Nanaimo News Bulletin's Best of the City 2024 (2024)

All those votes have added up to a long list of worthy winners.
This is the part of Best of the City magazine when we thank all our readers who took the time and trouble to cast their ballots, and there were a lot of them. We tallied up tens of thousands of votes again this year, making it one of our top-three best years as far as total votes.
Now, the results are in.
We like to think that our Best of the City survey is about much more than bragging rights for businesses. Yes, the winners should be rightfully proud to be recognized by their customers and the community. But Best of the City has always been about all the people who make up Nanaimo – most of all, the list is meant for readers. It’s meant to be a starting point, a guide, a nudge in one direction or another to try something new, visit a store or establishment we haven’t before, and shop local.
And without further ado, here are the winners, in the order in which they appear in the magazine. Congratulations to everyone who helps make Nanaimo the best.

Best Local Campground
1. Living Forest Oceanside
Campground and RV Resort
2. Nanaimo Lakes Campsite
3. Brannen Lake RV Park and
Campsite

Best Tourism Activity
1. Wildplay Nanaimo
2. Saysutshun Park
3. Superior Farms

Best Moving Company
1. Junk in our Trunk
2. Take a Load Off Moving
3. Two Burley Men

Best Interior Design Business
1. Evolve Interior Design
2. La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries
3. Studio AE InteriorDesign

Best Yoga Studio
1. Red Door Yoga
2. Bend Over Backwards Yoga
3. Modo Yoga Nanaimo

Best Appetizers/Tapas
1. Asteras Greek Taverna
2. Carlos O’Bryan’s
Neighbourhood Pub
3. Cactus Club Café

Best Breakfast/Brunch
1. Gabriel’s Gourmet Café
2. Tania’s Restaurant
3. Kelly’s Kitchen Café

Best Catering Business
1. The Bee’s Knees Café and
Catering
2. Spice of Life Catering
3. Coastal Boards and Bites

Best Cinnamon Buns
1. Cobs Bread
2. Red’s Bakery
3. Bodhi’s Artisan Bakery

Best Curry
1. The Curry Culture
2. Gateway To India Restaurant
3. Heritage Indian Cuisine

Best Deli
1. Nesvog Meats and Sausage
Company
2. Nellie’s Dutch Deli
3. McLean’s Specialty Foods

Best Family Restaurant
1. White Spot
2. Mrs. Riches Restaurant
3. Milano’s Ristorante

Best Fast Food
1. A&W
2. Delicado’s Deli
3. Mambo Gourmet Pizza

Best Fish and Chips
1. Troller’s Fish and Chips
2. Chick to Sea Express
3. Maggie’s Seafood Market Fish
and Chips

Best Food Truck
1. Sip and Sliders
2. Van Isle Poutinerie
3. Harbour City Donuts

Best French Fries
1. McDonald’s
2. New York Fries
3. Costco Wholesale

Best Hamburgers
1. Bin 4 Burger Lounge
2. Joe Burger
3. Top Notch Burgers

Best Nachos
1. Gina’s Mexican Café
2. Carlos O’Bryan’s
Neighbourhood Pub
3. Longwood Brew Pub and
Restaurant

Best Tacos
1. Gina’s Mexican Café
2. Jalapenos Mexican Food
3. Baby Salsa

Best Asian Food
1. Horang Korean Inspired
Restaurant and Bar
2. Huong Lan Vietnamese
Restaurant
3. Nori Japanese Restaurant

Best Ice Cream and Gelato
1. Burnt Honey Dessert Co.
2. Cold Front Gelato
3. Dairy Queen

Best Kids’ Restaurant
1. White Spot
2. McDonald’s
3. Boston Pizza

Best Lunches
1. Crow and Gate Pub
2. Gabriel’s Gourmet Café
3. Delicado’s Deli

Best Mediterranean Food
1. Asteras Greek Taverna
2. Alexandra’s Bistro
3. Milano’s Ristorante
3. Zougla Restaurant

Best Pasta
1. Milano’s Ristorante
2. La Stella Trattoria
3. Asteras Greek Taverna

Best Pizza
1. Mambo Gourmet Pizza
2. Milano’s Ristorante
3. La Stella Pizzeria

Best Place to Buy Meat
1. Nesvog Meats and Sausage
Company
2. Meat Craft Island Butchery
3. Costco Wholesale

