Reviews of Asteras (Restaurant)

Monica Lindsay

My husband Hugh and I have loved our times at Asteras for almost 20 years when visiting from North Vancouver. Saturday, April 13 was no exception - great food, ambience and remarkably helpful staff. How remarkable was on full display Saturday night when Hugh had a fainting spell and the Asteras" staff quickly swung into action, rendering excellent first-aid assistance until the medics arrived a few minutes later. We are so appreciative of the great care and concern that they displayed. Yet another unexpected example of a well-run restaurant which is high on our list of reasons to frequently visit Nanaimo.

Daryl Holden

Just an average Greek restaurant. Sorry. Good staff though

Wayne Johnston

The food is just ok, but the manager is sooooo rude. Poor service.

Mandeep Shahi

One of the best restaurants in Nanaimo for sure. Make sure to make reservations as I've heard some people got turned back because it was full. Save some space for dessert, their Ekmed is really good! Good place for a date night or a business dinner.

Andrew Fritz

Delicious food, great service and COVID safe place!

Kayla Zielke

Anyone who has worked here will tell you how much of an unbearable peice of work the manager is. I phoned here to ask a simple question (about a menu item!) and he hung up on me lol.

George Adimathra

Food was absolutely amazing. Lamb chops, half chicken, and beef, lamb, and pork souvlaki. Very experienced gourmand here; this place is f'ricken φοβερο!

Mike Mamula

Great atmosphere, great food, great service.

Arthur Chocholacek

Just wonderful! We ordered a baclava for dessert which was wonderful and they also brought out a second desert on the house which was literally one of the best desserts ever. Thank you!

William Matthews

Awesome Greek restaurant. Friendly staff, good food, Greta cozy atmosphere; what's not to like about this Greek restaurant? Nothing... in the words of Tony the Tiger - "Their Great".

WistfulBirb

Excellent food and the staff was very friendly, prompt and efficient.

Melody Kieneker

Terrific food. Good atmosphere highly recommend. You definitely get what you pay for.

Ryan Sinclair

Always have had a great experience here. Would recommend 100%

JF

The atmosphere is comfortable and the lighting is perfect - not too bright and not too dark. Our server was very pleasant, always with a smile. I ordered the Chicken Slovakia with a side of Tzatziki sauce, and it was excellent. Definitely a place I recommend to visit morw than once.

Ian Gumbert

Wonderful place with a great ambiance heritage style home turned to restaurant. We visited this place before catching the ferry and were totally surprised by the food quality and their hospitality. Their chicken souvlaki is made of nicely seasoned chicken thighs. The roast lamb was cooked to perfection!! Such a peaceful place for a relaxed lunch in the terrace and some coffee :) thank you for the great food and memorable service!

Julie Mamula

Great atmosphere, Excellent service, and the food was amaaazzzzing!!! Huge portions too.

Mark Rapanos

Very nice great food, parking is a bit of a nightmare around there but otherwise a great Greek meal.

Tyler Michaels

Excellent service but food is not as good as other reviews, fish and prawn over cooked

Sarah Holmes

Beautiful experience. Transported me to another dimension.

David Lord

The food here is always delicious and management and wait staff are dedicated to ensuring a great dining experience. It can get loud though; when it's busy it's easier to hear the conversations at other tables than our own, but that might be down to the lack of consideration of other patrons than the restaurant.

Andrew Morrison

Definitely the best greek I've ever had and one of the best, if not the best, I have been treated in any restaurant. I always love the food and have a relaxed, great time and bring whoever I can to dine there :)

Luvleen Cooke

Very busy, very comfy, very good food. Staff and ownership are very friendly and hardworking. Make sure you try the Ekmek!

Burton Wei

Family friendly, delicious food and wonderful ambiance. Dessert was well worth the effort after such a large delicious meal! Thank you for being open.

Elaine Brown

Main guy working the floor (owner??) was really funny. All staff are polite too. Menu is great, and well priced. Very nice looking restaurant with decent space between tables too. Been a couple times before, and always recommend to others. Great way to end the meal.... Free ouzo shot, and a handshake when collecting payment!

Rosie Lang

Amazing service and food. Great atmosphere and you can really feel that everyone really cares that you have an awesome time. We had the seafood platter it was exceptional and delicious.

C R

Everything was amazing. Great atmosphere, service and food! I will be back! Prices are also very reasonable, and portions are generous.

Steven The

This place is amazing. We picked it for our anniversary date based on recommendations from people I asked in a Facebook group, and it did not disappoint. We will be back for sure!

Jas Raj

Excellent restaurant! Warm, personable and welcoming staff! Incredible food! Such an amazing experience. We will definitely be back when visiting Nanaimo! ????

Rodeo Jönz

Authentic Greek Food & amazing atmosphere ~ Warmly greeted by the owner & fantastic service from start to finish ???? My husband and I really enjoyed our time here & definitely recommend ???? Food was sooooo delish & we will be back ~ A lovely evening

Dixie D'Andrea

Very good traditional Greek fare in a pleasant classic setting. Good service despite packed house for dinner. Will definitely return.

Ricardo Viltakis

Dine in

S M Sadman Sakib

The owner is very friendly, warm and welcoming. Certainly they are doing something right as the restaraunt was very full when we got there. Waitresses were fast and efficient and professional. The food is expensive, but it is rare that you cant finish your plate and the price was well worth the experience in the end. Complimentary ouzo or dessert at the end of our meal. They were very hospitable and kind, Thank you so much.

Gregory Kronstal

Even if you think you don't like Greek Food, you need to do yourself a favour by trying Asteras! Friendly staff and warm atmosphere! Will come again!

Gavin C

Excellent food and service. They were able to accommodate a last-minute reservation for 7 on a busy night. Will go back another time.

Zana Kamangar

AMAZING! Food was delicious, atmosphere is adorable and the service was the best I’ve in a long time. Calimari was 10/10 Can’t wait to go back!

Jon M

Their food is always wonderful. Be wary of the neibourhood and do not leave valuables in site inside your vehicle. Dispute that, we always come back for the food.

Ron Micjan

Amazing food and service. We all enjoyed our food. The Tara and was the best I had tasted since I went to Athens. I had the roast lamb. It was so tender. Portions were big. I mean I should have stopped eating and got a doggy bag. Because the food was so good I couldn't stop eating. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Guillermo Rosas

Best Greek in town I’d say I eat here weekly for a good reason it’s always top Notch Service is amazing Owner is a hands on type and always makes sure it’s perfect.

Gerold Haukenfrers

Horrible experience with the servers and the manager, they ignored our presence incessantly and paid no heed to our needs at all. Food was mediocre at best. Steer away from this place if you want a content meal.

Jason Cheung

Great food, and excellent service. Be aware that it does get busy here, so make sure to get a reservation. As well, if stairs aren't your thing you might be out of luck, as there's a flight of stairs to enter. As well parking is either on the street or in the small parking lot. I would highly recommend Asteras!

Mohammad Heidari

Delicious food. Better than what I found in Greece. We tried the plater #1 and had lamb, moussaka, and two other types of food + rice, veggie and bread. Highly recommend it to have a enjoyable Greek experience. The sever and the owner were nice, too.

Charlie Pickard

Wonderful restaurant, exemplary service. Felt like a family owned business and I think we might have met every member while dining.

Rachel C

Fantastic service and food. The owner came and shook our hands and asked us how the food was, you wont find that anywhere else!

Dominik Dahm

Absolutely amazing food with a great atmosphere. Is there better than a 5 star rating?

Erin Sowerby Greene

We had a table of 5, and every single meal at the table was perfect - calamari was melt in your mouth, lamb souvlaki delicious... make sure to leave room for dessert! Highly recommend!

Krista P.

Beautiful restaurant!!! Great food!!! Excellent service. A must go restaurant in nanaimo.

Shannon Reichelt

Always great food and wonderful service. We go for most special occasions.

Darryl Grossauer

Wonderful food, great service and a really cute location with lovely decor. Had garlic roasted prawns and my goodness, were they ever delicious. The owner is a sweetheart and comes by and asks how everything tastes and seems generally interested in your well being. This is the place to go!

Meghana Reddy

Try the fried Calamari here, you won’t regret it! We got the platters with calamari and chicken, the portions were huge. Pita bread was warm and super fresh! Most of all, excellent service and ambience. Everybody here, including other customers dining in were easy to talk to and make warm conversations! We got seated to a lovely view on a rainy day. It was one of the best dining experiences. Will make sure to make a stop whenever in Nanaimo!

Becky Henriques

Best restaurant in Nanaimo. Flavors are unique, great taste, Greek cuisine. Best staff ever. The owners is always around greeting the clients. Have been in this place over 10 times in this past year. Never had a bad experience. Picture of my favorite dish. Platter #1.. best choice!

Robert Simms

Amazing food atmosphere and service. First rate all the way

S.G. Warren

I come to nainamo for work often, this has been the best restaurant I have been to here. Good food, and the l best service on the island. It's a little fancy but no one seemed to mind us being in work clothes, and prices were not rediculous.

Jan Floor

Extremely tasty food, massive portions, lovely staff. Lamb shoulder (a special) - meat melted off the bone. Delicious seafood (appetizer grilled oysters, special shellfish pasta). Would definitely return

JayJ James

Some of the best food I’ve had on this island, Great dining experience!

Sabina M.-Swan

Stopped here on our way to Tofino and it was so delicious! Such a neat little restaurant, kind staff, and the best souvlaki and spanakopita we’ve ever had! Can’t wait to come back :)

Deborah Kawabata

Just ate there for the first time tonight. Blown away by how good everything was, service, atmosphere, and food were all top notch. Place was crazy busy, we had to wait a few minutes for a table, the owner provided free drinks for me and my partner, very cool. We recently moved to Nanaimo, out of the restaraunts I have been to here, Astera’s is my new favourite place to eat. Roasted Lamb A+!!

Tommy and Dede Nicholson

Food is excellent. Owners are so friendly. Highly recommended.

Ronen Katz

Amazing experience - the food was amazing, the portions were enormous, and the owner was generous and thoughtful with our rather large party.

Marija Frazi

Fantastic food, service and atmosphere. Make an early reservation to avoid lineup.

Cory Brunsel

Consistently the most delicious food. Always puts forth an extra effort for a personal touch.

Mr Donald

Service

Dave Bare

Every time we mention Greek food to people, we get told that Asteras is the absolute best and we need to go there, so tonight, being my birthday, we thought we would give it a shot. I did call ahead for a reservation, which turned out to be the right move, as even for a later Tuesday it was super busy when we showed up. Perhaps it was because they were busy, but it was almost 10 minutes after we were seated before anyone acknowledged us to take our drink order. As their menu is very traditionally Greek, we were excited to share a bowl of the Avgolemono soup, and naturally, some saganaki, because who doesn't love cheese? (The answer is no one.) The saganaki came with a generous helping of pita, but the cheese itself was anything but. The small serving size wasn't helped by the fact that the cheese seemed very bland and uninteresting. The bowl of Avgolemono was a decent size and had lots of rice and chicken in it, but lacked both the creaminess/richness and lemon flavour I expect. It ended up being more like a very boring bowl of chicken and rice soup, which is fine, but isn't Avgolemono. We both had the platters, lamb for myself and chicken souvlaki for her, and they were both pretty average Greek plates. Meat, Greek potatoes, rice, salad (we both swapped our Greek for Caesar), carrots, and tzatziki. The lamb portion was huge (which you know is a plus for me), and was pretty tasty. Their Greek potatoes are great, and I wish there was more of them. Next time I'd definitely swap out the rice as it was super plain and had a funny aftertaste. My carrots were all straightforward and fine. My partner's were a bit underdone and firm. The Caesar salad was good, definitely one of the better Caesars we've had in the city. The tzatziki was exactly what you want if tzatziki is your thing. Partner felt her chicken souvlaki was quite good. Appeared to use thigh rather than breast, so definitely moist and flavourful. More than enough in the portion to take home leftovers for lunch. Sadly, we did find a small piece of bone amongst the chicken, which was kind of a bummer. For dessert, we shared an order of the ekmek (delivered by a cadre of singing staff, as my partner let slip it was my birthday), and it was absolutely terrific. They use what appears to be baklavesque (that is a great word.) Pastry shreds for their bottom layer, and the spicing and layering of the ingredients is top shelf. As they say in some circles, "I could eat my way out of a room full of that!", And it is very likely we'll go back there strictly for dessert sometime. Overall, I enjoyed the experience at Asteras, as it's a nice place, but some of the dishes just fell really flat, especially at the higher price point they charge. I would definitely go back (I'm gonna dream about that ekmek), but I think I would try a number of other menu items before I go back to my usuals, because I can get those better for less elsewhere. Dinner for 2 with sodas came to $73 before tax and tip (and the ekmek was comped for my birthday.)

Sheree Soloman

The food is ALWAYS great. Very pleasant atmosphere with great staff.

Alice T

Delicious food and great service!

Matthew Hsu

The best evening dining in Nanaimo and the owners are incredibly invested in every person who comes in. Always my first choice for a fancy night out :)

Marina Kreimer

Platter #2 was good . Enough food for 2-3 people. We didn’t like fettuccine alfredo, it was a bit sweet. The owners weren't very welcoming and their attitude to the staff wasn't pleasant. However, the waitresses were very nice, polite and welcoming.

Emma Koga

I went with a group of ladies. The food was great. Lots of variety, platters with several Greek samples (delicious), no problem adjusting menu or letting you know what foods that you may be allergic to! Very nice atmosphere and staff.

Hunter Wilson

Really wonderful dinner all around. Our waitress, Emily was incredible and made the experience extra enjoyable. The food was absolutely delicious, will definitely be back!

L.J. Robertson'

The food and atmosphere were leagues beyond what I could've hoped for and the overall experience was genuinely amazing. Only complaint is I'll never be able to eat fast food Greek food again. The lamb chops by the way are a knockout

Trevor Davies

Best Greek food on the island. It's so amazing. Small cozy place, can be nosy cause of the size of the restaurant.

john prest

The food and service is always exceptional. Very popular Greek cuisine restaurant in Nanaimo. You'll need a reservation to avoid a wait.

Kellen Carson

No surprise that this place is always packed. Generous portions, food is simply delicious! Service is friendly and attentive, the owner is on site making sure you are well looked after. Reserve early, especially for Saturday nights!

