With Valentine’s day happening this month, I thought it prudent to round up a few of the most romantic restaurants across Vancouver Island. While many of them are on the list because they are wonderfully romantic, a few of them also offer something incredibly unique. No matter which option you choose, expect to have a fantastic date night with your loved one.
The list is based on both personal experience and those trending on outside sources (OpenTable, TripAdvisor, Google reviews, etc.). With that in mind, few could argue that this list also represents the very BEST restaurants found on Vancouver Island!
As they are the best, this means they are also popular. Reservations are highly recommended. Click on any of the (blue) links provided to lead you to the restaurant page.
Updates:
This article was fully updated: on February 10, 2023.
If your favourite date night restaurant isn’t mentioned, we’d love to hear from you. In the comments below, please share what you feel is the best date night restaurant in your neighbourhood.
Greater Victoria
Saveur Restaurant
Cuisine: Contemporary French
Dining Style: Upscale casual – newly implemented a la carte selections with a balance of casual fare and gourmet dining
Location: 658 Herald Street, Victoria
Saveur offers fine dining food in a casual urban setting. Award-winning chef, Robert Cassels, delivers French-inspired contemporary cuisine through playful and elegant tasting menus, using local ingredients wherever possible. Chef Cassels works closely with the farmers, foragers, and fisheries of Vancouver Island to create an unforgettable dining experience. Sit outside on the beautiful outdoor patio (seats 20) and sip on one of their fun and innovative patio cocktails.
10 Acres
Cuisine: Canadian – Vegetarian friendly
Locations:
- Bistro – 611 Courtney Street (Open for brunch, lunch & dinner – times vary)
- Commons – 620 Humboldt Street (Open for lunch and dinner from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm Mon/Tues/Wed; and, from 11:00 am until midnight Thurs-Sun)
- Pier – 2538 Beacon Ave, Sidney – located in the Sidney Pier Hotel (Open 11:00 am – 11:00 pm daily)
- The Cafe & Market – 9805 Seaport Place in Sidney (open 7:00 am – 5:00 pm daily)
10 Acres offers you four restaurant choices, all with a unique flair, sharing a common theme of serving dishes made mostly from their 10-acre farm. Each one is delicious! And what they don’t grow or ethically raise on their fields, they source locally from other like-minded farmers and fishers.
Their commitment to providing a local and seasonally inspired menu guarantees fresh ingredients prepared in each meal no matter which location you choose.
IL Terrazzo
Cuisine: Northern Italian
Dining Style: Casual elegance
Location: Waddington Alley at 537 Johnson Street
In 2020, Il Terrazzo was crowned as the fourth-best restaurant in Canada (according to Yelp’s ‘top 100 places to eat in Canada’). This Italian restaurant offers candlelight dining, wood-oven roasted meals, fresh West Coast seafood, and an in-house certified sommelier.
Currently, open seven days per week starting at 4:00 pm, with the last seating at 9:15.
Alpina at Villa Eyrie Resort
Cuisine: European inspired West Coast dining
Dining Style: Elegant Dining with a business casual dress code
Location: 600 Ebadora Lane, Malahat
Alpina sits atop the Malahat ridge and offers stunning views of the Saanich Inlet. Menus are created by European-trained chefs, who infuse traditional ingredients with preparation styles and methods found in Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland.
Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch seven days per week; (8:00 am – 8:00 pm and until 9:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays).
Best Date Night Restaurants in Nanaimo
The Mahle House
Cuisine: Canadian, International
Dining Style: Fine dining
Location: 2104 Hemer Road, Nanaimo
Set in a historic home and featuring an English-style ornamental garden, this upscale eatery offers farm-fresh European plates in an elegant setting. It’s a second-generation, family-owned and operated restaurant that has been a fixture in the Cedar community since 1983. They serve flavourful, unique food in a welcoming environment with relaxed yet professional service.
They are open Wednesday – Sunday. Please note: Wednesday is devoted exclusively to their five-course Chef’s menu, and their regular menu is not available that day.
Melange
Cuisine: Mix
Dining Style: Upscale casual
Location: 101-223 Commercial St, Nanaimo
For a trendy and unique date night, head to Melange. This new(er) Nanaimo restaurant is all the buzz right now, and for good reason. They understand that fresh local food makes the best creations. Their main goal is to serve delicious and healthy food in a fun and positive environment. And they do this well!
