Modern Café Nanaimo

Modern Café, 221 Commercial St., is one of Nanaimo’s most fashionable restaurants. Its neon sign is a registered historic landmark from the mid-1940s. Inside, art hangs from the red brick walls and jazzy music plays over the speakers. Even the washrooms have paintings and large antique mirrors. The soft padded seating with high backs gives privacy. You can pull up a stool to the long bar or sit at a counter with a view up Church Street. The four comfortable armchairs in back are a great place to meet from a drink.

Prices are reasonable for such a trendy place and the meals are good. The “wrap–tures” and “hand held” sandwiches or burgers are $10-12 with a generous heap of excellent French fries and a small Caesar salad. The New York steak sandwich is $14, or try the seafood chowder at $5/6 a cup/bowl. For something more exotic there’s “global fare” such as Asian rice bowls ($10-14), Bengali prawn linguini ($11), and pasta vegetali ($10). Ask for the special tapa menu with tuna sushi ($12), chicken satay ($9), calamari ($10), and coconut prawns ($10). A sinful choice of decadent deserts is available at $6-7.

Modern Café also has a full drinks menu with 14 kinds of 2 oz martinis at $7.50 apiece, plus cocktails like margaritas, Singapore slings, black Russians, mojitos, and blue maitais at $6.75. A choice of VQA wines is $7/20/30 a glass/half liter/bottle, or order the house wine at $5/15/20. If you’re staying at one of the downtown hotels or in town for a meeting, Modern Café couldn’t be more convenient. It’s highly recommended.