Kornel Bangha

Service

Nadine Shemilt

I love this gorgeous old heritage building,it has been home to a few nice restaurants before Asteras so its good to see these folks doing such a great job ! Excellent food great service ,you will love this place : )

Sabrina Silveira

Fantastic Birthday dinner. Thank you again for the Ouzo surprise and Birthday song????????????????

Soheyl Vakili

Best vegetarian mousakka (you don't miss the meat at all) and ekmek I have ever had!! Friendly and experienced servers and a cozy atmosphere.

Mike Meitner

Been coming here for years and always the most amazing food. 100% of the time. Awesome experience excellent service delicious meals 5 star environment. Wish I could give this more than 5 stars! My favourite restaurant by far!

T. C.

Great food. Great service. Good price. This is our favorite place in Nanaimo to eat dinner.

Hermon Nizghi

The best Greek food. No no, the best FOOD period! Peter and his team never disappoint ! Absolute must whenever we have company in town to show them an incredible restaurant.

Brian Kates (Big B)

It seems we had a different experience than most of the other reviewers, mostly because of mediocre service. We arrived at 5.30 pm without a reservation and were glad to get a table, although the hostess seemed a little annoyed that we didn't know "everyone" makes reservations. I was surprised there was no complimentary small appetizer, e.g. bread or pita, which would have been nice to nibble on while waiting for dinner. We ordered the seafood brochette (sockeye, halibut, and prawns) and chicken souvlaki, and both were good and portions were big enough. The main server was fine, not particularly friendly, but the other server was downright surly -- didn't say a word when giving us the bill or processing the credit card. Our experience would have been much happier if the service was friendlier. I'm not sure that we'll go back any time soon, although Nanaimo doesn't have that many options...

Katie Chang

Dinner

Douglas Parkhurst

This restaurant is fantastic.. service and food is above and beyond!

Vanessa L

My experience at Asteras Taverna was easily one of the best dining experiences that I've ever had. Incredible service, a wonderfully lively yet relaxed atmosphere and absolutely astounding food. Everything tasted so fresh and the flavours cut right through and were very pronounced. I very strongly recommend Asteras if you enjoy Greek food.

Marcel Lessard

Fantastic experience. We arrived and it was booked solid, the owner made sure a table was available in 15 min. We were treated graciously. The food was fantastic, service top notch. It was very busy and you could tell how well managed the whole team was to ensure everyone was prioritized. Dine here, you will be glad you did.

Flo Corbett

Meal type

Books R Us

The food was incredibly good, I had the lamb/shrimp/chicken trio and I've never had such perfectly cooked & seasoned meal in my life! A new standard to which I will now always need to compare future meals. The shrimp were the tenderest, as was the chicken, roast lamb... and those roasted potatoes!!

Geoff Schmidt

If you’re particularly itching for nostalgia of your most chaotic and tense family dinner, come here to replicate those memories. An interesting dynamic of being emotionally exfoliated and feeling the need to be deeply apologetic for our presence this evening. Maybe it’s the heat wave making people ✨funky✨ or maybe it’s just their aesthetic, but it was an experience. And one that I’m not eager to repeat. All this mayhem truly kicked off right from the get-go when we informed them we didn’t have a reservation. Who would of thunk the incredulous looks we got were from a Greek restaurant… in Nanaimo…. Would of thought we were at a Michelin establishment. Interesting times. The fetty alfredo did slap though. Would recommend that aspect of my dining experience. Opa!

Shannon McCloud

Cute place, food was awesome, service was fantastic! Fair price for the portions!

Sharon Robert

Awesome food, service is usually pretty good. You will be well taken care of if the owner is around! I wouldn't come here without a reservation though because it fills up quick!

Simon Gee

It is always a pleasure going there,the device is exceptional, and the food is some of the best I've ever tasted. They make you feel at home and relaxed. Would highly recommend it to anybody. CHEERS ????????????????

Jansait Qughondouqa

Food is very tasty! Service is great. They have a wheelchair/stroller access but it’s from the backdoor and kinda small entrance. Clean restaurant and the music is authentic and nice. We enjoyed our time. It’s not cheap and not expensive compared to similar restaurants but worth it I guess. I would go back but probably for special occasions. The ambiance is cozy but also isn’t too casual.

Terry Girard

Great service, great atmosphere and the food was amazing!

janis bates

Not sure what to rate it. I’ve Been a few times. Every time we have had bread with basalamic vinegar and oil to dip in. Every Greek restaurant does this. Last time I brought my husband with me and we didn’t get it. Some people had it. Some didn’t. Not sure if it was profiling or what. When I went with a friend I got a sambuca like shot and the bread. But with my husband who eats a lot got just the expensive meal I bought and his meal. Each around $30. Now the meal was amazing. Tastes great. Price charged was very different than what the waitress stated as the special price. But whatever. Food was and is amazing. Tables are very close together. It’s loud with talking. It’s a busy place. We didn’t wait long for a table. So if you live Greek this is the place to go. However I’m not sure if the bread thing not being served is new or profiled to those that seem like they may pay more or tip more. Portion sizes for my spouse a touch small. For me it was perfect. I guess I’m just used to Chicago level service where they call you ma’am, open the seat for you and treat you like a star regardless how much money they think you have.

Matt Jamont

Wonderful resteraunt great food and a whole bunch of beautiful waitresses who were very delightful to talk 2 enjoyed the meal very much and highly recommended it to others

Lori Calvert

We were in a hurry to catch a ferry, did not have a reservation at Asteras... you need one, by the way, but the Maître D asked us to wait a couple minutes... we were seated and fed in time to get to our ferry reservation on time! The food was delicious. We will be back.. next time with a reservation and more time!

Lurlene Lamontagne

This is my favourite restaurant! I love the ambience, the food and the service. This is what dining out should always be like.

Ofelia Gersjes

Amazing service, fantastic food and just a great ambiance. Very covid safe! Thanks for a wonderful date night!!

Dr Mike Newberry

Best place for Greek food outside of Greece! Peter is an amazing host and you can never go wrong with the platters for two -- delicious lamb, tender calimari, and tasty moussaka -- be sure to arrive hungry!

D T

What a gem of a place, visited this amazing place on our last trip to Nanaimo.. The manager / owner was so attentive and on top of everything. I can't believe the negative reviews , they seem out to lunch.The service was some of the best I have ever had.. It made the whole experience absolutely wonderful.. To top off this fantastic experience , they provided us with this gorgeous Ekmek on the house. I wish we had a place like this at home

John-Mike Bolognone

Everything was so delicious. Portions are huge, and the staff is so friendly. If you have an opportunity to eat here, DO IT! You won't be disappointed. Make sure to make a reservation as it fills up fast.

Hike-the-island. Bates

This place was incredible. The food. The atmosphere. The service. All incredible. I would recommend calling ahead to reserve a table, it because very busy during supper time but it was worth the wait. The best Greek food I’ve ever had.

Catherine Sevenhuysen

Excellent Greek food! In Nanaimo. Arrived late Sunday evening to find the place still busy. The place was warm and comfortable. I was alone and the staff were attentive and very friendly. The owner dropped by a few times to say Hi and make sure everything was perfect. Bottom line - I’ve put this in my Favourites list for a reason.

Laurie Tomlinson

This restaurant serves the best Greek food I have ever had. The owner works the floor along with the rest of his staff, ensuring that the service, food and atmosphere are all excellent, top notch. Highly recommended.

Juan Pablo Gomez Saad

I ended up not enjoying my meal at all and not because the food didn't taste or look good. I was truly disturbed at how the owner/manager of the restaurant treated his staff. Particularly the front of house and servers. These poor woman are practically sprinting around the restaurant in a panic while the boss barks orders at them. His behaviour and antics in the restaurant make for an unpleasant and off-putting dining experience. This restaurant will be great for you if you want a Gordon Ramsay's "Hells Kitchen" replica.

D. James C.

Food is always excellent here. Amongst the best calamari and lamb chops I've had anywhere.

Steve Johnson

Great food, super attentive service, warm friendly atmosphere and good value for the money. You can't go wrong here!

Kaitlin G

THIS PLACE WAS INCREDIBLE. I mean, I give a lot of 5 star ratings but this place needs more starts to explain how good it is. The service is on par with a michelin star establishment. The food was delicious. The owner made a point to come check on everyone in the dining room multiple times. The waitress did a great job as well. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of our food but we did get one of the platters and it was great. A good amount of food for two people but could possibly feed three with a couple appetizers.

harry brossault

The absolute best Greek restraunt ever....the best restraunt....the food was spectacular....right from the hostess telling the special, to the presentaion and the food was absolutely amazing. You will not be disappointed. ????????????☺☺☺????????????

Taylor Kandler

I would not call Asteras a "fine dining" restaurant, although the prices and many reviews say otherwise. I would say that it offers good food, prepared well in typically Greek fashion — but without much in the way of innovation or notable creativity. There are so many people who crowd this restaurant on a typical weekend, that a large-scale production like this does not exactly lend itself to taking risks, let alone deviating from tradition. It may be the best Greek food on the Island, but I'm not sure that that is really saying all that much. Everything we ate was good, but nothing was remarkable. Perhaps it was not one of their stellar evenings, but my impression was that Asteras is now simply set in its ways.

Scott P

Amazing roasted lamb entree and great service! A lovely restaurant!

Michelle Gabel

Whenever we visit from the Mainland (Ladner Village), we always make it a point to have, at least, one dinner at Asteras. The atmosphere/vibe is wonderful. All the staff (including the manager/Owner, host) are so friendly, cheery, helpful and courteous. Like a big old family. The food, the FOOD is all FABULOUS. (they don't over salt like some Greek Rests). We have no favorites, as all menu items are favorites. It is SO hard to choose what we eat every time. So, if you like Greek food, when you try Asteras , we believe you will also say "This is the best we ever had". So, please move to our (Ladner) Village (LOL). And, again, Thanks to all at Asteras for always making our day, when we visit Nanaimo.

Andrew Bellas

This restaurant was recommended by the hotel where we were staying wow this place is amazing it's an old house that has been converted into a restaurant the owner was there and he's going around checking all the tables and making sure that your food is cooked to your order the food is amazing we walked out of there so full and satisfied the staff was great very accommodating can't wait to go back next time I'm in Nanaimo

Melissa Vasey

I was quite impressed by the place. I mean the owner always came to check up on people. He would always thank people for coming to the resto. I noticed the server was always running, had me wondering... The food was fantastic I just think the chicken souv. Was missing flavor and for 17dollars I thought I would get more chicken. The vibe, food and the service really made me happy. I would recommend it!

Christy Thompson

Had a birthday dinner at Asters It was a gorgeous meal and great service. Good company to.

Jim Trick

Good service.Average food.High price.Good atmosphere.Its not fine dining restaurant.

Tiffany McLaughlin

Amazing food and service!

Eggo less

One of the best greek restaurants I have ever personally visited. The setting is unique and wonderful, a giant old house in the heart of nanaimo repurposed into an upscale greek restaurant. Large portions, excellent drinks and food, great service. Make a reservation as they tend to be busy from what I've been told. We lucked out and went superbowl sunday and were able to walk right in. Highly recommended.

Matthew LaBonte

I can't say that this restaurant is the best Greek restaurant I've ever eaten at. However, what it has going for it are the fact that the portions are generous (about $40 for surf and turf plus dessert!), the service is excellent, and the restaurant follows pandemic protocols. As for the food itself, it was a little disappointing: the Greek salad was a bit soggy; the potatoes weren't really seasoned; and the souvlakia was quite chewy. Having said this, the prawns were fantastic and so was the dessert. I don't know whether I can recommend this restaurant for a fancy date, but I definitely recommend it for a family dinner or just a quiet night out.

Clayton Willoughby

amazing food! went here just before Christmas with some colleagues for a board meeting/Christmas dinner, and was immensely impressed. beautiful ambience, excellent service, and some of the best food I have had on the island. The roast lamb was seasoned and cooked to absolute perfection. the accompaniments were spot on as well. portions were not quite as big as I expected, so I could have got away with an appetizer as well. All in all, an absolutely superb choice. Service was attentive without being overbearing, will definitely be back.

Rachelle Briard

This greek place is excellent. The portion is a good, the food taste is excellent, the staff is friendly and very proactive :)

Danten Jennex

Class act, amazing food and service.

Kevin Rossnagel

Amazing food, great waitresses and really nice atmosphere.

Jaeger Mah

Thanks for using biodegradable packaging Would be awesome if you could use paper soup cups for the geek salad —> food was tasty, but we found our ‘to-go’ portions kind of smaller than expected.

Jay Crouch

Excellent food. And service. And gf meals.

Mike Waffles

4.5 Star review ONLY because I don't agree with using Styrofoam take out boxes when there are much more earth friendly products out there. other than that the food is phenomenal, service is above average, cost is slightly high but it is more than worth it.

Cristian Badea-Hasasian

We had such a wonderful time here. The server was so awesome. We had actually come over from the mainland to meet with a family member who was also visiting from the east. I had made a reservation days before which was a breeze to make online. The server toke really great care of us and let us stay longer than usual knowing we were both visiting. What can I say more the decor is fabulous, the food was fabulous, service fabulous. Thank you for making our time there wonderful.

Joanne Ebbers

This place is incredible!!! I've never had a more amazing appetizer than the clams and mussels in a white wine garlic sauce at Asteras. Our server was professional and friendly and made sure we were well taken care of. At the end they topped it off with a complementary dessert for the table! It's incredibly popular/busy so please make sure to make a reservation :)

Jason Williamson

Delicious food. The sausage appetizer was phenomenal and the lamb shank was amazing. Staff were super nice 10/10 would come back

Laura Farquhar

Its a hit, good portions, easy parking, mouth watering grilled oysters and saganaki, the owner has great taste in cars too. get reservations and eat here!

Steve Campbell

I Just enjoyed a delicious lunch with a friend at Asteras and can't wait to go back, it was that good. We each had a combination plate with incuded some of many of their items and all was delicious. The service was very good as well..very quick and attentive...friendly staff who sanitized each table between guests and took time to chat a moment with the guests. The restaurant is in a historic old home in Nanaimo's interesting Old City..all in all a terrific "go to" for lunch or dinner with guests or not.. A must !

