I was only stopping for the views (as it was a much longer drive out than anticipated) but thought I'd pop my head into the cafe to see if they'd allow a to-go carrot cake (so I could eat at the bench & enjoy the views). I'm so glad I did as I got to go have a spot down on the dock looking outward to the cafe & bay. The place smelled amazing & lots of indoor seating (& outdoor options when the weather is nice). It has a lovely wide accessible ramp from the parking lot to the dock area, doors were decent size & lots of natural light with the large windows showcasing the views. Decent amount of parking space too. I'll definitely go back so I can enjoy a full supper out there. Menu looks fabulous & locals have recommended this place numerous times to me. read more

Genoa Bay Cafe - The giant & delicious carrot cake piece with cream cheese icing - Oct 2024 - Bistros Near Me - Duncan, British Columbia

We stumbled upon this great little spot and were pleasantly surprised. The food was fresh and flavorful, and the staff was super friendly. It's in a fantastic location right on the dock, which adds to the charm. Drinks were decent--definitely more of a beer or wine kind of place, not somewhere you'd go for a proper cocktail. Overall, a solid choice for good food and a great view. read more

Genoa Bay Cafe - Fish and chips - Bistros Near Me - Duncan, British Columbia

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So wonderful. Great service, wonderful food. Might need a bit more attention for celiacs as suspect the chorizo had gluten. Otherwise, perfect. read more

Genoa Bay Cafe - Genoa Bay Marina view - Bistros Near Me - Duncan, British Columbia

Excellent food. Nice owners. Good prices. Surprising treat at the end of the road. Very fresh meals. Tasty fish and chips.

Exceptional food and service surrounded by the most picturesque setting in the Cowichan Valley. You will need a reservation to dine there.

The meal was fantastic. We didn't have reservations but the hostess got us in after checking with kitchen to make sure they could accommodate us. Wonderful ambiance. Great food and superb friendly service. It was Thursday night so I assumed we wouldn't need reservations. Bad assumption. Even though they were busy the staff really worked hard. My favorite dinner on the island!!!! read more

Great food, nice ambiance, but a little slow on the service due to a lack of servers. Other than that it is a top level restaurant.

Tucked away in the remote harbour of Genoa Bay far from downtown Duncan and reached by a scenic winding road through forest and farmland, this café is a favourite go to every summer. Their outdoor deck over looks the marina and is well protected by a large sail awning. Good food served up by friendly staff puts a satisfied smile on customer's faces. On this visit my friend had her old favourite, fish and chips and I went for something more out of the ordinary, the Westcoast Seafood Jambalaya and I was not disappointed! Spicy tomato rice with onion and bell pepper, chunks of sockeye salmon, chorizo sausage and large prawns topped with four fresh steamed mussels. Amazingly, we also shared a dessert, their delicious carrot cake. Rain or shine, this is a wonderful place to take your visitors for the real flavour of the island. And don't forget to stop in at the Gallery gift shop down on the dock. read more

Genoa Bay Cafe - West coast Seafood Jambalaya - Bistros Near Me - Duncan, British Columbia

We were looking for some regional cuisine and got this rec from the front desk of our hotel on Cowichan Bay. Luckily we were famished after our Raptor encounter because we made little piggies of ourselves. We decided we wanted to "sample" things and went the appetizer route. Here's our lunch for 2: 1 Lb Salt Spring Island Mussels - 22 - white wine, fennel seed, parsley, basil, butter: super fresh, good sized mussels. Don't be fooled, 1 lb is a LOT for an appetizer. Genoa Bay's Famous Calamari - 17 - humboldt squid, ginger, lightly battered then deep fried, lemon aioli: whatever the secret seasoning is, YUM! West Coast Seafood Chowder ~ 13 bowl - cream, halibut, sockeye salmon, clams, bacon, vegetables, toasted sourdough: a good hearty chowdah! House Made Charcuterie - 26 - bacon jam, local sausage, daily selection of cheese, seasonal fruit, cranberry tomato chutney, grilled naan - a nice board, cheeses were mellow, could have used a more diverse assortment of cheese. Heirloom Carrot Cake - 9 - cream cheese frosting, maple drizzle, toasted coconut: we HAD to. Our server...Deeann, if I remember correctly, said it was a must. We stuffed ourselves silly and needed to take it to go. read more