Best Bakery
1. Red’s Bakery
2. Cobs Bread
3. Columbia Bakery

Best Desserts
1. Red’s Bakery
2. Burnt Honey Dessert Co.
3. Asteras Greek Taverna

Best Nanaimo Bar
1. Red’s Bakery
2. Affirmation Coffee
3. Bocca Café
3. Hearthstone Artisan Bakery

Best Place to Buy Seafood
1. Seadrift Fish Market and Eatery
2. Thrifty Foods
3. Driftwood SeaFoods

Best Restaurant Overall
1. Asteras Greek Taverna
2. Mahle House Restaurant
3. Crow and Gate Pub

Best Romantic Restaurant
1. Mahle House Restaurant
2. Asteras Greek Taverna
3. The View Oceanside Grill

Best Sandwich/Sub
1. Subway
2. Nellie’s European Deli
3. Nanda Chicken

Best Farmers Market
1. Cedar Farmers Market
2. Island Roots Farmers Market
3. Gabriola Agricultural Co-op
Farmers Market

Best Place to Buy Produce
1. Cedar Farmers Market
2. Nanaimo Fruit and Vegetable
Company
3. Country Grocer

Best Chicken Wings
1. Landlubber Pub
2. Black Bear Pub
3. Royal Canadian Legion
Branch 10

Best Music Trivia
1. Landlubber Pub
2. Royal Canadian Legion
Branch 10
3. Black Bear Pub

Best Seafood Restaurant
1. Bold Knight Restaurant
2. The View Oceanside Grill
3. Off The Hook

Best Steakhouse
1. Bold Knight Restaurant
2. Mahle House Restaurant
3. Zougla Restaurant

Best Sushi
1. Nori Japanese Restaurant
2. Dami Sushi
3. Umai Sushi

Best Take-Out Food
1. Mambo Gourmet Pizza
2. Poké Page
3. Delicado’s Deli

Best Vegetarian Food
1. Eve Olive
2. Gabriel’s Gourmet Café
3. Delicado’s Deli

Best Happy Hour
1. Carlos O’Bryans
Neighbourhood Pub
2. Cactus Club Café
3. Browns Socialhouse

Best Karaoke
1. Quarterway Pub
2. Oxy Pub
3. Corner Lounge

Best Martini
1. Cactus Club Café
2. Carlos O’Bryan’s
Neighbourhood Pub
2. The Nanaimo Bar
3. Arbutus Distillery

Best Open Mic/Jam Session
1. The Queen’s
2. The Vault Café
3. Landlubber Pub

Best Patio Restaurant
1. Crow and Gate Pub
2. Carlos O’Bryan’s
Neighbourhood Pub
3. Black Bear Pub

Best Place for Birthday Parties
1. Carlos O’Bryan’s
Neighbourhood Pub
2. Airhouse
2. Brechin Lanes
2. WildPlay Nanaimo
3. 4Cats Art Studio

Best Place for Cocktails and Shots
1. Carlos O’Bryan’s
Neighbourhood Pub
2. Cactus Club Café
3. The Nanaimo Bar

Best Place for Live Bands
1. The Queen’s
2. Port Theatre
3. The Vault Café

Best Place to Buy Craft Beer
1. Longwood Brew Pub
and Restaurant
2. White Sails Brewing
3. Craft Fare

Best Place to Buy Wine
1. B.C. Liquor Store
2. Lucky’s Liquor Store
3. Greenrock Liquor Store

Best Place to Dance
1. The Queen’s
2. Vibrant (Vibe) Studios
3. Evolve Nightclub

Best Pub
1. Crow and Gate Pub
2. Longwood Brew Pub
and Restaurant
3. Carlos O’Bryan’s
Neighbourhood Pub

Best Sports Bar
1. Carlos O’Bryan’s
Neighbourhood Pub
2. Boston Pizza
3. Old City Station Pub

Best Accommodations
1. Coast Bastion Hotel
2. Yellow Point Lodge
3. Inn On Long Lake

Best Accounting Firm
1. Church Pickard Chartered
Professional Accountants
2. MNP LLP
3. Cross and Company
3. Graham and Associates

Best Art Gallery
1. Nanaimo Art Gallery
2. Art 10 Gallery
3. YellowBird Arts Gallery

Best Auto Detailer
1. Eco Wash Automotive Detailing
2. Nanaimo Toyota
3. V.I. Precision Detailing
and Car Care

Best Auto Servicing
1. Bavarian Imports Auto Repair
1. Precise Mechanical Repairs
2. Supertech Diesel Truck
Specialists
3. Auto Check Automotive

Best Store for Menswear
1. NYLA Fresh Thread
2. Mark’s
3. Lucid

Best Customer Service
1. KC’s Boutique and Petites
2. Norm’s Plumbing and Heating
3. Burnt Honey Dessert Co.