Jason Oliver

The atmosphere in this place is amazing! Food is on point, staff are quick and friendly! I gets busy so make a reservation! Get the lamb and the meatballs!

Ed Prior

Great food but social distancing and those type of guidelines were very inconsistent, to the point of creating discomfort. Hopefully the management and staff will learn to adhere to the new standards .

Khai Tuan Pham

The owner here is amazing. He works hard and make sure the service is the best you can get. Always try to go here when I'm back in Nanaimo. The atmosphere is super nice, and in the summer its even better, you feel at home here. Have not found a better place in Vancouver and I dont think I will! You must try their dessert, Ekmek, I hate this saying but its to die for.

Jay Lang

Absolutely delicious food, fantastic service in a charming heritage house. We had an amazing squid dish and Greek salad in the heart of old town. Living the keto lifestyle and loving it!

Mikaela Whitelaw

Went here while on the island taking lessons at Robert held art glass. we ordered the lamb and calamari, she still has flashbacks of how good the lamb was..

Rajeev Kotha

Had a nice meal. Reservations are important. Waitress was knowledgeable. Food tasted great. Would definitely go again but I'd be more adventurous with what I ordered.

Cindy Griffin

Service 5/5 Food 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Owner 6/5 Etc 5/5 I have never enjoyed my food and experience at a resturaunt to the extent I did tonight at Asteras. The servers were the most engaging and friendly staff I have met, and the owner was so enthusiastic. He gave us suggestions, a complimentary desert, and a perfect experience. We don't live here in Nanaimo but will for sure return to Asteras on our next trip out!

Asina Mitha

I typically don't do ratings, but I have never experienced such amazing service and food. Asteras is the top of the top. If you're stopping in Nanaimo, this place is a MUST to go to. Reservations are highly recommend.

Chris Webb

I had the chicken and ribs the food.. amazing.. service beyond amazing.. ambiance very greek and romantic! Highly recommend

Marco Liang

Possibly the best tasting restaurant in Nanaimo. Little pricy but you get what you pay for in quality and quantity. A must if you want a nice night out.

Roland Persinovic

Always a good meal and entertaining atmosphere. Peter is a good host and all servers very pleasant.

Scott Farrell

Amazing Greek food highly recommend!

Irina Guenther

Awesome greek food. Good sized portions. Licensed. Roast lamb is the best greek lamb i've ever had. Moussaka equally impressive with the fluffiest silkiest bechamel on top ever. I have lived in Toronto which probably is home to Canadas biggest greek population and greek town, and i have to say this place far surpasses any of the many greek restaurants i have patronized in all the years living in Toronto. They will happily accommodate any meal preferences upon request. The owner personally comes around at least once to every table and chats sharing humour and a smile. Awesome calamari, super tender. The greek dips and tzatziki also fabulous. Light and somewhat fluffy but a good dose of garlic to be worthy. Just love the whole experience dining there. Its in a house in the Old Quarter of Nanaimo which adds to the atmospheric charm. Reservations will add to your positive experience.

Cal G Chow

Great food, drink, and atmosphere. One of the top 5 places to eat in downtown nanaimo.

Gus Moreira

We were making a quick trip to Nanaimo and found this place through its Google reviews. It's in a brightly coloured former house on the hill - very attractive. The lunch special was a skewer of scallops wrapped in prawns, served with rice and a Greek salad - my wife reported it as perfectly cooked and delicious. I had the lunch platter - a sampler of pita bread, tatziki, keftedes (meatball), dolmades, calamari, spanakapita, a Greek salad, served with rice - basically, a little bit of everything. Everything was delicious. Service was fast and friendly - water glasses and coffee were efficiently filled and refilled - truly a five star experience.

TOYTUBE

Nice friendly service, very good food. The lamb is my favorite.

Wayne Wheeler

Everything was great! Order the baklava for desert. Be sure to order a shot of Ouzo before or after the meal.

Nadiya P

The food is great! They treat their customers very well. The ambience is perfect too. You will definitely love it.

David Hollebone

Possibly the best dining experience we've ever had. The staff worked like a well-oiled machine on a night where they were slammed by an unexpected rush. We felt that our patronage was very appreciated by everybody there. The roast lamb was incredible.

Arinaa Es

Welcoming nice guy made the first impression at the place. We was in nanaimo for half a day and made our mind to have a greek food. The all stuff were hospitable. BUT we were waiting for food more than half an hour however it was tasty. In the end we ordered tea with baklava and again waiting for tea half an hour as they noticed then they told us not required to pay for baklava, it's on us. The place was cozy and I'd liked that.

Mark Labowka

Great service, great food , very enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Bill Macdonald

Lovely atmosphere and meal

Andrew Bolton

This is the best restaurant I have been to in years, truly a fantastic experience. Authentic Greek cuisine at the highest level. I come here for all special events in my life.

Tara Macleod

Awesome food, awesome staff. Service was mint ???? An absolute must go to, if you're looking for Greek food! My wife and I will definitely return!!

Alex Wilson

One of my favourite places to eat especially their Moussaka and Baklava. The food is absolutely delicious, and great service. I will definitely be going back. Thank you.

Jonathan Kman

The food was excellent. The staff were very attentive. We were a group of 6 and we all enjoyed our experience greatly.

Joszef Patar

Had a wonderful dinner, excellent food and service. Highly recommend, will be back next time in Nanaimo.

Alan de Jose

Absolutely delicious food. Excellent warm, friendly service. Highly recommend.

Shane Holborn

As someone who was brought up in Mediterranean food this place not only feels comforting and nostalgic but it also exceeds my desires for delicious and rich foods!

Jerald Fiddick

A M A Z I N G !!! Ordered the roast lamb. cooked to perfection and tasty! Service was excellent. Can't say enough good about the dinner we had tonight. Six stars!

Lianne Olsen

great dessert the food we ordered was not desirable. good atmosphere and nice staff

Brian Rice

Great food and service. Every time I have eaten there,and that is a lot of times never disappointed

david levine

Excellent dinner - been many times and always good. Had a guest with allergies who got treated exceptional and loved her meal. We will be back! Service is great - worth the drive from Victoria

Stella M

Asteras was a fantastic experience!! The staff were friendly and welcoming and the atmosphere of the restaurant was so authentic. The food is exceptional, portions are very large, and overall, is a great choice for any dinner out. Highly recommend!!

Jake Milne

Even mid-week Asteras was busy which speaks volumes about the food quality and excellent service. We all made different menu choices, and all four of us came away happy. The location is in an older section of Nanaino, which has been tastefuĺly re-developed, as has the old mansion where Asteras is located. Asteras is not inexpensive, but worth the price.

Ghouza Mansur Ahmed

OMG! I dont think I've ever been somewhere where the staff are so on point and accommodating. The food was ridiculously good, fresh, and plenty of it. If you wish to be spoiled, this is the place to go.

John McClelland

We went for lunch this afternoon. Lovely atmosphere and amazing "GREEK food. The Lunch menu was sooo good, all of my favorites. My husband had the Lamb Souvlaki, also delicious. Our service was super . Kris was fun and we had an amazing time.

Cory Schreyer

We went there for our Birthday my friend and I so we made reservation they put us at a table for 6 when there was only 3 of us they said we needed more room so we said we would like to move to another table so they but us at a table for 4 and it felt ok i don't now what they were trying to imply but from the very moment we walked in it felt very uncomfortable by there attitude towards us . The ambiance was beautiful it was in a house amongst trees but the service was awful the waitresses persistently come by and said could I refill that water glass for you 6 or 7 times when we didn't need it could I take your plate away when we weren't even done the meet was so dry we had to ad oil or Tzatziki sauce the veggie's were bland the rice wasn't to bad. Finely the owner came out and was greeting everybody so he gave the restaurant some life and he noticed we weren't having the greatest time when we had desert and a small liquor it was not on our bill..I don't think I'll be going there again I just felt that they wanted us out the door as soon as we got in the door not very inviting

Mark M.

Best restaurant in town!!! Hands down! I highly recommend the hummus and pita, lamb souvlaki dinner and ekmek! Anything I have tried here is fabulous and the taste is consistent. Friendly staff and cozy atmosphere.

Tarpan Roy

Very good place! I’ve tried almost everything on the menu and so far it’s always an amazing experience

Taisa Andrushko

Upon approaching Asteras, one observes the beautiful front garden and steps leading to the restaurant's entrance in a nostalgic Victoria residential building. With a facade of yellow siding and grey trim, one can see the lighting and tables through the transparently clean windows. The interior is a relaxing bistro setting. The friend I was traveling with and I had a bay widow view of the front garden and surrounds. We even had a rainbow appear right before us. We started with a savory selection of tastes with '#1 Platter with Roast lamb, moussaka, spanakopita, dolmades, and calamari' and wine. We each had their awesome 'Roast Lamb - slow roasted in special seasonings.' We finished with light dessert decadence 'Ekmek (Light custard, shredded phyllo pastry, almonds, honey and fresh whipped cream)'.

Mario Poier

Really delicious Greek food and good service. This place was packed on a Monday night, so I would highly recommend you to book a reservation first!

Cory

Came here for the first time on Thursday and it was an absolutely great experience from the friendly staff to the delicious food! The portions were so big and filling that we surprisingly were too full for dessert, we had to come back Saturday night to try it as it was all we were thinking about, it absolutely did not disappoint! The Ekmek is a must try!

Luis G

Food amazing. Service great even though they were slammed busy. I will be back

Mike Sheard

We had a company dinner there today. It was absolutely amazing. They knew the specials of the day and the menu of hand. The food is amazing and since everyone was full and didn't order dessert they came over with 3 free desserts to share. Great restaurant.

Simon Cheng

Excellent food and great service. No matter how busy I am always greeted and feel appreciated as a customer. I recommend the grilled calamari dinner.

Quincy S

Some of the best Greek food I've ever had and wonderful service and hospitality. Definitely recommended and I can't wait to come again.

Greg Oikawa

30 minute waiting, but pleasant and kind manners, the sincerity of the staff who take care of small things, and delicious food is basic and Platter #1 is good for whom want to enjoy greek foods. As Birthday services, Ekmek Cake is amazing. Parking is OK.

Kaleena Young

Always good food we want to order everything everytime we order, so good!! The best

Robin van Es

The most flavourful foods I have had in years, and I travel a lot, so eating out is common. I wish I could give this place 6 of 5 stars. Great prices... Huge portions... You will not go home hungry, but you will be wanting more.

Torrye Mckenzie

One of the best Greek in not all restaurants in Nanaimo. Amazing service, food exquisite. Even on a Monday you need reservations. Full house always a great sign of success.

wayde johnston

How was it? Are you really curious? I hope you experience it for yourself. A really unpleasant experience. I don't want to do it again.

Liz Maciaszek

Amazing place and food, wonderful service, definitely will visit again!

Inhyouk Jung

Some people here are giving crappy reviews and they didn't even eat the food. Why review a restaurant you didn't even eat at, just because they were unable to accommodate you during rush hours? It's not their fault that you failed to make a reservation at such a popular place. I made a reservation on a Saturday night and everything went super smoothly. We were seated right away, staff were extremely friendly, even the owners were walking around talking to customers. All this was just a bonus that came with the best Greek food I've ever had. We let the waitress know how satisfied we were with the experience, and when she mentioned that they would greatly appreciate a review on Google/TripAdvisor I was more than willing to.

kay lannan

The food is AMAZING! The staff are very friendly and go above and beyond. I recommend reservations because this place was packed on a Thursday night.

Jamesdalf

Can't say enough about the great food and experience one will find at this restaurant! Peter, the owner, is so passionate and it comes through in his food and his service. Bravo.

Carla Twynam

Delicious food and wine! Will definitely go back if I'm in Nanaimo. They can accommodate large groups.

jacqualine johnson

Took my wife here for her birthday. It was both of our first time eating here and all I can say is the food was perfect and the service great. Perfect wine pairing. Romantic feel.

Harris Mazda

Excellent meals, particularly the lamb. Nice atmosphere and good service. Parking can be a challenge.

B Thompson

We went to Asteras for the first time tonight....WOW. The service was impeccable and the food was the best we've ever had. From the pita & Hummus, to the calamari, to the tiger prawn souvlaki. Everything was cooked to perfection. It was my fiance's birthday and they brought her the best dessert we've ever had on the house. If you're looking for the perfect date night spot this is the place.

Jayson Henkel

Great service! Waitress was busy, but attentive to customers. The food was delightful! Nice atmosphere.

Nanaimo Denture Clinic Inc. Ahmed A.Omar

This is one of the best places I've been to on the island. Megan gave us amazing service and the food was so good. We each had an appatizer and shared an entree and there was still leftovers for later. Generous portions.

Sam

First time eating here on a recommendation and it was beyond great. We met, Pete, the owner who made us feel right at home and our server, Alexa, was an absolute doll and she knew the whole menu, specials and all, from memory. We started off with the grilled calamari which was tender and tasty AF. Our entree, the lamb and prawn special was AAA+++. A definite 5 star!!

Harold Paule

We came off the ferry and searched for a nice dinner in town. Found this one and there is no doubt we will return. This place was lively, even though we have that Covid stuff going on. Everyone including staff had a very good vibe going on. The food and service were excellent!

Alma Buchanan

We went to Asteras tonight with our friends from Alberta. First time! The food was amazing

TheAnarchistKampfen

Excelente food. Moderate prices. Excelente service. I highly recommend it. We were 4 and we paid 122. 4 sodas 1 homous (delicious)1 pita freshly baked 1 moussaka (superb) 1 chicken souvlakia 2 peppers specials 1 fakkes bowl. And they gave us a dessert to share as courtesy.

Andy Lankester

Thank you Astera for an amazing dinner and fantastic service. You place was recommended to me by a couple who like Greek food. I was told to make reservations at any time of the week because it is always busy. And so it was busy. I have to say, I was not disappointed in any way. Nice to see the owner as well make his appearance to the guests and make sure everyone is satisfied. You place is a 2 thumbs up.

Miguel Montana

We had a very nice dinner with a lot of friendly personnel and really good food. Recommend it!

Bobby & Sally Parihar

Always love their platter ♥ thank you for such healthy and delicious meals. We usually order to go but would love to dine in there again one of these days. It's one of my fave places.