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A little out of the way but worth the drive. Very nice atmosphere inside and quite busy when we got there at 6:30 in the evening. The mussels we had were from Salt Spring and they were huge and cooked to perfection. For our entrees we had the seafood risotto and lamb. Just before they arrived there was a power outage and they didn't bat an eyelid. Just put out the candles which created an even better ambience and carried on serving. Our food came up and we are in the candle light and just as we were finishing up the power came back. Great food and enjoyable evening. read more

Genoa Bay Cafe - Mussels from Salt Spring with Thai sauce - Bistros Near Me - Duncan, British Columbia

The service was great, the food was good and the ambience? How can you beat sitting on a patio on the water on a summer evening? The mussels in Thai curry sauce were phenomenal... actually spicy. The jambalaya was also good as were the coconut prawns and the mixed berry salad. No room for dessert. Definitely would visit again! read more

This place is so typically Canadian; it looks and feels completely unpretentious yet delivers the goods. We've been a few time since moving to BC and have never been disappointed. In our experience, the owners hold themselves to a high standard for food and service. A bit out-of-the-way, but it only adds to the sense of adventure. Go casual and enjoy yourself! read more

Exceptional food Very nice setting Great service Creative menu wonderfully prepared and presented A great spot to enjoy a bottle of wine for lunch while on vacation The water taxi from Cowichan only adds to the experience read more

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Had a great lunch with my friend from Victoria - a bit hard to find, but worth it when you do. Beautiful setting overlooking the Marina, nice deck that was not hot on a very hot August day, great service, and a good menu. We split a prawn bunwich and a wonderful salad and both were excellent. Good lemonade too. Nice servers - friendly, attentive and made us feel welcome. Nice to walk the docks looking at boats after lunch. And shopping too with crafts from local artisans. Would definitely go again! read more

An amazing hidden gem of a location, off the beaten path at Genoa Bay (just east of Duncan). One of the best burgers I've ever had! Worth substituting the regular fries with the truffle parmesan fries. Strawberry lemonade was delicious as well. "Outside table worthy" in good weather. They take reservations, so you can call ahead. I hope to return soon. read more

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We recently joined some friends and made the trip from Duncan to Genoa Bay looking for lunch. The Genoa Bay Cafe, situated right on the cove, filled the bill. Although the outdoor temperature was a tad on the cool side, we decided to sit on the fabulous deck overlooking the marina. Ann, our thoughtful server, brought us blankets to ward off the chill. The ladies ordered tea while the men ordered pints from the Riot Brewing Co. of Chemainus. We were pleasantly surprised with the menu that is above and beyond what we might have expected. Items like Brandied Garlic Escargot although attention getting did not get ordered as we settled for the Humboldt Squid, Seafood Chowder and Fish and Chips. The cream based chowder with local halibut & sockeye salmon, clams, and big chunks of bacon was a winner. My deep fried squid came in a novel presentation but I thought the squid could have been crispier. Nonetheless, it was satisfying with the diced ginger marinade in ginger-ale and lemon aioli. We will definitely return and after looking at the dinner menu have decided to make the trip later in the summer when the days are longer. read more