Best Store for Ladieswear
1. KC’s Boutique and Petites
2. Damsels
3. CurVa-Voom

Best Banking Institution
1. Coastal Community
Credit Union
2. RBC
3. TD Canada Trust

Best Beauty Salon or Spa
1. Kiyo Salon and Day Spa
2. Maffeo Salon and Day Spa
3. Hair Tech Salon

Best Clothing Store
for Inclusive Sizing
1. CurVa-Voom
2. Fig Love
3. Costco Wholesale
3. Reitmans

Best Collision Repair/
Auto Body Service
1. Trojan Collision
2. Craftsman Collision
3. CSN Mid Island Auto Collision

Best Community-Minded Business
1. COCO Café
2. The Thinking Garden Childcare
Centre
3. Norm’s Plumbing and Heating

Best Furniture Store
1. Flying Fish
2. La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries
3. ScanDesigns Furniture

Best Computer Sales and Service
1. London Drugs
2. R-U Computing Co.
3. Best Buy

Best Consignment or Thrift Store
1. Nanaimo Hospital Auxiliary
Thrift Store
2. Nanaimo Hospice Shoppe
3. Deni’s Dynamite Deals
3. Funk Revival

Best Dental Clinic
1. Franklyn Street Dental Centre
2. Northfield Dental Clinic
3. Nanaimo Smiles

Best Electrical Company
1. Walls Electrical
2. DenMar Electric
3. Mazzei Electric

Best Engineering Firm
1. Herold Engineering
2. McElhanney
3. Lewkowich Engineering

Best Estheticians
1. Brows X Sculpt
2. Foxy Box Nanaimo
3. Velvet Body Bar

Best Exterior Cleaning Company
1. Green Tech Property Care
2. Mr. Sparkle
3. IslandClean

Best Carpet Cleaners
1. Classic Care Carpet
and Upholstery Cleaning
2. Van Isle Carpet Cleaning
3. Suck It Up Carpet Furnace

Best Financial Planning Business
1. Coastal Community Credit
Union
2. TD Canada Trust
3. Integral Wealth Management

Best Fitness/Exercise Company
1. Healthy Role Models
2. Loaded Movement Academy
3. Nanaimo Gymnastics School

Best Flower Shop
1. Turley’s Florist
2. Thrifty Foods
3. Ladybug Floral

Best Gas Bar
1. Mid Island Co-op
2. Super Save Gas Stations
3. Petrocan

Best Hair Salon
1. Hair Tech Salon
2. KG Hair Salon
3. Kiyo Salon and Day Spa

Best Health-Care Clinic
1. Caledonian Clinic
2. Medical Arts Centre
3. Wellington Medical Clinic

Best Barbershop
1. That 50’s Barbershop
2. Four Crows Barber and Shave Co.
3. Edge Barbershop

Best Denture Clinic
1. Nanaimo Denture Clinic
2. Harbour City Denture Clinic
3. Pacific Denture Centre

Best Hearing Clinic
1. Connect Hearing
2. Nanaimo Hearing Clinic
3. Costco Wholesale

Best Heating Business
1. Norm’s Plumbing and Heating
2. Blue Flame Ventures
2. ServiceXcel
3. Sparrow Mechanical

Best Home/Kitchen
Appliance Store
1. Trail Appliances
2. Coast Wholesale Appliances
3. Costco Wholesale

Best Home Builder
1. Shining Knight Construction Inc.
2. Boehm Construction
2. R. Dolan Construction
3. Dogwood Mountain Homes
3. Habitat for Humanity
Mid-Vancouver Island Society
3. Marban Construction and Design

Best Home Improvement Store
1. Home Depot
2. Home Hardware
3. Rona

Best Floor Covering Store
1. United Floors
2. End of the Roll
3. City Tile

Best Home Renovation Company
1. Shining Knight Construction
2. Trev Homes
3. Right Call Contracting