Jérémy ESCOLANO

This cozy little Greek place is where you I'll find the best Greek food! Servers are great and always on top of their busy service but I would have to say the best part of this restaurant goes to their kitchen. Hands down this has been the tastiest food I have ever eaten! Everything on your plate is made from the heart and you truly taste it in your food. I would recommend this to anyone that visits Nanaimo!

Leo Udechukwu

Delicious food, good service. Be mindful portions are a bit smaller.

Abby Meckling

Fantastic food. Super hands on owner. Never a disappointment.

Jamee Ballan

Consistently excellent. I always order the variety platter because it's too hard to choose just one dish! Wine list is pretty good and service is almost always excellent. One of my favorites.

Allan Congo

The lunch special is awesome. I didn't like greek till I ate here. t's one of the few places I could eat at weekly and not get bored.

Manuel Murillo

We went yesterday and this place exceeded our expectations, the staff was really cool and friendly, the food got to our table fast, and it was fresh and simply delicious. Have to try Ekbeb dessert (pretty sure it’s not spelled like that sorry) a Nanaimo hidden gem for sure ✨

Douglas P J Carter - Website SEO Consultant

The food was amazing, the service was great, but it was so loud I couldn't hear anything and it was hot, even in Fall with the front door open... definitely would not recommend if you want an intimate dinner.

Hassan Chaudry

Legit Greek food. Grilled squid amazing. The owner even dropped by our table and offered complimentary deserts and ouzo shots. The owner is very friendly and from Chania/Athens. Go here if you want an authentic experience! Thanks for having us!!

John Mychael

Searched this restaurant before we got on the ferry and it was a great find! Very busy but served quickly and the food was delicious. Even though we didn’t need desert we received a very nice on the house treat to end the meal! Thanks to the owner.

Lauren Sabine

Busy place with great food! We were greeted by the owner who was very friendly.

Bianca Neves

Food was amazing, service was great, warm atmosphere, not cheap but you get what you pay for. Excellent experience from start to finish.

Maura O'Neill

One star is one too many! Never ever have me or my wife ever been kicked out of normal non fancy restaurant for not making a reservation. Not even worth trying for an owner like that

Alannah Weiss

I ordered dolmades to start; absolutely delicious. Prawn Souvlaki for main course; everything on the plate was amazing. It came with rice, roasted potatoes, Greek salad, pita bread and tzatziki sauce. Yummy????

joeandmut21

All my friends love Asteras, and I know why. It is good food and the greenery and atmosphere are delightful. But if you're a vegan, better to eat ahead when you go with your pals. Very tricky to find a vegan option. Here's hoping they'll add an option or two eventually! :)

Melanie Alves

We stopped in while passing through Nanaimo, since the reviews seemed so good. It was the best Greek food we’d ever had, and one of the best dining experiences overall! It exceeded every possible expectation that one could have. 6 out of 5 stars!!

The Artsy Girl

This has been the best Greek restaurants I've been to in ages. Literally the only one I will go to fir now on. Not only was the meal superb, the service was absolutely delightful and impeccable. The cook and owner asked how the meal was and we were honest, it was THE BEST! I won't go anywhere else except here just because of the food and service. AMAZING!!! ❤

Barb Mantha

Wonderful in every area for a birthday celebration. First time for everyone in our party and we were gobsmacked! Thank you Asteras for making our celebration special.

Lorrena Braybrooks

Dine in

Jade Perez

High level food and service! Some friends and I had just had something to eat (somewhere else) and were looking for a place to have a bottle of wine. We stopped at Asteras and had wine along with some pita bread and pates. It was all so bomb we felt bad for not being hungry! So we came back the night after to have proper dinner and everthing was absolutely amazing. This is a must go if you're in Nanaimo.

Sharon Doty

The food is good but the service is questionable. As I was finishing my desert around 9:15pm, my waitress (I think her name was Faith) said it loud enough for me to hear “IS HE DONE YET.” She killed the mood and my experience. I won’t be coming back to this place again. Is it really necessary to rush your customers. The restaurant doesn’t close until 10pm.

Martin Streich

Good food, helpful and active service!

Ryan Galloway

Went here for a birthday, the food was fantastic. Despite being very busy the staff did a great job.

Kathleen Maas

The most amazing Greek food in Nanaimo. Just loved the seafood platter!

Brittany

Service

Chrys LoScerbo

Best greek restaurant i have ever eaten at, the service was amazing, my drink was never empty and the food was rediculously amazing, it was busy and they still made time to accommodate us, i would recommend this place for and occasion!

gothic metal

Very popular, great authentic Greek food. Peter the owner and staff worked hard to make sure his customers have a positive dining experience.

Jarvin Ong

It was our 1st time dinning here. We were seated right away even though we were 15 minutes early for our reservation time. Ordered a bottle of wine for the 2 of us and there was no delay in it arriving. For an appetizer we ordered fried calamari. The serving was very generous for 2 people, arrived very quickly and was very tasty. For my main course I had the special, roast lamb with spot prawn served with greek salad, roast potatoes, vegetables, rice and tzatziki. My wife ordered moussaka serverd with pretty much the same as what came with my meal. We both agreed the food was amazing as well the service. For our 1st time dinning here we were very impressed. We'll definitely come back again. I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures.

Rhea H

The best Greek meal I've ever had! Everyone in our party ordered something different and everything was delicious, so fresh and perfectly seasoned. The wait staff and owner were very attentive and knowledgeable. All in all a perfect dinner!

Shanae Conroy

Third time here. Each time the food and service is excellent. We had roast lamb and the lamb was cooked to perfection. Highly recommend.

Natalie Zavaglia

This is by far and without question the best restaurant experience I have ever had! The place is incredibly charming and very well decorated, it makes you feel like you are coming into someone's house for dinner. I had the beef tenderloin souvlaki which came with potatoes, rice pilaf, veggies and a salad with a healthy dollop of tzatziki sauce for fresh made pita bread. The beef was done perfectly medium rare and the marinade was amazing! It was a large portion and was a great value, especially compared to chain restaurants! I had Ekmek for dessert and it was heavenly, sweet and light and the pastry on the bottom complemented it perfectly! The service was warm and welcoming and surprisingly fast, the food came out equally quick but not to the detriment of the quality of the food. Every one of the staff was attentive and helped where needed, again something chain restaurants have trouble with. I literally have nothing negative to say, everything from start to finish was a fantastic experience! Asteras will be my tradition any time I'm back on the island.

GreenWilder

Favourite Greek restaurant in Nanaimo. Lemon chicken soup is out of this world and the service is professional and good.

Sean Vadoo

If you're in Nanaimo and you don't eat here I feel sorry for you. I don't even care if greek food isn't your jam- you just got played by your taste buds. The owner is one of the best hosts I've ever met in a restaurant, he always makes you feel welcome and like family.... like to the point where you wanna take a selfie with him and hang it next to a family photo in your hallway....Sorry Nana. P.S. Try the calamari.

Yann Dupont

Definetly the best greak food ive ever had. Every time ive been there my food has been prepared perfectly.

alireza khanzadeh

Dine in

Petunia PuddleDuck

Great family dining. The staff is very busy serving people as it based on family members. The food is excellent quality but quite expensive

Denny Haudensnauffer

Superb!! Best Lamb ever!! Great service and atmosphere! Will be on my list of regular dining!

Joey Ho

Seafood At our table was way over cooked. Halibut is such a great fish that to dry it out is a sin. Waitresses are great and very friendly.

Troy Bacon

Been here a couple times and its my favorite geek restaurant. I tried moussaka here for the first time and loved it. Mmmm. The calamari were well done with great flavour, without being covered in batter. The desserts are great too. The atmosphere is also wonderful. The staff are friendly and warm. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

David McVety

Delicious food and excellent service. Tremendous atmosphere and excellent hospitality!

Aleena *

This is without a doubt one of the best restaurants in Nanaimo. The food and wine selection is amazing, every time. The music and noise level is slightly loud- but that is also part of the experience. Popular spot!

Dave McCann

Excellent food. Very accommodating and friendly staff.

Jared Sutfin

It was date night the other day for my wife and I and we decided to visit Asteras for the first time in several years. The food was outstanding and the service was as well. I don’t know why we haven’t been there for so long but we will get back there very soon! Thank you for a terrific meal and an outstanding experience.

Geoffrey Coccetti

The food was great, very attentive staff, beautiful atmosphere. Would definitely go again!

Jon Galliazzo

Simply outstanding service. only been on a Monday night but packed to capacity. Must make reservations or be prepared to wait for quite a while. everything I have eaten there has been great, and authentic. highly recommended coming here as I had a friend come over from Vancouver and he was so impressed he made the trip again just to eat here. last time I was here I talked to another diner outside and he said it put his restaurant to shame and was as well very impressed. make reservations and give it a go, I think you'll like it as much as I did.

MysticWoods

Amazing service and incredibly delicious food. Best Greek in Nanaimo. I highly recommend Asteras.

David Elkins

Fabulous food, lively atmosphere in a great original home. We ordered the #2 platter for 2 which fed us for two days!

Jeff Jacob

Amazing food and amazing friendly staff

Michael G. Khmelnitsky

We had a very nice outing with family last night. The servers were so amazing and kind and very attentive to our table. It was my first time here and I’d definitely go back again. Peter also continued to check with us throughout our meal. Thank you Peter and Una for a wonderful experience. We will be back soon.

China Goodhue

Best Greek food I had since being in Greece. Service was excellent and it is a very cute restaurant also

jeagle20

Got nothing but five stars for this place , great ambience, attentive service, food was absolutely delicious. It was awesome that the owner takes the effort to meet customers and ensures you have a good time. An absolute gem.

Douglas Cross

This place is amazing. The food is superb and the atmosphere is amazing. It is always very busy so make reservations. Also, due to how popular Asteras is, there is a him to the room. If you are looking for a great place to eat then this is the place, if you are looking for a stuffy, quite place to eat, save this for another time.

Randy

Yummy yummy resturant. Tahini sauce and bread is great and staff is friendly and helpful

Sharp Life

We go here all the time and never leave disappointed. AMAZING food and great service. I wish the owner would sometimes treat his staff a bit nicer but he runs a successful restaurant so maybe it requires running a tight ship. Love this place regardless.

Katryna Paul

Party of 6. Everyone had a different dish. Everything was wonderful. The service was impeccable and the servers really helped my celiac friend with gluten free food choices. This is our go to place for dinner with friends.

Ingrid Fitzpatrick

A friend and I went for dinner, I had made a 7pm reservation. By the time we got seated it was about 7:20pm. In that time, I watched the owner march up and down between the tables, asking people if their dinners were okay. Mine was way over cooked, and I didnt want to say anything, because I didnt want a scene. So I mentioned it to the waitress who mentioned it to the owner, so I got a scene anyway. I found him very intimadating,and one of his staff very snotty. I know I will never go back, the food is no screaming hell. Their's other Greek restaurants in this city that are way better. I wouldn't recommend this place!!!

Carson Duncan

Honest to goodness best meal we have had since before COVID. Patio is lovely. Service amazing. We had platter for two! Pick up the phone and reserve your seat now! Lamb melts in your mouth. Spanakopita layers of deliciousness. Everything freshly made in house. Will be back soon. Cheese on the Greek salad was Delish. Really needed this.

Angela Mags

The most amazing dining experience. Pleasant staff.. I enjoy that the owner greets everyone and comes by to check on the table to check in on their dining experience. Such an amazing personal touch which I appreciate. The food is amazing and we are never disappointed when we dine there. Thank you for your warm and welcoming hospitality.

Aaron Burke

Ordered platter 1. Everything was delicious—especially the lamb. More than the two of us could eat. Best Greek restaurant we’ve eaten in North America.

Israel Beliveau

One of the best Greek places I have experienced in BC. Great atmosphere and service. Food is very good too. Would love to see grilled octopus on the menu.

Jon Sheffield

One of the best restaurants on vancouver island. A little out of the way it’s in the old quarter of the city. A Mediterranean charm and permeates through its olive pate and outstanding pita. The calamari was crisp and flavourful, and a tasty side of tzatziki. I had a split order of the roast lamb which is phenomenal. Followed by a free shot of ouzo and the ek mek dessert. For the 10th time I’ve been it just gets better.

Kooper2080

Huge Rave to Asterias Restaurant last night, It was my hubby's Birthday and they made it extra special. As always the food was fantastic. service and atmosphere was great. While keeping good social distance and protocols in place. Thankyou we will be back very soon. Highly recommended for a special occasion.

Peter MacLeod

We are like everyone we really like going there. Good food and fun people that work there. Pete's bar is always full.Back sooni

Arei Meow

It's one of the most recommended place from locals. The meals were great for sharing and it was delicious.

Cal Caldwell

Excellent food and service. The place was packed for the holidays but the service was still excellent and they catered to our group of 10 impeccably. They even threw in a few freebies! My wife and i shared the seafood platter and everything was amazing and there was definitely enough food!

Stuart McConnell

Delicious food with gluten free options!! Impeccable service. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Keira Mackay

Really good food, large portions, nice atmosphere and service. Very friendly owner!

Madeline Crane

Extremely nice people. Family style. Smile and they'll give you the best experience.

Kristina Thornton

Wonderful Greek food. The calimari and saganaki were great appetizers and the beef tenderloin sulvaki was cooked perfectly. Portion sizes were more than enough and well worth the cost which is always a delight to see. The cake we had for dessert was delicious and moist Service was second-to-none, giving not only the professionalism expected but maintaining the 'homey' charm that I love seeing. There isn't much better of an experience than having wonderful food, enough to fill you up and feel welcomed and appreciated being there. Absolutely recommend making reservations and checking them out

Jamie Cochrane (President, Stockton Heat)

Wonderful experience. We were there for a birthday, first time and we will definitely go again.

P G

What a great place! Service was spot on ... multiple servers in one spot... if your craving Greek food it's the place to be in Nanaimo. Great atmosphere good food great service what more can you ask for. #highlyrecommended #greekfood

Mark H

Good food. Been going there since it opened. Nice Owner and good staff. Usually have to make Reservations

Lee Zavarise

Food/service was good. Limited menu.

Bill Bard

Delicious food and good time with my lovely beautiful girlfriend Terra Larsen.

Aws Amro

Great food lots of choice plenty of specials great value

Rob Seib

My family and I have been to Asteras many times! It’s always a great experience. Great food, great service, and such a great atmosphere! We love their saganaki. I also really like their fettuccine alfredo, I just wish it didn’t have the pieces of onion in it, I don’t think it needs that crunch.

