Syrens Bistro - Pender Island

The appetizers were delicious at this restaurant. The calamari and beet hummus were enjoyable, and the tuna poke nachos were outstanding. The fish and chips with coleslaw were tasty, but the batter on the fish was greasy and overcooked with no flavor. The service was lacking, despite the friendly waitress. The restaurant was nearly empty at 5pm with staff chatting at the bar, resulting in long waits between seating, drink orders, dinner orders, and getting the bill. With so many other great options on Pender Island with excellent food and service, such as the Port Browning pub, Truss, or Hub, I may not return to this restaurant.

After waiting in line for fifteen minutes, we were informed that the kitchen was extremely behind and that no food would be served for at least an hour. Unsure of the closing time and not wanting to risk going hungry, we decided to leave and go to Browning instead.

Four of us arrived at this restaurant for dinner on a Friday night and all decided to order the Fish and Chips dish, which was recommended by our server, Chris. We were all pleased with the generous portions of halibut, which were thicker than what we usually find elsewhere. The fish was moist and flavorful as well.

Again we stopped by here for some appetizers and beer, which ended up being Chicken Wings. The food here was good and the beer was served very cold in chilled glasses, which shows that the restaurant really does care about its guests. Chris our server did an excellent job of keeping us well fed and well hydrated.

We went for dinner as a family in July, and sadly the resort is currently understaffed which became very apparent in the restaurant. Our waitress (when she eventually came to the table) was very friendly, but clearly run off her feet. I wish they had communicated as we sat down just how busy they were as we would’ve happily found another spot to eat. I would not recommend the “pizza”, it was incredibly underwhelming to wait an hour for. Especially considering the price! The fish and chips seemed to be the best option. Overall, the staff seemed pleasant but waiting over an hour for food, only to be disappointed left a bad taste and we will not be returning.