Best Housewares/Linen Store
1. HomeSense
2. Flying Fish
3. The Bay

Best Insurance Agency
1. Hub Insurance
2. BCAA
3. Driven Agencies

Best Janitorial/Housekeeping
Service
1. Bastion Janitorial Supply
2. MaidItByTori
3. Maid For This
3. Maid to Please Cleaning Services
3. Planet Clean

Best Jewelry Store
1. Keller’s Jewellers
2. Peoples Jewellers
3. KPK Goldsmith

Best Kids Clothing Store
1. Once Upon A Child
2. Pumpkin Pie Kids
3. Carter’s

Best Tattoo Studio
1. Relegation Tattoo
2. Electric Umbrella
3. Black Flag Body Arts

Best Landscaping Business
1. Savannah Landscapes
2. McKenzie Maintenance
3. Jim’s Mowing and Gardening

Best Law Firm
1. Bartlett and Co. Law
Corporation
1. Heath Law LLP
2. Krog and Company
3. Mont and Walker Law
Corporation

Best Lighting Store
1. McLaren Lighting
2. Home Depot
3. HomeSense
3. Rona

Best Lingerie Store
1. Purple Cactus
2. My Undies
3. Elizabeth’s Lingerie Drawer

Best Marine Supplier
1. The Harbour Chandler
2. Stones Boatyard and
the Marine Store
3. Marine Parts Supply
3. Parker Marine

Best Massage Clinic
1. Knead Registered Massage
Therapy
2. Breze Aveda Concept Salon
and Spa
3. 3 Cedars Wellness Collective

Best Veterinary Clinic
1. Petroglyph Animal Hospital
2. Mahalo Veterinary Hospital
3. Chase River Veterinary Hospital

Best Cell Phone Repair
1. Mobile Klinik
2. London Drugs
3. Cell Pro
3. Geek Squad

Best Mattress Store
1. Sleep Country
2. John’s Bedroom Barn
3. The Brick

Best Mortgage Broker
1. Lendlab Mortgage Inc.
2. Rachel Cousins
3. Andrea McCaw Mortgage
Manager

Best Nail Studio
1. Peach
2. The Nail Lounge
3. Beyond Beauty Bar

Best Oil Changes
1. Great Canadian Oil Change
2. Supertech Diesel
3. Precise Mechanical Repairs

Best Optical Store
1. Specsavers
2. Highview Optical
3. Costco Wholesale
3. FYI Doctors

Best Outdoor Garden Centre
1. GardenWorks
2. Little Tree Garden Centre
3. Green Thumb Garden Centre

Best Paint Store
1. Benjamin Moore
2. Cloverdale Paint
3. Home Depot

Best Painting Company
1. Pride Painting
2. Simply Painting
3. Sonshine Girls Painting

Best Performing Arts School
1. Vibrant (Vibe) Studios
2. Harbour Dance Studios Inc.
3. Kirkwood Academy of
Performing Arts
3. Wellington Secondary Jazz
Academy

Best Personal Training Business
1. Loaded Movement Academy
2. Prime Performance and Therapy
3. The Strong Collective

Best Pest Control Services
1. V.I. Pest Control
2. Abell Pest Control
3. Nanaimo Pest Control

Best Pet Grooming Business
1. Paws and Claws Mobile
Nail Trims
2. Dog N’ Suds Pet Services
3. Cedar Dog Grooming

Best Pet Supply Store
1. Bosley’s Pet Food Plus
2. PetSmart
3. Oliver’s Pet Supplies


Best Pharmacy
1. Central Drugs
2. Medicine Shoppe
3. Costco Wholesale

Best Photographer
1. Janayh Wright Photography
2. Barbara Anne Photography
3. Cozy Coastal Photography

Best Place to Buy a New Vehicle
1. Nanaimo Toyota
2. Nissan of Nanaimo
3. Nanaimo Honda

Best Place to Buy a Used Vehicle
1. Galaxy Motors
2. Nanaimo Toyota
3. Nissan of Nanaimo

Best Place to Buy Window
Coverings
1. Budget Blinds
2. West Coast Blinds
3. Costco Wholesale