Rachael F

We went back and took a friend this time. I had the lamb chops and OMG, absolutely to die for! You must have these and order them medium rare! Finishes well with a bottle J.Lohr????

Theresa Ogden

Unbelievable, excellent food and atmosphere. Thoroughly impressed. First time there and won't be the last. They gave us free cake and shots for my birthday.

Shirley Charters

Always enjoy just being there. Always a friendly welcome from staff. Love the variety on the menu. Very large servings. Be sure to try the lamb..... just falls apart...

Lincoln Z. Shlensky

Went back for my birthday and had a great experience and the food was again to die for. Lovely staff!!

Chelsea Carne

Meal type

K

Such great food and service! It was a little hot and stuffy on a busy night, but will definately be back!

Rob Stenseth

only had takeout but can't wait to dine in!

Julia Smith

Amazing, amazing, amazing. Awesome staff, incredible food and an owner who clearly cares deeply about his business and making people happy

D M

Great experience all around. Amazing Saganaki , mains were executed perfectly, solid quality, freshness and flavors. Top notch service and food.

Peter Kouwenhoven

Always a favorite place to go, the food always consistent and tastes good. Service always good. Would bring anyone I know to Asteras. Owner is always there and he always shows his passion in what he does. Just wish it wasnt always so cramped

Katelyn Hart

This was truly a delightful experience. All Covid-19 protocols were followed so we felt very comfortable. Instead of stacking chairs or taping tables that weren’t to be used, they removed them entirely from the dining room. This created a more intimate cozy atmosphere. This may not last forever but we really enjoyed it. The host and servers were all attentive and pleasant. The food was amazing. We would go back to Nanaimo just to revisit and enjoy the food. Thank you for making our stay great. Would highly recommend

Michael Tronca

Amazing food, great staff and wonderful service! Enjoyed coming there for lunch today and we will definitely be coming back.

Tyler Wood

The food was amazing, as always, however we had some concerns about food safety in the context of COVID (mask etiquette). The gentleman (owner?) took ownership when we brought concerns to his attention and inspired hope for improved compliance going forward. Fingers crossed!

Chris Turner

This place is a gem. No way you should come to Nanaimo without stopping here. The keftedes (Greek meatballs), are moist and delicious, Greek salad is authentic, the souvlaki is the mouth watering.

Zahra Ahmadian

Food and vibe were fine. Some bigger portions could be better ideas.

Kris Morton

We were visiting out of town and saw this cute place on a walk, decided to go in and check it out and it was the best decision of the day! I had the veggie moussaka which was DELICIOUS, while my husband had the the grilled salmon which he really enjoyed. The salmon looked really fresh. Also we had the eggplant dip with pita, it was one of the BEST appetizers I’ve ever had. So fresh and perfect especially their pita which seems to be made in house. A MUST EAT! Do not miss the chance to eat here! And a big thank you to the servers and the owner for an extremely pleasant experience.

Rafaele Rag

This is definitely one of Nanaimo's best restaurants. The food is consistently great and they do go out of their way to offer high-quality service. The restaurant is so busy that it is unfortunate that you have to wait for a table even when you make a reservation. There is really no place to wait. It's very crowded and can be unpleasant however they always apologize for the wait.

M/Y Sarah Lissa

One of the best restaurants in town. Excellent space, food, and service! Amazing for date nights or dinner with friends.

Nebo Bo

My friend took me for lunch. It was SO GOOD!! Peter, the owner, greeted us and said to choose our table. The service was excellent, I'm sorry I didn't catch the lady's name but she was brilliant. I had Calamari, Greek salad and potatoes with a glass of house white wine. My friend had Moussaka (sp?) I can honestly say the Calamari was the BEST I've ever had. I'll definitely go again...

Dawn

This was our first time in. We sat on the patio area, nice ocean breeze and a blind for when it gets too sunny. Rhianna was our server, she was excellent. Efficient, friendly, made good suggestions for drinks and dessert. The other staff were great too. Portions are huge. We shared the #1 platter. Everything was delicious, nice assortment. Will be back again for sure.

Robert Langdon

Excellent dinner, drinks and dessert! The staff was super friendly and the food was delicious. Can't wait until the next time I get to visit this place!

Joanne Meyer

Absolutely delicious. If you like Greek food definitely give it a try. Best is Nanaimo :)

Nicole Brooks

Butter!!! Everything Taste like butter. I have to say I'm extremely disappointed and will never order again. So sad. Definitely not Greek potatoes. It was severely lacking flavor aside from butter.

Luis Hernandez

Food and energetic atmosphere is awesome.

Jim Scott aka Dick Brook

First time eating here and we will be back! Our appetizers (calamari, eggplant dip with warm pita) came very quickly and were delicious. Our entrees (spaghetti w/greek meat sauce, rack of lamb and mousakki) were excellent. My friend who had the lamb raved about it. My wife loved the spaghetti and my moussaka was the best I ever had. The portions were very large so we eschewed dessert but the menu looked very good. Excellent service from all the staff just topped of a excellent meal and a great night.

Lisa Corlett

Dinner

J “Jakob7777” H

Excellent food, really liked the intimate atmosphere!

Angie Weinberger

Everything was prepared with obvious pride, and service was excellent, with good teamwork apparent. Well run restaurant. Delicious food.

T Rey

Asteras remains a staple of Nanaimo dining. They serve great food and have genuinely good service. As it’s set in a former house with a heritage feel, it’s like being a guest. Make reservations or eat mid week for a quieter experience.

Mandie Barker

We had a very nice outing with family last night. The servers were so amazing and kind and very attentive to our table. It was my first time here and I’d definitely go back again. And the food was wonderful. Peter also continued to check with us throughout our meal. Thank you Peter and Una for a wonderful experience. We will be back soon.

Sarah Snow

I always look forward to eating here. Peters fantastic treat you like family if not better LOL the quality of the food is one of the best places to eat always exceptional. Staff is just as nice very attentive to your needs treat you with the utmost respect they are very quick to look after anything you need or any concerns you might have. Look forward to coming back very soon.

Owen Fan

Absolutely phenomenal all around. Great service, good prices, adorable ambiance, and DELICIOUS food. The combo platters are quite large and feed two just perfectly.

Howard Redford

Good for lunch! Clean, delicious, kind restaurant.

Ken Clark

I love this place. It's truly Nanaimo's local gem! The staff and owner actually care and the food is phenomenal

Myrtle Moore

If you love greek, you have to go to Astera's. Higher end greek restaurant in a old charm home with delicious cuisine. Reservations recommended.

Anieta Van Seters

Quality family run place run by people passionate about food and atmosphere. It was busy and we waited (longer than I like hence a lost star) but this was acknowledged and once served the food was very tasty. Quality ingredients, well seasoned and well cooked. Especially recommend the roast lamb, calamari and their boozy Sambuca coffee. I'll be back, when in Nanaimo!

Jess H. Brewer

Great building feels like your at someone's home. The service was fantastic and the calamari was superb. Thx to the owner for the dessert

Jennifer Hanzsek

Well....a little pricy but some of the BEST Greek food you will experience....me and the wife shared about 5 or 6 appetizers as just doing a single meal...but much better as you can experience multiple dishes....some Greek Wine...and the very handsome based on my wifes comments greets every person at the door....maybe 18 steps up to door but to the side through the sitting area amongst the trees is a wheelchair ramp that comes in through the back door..making this place a handicapp accessibility resturant.....and since the host is ete candy for the women...lol the waitresses are not hard to look at...lol

Heather Bray

The food at this place is always delicious, and it's the best place to go for Greek food in town. Even in the middle of December, when it's cold and gray outside, the atmosphere inside is warm and inviting.

Kevin Rusnell

Great food and service. A little load and crowded. Highly recommended.

Alan C

Awesome Greek restaurant! Great food and extremely friendly staff!

Aura-Lee McDonald

Service was outstanding, definitely make a reservation if your hoping to get in (great tip from the locals). Best tzatziki we’ve had! Enjoyed the sides more than the stars of our dishes (lamb roast and pork shoulder souvlaki (under done)) and the complimentary dessert was great.

Sean Pellerin

Amazing food! Great atmosphere and service!

Josephina Huntington

The two of us spent the day at Newcastle Island and saved ourselves for a decent meal. Located in a former 2-3 storey character home, well maintained, nice decorative touches. Apps were $8-12, entrees $17-26, combo platters $54-65. We didn't know what to get, a little afraid we weren't going to get full either given the prices. Got a platter with salad, calamari, Lamb, spanikopita, kefthes, moussaka, veg and rice, pita, tzatziki - it was enough for 3 people. Calamari not overly battered (a good thing), moussaka was great, nice house red wine. Pleasant staff, complimentary ouzo drink at the end.

Martin Hryniewiecki

It was a very busy evening and we didn't make a reservation. The staff did their best to accommodate us and find us a table. We felt welcome. During the entire visit the staff paid attention to us and catered to our every need. Perhaps that should be the norm, but sadly it's not always the case. We received excellent advise about our meal choices. The food was served promptly and was truly delicious. We opted for an appetizer and a platter choice. The portions were very large! We loved our visit and will come again!

Yuan C.

The place is very nice. And fishes is nothing special that why i give 3 stars. The salads or side is almost all the same. Service is very good and prices is little high but is according to the place. You must make reservation if you wanna ensure your table.

Amanda Sylvest

It was lots of fun for our group of 16, the food came out remarkably in a reasonable period of time and it met everyone's expectations. Servers where lots of fun too. Definitely will go back, this time we will save room for desert ha. ????????

Danny Macintosh

Great Greek good. Ambience 4/5 Food 5/5 Staff 5/5 We had the lamb chops and the garlic prawns. Definitely recommend the desserts!

Joe Morrison

Great host. Great staff. Pleasant dining experience with great authentic greek food.

Dory Wood

Food was good. Use of mask in a pandemic by staff could be better. It would be nice to get napkins with takeout. Food is tasty though.

Daniel Turner

Best Greek food around! The share plates give you a great variety and value if you like sharing!

Jason Leshchyshyn

Restaurant is in an awesome old style home. I had the seafood pasta which was delicious and the portions were huge. The staff is very friendly and we were given a complementary dessert too!

Morgan Carey

Great restaurant, we had server who was a one woman show and she rocked it! Kudos to her and the kitchen staff. ????

Hafeez D

Came here tonight with my partner, great food, great atmosphere and really friendly staff ! And the complimentary shots were such a nice touch!

Unabashedly Ashley

We went to Asteras tonight with our friends from Alberta. First time! The food was amazing - top notch ! Emily our waitress was absolutely amazing with her memory, wit, and kindness and the owner Peter was phenomenal showing his great work ethic and made us really feel like we were part of a family. Out of all the restaurants we have tried since being here don’t even compare when it comes to quality of food and service. Thank you!!!

David Hansen

absolutely amazing food! went with a company Christmas dinner Dec 17th and it was awesome ! best service and the food was the best I've ever had !

José Gabriel Raygoza Gámez

DISAPPOINTING! For a restaurant that has so many great reviews, I was shocked. Don't know what happened to this place, but for our first experience it was incredibly disappointing. The steak was so tough, it couldn't be chewed. Even cutting it into tiny pieces didn't work. A spoonful of plain white rice is not what i would expect from the menu. Overall, I can cook a way better meal myself, so could my children. Looking at other customers also not eating their food, we were not alone.

Michael Prosolowski

Super flavorful as in real Greek cuisine. However very disappointed by such large Spankapeta that destroyed the natural flavor and crispness of this amazing dish. Also bothered to not get any pita with my order of Spankapeta meal and calamari appy which was soggy even tho i asked for it extra crispy to avoid this issue. All in all very flavorful Greek food likely much better as a dine in patron not a 10 min away delivery order. This was my first time ordering at this buisness.

Bryan Moore

We moved to the Island three years ago from the mainland. We have eaten plenty of Greek food for many years but this was by far the best Greek food that I have ever had. As a family of four, we ordered: saganaki and tsatiki and pita to start. A half chicken dinner, spanikopita, lamb chops and lamb shoulder. Everything came with rice, roast potato and Greek salad. The food was hot and perfectly cooked and delicious. The service was prompt, friendly and professional, And the owner was running around making sure that his guests were happy. It was like a true European experience and we have recently found our new favourite.

Greg Simmons

Highly recommend the lamb rack. The staff are amazing and so is the food.

Kimber Bradbury

Three of us, each with different tastes and we were all delighted with our meal. And the service was excellent.

Jeremy Allen

Solid Greek food in very cool location. You can likely get a table without a reservation but calling beforehand is wise. If your in Nanaimo try this place out.

Eula Ortega

Very delicious food with a fair amount of choices. My family had the lamb and I had the vegetarian moussaka which was very filling. The servers were very friendly and the restaurant itself was a clean, quaint repurposed house that include a couple of tables in a sunlit room. It's a nice place to have a family dinner or just a cute lunch date.

Sharon Schienbein

One of my favorite restaurants in town! The owner personally checks on tables to ensure everyone is satisfied. Servers are very professional. Food is absolutely amazing! I love the decor inside and how quaint the building itself is.

Sunny Duggal

I use to come here when i lived here and it is soooo good i really miss the pita bread with the premium olive dip. its been a couple years now but i plan on coming back and going straight to the restaurant for great food

Angela Nguyen

Rudest staff ever…made customers line up in front of their restaurant, had to wait 20+ minutes past my reservation, and I just left, who knows how long they would’ve made me wait. The staff was super rude, literally told me to stop talking and “wait a second” because they were busy and just walks away (seems nice to others though, maybe it’s cuz I’m Asian?)All of the staff seemed like they didn’t want to be there (could be heard sighing loudly and saying omg when PAYING CUSTOMERS ask for help) Overall, no idea how the food is, maybe it’s the best food in the world but definitely not worth the horrible staff.

Harry Schild

Fantastic food and service, great value for the quality of food and service you receive

Backyard Gardening on Vancouver Island

Seriously great food. Great, professional service and a really cool atmosphere.

Mel Astrope

The air in the restaurant was Too smokey.. it made me headache...anyway, that baby rib was good. But the grilled chicken was burnt.. that chicken soup was good kinda sour it's special..

