We hit up The Crow and Gate English Pub in Nanaimo. This is so not your average pub!
The Location: 5/5
Wow what a wonder! This pub is not what you would be expecting from a little restaurant/bar in Nanaimo. There is no such thing as little here! Nestled just off Yellow Point Road in Nanaimo is this old English pub. It’s a transportation back in time and across the ocean for many who visit here.
Located just 20 minutes from the ferry, it is an easy jaunt for lunch or dinner. Just leave yourself lots of time to get to the ferry if you are hitting this pub before heading home like we did! We had lunch with friends before our ferry home and my goodness it was the best stop we could have picked!
The Patio: 5/5
The patio was beauty encapsulate. While there are limited number of pups allowed on the patio (only every 2 to 3 tables are allowed to have pups at them due to Nanaimo bylaws), it is a perfectly picturesque patio.
If travelling with a pup like we did, you have to enter into a side gate for the patio. Take care not to step into the lawn of the caretakers residence. They don’t want any surprises puppy poops to wake up to so pick up if you doo-doo!
The patio itself is lined with floral and green plants all around the edges of the lawn. This is not a basic patio! It is a lawn with brick walk ways. Take care to stay on the walkway to keep the beauty in place.
Picnic benches and high top bar tables are seated throughout the patio with good distance between but if it is busy be mindful, a larger table that seats 8 may be taken by 2 group of 4 due to space. Our table was one of the 8 seater picnic benches for our party of 4 plus Skye; a second party of 2 was seated at the other end of our bench. No dog for them though! The waitresses cannot sit 2 dogs at tables next to each other so they have to arrange seating for 1 dog, then 1 no dog table, then 1 dog table and so forth.
Most tables had shade options with the exception of the high top bar tables. Those were open above. Some were seated in shades, others in sum so you have a great mix for your preferences of where to sit.
The Decor: 4/5
You know those old movies and tv shows white the dark English pubs and that grumpy looking dude in the corner nursing a beer? That this place! Minus the grumpy dude. This is a very unique set back into time in an old English pub. Dark moody lighting inside, walls lined with old coasters and memories from years past.
Oh yeah, it’s cool! Stained glass windows, exposed beams, old wood bar tops. This is really an interesting pub to take a walk around, even if just to see the decor! It’s two sides, restaurant and bar, have 2 feels. The restaurant is where I would expect to find that grumpy old man in the corner, but instead, you find happy bubbly faces in individual booths. The bar side is mostly just that, the bar top. There are a couple of high-top tables and chairs, but it is mostly the bar top service you get on this side.
Want to see inside? You’ll have to go visit for that privilege! I can’t ruin the magic of this place with photos of everything.
The Food: 4/5
Okay, so I am very picky about my food and this was a very good meal. I loved the beef dip,but I didn’t need the salads on the plate. No fries with these meals! I need to have fries with burgers and beef dips, and while the Crow and Gate do not do fries at all, they still have a great meal.
You do get a salad! And the burger was amazing. The charcuterie board was well balanced with meats and cheeses and the spreads/pickles. We had the charcuterie for 4 and finished it all. Then, each of us had our own meals, sandwiches, or burgers, all of which were delicious and good-sized portions for the value.
The Drinks: 4.5/5
The one thing with drinks is versatility for me. There is a limited cocktail menu but a vast beer menu. If you are looking for cocktails this may not be your best option, but they do make a screwdriver and it was delicious!
The Service: 5/5
Our server was amazing. She was friendly and knowledgeable and did her best to ensure our experience was amazing at the Crow and Gate. The only drawback here? Well, your server is not allowed to say hello to their canine patrons.
Servers are not permitted to pet or interact with your pup at all. They even have a little guideline that they give you regarding canine manners on the patio with do’s and don’ts for owners snd pups. I’ve never seen this before but to comply with the Nanaimo bylaws and deal with previous issues, they have made these adjustments to ensure the experience is safe and courteous for everyone. Please be kind to your server – they want to say hi to Fido but aren’t allowed!
Overall: 4.5/5
Overall this pub is a must see if you are in Nanaimo. The atmosphere was amazing and relaxed. The service was excellent. The accommodation of pups on the patio was perfection, even though there are rules to follow they were your standard respect sort rules. Having the extra space between dogs on the patio may even be a benefit to a dog that is shy or easily stimulated by other dogs.
All in all, this pub was cozy, inviting, different and a delicious wash to end our trip to Nanaimo. A must do for us on future trips.
Please note for copyright that the videos in this post are created in inShot and use the music called Sunny from the travel theme pack.
ASR Adventures 