Vancouver Island Culinary Landscape Gets a Lift as Nanoose Bay Cafe Now Officially Open

Offering a fresh take on coastal classics, exceptional service, and vibrant community hub

All eyes will be on the east coast of Vancouver Island this week, as the eagerly anticipated Nanoose Bay Cafe has now officially opened its doors, offering a fresh take on coastal classics, grounded by Asian ingredients and flavours; warm and welcoming service; and an unequivocal commitment to its new Vancouver Island community.

The multi-concept space is the creation of veteran hospitality partners Eli Brennan, Alan Tse, and Chef Todd Bright, and includes a full restaurant and bar, coffee shop and marketplace, all family-run and centered around local ingredients, products, and suppliers. It’s an evolution of their brand, which also includes renowned sister restaurants Qualicum Beach Cafe, and Water St. Cafein Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood.

The menu at Nanoose Bay Cafe is expansive, with familiar coastal classics alongside dishes that incorporate his signature balance of rich and resonant Asian flavours, all featuring local ingredients. Dishes include shrimp toast with sweet chilli lime dipping sauce, traditional West Coast chowder, fresh oysters, classic cioppino, miso-sake marinated Sablefish, and honey-soy braised short rib. There’s also a mouth-watering list of dumplings filled with local ingredients, and wok-fired options like salt and pepper squid, Szechuan beans and mushrooms, and sweet and sour pork.

Local products and artisan goods also get top billing in the Coffee Shop + Marketplace, where the coffee is from French Press Coffee Roasters, based in Qualicum Beach, and a list of over 30 local vendors has already been assembled to adorn the Marketplace shelves. Local ingredients are also vital to the restaurant, with suppliers like Nanoose Bay’s own Natural Gift Seafood and Echo Valley Farms.

The full restaurant, patio and bar is open for lunch, dinner and Happy Hour and seats 145 people, while the Coffee Shop has room for 30.

Hours of Operation:
Restaurant & Bar: Wednesday - Sunday, 12 - 8 p.m. 
Coffee Shop: Daily, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. 
Marketplace: Monday - Tuesday, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Wednesday - Sunday, 12 - 8 p.m

Reservations are open now for lunch, dinner or Happy Hour at the Nanoose Bay Cafe website: nanoosebaycafe.com, and stay up to date on all the delicious happenings by following @nanoosebaycafe on Instagram, and /nanoosebaycaferestaurant on Facebook.