Jatayu Gayakvad

Worth your time and money every time! The atmosphere and the attention to detail they have at the restaurant is so nice! The servers are such hard workers and so kind. They do a great job of making the experience perfect! We will be back anytime we are in town!

Allison

There were several other teams there as well, and other smaller groups of diners. In fact the place was packed. Yet the staff didn’t miss a beat! They were well prepared for us. In spite of the large numbers of diners, the food came out in a timely manner, was hot and excellent. The portions were very generous, and we even received several complimentary desserts to try. Also the atmosphere is very quaint - an old European-like converted house. It was all around a lovely experience, and I certainly hope to dine there again

Ron Wakely

Got off the ferry and stopped in for dinner on the way to my families house. Choose Asteras based on the reviews. I won’t go into to much details because I agree with all the other review. Good food , Great service, very attractive wait staff, nice ambiance. Really the works for Nanaimo. I had the chicken lemon soup which was excellent. Main was the moussaka which comes with vegetables, rice and salad. Big plate of food. No 2 moussaka’s are the same and this one was a good one. Definitely worth a visit, not bad for a date as well with the service and cuteness of the house it’s in.

Jonathan Harwood

Such a cool expeeiance. So traditional and the food is incredible, portions are huge! Will definitely be back !

Sue Snow

Was in Nanimo passing though for our honeymoon and saw the great reviews so checked it out for dinner and boy did it live up to our expectations. The Taziki was amazing! Definitely check it out

there can be only one Chris

Delicious food and positive atmosphere - their lentil soup (fakkes) is great. Be sure to make a reservation if you aren't a fan of waiting, even during lunch it can be hard to grab a table.

Jacques Ledoux

I eat here every time I come to town. The food is always delicious. My only problem being that I always order too many things as I want to eat it all. Grilled Calamari, Dolmathes, Roast Lamb my usual go to's . Nice atmosphere and great staff. Make a reservation its popular for a reason.

Joel Walker

Great as always, very pleasant service and lots of hustle and bustle. Food is delish...don't forget to make a reso, there was an hour wait by the time we left.

Julia Searle

Absolute delicious food!! Olive pate is addicting!! Unsure about the quality of the kitchen. Bathrooms aren't very nice, but the food and atmosphere make for a very romantic evening. Also a great place for groups of friends. Very cramped inside on a busy night and make reservations in advance!

Suzanne Laird

I find the food to be consistently tasty and good sized portions.The staff are always friendly and efficient. I would recommend making a reservation, if the dining in option options up again. Take out was great.

DEREK KRISTIANSON

What an amazing evening! From the beautiful seating under the big tent, to the hospitality of the owner and staff ..... this made it a night to remember! Not to mention the food was b a n a n a s ! Thanks Asterras you rock

Bobbie Roemer

Great food, good service and generous host. Thanks

beamreachingmarla

This is bar none one of the top restaurants I have ever eaten in and I do it regularly. The owner is there every night and treats the clientele with class. You are made to feel welcome, which is the cherry on the top of excellent cuisine that carries it's own weight quite easily. ..... you will not be disappointed

Carley Colclough

really good Greek food and very large portions. Service was fantastic, and a free dessert was a wonderful gesture.

Moses Arcedo

One of the great place in Nanaimo! great experience at Asteras, the owner and the staff members are really awesome. Nice serve and good food.

martin machel

The atmosphere is outstanding. Dimly lit for a romantic evening but bright enough to enjoy the esthetic. The seating plan is intimate and inviting making you feel right at home. The owner visits the tables and checks in on you throughout your meal. The waiting staff is friendly professional and look comfortably dressed actually. The food is outstanding bringing you right to the Mediterranean in an instant. I would reccomend this place for an evening out or for families.

A.N. Z.

This is our favourite restaurant in Nanaimo. Great service, great atmosphere, and incredible food. We always overeat when we go here because we have so many favourites! Highly recommend! It is important to make reservations, especially Friday-Sunday. You can often get same-day reservations if you call early enough.

Mark Ruley

Awesome Greek food... Best in town. Staff all seem afraid of the owner though, haha.

John R. Paterson

The staff work their butts off and are knowledgeable, patient and gracious. Food was very good. It's pretty noisy as it's super popular. If you hate loud raucous dinner groups reserve a quiet table ... the place is charming.

Katia Kefalogianni

Never fails, this charming cozy restaurant earns 5 star in every category!!!! The staff treat you like family! Food is beyond delicious!! Our very favourite restaurant in Nanaimo for years! Great Covid precautions as well. Thank you Peter and awesome staff!

Yacub Blackman

Great food! Very Impressed. Owner made us feel welcomed.

trulybreathtaking1

Went to restaurant today. Food was awesome. Had the best service from a little blond named Sarah. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. Service was fast and they took time to say hello and meet my needs despite being extreamly busy in there. Thanks to my server and Sarah.

Nate

Amazing food, super friendly staff and amazing service can't say enough good things!

Yas Arnaiz

Excellent Moussaka! Really great vibe and really friendly and attentive staff. Big servings, and for a really good price!

Luke Duursma

OH MY GOODNESS!! Amazing food, great serving staff. Of course it was complimented by great company :)

Taylor Sampson

When a greek restaurant charges you for pita that comes with the dish, well, it's not greek anymore. Now food is good, but not the best I've had elsewhere in Vancouver, for example. Too expensive for the quantity and quality for sure.

Shaun Adams

Best Greek restaurant so far. Delicious food, friendly and efficient staff, great experience.

Scott Freeburn

Nice restaurant, friendly service, accommodated us with short notice. We recommend to come!

Bryan Poynter

This place is amazing. I've never had anything other than a great experience here. The food is delicious and the staff are relaxed, genuine and very friendly/helpful. The prices aren't cheap, but they're not too expensive either and, based on the quality, I find the value is quite good. Asteras is easily among the best restaurants in Nanaimo.

john peters

Phenomenal food and atmosphere. Service is excellent! Thanks for a great dinner!

Cheyenne Durant

Excellent food. Nice atmosphere and pleasant staff.

julie beukers

I am a very critical when it comes to food. The salmon was overcooked. The Greek salad was average at best. Dolmades were good as well as the grilled calamari. Deserts were great. Lamb chops were very tasty. I think they should trim back on the sides. Way to much food and an average taste to them. Service was a 4 out of 5.

Shawn Drover

Had a very cozy atmosphere to it, food was served quickly. Our server Hayley was quick and prompt while serving our table and others near by. Although the restaurant was fairly quite we had a great experience.

David Wende

Excellent food and service. Staff are friendly and attentive.

Nikki McMillan

Amazing!! I had the roast lamb, fall off the bone. Very friendly service. Would definitely go again.

Samantha Vandenbrink

This place is a must when visiting Nanaimo. My last dining experience at Asteras was superb. Peter, the owner, and his staff were attentive, caring, and made sure our group was looked after. The food was exceptional; the best Greek food I've had in years and I look forward to returning. I highly recommend the seafood platter, lamb chops (to die for) and the dips. Don't forget to pair with some good wine!

Scott Kennedy

Exceptional food and great staff. I highly recommend this restaurant and will be returning ????

Miranda H

Absolutely excellent food and service. Do yourself a favour and get the moussaka. Delicious!

Laura Field

Amazing food and service. It has a super inviting and cozy atmosphere! So good!

Ziera Kate

Always consistent and great Greek food. The owner personally greets every customer and makes sure they leave happy. Reservations are highly recommended as they are very busy, however food is served very fast.

Mercedes

Best chicken souvlaki and tzatziki I have ever had in my life...

tasnuva rubaiyat

Excellent experience all around . Food, atmosphere , service and portions were awesome , super friendly staff .highly recommend asteras for an awesome evening out .

Alice Williams

Service was great, I didn’t even get to pour my own wine but they always made sure my glass was full :) Plus the food was phenomenal.

Spencer Coutts-Hardcastle

Truly 5 star service! Very friendly and they went over the bar to ensure we enjoyed our meal and customized it to suit our family requirements. The food was delicious and we are pleased with our first Nanaimo greek food choice.

Frank Giesbrecht

Amazing Food... Giving 4 star only because I didn't like the person who was taking order... When I asked about the menu as It was my first time trying greek food, was hoping some explanation from her. She just gave me "are you a dumb look". They were not rude but not humble also.

John Locher

Very friendly staff, great atmosphere, and amazing food. I would definitely recommend this place!

K G

I've been to countless restaurants in AB and BC, and this is one of the best! Portions are ridiculously big, but also food deserves perfect 5 stars. Great service, great ambient!

William Thomas

Great food and service definitely will be visiting again soon

Keneesha Bordian

Nice little restaurant downtown. Had dinner with a group of friends, and the service was great, and the food is amazing. Definitely recommend the roast lamb. Menu is little pricey, but the portions are big, so you definitely got your moneys worth. We even received complimentary shots and desserts! Really friendly staff. Definitely would come back.

Alistair McLean

Ordered one of the most expensive items on the menu. Salmon was dry but quite tasty. Halibut was bone dry, burnt on one side, tasteless. Calamari was burnt and horrible tasting. The prawns were delicious but couldn't be fully enjoyed after the disaster of the rest of the meal

Emily Hwang

Great place! My favorite restaurant in Nanaimo. Always the best food and best service.

Shelbi Trumbley

Great atmosphere, great service, great prices as always!

Susan Praud

Greek platter #1 is the best Greek food I've ever had - so delicious, more than enough food for 2 people to share. With the calamari, moussaka, lamb, spanikopita and all the amazing sides, you'll leave stuffed!

Matthew T

Great food..fast service. Definitely going back. Reservations are a must!

Matthew Peterson

I recently went here with some girlfriend's for my birthday and had the best time. Everything from the food to the ambience was amazing. The food was delicious. We shared the appetizer platter then I had their seafood linguine. I was in heaven! Because it was my birthday the staff gave us all free shots and mine had whipped cream and a candle. So thoughtful, although it seems they do this for every birthday. The place was super busy (4 other birthdays AND a proposal!) so I highly recommend making a reservation or you may never get a table. Would recommend for either a date or a large party.

Laura Sawchyn

Outstanding Greek cuisine, the lamb was tender and falling off the bone. Generous portion of saganaki too. Highly recommend. Very pleasant wait staff as well.

K K

Phenomenally sensational cuisine served in large portions. Also they have very polite and extensively knowledgeable staff. The service is really quick too.

La-Z-Boy Nanaimo

Big portion and very very delicious and special. Also the decoration and music are great!

Dave Thomson

Excellent food, fantastic service, highly recommend this place ????

Dave

We had deep fried calamari with taziki, and roast lamb greek salad, rice, potatoes and pita bread. I was full after sharing the calamari, couple bits of the lamb dinner. Now I have lots of leftovers ????. Fabulous food,, awesome service! Those girls work hard, tip then generously.

Arnie Howardson

Cute place, delicious food, excellent staff and services. There wasn't any time that i went there, i walked out disappointed. Just love it

Anton Govednik

We went for dinner last night and I am compelled to write a review on this restaurant. Peter and his staff worked tirelessly to make sure our meal was perfect. firstly, the food is always excellent. First rate. The service and friendliness of the staff is excellent anf peter meets and greets every customer like a friend. Highly recommended!

L J

Fantastic home made Greek food. Excellent service. Best Tzatziki you'll find anywhere on the island. One of the best Greek restaurants in BC.

Mr. Ijl

Food was amazing and service was fast. Prices were reasonable. The only downfall what's the tables are so close together. Definitely go back though

David Peck

The atmosphere here was amazing. Pleasant staff, very welcoming and understand what customer service is about. Food was made by experts who cooked it to perfection. Highly recommended. The decorations alone deserve a thumbs up!.

Ryan Smith

Excellent food and service. Hospitality was top notch

Kristine Doucette

A busy happy place to dine. Great service - good food tonight.

Lauren Murray

The food was excellent, and the outdoor atmosphere was quaint. However, it was very busy when we went, and as a result, the waitresses seemed very stressed and disorganized. It was a very long wait time (probably over 45 minutes each for the food and waiting to get the bill), but I know they did their best since we went without making a reservation. I would go again simply for the quality of the service and the deliciousness/apparent authenticity/pricing of the food. Can't go wrong with Greek at this spot!

Perfect Host Cleaning Service

The owner is such a genuine kind of guy. Takes pride in his work and it certainly pays off! Wonderful staff and the food is packed with authentic Greek flavor that you can't help but smile when that first bite hits your mouth. Thanks for a wonderful dinner

DanWardog

I was a little disappointed last time my family went. We had a reservation & were set to stand off to the side. It was a little bothersome to be waiting while other patrons after us were being seated. Not to mention we were straight up forgotten about. To be fair it was a particularly busy night, so take that with a grain of salt. The owner was fantastic. He offered us beverages once he noticed us waiting, & although only a couple of us accepted it was a generous offer regardless. Food is always delicious & the atmosphere is very homey & comfortable.

L W

Lovely place, friendly staff and good food, fit us in even though they were busy and we didn't have a reservation. One of the better places we've tried in Nanaimo

Charlotte

By far one of the best meals I’ve had on this continent! Someone get this place a Michelin Star!! Food was amazing, service was above and beyond friendly / efficient, and the ambiance was delightful. 10/10!

Shaun Penner

This is my favourite greek restaurant in the whole world! Peter the owner is always so friendly and takes the time for every customer. I love the "Paidakias" (spelling?) Anyways, little lamb chops! So good!!!!

Graham Fuchs

What a great spot! Found they were still open while many other spots were not. Food and service was excellent! Health protocols were well followed. Thank you!

Chloe Sandahl

The food is just fabulous and the owners and staff are so wonderful and pleasant..the lambchops were charred to perfection on the outs and a perfect medium rare in...even enjoyed a lovely birthday dessert compliments of the house...have visited before and will do it again !!

Carolyn Nguyen

Delicious authentic food served in a very nice restaurant. The staff was very friendly.

Jay Dingler

Excellent service and excellent food. Quiet relaxing venue in an old home converted to a restaurant. Great staff. I enjoyed a very generous portion of roast lamb cooked to perfection and served with potato and carrot. I had a Greek beer and my wife had a martini - prepared exactly as requested. We finished the meal with tea, coffee and a shared piece of Greek honeycake which was very good. We will definitely go there again. Recommended!

