Simonholt Restaurant

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#18 of 271 Restaurants in NanaimoBar, Seafood, $$ - $$$

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Simonholt Restaurant

Review

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Website

+1 250-933-3338Improve this listing

About

SIMONHOLT is a family friendly Nanaimo destination that features a diverse menu based on the refined palette of Chef priding itself on a 'mainly from scratch' kitchen. We offer an extensive wine selection of both red and white by the glass, a fully stocked bar and first class service. We have 3 patios including a rooftop deck with beautiful ocean and mountain views. We frequently host live music from both travelling and local Vancouver Island artists. Please check our website for upcoming shows. SIMONHOLT is locally operated and has been ranked in the top 3 best overall restaurants for 4 years and best patio restaurant in Nanaimo . We are located in the North Nanaimo commercial core and are neighbors to Woodgrove Center and Costco. SIMONHOLT is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the mild west coast weather.

Features

CUISINES

Bar, Seafood, Healthy, Canadian, Beer restaurants

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours, Drinks

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

American Express

Family style

Free off-street parking

Free Wifi

Full Bar

Gift Cards Available

Highchairs Available

Live Music

Mastercard

Non-smoking restaurants

Outdoor Seating

Parking Available

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Sports bars

Table Service

Takeout

Television

Visa

Wheelchair Accessible

Wine and Beer

Location

6582 Applecross Rd, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9V 0A4 Canada

Free off-street parking, Parking Available

Is this a Canadian restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

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Hours

Suggest an edit

Closed now

• Opens at 11:00 AM

Sunday

10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Monday

11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday

11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Wednesday

11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Thursday

11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Friday

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Saturday

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

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4.0

(531)

Excellent

254

Good

130

Average

Poor

Terrible

Kurt A

Ladysmith76 contributions

Very nice evening out

Jul 2022 • none

We went there for dinner yesterday evening. The place was busy. Because of the setup, the bar and dining room are together it is quiet noisy in there. It does not suit for a quiet dinner. It is like all bars, the drunker the patrons get the louder it is. As far as our dinner it was excellent. We had the crab and shrimp dip for appetizer, very tasty and hot. For dinner we picked the lobster soup, which had a lot of lobster in it, but the soup tasted more like a tomato soup, still very good . I ordered the lamp which was well prepared and tasty. A compliment to the kitchen for using hot plates. Overlooked in so many places. We had a bottle of California Pinot Grigio which was reasonably priced, unlike our BC wines, which are mostly overpriced and not any better. You want customer to drink BC wines then lower the prices! We had a young fellow as a waiter, just learning but he did a good job. Friendly and checking back how are dinners were. They have a lot of staff on the floor at the restaurant, and in time they will become very good. I can highly recommend the Simonholt Restaurant, prices are reasonable for what you get and we will be back on our next trip to Nanaimo.

Written July 16, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DayTrip03324836446

1 contribution

The best so far in Nanaimo

Nov 2024 • friends

Nov. 21,2024 This was the best experience I have had a restaurant since moving to Nanaimo 3 years ago. There were 6 of us celebrating a birthday and everyone was blown away by the food they ordered and the quality of service we had from Trish. I would highly recommend this restaurant to all. Chuck

Written November 22, 2024

Connie P

17 contributions

Overpriced

Jan 2023 • none

I liked the restaurant itself, ample parking and the service was good. But, their fish tacos are overpriced. Three Fish Tacos price tag was$20.75. That works out to almost $7 per taco. Considering they do not come with any sides. They were okay, but being an aficionada not the best I've had. Sorry to say, I wouldn't return in a hurry!

