Food & Nightlife
Nelson is a cosmopolitan town so there is an array of options for dining and drinking. Baker St is the centre of the action and during the day there are art cafes and hippie tea drinking establishments, whilst at night there are a collection of good restaurants and pubs. You can get great bang for your buck in Nelson. Food in particular is very cheap!
Nelson Restaurants
The absolute highlight of Nelson dining is
Fusion 301 Tapas (301 Baker St Nelson), a funky restaurant bar with dark and cosy décor. Just thinking about the menu is enough to make you salivate, with lots of interesting twists on conventional dishes; hence the name “fusion”. Jamie the head honcho is incredibly creative and his cooking genius and personality was evident as a semi-finalist on Iron Chef. As an appetizer, the Indian curry version of poutine with shaved potato is yum yum yum. The main courses are awesome, but save room for the dessert menu which is titled “Sinful Desires”. It includes the awesome signature dish of a tempura banana split with honey and cream. Meals can be accompanied by wine or a great range of martinis and cocktails. And as is typical of Nelson BC, the price is incredibly reasonable considering the quality dining experience. I can’t wait to get back to Nelson again for a taste sensation at Fusion!
In addition to various restaurants in Baker St, the Nelson hotels are home to some of the best restaurants. Louie’s Steakhouse and Lounge is situated in the New Grand Hotel, whilst the
Prestige Lakeside Resort has Frisco’s Steak and Fish House, as well as the chic Manhattan’s Waterfront Lounge.
At the
Hume Hotel in Vernon St, there are also a couple of restaurant options. The Library provides an intimate setting for a drink or dinner in amongst heritage furnishings. It’s a very charming place, and the ambience is further enhanced on the weekends with live music playing quietly in the background. The menu is extensive, so it’s incredibly hard to choose what to have for dinner. The other problem is that the food is very inexpensive, so it’s tempting to order three courses even when the waist-line doesn’t need that much food. The General Store Restaurant has the same menu, but is more geared for casual family dining.
A pub-meal option is at Jackson’s Hole and Grill (524 Vernon Street Nelson). Adjacent to the bar is the bistro that serves up steaks, burgers, salmon fillets, prime ribs, soups and salads. This too offers very economical dining.
For breakfast or lunch in Nelson, swing past Baker Street’s Kootenay Bakery Café Cooperative (377 Baker St Nelson).
Après at Whitewater
The 19th hole or last run at
Whitewater Ski Resort is Coal Oil Johnny’s Pub off to the side of the cafeteria. It affords views of the ski area, so it’s a perfect après place to watch the stragglers coming off the ski hill. If the legs are weary there are tables at which to sit, or it’s possible to loiter around the bar whilst drinking one of the local Kootenay brews. Like the beers, some of the appetizers are fabulous. Unfortunately après doesn’t last for long as most people need to drive down the mountain.
Nelson Bars & Nightlife
Mike’s Place Pub at the Hume Hotel is a large old English style pub spread across split levels. They have lots of beer options, pool tables, big screen TVs and a festive atmosphere. Another good option for a drink is The Royal Pub and Grill in Baker St, or Jackson’s Hole and Grill.
A must-do activity is a visit to the Ymir pub which is about a 20 minute drive towards Salmo. If you thought Nelson was colourful, then wait until you see the Ymir pub! This is a tourist attraction, and whilst the company of the patrons and the drinks are great, the main drawcard is the décor. Nearly every inch of the wall is covered in an eclectic mix of artwork, there are musical instruments to play, and lots of other decorations that could either be described as kitsch or weird. And the publican is an icon of the area. He’s a tourist attraction in himself!