Open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11:30 am until late; and, Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 am – late.
Asteras Greek Taverna
Cuisine: Greek
Dining Style: Upscale casual
Location: 347 Wesley Street, Nanaimo
Located in the heart of the old city quarter of downtown Nanaimo, Asteras is an authentic Greek restaurant known for its traditional, delicious foods. Everything is made in-house daily, from whole foods and high-quality ingredients. The beautiful ambience is set in a heritage home over 100 years old, and the service is second to none.
Asteras also has a great take-out menu.
Open Tuesday – Sunday from 4:00 – 10:00 pm.
The Nest Bistro
Cuisine: Canadian with a French or Italian influence
Dining Style: Upscale casual
Location: 77 Skinner Street, Nanaimo
Enjoy an extensive menu of handcrafted, locally sourced food, a full bar, signature cocktails and an alfresco patio. The chef/owners and their dedicated culinary team make the menu items from scratch. Local fresh and organic ingredients are used whenever possible to create dishes that you just can’t find anywhere else in Nanaimo.
The Nest is open from Tuesday – Saturday 5:00 – 9:00 pm.
The Discovery Room
Cuisine: Contemporary French/American
Dining Style: Casual elegant (business casual dress style)
Location: Building 300 (at the side of the cafeteria)
By dining here, you are not only helping the culinary students of Vancouver Island University, but you get their very best creations at a fraction of the cost of other fine dining restaurants. Because it’s a learning environment, the students are incredibly eager to please, in not only food preparation but in presentation and service too.
Top Date Night Restaurants in Oceanside
Kalvas
Cuisine: Pacific Northwest with a German influence
Dining Style: Upscale casual
Location: 180 Moilliet St, Parksville
This Parksville restaurant is situated in a classy, upscale log cabin with dark wood tables and a warm atmosphere. The semi-circular building offers almost every table a view from the large windows. Specializing in great seafood and premium meats, Kalvas offers a high-quality dining experience at a reasonable price. Chef Adel mixes classic dishes with fusion. He likes to take old recipes and change them into something new by adding unique ingredients.
Kalvas is open: Tue/Wed/Thu/Sun from 5:00 – 8:30 pm; Friday/Saturday from 5:00 – 9:00. Friday’s offer their ever-popular Prime Rib special.
Treetop Tapas & Grill
Cuisine: Pacific Northwest with International influence
Dining Style: Casual (the only restaurant I know where you dine in a robe and slippers!)
Location: Tigh-Na-Mara (1155 Resort Drive, Parksville)
What’s more romantic than a couples massage followed by delightful eats? And when you get to dine in slippers and robe, it doesn’t get much better. For a unique and incredibly tasty culinary experience, book a Dip & Dine. Spend the first half-hour soaking in the Grotto Spa and the next two, enjoying a glass of sparkling wine while savouring the wide variety of tapas.
Cuckoo Trattoria
Cuisine: Italian
Dining Style: Upscale casual
Location: Coombs Old Country Market (2310 Alberni Hwy)
UPDATE: Cuckoos is currently closed but reopens in early March. (Which is why I left it on this list)
Cuckoo Trattoria has a great atmosphere and beautiful surroundings. Since opening in 2011, it has become a destination for delicious and authentic Italian food. If you are there during the warmer Spring and Summer months, the outdoor patio is lovely. Ask for a complimentary blanket if you find it chilly. Their thin-crust pizzas and homemade pasta get rave reviews from many!
Giovanni’s Ristorante
Cuisine: Italian
Dining Style: Upscale casual/casual
Location: 4-180 Second Avenue West, Qualicum Beach
Giovanni’s is a classy yet laid-back go-to restaurant for Italian favourites, from pizza and pasta to steak and seafood. While the cozy restaurant side is perfect for date night, if you are looking for something a little more casual, the lounge is a great spot to stop in for a pint and their excellent pizza.