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Quaint little marina in lovely location is not without its warts, but is still worth a visit... THE ROSES: Located in Genoa Bay, Genoa Bay Marina is the only game in town. It has a fair amount of transient moorage, and benefits from a wonderfully friendly and helpful manager (Ben). It has on its docks a nice little store, a gallery, and a snack bar that serves breakfast for a few hours in the morning. Facilities are rustic, but well maintained. The big draw here for the visiting yachtsman is the Genoa Bay Cafe, which is truly worth the visit. THE THORNS: To be brutally honest, the rates here for transient moorage are quite steep, vis-a-vis other marinas in the region (Chemainus, Sydney, etc). Many of the dock planks are a bit loose and wobbly, so walking on them is a bit loud; not great if you're an early to bed type or a late riser. Wi-fi is rather poor, and water is at a premium. What is doubly confusing is that while a sign at the head of the dock says you may use the water, but not for boat washing, signs on all the taps say the water is "not potable". This is confusing at best and dangerous at worst. THE VERDICT: While the staff and location are very nice, the enjoyment is a bit lessened by the steep tariff to stay here. To be quite honest, if it weren't for the Genoa Bay Cafe, I'm not sure I could recommend this marina as a cruising stop. But as it is, it's OK. read more

Absolutely beautiful spot on the water. On the day I was there I had the special which was a lamb burger...it was delicious. I also upgraded to the truffle fries that had Parmesan cheese grated on top, absolutely yummy read more

If you know me and have read any of my other reviews you will know that I rarely rate anyone a 5 star.. But this place, I have. Not that I expect it to be as good as a fine dining place in say downtown core of a major city, but for a small restaurant off the beat and path it is great. First of all is the ambience. It is a romantic marina style pub that has great food and a fantastic view. It lacks that yuppy snobbery that a lot of the brew pubs have now. The food is fairly good too, and not only comfort food. You can get some pretty tasty things here. I will not go into the detail of what I have had here because I eat here quite often but just to say, I have yet to be disappointed. read more

Nice place and good food, not spectacular. Jambalaya and mussels were great. Duck was an odd presentation of the breast (a 'chop') and far too rare and had to be topped off, but they were very pleasant about it. Nice wine list and fair prices. Try the Alderlea Clarinet red. There was a large group that had a lot of tables so we had one where we unfortunately had a view staring at the wall and bar. read more

Awesome restaurant! Beautiful little spot in Genoa Bay, professional excellent service and yummy food! I had the whole trout and it was cooked to perfection! read more

Today was not a good day for the cafe. out of 3 meals....Burger/fries and 2 snapper Tacos all were lacking and tasteless. Tacos left a lot to be desired and the Burger was not very good. We were disappointed as I have eaten here in the past and it was good. Waitress was pleasant but uninterested in our comments about our unhappiness with the food. Sorry will not be back. read more

Arrive via Greylag boat tours from Cowichan Bay for an added bonus! So many great things to enjoy at Genoa Bay Cafe: the view from the deck, the varied and interesting menu items, the attentive service, and the delicious food. We had calamari to start. One of the best I've ever had; big serving and nicely spiced with ginger. Mains were pulled pork sandwich for my daughter, coconut prawn salad for me, and steak special for my spouse. The portions are large and the flavors rich. My prawns were jerk spicy, right on the edge, but the mango and pineapple helped cool me down. Oh, and you'll get a delicious fried bread with fancy hummus. Flavors change regularly. We were too full for dessert so missed out on the triple creme brulé. Coffee lukewarm. The only disappointment. read more

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My food came and I thought I was going to vomit!. I am vegan. I was so appreciative and excited to see that they had not one but three (supposed) vegan "options" on the menu. The meals are pricey, so my expectations were higher than I would have for a greasy spoon. The Jambalaya "vegan option" could be made - without the prawns (no vegan substitute) - without the muscles (no vegan substitute) - without the chorizo (no vegan substitute) but for the same whopping $28 !!! O M G. "but you can have extra veg if you like", the waitress told me, smiling meekly. gross! The "vegan option" of the chicken curry sounded promising as it is made with a cashew cream sauce. Again, this is an expensive item, so if you are going to charge me $28 for the meal, you better provide a proper vegan substitute, as they are easily available in the grocery store in the neighbouring town... but no... "You can have extra veg with that if you like"... I opted for the Mushroom fettuccine with onion bourbon cream sauce. Big mistake! When my bowl arrived, I stared at it in disbelief. I actually tried a bit. There was very little mushroom in the dish at all. The worst part was that the bourbon cream sauce (the whole point of the dish) was substituted with their idea of a "vegan option"... olive oil. OLIVE OIL!!! about a cup and a half of olive oil. oh god. It was a bowl of limp pasta drowning in gobs of straight OLIVE OIL. Blech! I did not eat it. They graciously offered to remove the $28 for the slop off our tab. Yes, please do that. I do not recommend vegan ever go here. The chief does not seem to know what vegan means, nor care. They certainly do not care enough to learn how to cook a tasty vegan meal. They are however very eager to charge you a lot of money for very bad food though. read more