Written February 1, 2023

ygrigor

Vancouver Island1 contribution

Rude staff

Aug 2021 • family

We were a party of six, phoned to make reservations for that evening, they never answered the phone but got answering machine, we left what we would like and what time and asked if they would get back to us. We never got a reply but thought we would try anyway, when we arrived we were told they were too busy to seat us. There were quite a few tables, but maybe didn’t have the staff to serve them. I asked the server if they listen to there answering machine I was informed that they didn’t have time to listen to it. The bartender over heard the conversation didn’t come over to see what the problem was but quietly told us to “F” off. I overheard this and approached him and told him I didn’t appreciate that kind of language, he almost yell that he didn’t care what I thought. If they are going to hire that kind of staff I don’t care how good the food is you are going to lose customers. We went home and I went on the web site were they say the best way to get a table is to make a reservation, I would like to know how when they don’t answer the phone or listen to there messages. I wrote on there comment section on what happened and how unhappy I was by there staff. Shock they never answered that either

Written August 13, 2021

UweTru

Nanaimo44 contributions

Service can be very poor

Jul 2024 • couples

We arrived around 19:00, restaurant was maybe 1/3 full. We were assigned a table, given menus and asked if we would like some water. The water never arrived, and for the next 25 minutes we were solidly ignored, while the neighbouring table, who had arrived before us, was served. No chance making eye contact, no reaction to gentle calls or a waved hand. When I got up to speak to the person who had assigned us the table, she just pointed at another waiter and said “This would have been your server!” The pointed at apologized but we decided to leave. We know that at times Simonholt is struggling with the quality of service, especially with delays, but this has reached a level far beyond acceptable.

Written July 28, 2024

K A

2 contributions

Not impressed

Sep 2022 • none

This was my second time going to Simon holt. The first time was quite a few years ago and the food was not good in my opinion. So I have never gone back until recently . My mom had a Giftcard so my sister and mom and I decided to give it a try. I thought maybe it’s better now? The service was fine. I ordered the salmon, my sister ordered the dragon bowl. Mom had fish and chips. The food I received was so underwhelming. I cook better than that. The salmon said it had a maple mustard glaze. There was no hint of any glaze. Just a plain overcooked piece of salmon on a bed of plain rice. No seasoning on anything. The only good part was the zucchini on the side. So disappointing. The dragon bowl was mediocre at best. We had ordered it to be mild but it was quite spicy. Moms fish and chips arrived very over done. Quite a dark brown instead of a nice golden brown. The fries were very dark as well. So I tried the restaurant and had high hopes it would be better but sadly it was one of the worst meals I’ve had in a restaurant. I definitely will not be back and would not recommend it to anyone.

Written December 16, 2022

Margie B

Nanaimo3 contributions

Refused service for no reason!

Aug 2021 • none

We were a group of 6 mature women; our 90-year old mother, me and my three sisters and one daughter celebrating a mother/daughter spa day. My sister called twice to leave a message earlier in the day to make a reservation and her calls were not returned. We arrived at 4:45 PM and were asked if we had a reservation. Obviously, we did not. We were told that they were not serving any tables for more than 4 people so we politely asked for two tables and told them that we were not in a hurry. Nope! We were told that they are too busy and simply could not accommodate us in a very dismissive and rude manner. The server walked away and left us standing there pretty much dumbfounded. So we politely asked another hostess/server and we were once again refused service. The restaurant was very empty and I understand that their patio tables were likely busy, but there is no excuse to be refused service and be treated rudely and disrepectfully. I can almost guarantee that if we were a bunch of guys just coming off the golf course that we would have been served. The female servers had no interest in hosting a bunch of women who are perceived as being bad tippers. They just lost 6 customers and our dinner and service at Pipers Pub down the street was exceptional!

Written August 9, 2021

Restless_S0ul

Nanaimo44 contributions

Over priced, poor service.

Nov 2021 • none

Quality of the food is not worth the high price. Lamb sirloin was very tough, salmon was over cooked and the mashed potatoes were actually cold. Despite the restaurant being half empty the service was poor. I've tried this restaurant for supper a few times now. Last night was strike three, I won't be going back.