Bistro 694
Cuisine: Seafood / Canadian
Dining Style: Casual Fine Dining
Location: 694 Memorial Ave, Qualicum Beach
Bistro 694 combines global flavours with fresh local ingredients. Out of the many great restaurants in Qualicum Beach, this one is voted #1 on TripAdvisor. That definitely says something about their dishes, service, value and setting! Reserve a table at this cozy little restaurant for your next date night, and I doubt you will be disappointed!
Currently open weekends only (Friday – Sunday) from 4:00 – 9:00(ish) (The last seating is at 8:00 pm).
Best Comox Valley Restaurants
Toscano’s Mediterranean Grill
Cuisine: Mediterranean inspired dishes
Dining Style: Upscale casual
Location: 140 Port Augusta Street, Comox
With scenic harbour views and delightful eats, put Toscano’s on your date night list. They take pride in offering the freshest locally sourced ingredients from the food-rich Comox Valley. And everything on the menu is made from scratch by talented chefs.
Open for in-house dining and take-out from Tuesday to Saturday – 5 pm to 9 pm.
Martine’s Bistro
Cuisine: Gourmet bistro (Canadian)
Dining Style: Upscale casual
Location: 1754 Beaufort Avenue, Comox
Rated as one of the best in the Comox Valley, Martine’s Bistro has a continually revolving menu incorporating fresh, local, in-season ingredients. Their professional chefs are well known and garner rave reviews as some of Vancouver Island’s finest. During the warmer months, head to the patio for stunning marina views!
Open Thursday – Monday from 5:00 pm to close
Locals Restaurant
Cuisine: Seafood / Canadian
Dining Style: Casual elegance
Location: 1760 Riverside Ln, Courtenay
Chef Ronald St. Pierre was recently inducted into the CCFCC Honour Society, so you know his tried and true menu items are delicious! He has a passion for using fresh, in-season, high-quality ingredients that speak for themselves to make his incredible dishes. The fact that Locals is also located in a remodelled Comox Valley Heritage building only adds to the elegance of this restaurant.
Locals is open seven days a week for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
Il Falcone
Cuisine: Italian
Dining Style: Upscale Casual
Location: 536 6th St, Courtenay
For classic Italian cuisine in the Comox Valley, head to Il Falcone. Chef and owner Andrey Durbach brings his many years of experience at some of Vancouver’s best-loved neighbourhood restaurants to Courtenay. Located in a charming yellow house with a beautiful garden, Chef Durbach provides a culinary experience similar to what patrons would find in an Italian villa. And for those who love Italian wine, you will be overly impressed with the selection!
Open Wednesday to Saturday from 5:00 pm. Online reservations are required.
Best Romantic Restaurants in Port Alberni
Brie & Barrel
Cuisine: West Coast
Dining Style: Upscale Casual
Location: 5059 Argyle St
An intimate bistro perfect for any date night serving flavourful and unique dishes. The exquisitely prepared dishes feature local ingredients and products where ever possible. And they have an extensive (and ever-growing) list of great wines, Vancouver Island spirits, craft beer, and more.
They have a great take-out menu too!
Open 4:00 – 8:30 pm Tuesday – Thursday; and, Friday and Saturday from 4:00 – 9:30 pm.
Cypress Restaurant
Cuisine: Globally inspired
Dining Style: Casual – Upscale Casual
Location: Inside the RimRock Casino (4890 Cherry Creek Road)
With a classy rainforest decor, the Cypress Restaurant offers an intimate atmosphere worthy of any special occasion. Enjoy food and drinks in their lounge area, equipped with a large fireplace and a self-playing piano, or head into the dining room, where large cozy booths welcome you.
Open Tuesday to Thursday from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm; and Friday & Saturday from 11:30 am to 10:00 pm.
Little Bavaria Restaurant
Cuisine: German
Dining Style: Casual
Location: 3035 – 4th Avenue
For over 55 years, Little Bavaria has been consistently serving delicious German food to happy locals and tourists. The experience here is one that is built on attention to detail and consistency that comes from their top notch experienced kitchen team. They also believe in exceptional service, and the servers go above and beyond every night to ensure guests leave feeling like the valued guests they deserve to be.
Open daily from 4:00 – 8:30 pm.
For more great Port Alberni restaurant ideas, please check out this article: 5 Amazing Port Alberni Restaurants.
