Genoa Bay Cafe — Restaurant in North Cowichan

Mixed Feelings About Genoa Bay Café: A Perfect Setting, But the Food Missed the Mark

We recently visited Genoa Bay Café and found ourselves in one of the most beautiful and peaceful locations imaginable. Nestled right on the water in Genoa Bay, we were seated on the outdoor deck overlooking the marina, surrounded by treed mountains and basking in sunshine. The setting truly is spectacular. The kind of place you could sit for hours, soaking in the views and enjoying the atmosphere.

The staff were genuinely warm and welcoming, offering attentive and friendly service throughout our visit. The energy on the deck was lively and inviting, almost like being in a cozy lounge, with neighboring tables engaging in relaxed conversation that added to the experience.

Unfortunately, the food didn't quite live up to the surroundings.

I opted for the Bird's Eye Cove Highland Beef Burger. While the bacon jam added a nice touch, the burger itself was just okay, nothing I couldn’t get at a dozen other places. It was good, not great, and didn’t feel like it matched the creativity or uniqueness the location deserves.

My wife had the Falafel Plate, which sounded promising on the menu. While each component was well prepared: beet hummus, sesame ginger salad, mango salsa, and pickled vegetables. Her takeaway was that the flavors didn’t really complement each other. It felt like a collection of good ingredients that didn’t quite come together as a dish.

Our search continues since my favourite restaurant closed permanently and Genoa Bay cafe left us...

Last week my wife and I decided to drive over to Genoa Bay for lunch. We had heard about the cafe there, but had never tried it before.

The special was a seafood fettucini that day and so we both chose to have that. We enjoyed it too.

The baby clams were still in the shell, mixed in with the pasta and sauce as we have had before. However, I think they must cook these separately, for they had a little extra garlic flavour, which was separate from the rest of the sauce in the dish. In the cream sauce were fork sized pieces of halibut, salmon and a few small scallops. Very nice!

The pasta was cooked as I like it, not over nor undercooked. Undercooked, almost crunchy still I've had before, and I don't like that one bit. Mushy isn't good either!

The portion size was perfect for lunch. The dish came with garlic flat-bread, a nice flavour and texture contrast to the fettucini.

Service was what I'd describe as “team oriented” and thoughtful. We had one server who looked after us, but others helped out, removing plates and filling water and wine glasses if our server was busy at another table. Very professional.

The entire lunch lasted an hour and a bit. We felt unhurried and welcome to enjoy.

Our first visit was a success, and we'll be back. Perhaps we ought to be a bit more adventurous. We'll take the boat over and try the Dinner menu on...

At the time of writing, this cafe is my hands down favorite fish fry up south of Duncan.

If you ever had Barb's fish and chips in Fisherman's wharf in the early 90s, you may understand that the current offerings are a sad shadow of what it used to be. Barb's is meh.

The exciting part: Genoa Bay gives a nod to the quality of old-school Barb's, with a very surprising amount of finesse added to the dining experience. The quality of fish and generous servings of tasty sides (fries, parmesan truffle fries, soup, whatever!) are hard to beat. The chef is not here to put out a paper plate. The garnishes and the plating of the dishes come across as intentional and showcase skilled kitchen staff.

The prices are reasonable, the servers are lovely, and the decor all come together to create a feeling of a certain time and place. Kitschy, 90s does abstract metal art, houseboat community vibes.

This place is quite a bit out of the way from the regular travel path. If you have the time, it is very worth stopping by for a meal and a wander.

Check out pics of the fish tacos, parmesan truffle fries, Falafel wrap, and fish and...