Best Place to Get Tires
1. Cedar Tireland
2. Kal Tire
3. Costco Wholesale

Best Place to Meet for Coffee
1. Drip Coffee Social
2. Serious Coffee
3. The Bee’s Knees Café
and Catering
3. The Vault Café

Best Place to Shop
1. Woodgrove Centre
1. Costco Wholesale
2. Nanaimo Buyers Club
3. KC’s Boutique and Petites

Best Plumbing Business
1. Norm’s Plumbing and Heating
2. High Tide Plumbing and Gas
3. Archie Johnstone Plumbing
and Heating

Best Real Estate Agent/Team
1. Cory Chapman
2. Sims Real Estate Group
3. Nanaimo Property Group

Best Retirement Community
1. Berwick On The Lake
2. Eden Gardens
3. Origin At Longwood

Best Roofing Company
1. Erickson Roofing
2. All the Way Roofing
3. IDM Roofing

Best Security Company
1. Footprints Security Patrol
2. Securco Services
3. Telus

Best Sewing Notions Store
1. Fabricland
2. Snip and Stitch Sewing Centre
3. Serge and Sew

Best Shoe Store
1. Frontrunners
2. A Step Ahead
3. SoftMoc
Best Sporting Goods Store
1. Cabela’s
2. Kirbys Source For Sports
3. Sport Chek

Best Storage Company
1. Budget Self Storage
2. U-Lock Mini Storage
3. Nanaimo Mini Storage

Best Store to Buy Books
1. Chapters
2. Literacy Central
Vancouver Island
3. Window Seat Books

Best Store to Buy Tools
1. Canadian Tire
2. Home Depot
3. KMS Tools

Best Tanning Salon
1. Glow With The Flow
Tanning
2. House of Dandy
3. Glow Coast Tanning

Best Theatre Company
1. Nanaimo Theatre Group
2. Cineplex Galaxy Theatre
3. TheatreOne

Best Tile Store
1. City Tile
2. Cornerstone Tile
3. BE Tile

Best Bike Shop
1. Arrowsmith Bikes
2. Coal City Cycles
3. Rock City Cycles

Best Toy Store
1. Toys R Us
2. The Children’s Treehouse
3. Curious Comics
3. Nanaimo Hospital Auxiliary
Thrift Store
3. Walmart

Best Travel Agency
1. Imagine Cruise and Travel
2. Ashley Travel
3. Amanda Rauh - The Travel Agent
Next Door

Best Tree Service
1. Davey Tree
2. Holly Wood Tree Co.
3. Jeff’s Tree Service

Best Vitamin/Health Food Store
1. Charlie Brown’s Health Foods
2. Pomme Natural Market
3. Costco Wholesale
3. Nanaimo’s Health Shop

Best Wine Making Store
1. The Wine Works
2. Off The Vine Winemaking
3. Wine Kitz

Best Place for a Picnic
1. Neck Point Park
1. Pipers Lagoon Park
2. Maffeo Sutton Park
3. Saysutshun Park

Best Place for Paddling
1. Westwood Lake Park
2. Departure Bay
3. Newcastle Channel

Best Place to Walk, Jog or Hike
1. Westwood Lake Park
2. Neck Point Park
3. Ammonite Falls

Best Place to Mountain Bike
1. Doumont Hill
2. Mount Benson
3. Westwood Lake Park

Best Place to Swim Outdoors
1. Nanaimo River
2. Westwood Lake Park
3. Pipers Lagoon Park

Best Place to Take Guests
1. Crow and Gate Pub
2. Neck Point Park
3. Dinghy Dock Pub

Best Place for a Picnic
1. Neck Point Park
1. Pipers Lagoon Park
2. Maffeo Sutton Park
3. Saysutshun Park

Best Place for Paddling
1. Westwood Lake Park
2. Departure Bay
3. Newcastle Channel

Best Place to Walk, Jog or Hike
1. Westwood Lake Park
2. Neck Point Park
3. Ammonite Falls

Best Place to Mountain Bike
1. Doumont Hill
2. Mount Benson
3. Westwood Lake Park

Best Place to Swim Outdoors
1. Nanaimo River
2. Westwood Lake Park
3. Pipers Lagoon Park

Best Place to Take Guests
1. Crow and Gate Pub
2. Neck Point Park
3. Dinghy Dock Pub

Nanaimo News Bulletin's Best of the City 2024 (2024)

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