Top-Rated West Coast Restaurants
Wolf in the Fog
Cuisine: Pacific Northwest
Dining Style: Upscale casual
Location: 150 Fourth Street, Tofino
Wolf in the Fog serves freshly caught seafood plus much more. Nestled near Tofino’s coastline, the restaurant’s interior is rustic with beautiful wood throughout. The food and drink menus are inspired and influenced by the place, the people and the produce. Whether it’s freshly-landed salmon from local fishers or chanterelle mushrooms foraged from the forests of Tofino, the dishes use seasonal locally-harvested ingredients.
There is also a sizable bar that offers a great selection of wine, beer and cocktails. The outdoor patio offers beautiful, scenic views of the ocean.
Currently, open daily from 5:00 pm to late.
The Pointe Restaurant
Cuisine: Canadian
Dining Style: Upscale
Location: Wickaninnish Inn (500 Osprey Lane, Tofino)
With sweeping ocean views, refined service and innovative cuisine, this Tofino restaurant is top-notch. Their unique approach to food is only complemented by an extensive wine list and your incredible surroundings. Although a splurge, it’s a splurge worth taking if you are looking for a memorable evening out. I still talk about the food and wine we indulged in while there several years ago!
Open daily.
Pluvio
Cuisine: Canadian
Dining Style: Casual elegance
Location: 1714 Peninsula Rd, Ucluelet
Pluvio restaurant offers a unique experience celebrating the best local products and natural elements of Ucluelet, Tofino, and Vancouver Island. Pluvio gets rave reviews from their patrons and was recently awarded several awards. The small restaurant and open kitchen allow for personal and refined service in an environment inspired by their beautiful surroundings.
Open daily from 5:30 – 9:00 pm.
So, have we paid tribute to your favourite date night restaurant? If we failed to mention one you feel should be on this list, please let us know in the comments below.
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20 Comments
I can’t believe you left out Sapphire Room in the Crown Mansion in Qualicum Beach. Very romantic and fine dining.
Well, now I am going to have to try out the Sapphire Room. Thank you for the suggestion!
Chameleons in Parksville. Wonderful food with great service!
Great suggestion, Marg. Thank you!
Atlas Restaurant in Courtaney, lovely atmosphere, casual good food
Great suggestion. Thank you, Suzette!
Kim—-Really appreciate your restaurant list. Hope to see more in the future. We still mourn the closing of Le Cafe Francais in Nanaimo. We think a local gem is the Rocking Horse Pub in Nanoose Bay—wonderful cozy atmosphere inside, beautiful, quiet patio in good weather, good food and great service.
Thank you, John. You know, I am ashamed to say I have yet to try the Rocking Horse (even though I live in Nanoose Bay). I will do so soon. Thanks so much for the suggestion.
Great list Kim. Being new to Nanaimo, we are going to try the recommendation of the Mahle House on Valentine’s weekend. We have tried The Modern in downtown Nanaimo. Great food and lovely atmosphere 🙂
Wonderful! I have no doubt you’ll enjoy the Mahle House.
Zougla’s in Nanaimo has really improved
And not sure if you only want top end restaurants but for the seniors on a budget the downtown Pantry restaurant in Nanaimo has half price dinners on Mondays that are very generous portions and delicious. Thanks
Thank you for the recommendations, Susan!
Kim, great list – thank you. I have tried quite a few of the ones on your list and fully agree with them being there. Now more opportunity to go further afield. Ian.
Thank you, Ian!
We find the Driftwood Restaurant good for Chinese.
I had to look that up…you mean the one in Campbell River?
I agree with the Chinese Restaurants. I feel that we have no good consistent Chinese Food restaurants here in Oceanside. Sushi? Oh yes, so much sushi!! Thanks for doing this!
Yes, we have several great sushi places…but definitely not great Chinese. Here’s hoping someone will recommend a good one!
Nothing north of Qualicum Beach? Would have liked some restaurants to have been named for the rest of the Island.
I know, I’m sorry, Marica. I am based out of Nanoose Bay, and find I typically go south or west when travelling the Island. I honestly haven’t been to many restaurants north of Qualicum Beach. I don’t like to recommend something if I haven’t tried it myself. Do you have any recommendations? I’d love to hear about them.