This little place is a true gem! Casual, so I don't have to dress up. But the food is so tasty, and beautiful that I feel like royalty! Absolutely delicious! read more

Genoa Bay Cafe - Bistros Near Me - Duncan, British Columbia

We've gone to Genoa Bay about a dozen times in the last year and each and every time we are treated with genuine hospitality and service that is unparalleled in the area. The menu is small and each item is perfected with quality ingredients cooked to the highest standards. We always bring our daughter who is 5 and she loves the ginger Calamari with lemon aioli. I recommend the Genoa Cafe with my highest regards for anyone wanting to experience a fine dining service nestled into one of the most quaint and beautiful backgrounds. Get there by boat, car, bike, or hike - and now I just heard they have started a passenger ferry from Cowichan Bay as well! I love it. read more

Had a wonderful meal here pre-pandemic, so thought I would try them again. Unfortunately, when I called to make a reservation, the person who answered said, "just a minute", put the phone down and didn't come back. I listened to the noise of folks chatting and the bustle of a restaurant for a while, and "hello-ed" loudly in the phone several times, and then finally gave up. I guess I will go somewhere else. read more

Good food and gorgeous location; I've wanted to try for years. But even better service. When two things we'd ordered weren't available, they offered us the substitution free. Staff were friendly and professional. Cute kitschy decor, local art, right on the water--perfect place to stop after a hike and stroll down the dock to the art gallery afterward. I wanted to move in! read more

Over the past 10 years we have had some very pleasant meals at GBC. We brought some friends over this time thinking what a treat in store it would be. Saturday evening, the late sitting at 7.30. One person in our group of 4 ordered an appetizer of humboldt squid, which she liked. Our mains came....about an HOUR later: caesar salad and the chowder - I found the romaine greens had been sitting in dressing for too long and were limp and the dressing bland. The chowder - I could taste the flour and it was so grossly thick, you could stand a spoon in it. Our guests were polite to say it was "fine" but the jambalaya was uninspired, tasted like cooked white rice and plain tomato sauce, even with the addition of the seafood, which was at least seasoned ok. The red snapper fish was good and the chips crispy and hot. The server seemed not to notice me not eating my meal. If we didn't have dinner guests, I would have sent it back. I'm afraid we won't go back til we hear of better meals being served more consistently. read more

We were in Duncan looking for a place to have seafood for lunch. Saw this place on Yelp. It was out of the way but oh, what a lovely, quiet place and tasty food. We each has an appetizer to start. I had the calamari which was lightly breaded and friend. SO GOOD! My husband had the fresh mussels in a coconut green curry broth. Very tasty! The. We each had a bowl of clam chowder. It was too much food for me. If you order the mussels and soup have the soup first as the flavor can overpower the soup. Will definitely Come Again! read more

