Just south of Nanaimo, on a rural stretch of Yellow Point Road in the Cedar area, stands a Tudor-style pub with an English garden around it. The Crow and Gate opened in 1972 and, the pub’s own about page says, was the first neighbourhood pub in B.C. The Olson family has owned it since 1987. The current owner-operator is Matthew Olson.
It is a 19-and-over establishment; minors are not allowed. The pub does not take reservations or private bookings, so a popular evening is a matter of turning up and taking a chance on a table. Hours listed on the official site are open daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The address is 2313 Yellow Point Road, Nanaimo, V9X 1W5 — a short drive from Cedar, and on the Nanaimo edition’s map rather than Ladysmith’s. The phone is 250-722-3731, and the email is info@crowandgate.ca. The pub is also in our Nanaimo directory.
What the official pages emphasize, besides the history, is the setting: English gardens and that Tudor building, which the family says draws visitors from around the world. It is the sort of place people make a destination of, especially on a clear winter afternoon when a walk under the trees and a late lunch feel like the right use of a Saturday. Because there are no bookings, it is kinder to arrive earlier than to hope for a table at the rush.
Good to know
- Address: 2313 Yellow Point Road (Yellow Point / Cedar). Open daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- 19 and over only; no reservations or private bookings.
- Opened in 1972 as B.C.’s first neighbourhood pub; Olson family owned since 1987. Details: crowandgate.ca.
Image: Screenshot of the Crow and Gate About Us page.
Photo: Crow and Gate Pub, Screenshot of official source page, via source.
