the fridge and we’re turningand potatoes were super mushy. I had a couple of bites and just stopped. Neither of these breakfast plates are worth $18. Maybe $12? Don’t go here.

Landed here triggered by a positive recommendation in the Travel Guide, but can confirm: the Malaysian style peanut-rice bowl is excellent! Friendly staff serves big portions for an acceptable price and all is locally prepared in a nice open kitchen! Worth a visit!

Lovely atmosphere, friendly service, delicious food! We had curry rice bowl with prawns, and sweet potato and lentil Burger and both were delicious! Definitely I would go again, and do recommend if youre looking for vegetarian or vegan food try Gabriels Cafe if and when youre in Nanaimo! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Great food, friendly service, super coffee. Came here for lunch one day and breakfast another. A DEFINITE recommend. Clean and efficient and left full each time.

My husband and I came here for bfast. Enjoyed the coffee and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. We both ordered the Jingle Pot (potato hash). Whoa! Massive Massive portion. This breakfast item is definitely for sharing. Each individual ingredient in this hash was fresh. However, the combo of all the ingredients made the dish too mushy and almost over seasoned, over salty. I wont order that again. I will opt for something simpler. However, the freshness of their ingredients cannot be over stated. Would I return? I dont think so, but thats individual preference. I like my breakfast to be simpler. Their menu is eclectic and too complicated for me.

What can one say about Gabriels?Local food, excellent ambiance, creativity in creation. I enjoyed my time here immensely and cant wait to return.

Overall experience was wonderful. Staff are friendly, and work hard. The menu is creative and well rounded. The only reason I am giving a very picky 4 stars and not 5 is because the over all flavour of things could have been better.I order the vegan version of “Green eggs and ham yam I am”- and I ate the entire thing- it was yummy! That said, I DID use a hot sauce, because I was expecting a little more.The lentil/yam cakes, which really are the base of the dish, are a bit plain! The toppings are piled up separately, which is a nice presentation, but they are so important for the flavour, because the base is so bland. I would suggest that they focus more on perhaps adding a bit more pizzaz to the base cakes. That said, I will 100% be back to this place- absolutely!!!

Gabriel’s Cafe: Excellent food with great staff. Things are a bit different in that you grab a menu clipboard- order/pay and wait at a table (rather than full table service). If I had to use the word “vibe” I’d say it’s excellent here. Nice decor, upbeat and open room in the heart of Nanaimo’s business and shop areas. There’s lots to do in this neighbourhood. Pleasant buskers, some jugglers, and free spirits inhabit this snappy little street.

I ordered the quinoa and sweet potato burger, and a house salad with sesame ginger dressing. The salad was fresh, and the dressing was amazing! Im usually not a fan of ginger because I find the taste too strong, but it was more of a subtle ginger flavour. The burger had a nice flavour too, but it was a little on the dry side. The customer service was great.

Such a warm welcome from the hostess as soon as we crossed the threshold. The cashier who took our order was also so patient and polite.What delicious breakfasts! I had the best hash ever and vegan at that…so many tasty ingredients. My husband enjoyed the Mt Benny which he declared excellent as well. We will be returning!

Oh my goodness its like someone went into my mind and created the perfect breakfast just for me.I have the hash its a bean veg loaded egg potato bf topped with feta and eat more sprouts.I was sooo flipping amazing.I am not a big bf person: but i love my potatoes, so this breakfast was insanely perfect.

Delicious breakfast at Gabriels! Usually go for lunch and decided to try breakfast and it did not disappoint! Pictured is the Egg Benny and omelette

Fan-freaking-tastic! Great service, delicious food. The pancakes are some of the best we’ve ever had. I tried the Ian Special? Favourite? With the black bean corn cakes. I assumed they would be cornmeal cakes but they weren’t but I was a-okay because what they were was delicious. Don’t be afraid to branch out from your normal breakfast pick.You order at the counter and then the bring it to your table. Not sure what to pick? Just ask.

not busy when we went, really delicious food. tastes home made! would recommend the plant based purger and poke bowl

Gabriel’s is one of my favourite places in Nanaimo (great name!). Have been coming since they were running the takeout counter with bar seating at the old location up Commercial. The black bean burger and hot and sour soup were takeout favourites for between classes at VIU.Gabriel’s expanded shortly before I wound up moving from Nanaimo. The food is fresh, delicious, and local. Portions are incredibly generous. If you want to plan ahead for dine in, you can put your name and number down on their waitlist online.Favourites are the green Thai curry (sometimes they have red or yellow curry on special), House green salad with sesame dressing and tofu, and the breakfast hash (“the Jinglepot”).

