Loved it
Had dinner at this restaurant and chose to try multiple items from the tapa menu, yummy! Have to go back and try the other menu!    [02 Sep 2007 10:23:43]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Tapas, steak and lobster sauce

     ­Barbie, Everett, Wa.   

Highly recommended!
We decided to give this new restaurant a chance and I'm so thankful we did. The food was excellent! The owner is a fantastic chef and the prices were very reasonable. This restaurant is exactly what Nanaimo needed. A world away from the usual steak and seafood houses, the menu offers a little taste of everything and offers a few great dishes perfect for kids. My daughter had a homemade mini burger with 'petite frites' and absolutely loved it. Beautiful restaurant, friendly service, great atmosphere.
We'll definitely be back!
The minimalist decor was resonant of the original 1950's restaurant that was first established on the site. Very classy, yet casual fine dining. Absolutely loved it.    [28 Sep 2007 12:18:26]

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Recommended Dishes: Grilled Aspargus with olive tampanade, Spanish cheese croquettes (Yum!).

     ­Anonymous   

So good!
This is exactly what Nanaimo needs! Great food that is really reasonably priced (where else can you get a 12 oz NY steak with a lobster sauce for $28) and a nice relaxed atmosphere. The server was attentive but not hanging around the table all the time and the wine was good too! We went on a Friday night and we should have had reservations but they managed to get us a nice table in the lounge area so we got to watch some live jazz while we dined too! What a great night, and we didn't have to break the bank to do it! We will definitely be back.    [29 Sep 2007 15:21:39]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Shrimp corn dogs, steak with lobster sauce, chocolate fondue

     ­Shelly B.   

Room to improve
Went there on a Thursday night. There were only 2-3 tables occupied. The waitress seated us in a large semicircle booth facing the dance floor. We shared the foie gras as an appy. I had the seafood broth and my friend had the duck two ways. We finished with a chocolate fondue. It was quite a wait before the appy was ready and no bread or anything was served in between. I was very disappointed with the foie gras and was one of the worst I have ever tasted. The portion was extremely small considering the price ($13) and it tasted raw and nothing else. The duck 2 ways was quite good and the portion was decent. The seafood broth was OK but not outstanding as a fine dinning restaurant. The chocolate fondue was again nothing impressive, the chocolate taste ordinary. They over charged us for a drink on the bill, but corrected it after I pointed that out.    [10 Oct 2007 16:01:11]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Duck 2 ways

     ­Anonymous   

Unique
A fabulous experience. Went for a celebration and good times had by all. Great atmosphere and very clean. Live Jazz music was perfect! The server was the best and she surprised us with a Chocolate Fondue at the end of the dinner. What Fun! Lots a selection and very accommodating with special diets.    [15 Nov 2007 15:42:02]

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     ­Anonymous   

Nostalgic but disappointing
Was great to be inside the restaurant of my youth, under the stars was a grand experience, however the service was not great. Our waiter kept forgetting parts of the order, the steak was terrible, thin and poor quality beef. Those who had lamb raved. Tapas were very good, especially the shrimp and Mels corn dog. A bit too patchy for the price, don't think we'll be back. Good luck to them.    [01 Jan 2008 01:09:42]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Mel's corn dog, asparagus tapas

     ­Penelope   

Nothing special
6 of us had dinner in the lounge; the appies and tapas were excellent. However, one person found the steak tough, and we all thought the portions were too small for the prices charged. There were two mix-ups on the bill; one was fixed but I still have to return to have $7 refunded for an item I neither ordered or ate. I don't think we'll we in a great hurry to return.    [01 Jan 2008 20:31:22]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: vegetable cazuela - in a larger size, please!

     ­Anonymous   

Will never go again
Our first trip was merely acceptable. Found the food to be boring and sauces disappointing but felt that it should not be written off after just one mediocre experience.
So, I tried again and the entire experience, from the hostess to the waitress to the owner, was less than acceptable, and the food was greasy. I refuse to go back and waste anymore money.    [12 Jan 2008 21:02:54]

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Recommended Dishes: None

     ­alison   

Awesome!
My husband and I chose to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary at Basque as our friend had highly recommended it. We had requested to be in the "dining under the stars" lounge seeing as we wanted something a little bit romantic. The evening was perfect, great food, great wine, great service!
I had the Lamb, and my husband the duck. They were both excellent! We finished our evening with a chocolate crepe, and creme brule. YUM!
What a great place. We plan on returning on a Friday night when they have live music.    [24 Jan 2008 18:31:36]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: rosemary lamb, duck two ways, creme brule, espelt saulo (wine)

     ­Sarah M, Nanaimo   

Loved the Twinkling Stars
I love the food and atmosphere at Basque and decided to bring my mother and sister in so that they could enjoy the experience. We had a great booth table under the stars. We started out with some tapas to share, we loved it all and the Manchego Croquettes and Shrimp Corn Dogs were our favorites. Our main courses were as pleasing as the tapas, my mother especially loved the steak. In all we really loved the whole experience, and we will all be back again in the near future, hopefully on the weekend so that we can enjoy the live music and take advantage of the dance floor!    [26 Jan 2008 16:20:52]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: shrimp corn dogs, manchego croquettes, steak with lobster sauce, moules frites, chocolate fondue, katnook shiraz (wine)

     ­Nicole, Nanaimo, Qualicum