Written November 21, 2021

Smoser

Vancouver Island55 contributions

I love this place

Dec 2020 • family

It’s a little hidden gem behind Costco. It’s has good happy hour drinks and food. My favourite is the Nashville chicken burger (in a wrap). A few more favourites are the wings (sweet and spicy), Thai chicken noodle bowl and coconut prawns. The service is always great and you can tell they really care about their customers

Written December 12, 2020

Mark Sordi

Nanaimo17 contributions

The meal was the worst I have had in years

Mar 2020 • none

The food lacked any flavour and the cook should go back to school. The lettuce wraps were so bad, only came with 1/4 of a chicken breast, table spoon of carrot strips, 6 little strips of pepper, a few small pieces cucumbers and table spoon of toppings and a plate full of leaf lettuce chucks which you couldn’t even use for wraps. There was maybe $2 worth of food for a price tag of $19. The other food we had was the fish tacos and they had shredded lettuce , fish and tomatoes in them and no flavour. The restaurant only had 4 tables occupied during the peak of the lunch period and you can see why. When I told the person claiming to be the manager my concerns she seemed totally uninterested and just dismissed us. We have eaten there a number of times before and always found it expensive but the food was good. This time the food wasn't even worth half the price they charged. This place will not be around long if they continue like this. There is too many other good places around. I KNOW WE WILL NOT BE BACK.

Written March 9, 2020

Marilyn_CRM

So sorry for your experience at Simonholt. I have talked to the chef and management involved. Thank you for your comment.

Written March 12, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kris F

Victoria1 contribution

Amazing lunch

Jan 2021 • couples

This hidden gem in Nanaimo is our new favorite restaurant. Excellent service, menu has a good selection without being too extensive. You can tell that they choose their ingredients well. I had a Caesar salad with a chicken breast, a mundane dish the chef made spectacular. One of the best chicken breast I've had in a restaurant fresh not frozen. The salad was crisp and fresh, dressing was perfectly balanced and even had popped capers. Fantastic around experience. Considering the quality of food I think the prices are most acceptable

Written January 3, 2021

Sandra W

Canada127 contributions

Impressed with Service, Safety and Food

Jul 2021 • none

I am so glad this restaurant still has their wait staff wearing masks around customers. Since rules were relaxed many businesses no longer have employees wear masks regardless of vaccine status. So vulnerable patrons cannot be sure they won't be exposed to covid. There were many options in the menu for celiac patrons and the service was great. The food portions were more than generous. We had not dined out for over a year so we were thrilled with the experience with food, service and safety and plan to return.

Written July 26, 2021

Kris J

Nanaimo38 contributions

It is not top notch

Dec 2019 • none

It could be. The potential is there. It is close to home, we like the west coast style,the people are friendly. We picked the wrong time. We went there on new years eve, and it still bothers me. The service was prompt and cold. They were setting up for evening entertainment. There was a guy hovering over diners on a ladder setting up sound and lights. It could have been a disaster. Why, at six pm would he have to be doing that.? If they were that disorganized. I expected more from a supposedly classy joint. The food was tolerable, as was the service. It was overpriced for your typical pub, even for a high classed restaurant, it was on the upper scale. I know, it was new years eve. We could give them a few points for that, except they could have made it spectacular instead of ho-hum.JMHO We have been here before, it is walking distance from home. We have had good experiences, which is why this one stands out.

Written February 12, 2020

Rivularis

Nanoose Bay116 contributions

Typical Canadian fare

Aug 2019 • none

Ample and easy parking, cheery hostess, clean and modern "west coast style" interior, the usual Canadian food offered on the menu. We were there after the lunch rush, so our meals came out FAST. We weren't expecting and "exciting food experience," and we didn't get it, but it was cooked right and presented just fine. Our burgers were tasty and consistent with what you would get at any franchise restaurant.

Written February 9, 2020

Dog

1 contribution

worst service

Nov 2019 • none

went there for the first time a couple of years ago, absolutly the worst service i've ever had, swore i would never go back. but i did go back to go out with friends that insisted on going there, terrible service and food again! now they won't be going back either. so disappointed i cut up a gift card that had remaining balance

Written October 12, 2020

Marilyn_CRM

Hi there, When did you go to the resturant? What did you order? Please be responsible for what you said in the public.

Written October 14, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.