Although this place is usually extremely busy and I dont really care for the order-at-the-counter system too much, the food here cant be beat!For whatever reason, I actually havent been here since the pandemic started, but then I went back and had some of the most delicious soup and a hearty and satisfying curry bowl. There are many menu items to choose from, and this place is good for everything from a quick lunch to a proper dinner.I highly recommend Gabriels Café to everyone. Come early; come often!

Food was great. Customer service was awesome.Love the restaurant concept.

Delicious food. Great looking menu items, so Ill have to come back soon to try some more.A very busy restaurant, so try to avoid usual restaurant rush times.Staff work quickly to keep tables cleared for more people. And the food is served pretty quick too.Priced a little higher than I normally pay, but its great value for money. Not to mention the restaurant is very active is supporting the less fortunate in our community.

I was really happy with the Tunisian tagine. It had plenty of flavour and the portion was big and very filling. You can customize the rice and the protein for no up-charge. I chose brown rice and prawns. Good value for money and good quality of food.

Fantastic food! Went for a Saturday brunch and while it was busy and a little chaotic. The food was absolutely worth it. The mimosas were amazing as well. I would highly recommend it if you’re in Nanaimo and looking for some breakfast food!

Such a wonderful little café and amazing food. Locally sourced ingredients make this a very fresh meal. Came for breakfast and ordered the Ian Staple, eggs over easy and a side of bacon. Definitely one of the best breakfasts I have had in a while.Prices are comparable to other restaurants on the island. Seems like everything is a bit more costly on the island as compared to the mainland. The quality and imagination is worth the price.

Highly recommended. We had the special hash dish this morning. So delicious! Generous portion makes it a hearty meal. Great value.They are vegan friendly. Most dishes can be modified to be vegan.

Really delicious breakfast place and they open early! Lots of food selections and the menu was fun to read with some funny words here and there. There’s often a long wait though especially during the holiday.

Gabriel’s is a brunch place in the heart of Nanaimo. It is popular for locals and tourists alike. They have a good selection of menu items including brunch items, rice bowls and salads. Our table ordered a mix of their MT Benny as well as their special Benny with smoked salmon! Good decent brunch but I wish they had runnier poached eggs for their bennies!To add, this place gets quite busy. Be prepared to wait!

Such a cute and delicious cafe! The atmosphere is very trendy and everything is locally sourced within the cafe. Their ingredients come from local farmers and they use only free range eggs. Prices are reasonable and you do get a large portion for the amount that you are paying! Service is great and our waitress was very polite. This place does get very busy so either be ready to wait for a long time or come early!

The food is delicious, we’ll served and tastes homemade or even organic. Didn’t quite love the drinks tbh, the mimosa size has a bit small, and both my partner and I felt like there was no alcohol taste on them lol. The staff is really nice, and the atmosphere is very chill too.

Food is good but not entirely pumped about the service. The girl at the cash register asked my partner for ID because he ordered a beer. When he provided it, she literally continued without looking at it. Why even ask if youre not going to look? And then our drinks were forgotten and we had to wave someone down after 15 mins. It could be written off as just a very busy morning though, and the food is tasty.

Delicious food. They not serve breakfast at noon hours. Good atmosphere. We love the butter chicken bowl.

Very friendly and quick service. The staff obviously takes precautions to ensure this place is COVID safe. You have to order at the counter to get your food!The food is fresh and wholesome. Nothing very special but good place to stop and eat a bite!The salad bowl was generous which I really appreciated but the dressing wasn’t a hit. The chowder was okay and the Malaysian curry bowls were okay.Their breakfast options look really lovely so I wish we had gone for that instead.

I loved that many items on the menu can be made plant-based / vegan with simple substitutions. I had the vegan poke bowl which was delicious. Service was quick and portion was very filling.

I recommend Gabriel’s cafe for breakfast and brunch. Apart from Covid problems, the food is really delicious.🍱They have a signature sauce used on some of menu items. Its a mix of vegetables and spices which makes a unique taste.Jinglepot is strongly recommended and you can customize it with different options on menu.The atmosphere is not that unique.☕️ The coffee was almost good.