Genoa Bay Cafe - Calamri - Bistros Near Me - Duncan, British Columbia

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We have been here before, and had our socks blown off. The chef is capable of some amazing food. But that means the bar is set very high too. I had literally been anticipating eating here for a couple months. I peruse the menu and find fettuccini. While everyone else orders lamb or New York steak, I'll go for the item that can really shine. It was poorly seasoned and the toast was served perfectly dry. I don't like dry toast, never have. With the bland noodles, I was pretty much crushed. Not sure we will eat here again tonight, might even cast lines and go somewhere else entirely. Anyone can have a bad night, or just a bad, well bad is maybe too strong a word, but maybe not. See when the bar is set this high, so must be your standards. There is not even a salt shaker on the table. You made me ask for one, and I don't like having to be imposed upon. So given where the bar has been set, no, this was a total disaster. No excuses, season your damn noodles sir. I say good day to you sir. Update: We had lunch today a day later, and I'm glad we did. Tacos were amazing, charcuterie was awesome. I still say someone did not season the fettuccini last night, but where else can you get such a good meal on the water. read more

Stopped in for lunch after a stunning scenic hike of Stoney Hill Park ( a must see , leaves me in awe both times I have been ). Stopped in for lunch at this hidden gem and it didn't disappoint. We were greeted warmly and given a table outside to enjoy the views and peacefulness, menu had lots to choose from. I had the mussels in a coconut green curry sauce which were amazing , my husband had the coconut prawns . Our daughter had the snapper tacos and son-in-law had the fish & chips ( snapper ) which they both liked. Will definitely go back to try other items on menu. Thank you for a very enjoyable meal and afternoon read more

A little out of the way but worth the drive. Gorgeous setting on water. The coconut shrimp are to die for. Great place for a date.

The outdoor deck has been nicely tailored into 6 widely spaced tables, and a second outdoor area has been added as well. My second lunch in a week in this beautiful setting. Highly recommended. There is a lovely hike towards Cowichan Bay nearby, just a bit up a hill to a very nice view. read more

Lovely boat ride from Cowichan bay via Graylak. Genoa Bay has changed considerably but it was over 20 years since I was here last! Warm greeting and seated inside the restaurant as we were informed by phone that the deck was full. However we saw people being seated on the deck who did not have reservations. But really we did not mind not being in the hot sun. Beautiful view of the mountains and yachts. Food was good, portions were huge. Service was excellent but we did have a long wait between our appetizer and entree. I had the prawn lettuce wraps, nice and simple with a salsa, avocado and lettuce, very fresh and tasty. Trock had the figs with goats cheese and proscuitto, always a crowd pleaser. Entree was halibut, a little over cooked as was the sword fish. But considering all the other positives - great experience, great view and good wine, it was a lovely time. read more

By far the best food, service and ambiance you will get in the cowichan valley. The calamari is amazing. Melt in your mouth never chewy or rubbery like most places i have had it at. read more

Lovely evening at the restaurant. So enjoyed our waiter Brandon and his fun spirit and humor. The Escargot was excellent. Calamari, Jambalaya and beet salad were all very good. Carrot cake got mixed reviews- I thought it was dryish but good. Friends thought it was well flavored and just right texture. read more

I am surprised that there are no reviews on this great little Cafe. Food is fabulous and service great. The setting in the marina is only fantastic if you like a waterfront view. Highly recommend this place for lunch and for dinner. We have been coming for years and it has never disappointed. read more

Such a pleasant surprise! Everything we ordered on two visits was excellent. The entire staff is friendly and polished. Great setting on the wharf too. Best place we ate at on Vancouver Island by far! read more

9 of us went for brunch. Most in our party are not picky and happy to eat just about anything. But every single one of us could not finish our brunch. Frozen burnt biscuits, dry hard poached eggs, toast not toasted still frozen. Hash browns are the worst we have ever tired. Not sure what they we're trying to do with them but they seemed and tasted like they were a week old re fried 7 times and left to soak in the fat in the deep frier. Then the frier turned on to slightly heat the hash Browns. The hash browns need to be taken of the menu, they were a embarrassment. Freezing cold plates, soggy fruit, no espresso machine. It's a negative 1 star for the food and plus 3 stars for the service and the fact the owner covered the meals. And apologized for the kitchen mistakes but then we saw more plates come out with the same issues. DO NOT ORDER THE HASH BROWNS. Owners please please remove from the menu they will stop people coming or recommending to others. Great view. Owner was super friendly. read more