Donna Edwards

Amazing food and Service. You feel comfortable and welcomed,just like your at home.

C.A. Elliott

Amazing food. Service was very attentive and friendly. Check this place out ????

Bob Boone

Very yummy food, nice atmosphere and the garlic shrimp are to die for. Only thing I did not like is the suggested percentage tier for tips - 10%, 18% or 25%. A bit steep for my liking.

Keith Wollenberg

Setting the restaurant in a repurposed house gives it a welcoming, homey feel, and the attentiveness of the staff adds to the effect. The food was very competent, and I have no complaints. Better than average Greek salad.

Tylar Andres

Been here twice in the past few weeks, this place is incredible. There's a reason it's the number 1 restaurant in Nanaimo! Had the lamb and spanakopita, both fantastic. Excellent service from Ruby and the rest of the team. Will definitely be back.

Cassidy Stock

The very best Greek Restaurant on Vancouver Island great food good prices excellent service all ways treated like some one special we will all ways got see the crew at Asteras

Kevan Threadgill

Great atmosphere. Excellent service. But, best of all, amazing food.

John Irwin

Timely service, and really good chicken

Marcel Beaudry

Incredibly awesome, always! Make a reservation, even mid-week because it is super busy every night. It is that good :-)

Kaj Stirler

Dinner

joyce nordwall

Excellent Service and exceptional food / portions. Consistently good every time.

Keith Conway

Absolutely fantastic gorgeous gorgeous food as always and service was superb. Was just there for our 21st anniversary

Travel Bug

Great place to eat! Fun, friendly atmosphere with great value and great quality food. Loved it.

Janet Dyck

Holy moly the food is good. You gotta try the Moussaka. Service is good too and the waitresses were all beautiful.

jim bo

Amazing service by Emma if I'm not take her name wrong, outstanding quality, quantity, & flavor of food, Mouthwatering Meat & Vegetables, perfectly cooked & tender. it's a must go restaurant specially for people who have sense of meat... Thankyou so much all the team of Astera's!

James Nealy

This restaurant is awesome. I tried their seafood pasta and it was very tasty. I’ll certainly come back again in the future if I can.

L Thor

What a wonderful restaurant!! Every time I visit from the mainland my friends and I have made it a tradition to come here for dinner!! Astera has captured the Mediterranean ambience and feeling! The service is outstanding every time we eat here! The food is excellent! I highly recommend!!

Tommy Reinerth

Best Greek food on the island, wonderful atmosphere, perfect service. We went there for a family birthday dinner, and everything was absolutely perfect. This is our favorite restaurant -- in every regard.

Katrina Darwin

Such good food, excellent service.

mike chin

Excellent food and wonderful service. Often busy so call for a reservation. Best Greek food on the island!

Carolyn Tietz

Amazing food, but even more, exceptional service. Favourite restaurant in the city!

Lisa Duerksen

Wonderful food and excellent service. Staff where friendly and helpful. Would definitely visit them again.

Andrew Van De Leur

Having a unique connection to the building, as it was my Grand-parents house up untill 1990. I have always stopped in for a look around but this time I decided to stay for dinner. We found the service, food, and experience unmatched and would HIGHLY recomend this restaurant to anyone!!!! Thank You for an unforgetable experience. Look forward to future visits.......... Jerry Fiddick

Jahin Zaman

Excellent service, food, atmosphere...... Being raw foodist I allow myself once or couple times per year to eat a meal what is cooked. It's not my first visit to Asteras as I always recommend it to my friends especially friends out of town. There is never a mistake - they are one of very best in Nanaimo. And Peter is par excellence. Congrats to all of you and thanks for the wonderful experience.

L D

We had dinner there last night and thoroughly enjoyed everything. Our server was delightful and the owner once again made sure everything was perfect. He greeted us arriving and leaving like we had been in his home. Lamb was excellent and the desserts heavenly. Must have reservations - lovely evening.

Kevin Jesse

Great Ambiance, wonderful service, you can tell the staff really loves their job. And most importantly the food was exceptional!

Paul Solowoniuk

The food is fantastic, great atmosphere and decor...even the bathroom sink is gorgeous! Service was friendly and top-notch!

Robert Kwiecinski

Some of the best Greek food I have had and fantastic service! The roasted lamb falls off the bone and is tastee!

Bonnie Mackenzie

I wasn't impressed with the service last night. The food was fine, even though they forgot our second appy and brought our main meal before we reminded them of that. And even though my Cesar only had half an asparagus skewered at the top of the drink disguised as a whole. Not once were we asked how our meal was, and we felt pretty much unattended to. Over all it was not worth the cost and we won't be going again.

Barb Smith

Great food, friends lamb shank was cold in the middle, manager immediately replaced and gave some free dessert. No parking lot, or very small, hunt for street parking

Dano VI

Wonderful atmosphere, even better food. A must try if in Nanaimo!

Jordan McWilliam

Absolutely amazing food, great service and a very nice decor. Would definitely go again.

Bill Reilly

Dinner was awesome service was great definitely will go back.

Andy Waines

Pretty good experience. Was there early (4pm) , during change over from lunch to dinner. Servers were great, two of us had the ribs and felt that when the grilled the ribs the end parts were quite overcooked but the center pieces were amazing with great flavour.! Ouzo complimentary at the end of the meal is a nice touch. Definitely would recommend.

Casey Rosett

This is my all time favorite restaurant because I have been there numerous times with a variety of guests and never once been disappointed. The roast lamb portion is huge and delicious. The service is amazing. You will never have an empty water glass. They greet you and take time acknowledge you when you are leaving. By far the best dining experience you can have in Nanaimo. I can't say enough great things about it. Amazing food, amazing staff.. just amazing. Keep up the good work!

David Hitchen

Definitely one of the best restaurants in Nanaimo! I am a regular, as in weekly, and have never been unsatisfied. The service is outstanding and the food is unbeatable! Very highly recommended!

Shelby t

Could only do takeaway at this time, very friendly staff. Convenient location and the best chicken souvlaki I've ever had. Highly recommended.

Bill Gibbs

Great Greek restaurant. Atmosphere, food and service is excellent. Parking is minimal, but there is street parking to be found.

VanIsle

Dine in

John Douglas

Showed up tonight as my husband and I came into town for the day and saw that this place had amazing ratings. We went inside to find the restaurant very busy, which was to be expected as it was around dinner time. We stood at the front door for 5 minutes well servers just went by us. Finally an older gentlemen came and greeted us and asked one of the servers if they had available tables and she just said no that the empty tables were not available no explanation.The man then just shrugged his shoulders and said sorry. Not sorry it will be a little bit of a wait. No sorry like we won't be able to accommodate you at all. We just turned around and left. I will make sure to tell everyone I know about this awful experience. We felt like just because we didn't make a reservation that they weren't even willing to accommodate us. If it is necessary to make a reservation it should be on the website.

Fabián Martínez

Amazing place... Good food, great flavor, nice atmosphere, friendly staff and a free dessert is all here in Asteras. I was in town for work and we were thinking in drive to Victoria for dinner but we decided to try something in Nanaimo what a good surprise. This place has very high reviews and we decide to give it a try, we had no reservation but we were rapidly seated in a table, and over some drinks. We went with Grilled Calamari is great I did try the deep fried version too and I will recommendte grilled, garlic shrimps and a platter #1. For 3 really hungry guys and was enough food. The platter is amazing every one of the dishes, the roast lamp was soo soo good, comes with salad, rice, potatoes, tzatziki and pita. At the end we order the 3 desserts they had and all of them were great but if I had to pick will be Ekmek. Definitely I will come back more times to try other items. The restaurant doesn't seems that fancy from outside but is a must in Nanaimo, congratulations to all the Staff, btw Uma is great.

Joy Williams

What a warm and inviting atmosphere. Food was delicious and the service was great! Thanks Emily for a memorable time!

Alicia

Best Greek food I ever had. Large portions, fresh tasting herbs and amazing flavour. The restaurant also has nice ambience.

Igor Sevic

This is the best Greek restaurant I have ever been to! The food was delicious and the service was exceptional - the owner was checking in on tables to ensure everybody was enjoying themselves and helping out where he could! I would highly recommend Asteras to anybody I know that is traveling through Nanaimo

Rose Janson

All servers are very much generous. I came from Vancouver for a one day trip and choose this restaurant as our last meal of the day. We are very much happy. Up to the mark service quality. Foods are amazing as well. Loved their Beef Souvlaki and Chef special prawn but i think, their Avgolemono soup has an area of development.

박승관

It's the perfect authentic Greek restaurant. The owner was out helping the staff, the service was the best service I've ever experienced. the food was absolutely to die for. I could not recommend this place enough. I definitely will be back!

Steve Mills

This is one of the best restaurants on Vancouver Island! They never disapoint us, and everyone we take there becomes a huge fan of their delicious food.

Sue Hunt

Service

Robert Mcleod

We went for lunch on Saturday. We were the only people there. That should have clued us. Food was really bad. How is this restaurant rated 4.7 on google? The Roast Lamb is definitely not fresh and very salty. Even the rice and the salad on the plate tasted bad and smelled horrible. I suspect food is not fresh. The lemon chicken soup was very bad too. We didn’t finish our food. We expected fine dining based on the prices and the reviews - not even close.

Adam Hanna

Fantastic food, atmosphere. The staff and owner are genuine, friendly and professional. Top notch, best Greek in town.

Rayna James

Excellent Greek food, and the EkMek was outstanding. Service was attentive. Only criticisms is that the servers wore masks but constantly congregated together touching their masks/putting them down their face on their chins, hence contaminating their hands, and by proxy the food they are serving. This was distracting, distressing, and ultimately reduced my enjoyment of our meal.

Stefan Melideo

went there for my anniversary lamb should was amazing. When we were done the owner came out and personally asked us how our meal was we said amazing and they he proceeded to let me wife have of a piece of cake for free and we never even asked for it. Great Service!

Karsten Lee

As it was our first time there we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of service and how amazing the food was

Thomas Surette

GREAT food, but service was SLOW for our party. Usually we are in and out in an hour and not two like last night. Still GREAT FOOD!

Marcella Kroener

Food was very tasty and portions were good. Service was fast, friendly, and attentive. I can definitely recommend this place!

Ali Maqsood

The food is amazing, the owner treats his female staff terribly, very hard to be in the room with him.

Barb Toole

Dinner

evan lacharity

Great service and food. Always a fun evening.

tasha kap

Absolutely amazing service and wonderful food, I'd highly recommend to any and all looking for a fine dine. One of the best in Nanaimo by far!

Michael O'Sullivan

Absolutely phenomenal food, atmosphere and service. One of Nanaimo's best. Highly recommended. Prices are reasonable given the quality.

Cruz Murray

Wonderful experience. The patio was open. Staff were friendly and geared to customer service. The saganaki was delicious. Hubby and my daughter had the special with halibut, salmon and prawns with spaghetti. They both enjoyed it. I had the lamb chops, do delicious! The potatoes, vegetables and salad were great. I was surprised that it was plain rice, I prefer pilaf. We couldn't eat another bite, but we took eckmeck home and had it later with some tea ... yummy! Only thing that was a little disconcerting was they charged $3 for pita that was served with saganaki. This should have been included, or we at least should have been asked if we wanted it. They also didn't serve any pita with the actual meals. It was very nice though. I would highly recommend and we will return again. Thank you

Kate M

Enjoyed a great lunch with family here on Saturday. Everyone loved the food. Super friendly service too.

susandawne1

Great servers and focus on people. We were late for our reservation, and even though the restaurant was busy, they found us a table in minutes, and were super attentive. Grilled calamari was good, had great wine, and food was pretty good and prompt too. Pretty noisy room when it is busy, once it slowed down it was lovely.

Mark Richards

Great food, awesome service and warm and welcoming atmosphere

Jeff Kleinholz

We (me and my wife) had one of our beat experiences in Asteras, lovely staff and extraordinary food and amazing environment, definitely recommend it

Vicki Romando

The sure thing ! You know your always going to get awesome good and service ! Great vibe as well ! A place you should make reservation at or you might have to wait not get in ! Another fantastic meal !

Sandy Wang

I enjoy this greek restaurant. The food is good as well as the service. I came here for a birthday party (socially distancing) and they did a good job with it.

Carson Rush

Astounding food and service for our staff party. Food was fast and delicious. Servers were all amazing. Try the lamb.

Janice Ouellette

Asteras is always amazing! Food, atmosphere and service are consistently top-notch. They offer the option to pre-order for lunch if you are concerned about time. The lunch special is a fantastic assortment of classic Greek appetizers, and every entree I've ever had here is fantastic. Best Greek food in Nanaimo, hands down.

Elizabeth K

Excellent customer service and excellent food! The place was packed last night! There were several birthday celebrations, including my daughter's. The waitresses were attentive and our dinners came in a timely manner. Everything was delicious. I will definitely be back!

Pam Johnson

The food was amazing! The house dessert was next level out of this world! I highly recommend this restaurant!

MHD Shbib

It is my favorite Greek restaurant. I have been traveling around the world but this place is one of the best hidden gems for tasty food and cosy ambience I have ever discovered. Their food is amazing. Especially, I love their Moussaka. One of the best places to eat and enjoy a date in Nanaimo. If you have not been here, it is definitely place to discover and enjoy. Always recommend to all my friends and loved ones.

panda puff

Portions are big and food was pretty good. I enjoyed our lamb dish much more than our seafoods dishes, but overall it was good

Kim Hart

Great service! Food was tasty

Douglas Wilkinson

Good food. Good service. Our server was on top of everything but didn't crowd us. She knew all the specials and was able to answer all our questions about dietary details.

Maureen Moore

Wow. Favorite place ever!! The vibe of this restaurant makes you want to travel. The staff are so kind, courteous and genuine. The employees remember all 20 of the specials everyday and know what all of the servings taste like, to give excellent recommendations. I'd easily give this place 10 stars if I could. I highly recommend!! Super super cute.

Walter Cole

Asteras is our fav date night place. Love the atmosphere, the staff and obviously the food. The liqueur at the end of our meal is a nice touch.

Stewart Murray

We only had time for drinks before catching our ferry to Vancouver, and our server moved so fast to get our drinks and the bill, all with a cheerful smile. The restaurant setting is lovely as well! Warm yellow interior of a Victorian house that's been reborn as an upscale but cozy Greek restaurant. I'll definitely come back the next time I'm in town.

Sigal Smith

This is hands down the best restaurant in Nanaimo! We love to go there for yearly anniversaries and birthdays and have friends and family coming with us. I've brought business visitors to this restaurant and have never had a bad experience. The owner is very hands on, friendly and welcoming. Their food is fantastic! Never had a bad meal there and will continue going back.

Suni Ai

Simply amazing!! The food in this restaurant is incredible. We had the lamb and the grilled calamari. Both dishes were exquisite! The portions are very generous and the taste is rich. Truly recommend this restaurant!

J C

Had a wonderful lunch today, this place never lets us down great food, service and atmosphere!

Gillian Heed

Charming restored house in old Nanaimo with 2 hour parking on the street. The host/owner was welcoming and very attentive to us through out the evening. My husband had the lamb dinner which he said was extremely tender and well cooked. I tried their prawn and scallop souvlaki which was also wonderful. Both meals included Greek salad, rice, lemon potatoes which were done perfectly. We enjoyed desserts as well. The service was great and we felt that although not an inexpensive meal, the price was justified given the attentiveness of the staff and the quality of the food which made for a memorable evening. The place was packed with people waiting for tables (Friday October 5th) so it was clear that this is a very popular dining locale. The only downside would be that its popularity combined with its building layout makes it a noisy and crowded restaurant so hearing could be difficult at times, however we were pleasantly surprised at how good our meal was and look forward to returning the next time that we are in Nanaimo.

Jean Millar

absolutely fantastic food! Desserts to die for, reasonable prices , excellent service- this place is a real Gem! Make sure you call ahead and reserve - a lot of people know how fantastic it is!

Keith Arkell

Out favorite restaurant. Fantastic service and great food.

Maksym Gogolinsky

We decided to order in from our favourite Greek restaurant in Nanaimo being we can’t eat in as usual and it was amazing ! I would encourage everyone who loves this restaurant to order take out or delivery while they are closed ! The food was amazing and they included free desert which was a lovely surprise!

Joey Fortier

I had the most delicious lunch. I highly recommend this place

Tilmann Schulz-Coppi

Very beautiful place. Vegetarian Moosaka was excellent and highly recommended. I had the prawns souvlaki dish but they were a bit overcooked though still very good. Service was excellent and the staff was great.

Wojtek Golebiewski

We dropped in for a salad mid afternoon and it was delicious. The service was excellent and loved the decor/ambience.

Dave McLaughlin

As of Sept 3rd 21, still wonderful. A great experience every time. The best Greek food in Nanaimo, waitresses and the owner are always busy serving and making sure you have everything

Brian Stone

Top notch dining experience. Fantastic food and service. Dining room a little cramped for larger groups

erica dahle

Excelent! great place, great food, great service. Make a reservation ahead is very busy but slows down at later hours.

Nate & Dom Withrow

The food was awesome, the atmosphere absolutely lovely and cozy and the service from Emily was amazing! Loved it here and will definitely be back! Ty for a lovely "normal " evening !

Paula Guichandut

The food was amazing and the service was outstanding. The staff is very attentive and I was very impressed with their hustle and attitude. The hardest working staff I have ever witnessed in a restaurant from the kitchen out. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone!

Thomas Darling

There is a reason Asteras consistently ranks as one of the best restaurants in Nanaimo. Knowledgeable, hospitable and welcoming staff in an authentic Greek atmosphere. The food is incredible right down to the very last bite. No matter what you order off of the menu, you really can't go wrong. Big portions, so come hungry!

Alexandra Collins

I wish I had taken photos. Found this little gem by accident on the weekend after a hike. Our server Dana was very knowledgeable and helpful and happy to walk us through the menu options even though it was quite busy. We mostly went the tapas route and shared everything including one of the specials. Everything was amazing. Some of the best Greek food I've had since moving to the West Coast. The eggplant dip was my favourite hands down.

Nick Lee

HAD THE roast lamb. cooked to perfection and SO tasty! Service was excellent. . Six stars! BEST MEAL I HAVE HAD OUT HIS YEAR !

Amber Gallia

An absolute hidden gem!!! Great food, amazing service, very attentive, great atmosphere, and beautiful. Thank you Asteras!

Craig Harris

Probably the best restaurant I've ever been too. I ordered the roast lamb. It was superb.i don't even like lamb usually and I was enjoying the flavours on my plate well after my stomach was full. Entrees are of a good size. Complimentary digestive shot after the meal. Waitress was very friendly. We got our meals so promptly and the restaurant was full. Price point wasn't cheap, but not expensive either. My table of four all ordered what they wanted had two drinks each and shared one dessert and the bill was $155. I don't see much point going to any other restaurants in town. Asteras is the best.

Di Stevenson

Awesome Greek restaurant, the food was amazing and delicious. Cozy atmosphere.

Carmen Major

Service was great. Ambience was great. Calamari was too salty. Lamb shoulder was good. Desserts were very good.

Jon Carlson

Unpleasant experience. Unprofessional customer services. Rude. I've never have to write a restaurant's review before but I have to do it now to share with You how disappointed I am with the service here. Today is April 18th, 2018, a Wednesday's afternoon before 5pm. I'm hungry and looking to try something new. I have sushi yesterday, Chinese food the day before. I use google map to search for a restaurant around my last client's address. A few restaurants showing up including Astetas. The last time I have Greek's food is well over a year ago so I follow Google map to this address. There's no customer at all. I say hi to a middle age, blond hair, about 5.2 feet tall woman server there. I ask for a take out menu. The answer is "No, we don't have a take out menu". I ask is there any spicy food here? The rudelly answer is "Greeks don't eat spicy food". I told her I read a good review about lamb and prawns here, can I order that? The answer even more rude " No, we don't have that". I feel the angry rush through my veins. So either the people who write the review on trip advisor are lying or this lady has intentionally rudely refuses customers. I'm well dressed, overly polited, well self respected and well known among my Vietnamese community. I'm a songwriter, ferformer in the past and I'm currently working 2 full time jobs and appeared in local Shaw cable, channel 4 once for volunteering performance for seniors in Nanaimo. Luckily, the very nice cashier girl standing there over heard what's going on politely says " We do have lamb and prawns special tonight. I feel being treated less than a Canadian for once and less than a human being since this lady outrageously lie to me and treats the customers that way. I suggest the restaurant's management should not keep her there otherwise You'll loose your reputation and your customers. If she is the owner, then wish you good luck in your next adventure. Don't. look down at other peoples while you don't have enough respect for yourself. I'll never come back there again and I strongly advice others "If you have respect for yourself, don't go there because you might end up writing another bad review of Asteras". Thanks for reading my feeling. Have a wonderful eating experience elsewhere. From a fellow human being

samuel coyle

My absolute favourite place to go for dinner in Nanaimo. The braised lamb is to die for! We tend to order one of the platters to split between the two of us, though it's safely enough for 3 to share. Always great service, and we really appreciated all the masked servers. Thank you guys for making our Halloween anniversary special.

Jeff Furness

Amazing Service Amazing Food Make a Reservation so you don’t miss out on some of the best Greek on the island!

Sahar Ghadirian

Meal type

Amber Morgan

Always great food! A BUSY place, normally a reservation is best for us. BEST Greek food around ❤

Gaiisi Vrugri

The quality of food was great! we tried lamb shacks and beef souvlaki. However, the portions were small, you will definitely need to order one meal per person.

Melanie Shigeoka

Just. Amazing. It was without a doubt the best Greek food I've ever had. The vibes, the staff, the food, and everything was better than I could have imagined. I WILL be going back.

Khalid Tahir

This place is hugely popular, they take very good care of their clientele, and I would say it caters to people who like to pay a little bit more for better food and service. The only problem is that I am allergic to MSG and I find that all the Greek restaurants must use the same spice supplier, so as much as I liked it, I won't be returning.

M Bhatti

Delicious Greek food in a charming house type setting tucked away from the street. Generous portions, plenty of flavour in each dish we had and wonderful customer service. A great find in Nanaimo

L Buck

Fanstic supper. Delicous authentic Greek food. Wonderful atmosphere and decor. Great time there with friends. Extremely good service. Owner, Peter, around and checking to ensure everything was good.

Brandon Brown

Stale bread and greasy calamari. Went there today because of the high reviews. We were one of the first customers for lunch. I guess that's why we got yesterday's bread. It seemed like they didn't have the oil hot enough for the calamari as the breading wasn't sticking to the squid at all and it was super greasy. I guess the people leaving good reviews got today's bread and showed up long enough after open for the oil to be hot.

Les Horne

Inside this house setting restaurant you will be treated to the best service and Greek food in Nanaimo. The atmosphere set in this place ignites magnificent eating and drinking experiences. I look forward to my next dinner engagement at Astaras.

kent reesor

Hands down my favorite restaurant in town! Staff is always friendly, food is always delicious!

Kelly Buyze

always 1st class! my go to spot! great food and super service!

Alexander Sutton

Food was amazing decor is beautiful staff is kind perfect for date night we come here often!

Steve M

Great food, Greek atmosphere, the service was excellent.

amy hall

Tremendous service and exceptional food.

Amanda Lane

Really great experience. Authentic Greek food. Venue is decorated to look like you're actually in a Mediterranean Villa. The owner checks in on every table. Will be back for sure.

Kel Shaw

Thanks to Yelp I gave this place a try. UNBELIEVABLY Good!! I got the roasted lamb because of the good reviews about it. Everyone was right when they said it melts in your mouth! Really good! All of the staff were super friendly and offered good recommendations on what to order. I highly reccomend you give this place a try if your in the naniamo area!!

Jennifer Enns

Authentic - The food, the vibe, the people. I can’t wait to go back. Keep doing what your doing, and congratulations to the management and owners for having such a beautiful establishment filled with great food and people!

Justin Kwong

Amazing food and staff. We had a great time. Do try the Olive late... It was so good. Everything was good.

M

Service

Deborah Johnston

I had the chicken souvlaki which was a little over cooked and dry. The tzatili was bland like they forgot to add garlic or dill. My partner had the lamb chops which were juicy cooked beautifully. They feta cheese on the salad is to die for. Staff are all knowledgeable and super friendly.

Gary Wasalasko

Meal type

Erin LS

The best Greek restaurant in town. it's a nice looking house structure and the service is friendly. I have been here everytime I have come to Nanaimo and they never disappoint in service and food quality. Reasonably priced food too. Overall a clean restaurant.

Kevin Oh

The best restaurant in Nanaimo. Low prices for what you're getting. Friendly, hardworking staff. Genuine Greek experience. Generous portions. Top-notch food. Unique setting. Creative, artistic beauty in and outside of the building. I imagine it was alot of work to get this place where it is at today. Thanks for a great experience, Asteras Restaurant!

Warren Christian

Super tasty and filling. Quick service as well.

Arnold S

Been here a few times over the years. The food is always good and consistent. The food selection is what you would expect for a local Greek restaurant, with many of the favourites and some different selections. Everything I've tried has been good, especially the lamb. Looks like they were busy, short-staffed, and stressed but there was no delay in delivery from the kitchen and the serving staff handled everything with a great attitude. As a customer, please be patient and go easy on eating establishments during these interesting times, it is not easy for them. I will definitely go back here.

Justin F

Had a party of 10 for my grandpa's 85th birthday. The whole restaurant was booked for the whole evening. They were able to not only accommodate us, they gave us excellent and timely service and the food was absolutely to die for. Everyone left with full bellies and smiling faces. Asteras is a true hidden gem. 5 out of 5, will be back!

Cher liu

Awesome food and service. No A/C so dress light on a hot day I only wish I had put my hair up. Lol!

Angela Hermary

Been to many a Restraunt in my 60 years of existence and my significant other and me agree, for Greek Food, Peter and his staff have it dialed in 100% and their pricing is truly a “Steal if a Deal”........must eat entertainment. Tell them “Les the CarGuy” sent you. Signed......Happy Parksville People

Colette MacAskill

Best restaurant experience of 2020! It was my wife's 50th birthday and the staff treated us so well all evening, topping it off with complimentary birthday cake and singing "the birthday song". The roast lamb was to die for. SO good!

Leslie Hogan

Food was excellent, loved the small atmosphere.

Janet Jeni

This place has AMAZING food and service is always friendly and quick (I'm a waitress myself and am therefore critical when it comes to service)! Super jolly atmosphere! 11/10 recommend, I've always had a great experience here!

Clinton Beck

Dine in

Samantha Lazzari

I had been to Asteras a few times pre-Covid and the things I loved about it before are still true. The food is exceptional, the owner is very attentive to the diner's experience and the decor is beautiful. Unfortunately, this last visit was disconcerting and I wish that I had said something while I was there. COVID has changed how we operate, and I understand that each person has a different level of comfort, however the list of protocols posted at the entrance did not mirror the behaviour of the staff. The restaurant was set up exactly as pre COVID with almost every table full. Luckily, patrons were leaving as we entered but I got the impression that the dining time per table was running late and people were seated for new reservations before previous tables had left therefore over filling the restaurant. This is an assumption on my part, based on how full it was when we entered so please don't take that as fact. As we were waiting for the table to be cleaned, we could see into the kitchen that the cooks were not wearing masks or face shields as specified in their posted protocols. Many times, I saw the owner and servers pull down their masks to communicate across the room to each other, one server pulled her mask down to answer the phone multiple times and even had her mask down when serving a table and singing happy birthday. Our server's mask kept slipping below her nose and she sometimes did, sometimes didn't pull it up. They diligently checked and scanned vaccine cards and I want to assume that all of the staff are fully vaccinated but we can't ask hence the need for fulltime mask use by the staff as per PHO direction. This review is not intended to be inflammatory, each person has their own level of comfort, but I personally did not feel safe or comfortable and as such did not enjoy my experience.

Suzanne Van't Haaff

The food was absolutely amazing, but more importantly the staff was outstanding. We had multiple servers and possibly the owner (didn't ask, sorry) serve us and check on us. Will 100% be coming back for many more celebrations.

Justin Mullan

What can I say? It was an excellent meal. The host, Peter, was gracious, and if you're in town, looking for a good dinner out, and don't consider this place, you're crazy. There. I said it.

Krista Rozenhart

Everything was on point. We got the souvlaki platter and a dessert. Overall great service, atmosphere, tasting and quality food.