Walking in Snug Cove you can take in most of Bowen Island’s restaurants and food shopping options in a single glance. 

Or can you?

In recent years, food options on Bowen Island have expanded to include a much wider and diverse range of choices. From farm to table to takeout and locally produced food products, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Bowen Island restaurants and food options. 

In this article, we’ve highlighted all the food options on Bowen Island. From Bowen Island restaurants, takeout, pick-up, and the best patios to food choices for everyday life on Bowen Island, we’ve got your covered. 

So, let’s tuck in! 

In this Article

Bowen Island Restaurants, Patios, Cafes and Community Meals

Here’s a master list of all the Bowen Island restaurants and dining out options: 

Artisan Eats

Artisan Eats is a great place to go for a morning meet-up, work meeting, or late lunch.   Choose from French baked goods, breakfast fare and savoury lunches.  Featuring amazing seating with a view of the Coast Mountains and warm atmosphere.

Barcelona Tapas

No matter how you pronounce Barcelona, this tapas joint has legs and is the site of many long meals with course after course of delectable tapas treats.  

Bowen Island Pub

Newly renovated, the Bowen Island Pub offers live music, pub atmosphere and patio dining along with Bowen Kitsch from days of yore.  And takeout, too! (just be sure to order early on busy days) 

Bowen Sushi

You better believe that Bowen Island has sushi! Tucked between the Phoenix bookstore and Canada Post, eat in or take away. 

Branch on Bowen

Pivoting from hipster avocado on toast to fresh homestyle tacos and ice cream, Branch on Bowen is a winning combination that shows the power of A/B testing.  A match made on Bowen.  And neat curios for the curious island visitor or gifts to send to friends and family.

Doc Morgan’s

Serving seafood, lunches and dinners in a historic Bowen Island restaurant and a great view of the cove, Doc Morgan’s has the market cornered when it comes to offering a bird’s eye view of the ebb and flow of Snug Cove Marina traffic. Tuesday specials and takeout. 

Snug Cafe

The home of the late Piers “Blu”, the Snug Cafe is the mainstay of the morning ferry coffee, brunch, lunch and the age old tradition of “can I eat in time to make the ferry?”  

Meadowbrook Market

Specialty food shop offering meats, pies and fresh vegetables and breakfast & lunch at their roadside stop on Grafton Road.  Meadowbrook Market is a summer must do.

Paradise Grill

Crappy seating, no wait staff and you guessed it, a limited menu!  Excellent burgers cooked by skilled cooks all summer long. Eat on the wharf, at the ball diamond, or standing with friends. Summer is here!

Ruddy Cafe

If you hanker for sweet or savoury, the Ruddy Cafe has a lot to offer and may tempt you into taking home more than you came in to get. Local producers supply the Ruddy with pies and fresh produce. 

Ruddy Kitchen

Tucked away just after the turn off Grafton Road on the way to Cowan Point, the Ruddy Kitchen is the go-to coffee stop for trades workers on the West Side. The Ruddy Kitchen also offers Pizzas! 

Tell Your Friends Cafe

They make a flat white properly!  You’ll have fond memories of eating on the wharf eating a special sandwich, soup or thing and watching the tourists off the ferry craning their necks.  Oh, and, tell your friends to join you. 

The Shed (Bowen Golf Course) 

Weekend brunch, lunch and dinners with a gorgeous view of Seymour Bay and the fairway, the Shed Eatery is off the beaten path – but you’d rather it stay that way so you can enjoy magic hour with friends and no crowds. Pizza Fridays! 

Tuscany Italian Trattoria and Pizzeria

Boasting a proper wood-fired pizza oven and a legacy of offering Italian pasta and anti-pasta (although, not in that order), Tuesday night pizza, and the most beautiful courtyard on Bowen Island, Tuscany is a mainstay for many Bowen Islanders.

Village Bakery 

The Village Bakery serves breakfast, second breakfast and lunch. Tucked away but a quieter alternative to other cafes on Bowen. Great art on the walls. 

Weekly Dinners at the Legion  

The Legion hosts Friday night dinners from Fall to Spring for members and their guests.  There are also community lunches scheduled roughly twice a month. There’s even a Meat Bingo event once a month on Sunday. What’s a meaty bingo, you ask?  Win at bingo, take home a bundle of meat for the freezer.  

For more information: Bowen Island Legion Facebook Page

Bowen Island Ferry Food Kiosk ( for the Win! )

Now, we think the Queen of Capilano’s food kiosk qualifies as a legitimate food option on Bowen Island, if not quite a Bowen Island restaurant. 

When you’re on the 5:20 am ferry and have barely enough time to make the ferry, but forgot to feed yourself or make coffee, again, a bagel and coffee will have to do. 

If you haven’t yet sampled their wares, you need to buy an early morning shrink-wrapped danish, coffee or hot dog… to earn your honorary Bowen Island commuter badge.

And let’s be honest: it has the best seating, view and atmosphere of any Bowen Island restaurant.  The mountains towering over Howe Sound on the port side and orcas feeding on seals to starboard.  

You’ll never be without breakfast companions ever again, especially when we all have to commute to the city for work again in 2039. 

Bowen Island Beer, Wine, Cider and Spirits

Need somewhere to cozy up and enjoy live music, warm atmosphere? Just need to pick up some beverages for the backyard BBQ?

Here’s the rundown on what Bowen Island has to offer those seeking some libations:

Bowen Beer & Wine Cellar

Pick-up specialty beer, cider, wine and spirits at the Bowen Beer & Wine Cellar in the heart of Snug Cove.

Bowen Cider House

Opened in the summer of 2022, the Bowen Cider House offers three varieties of apple cider. Bowen Cider House is a part of the Meadowbrook Market.

Copper Spirit Distillery

The Copper Spirit Distillery offers gin, vodka and rye-based cocktails in their tasting room and some serious ambiance.

General Store

Swing by the beer cooler or the wine and spirit corner as you pick-up your weekend shopping. The General Store offers popular national brands and imports. And chips, obviously.

Riley’s Cidery

Founded in 2019 on an orchard maintained for more than 30 years, Riley’s Cidery offers cider tasting, four ciders for purchase and you can book a cider tasting picnic.

Bowen Island Restaurants that Serve Alcohol

Barcelona Tapas	Beer on tap, wine on tap, sangria and spirits
Bowen Island Pub	Beer on tap, wine and spirits
Doc Morgan’s	Beer on tap, wine and spirits
Tuscany Trattoria	Beer on tap, wine and spirits
The Shed	Beer on tap, wine and spirits

Bowen Island Chocolate, Ice Cream, Candy and Pies

Our ultimate list of local food options on Bowen Island would be sorely lacking if we left out tasty treats.

Cocoa West Chocolatier

Hankering for delicious hot chocolate, artisan chocolate treats and gift ideas? Be sure to stop by Cocoa West to give yourself a much-deserved chocolate rush and pick up some gifts for yourself and others!

Union Steamship Ice Cream

Step off your boat and grab an ice cream before you sail around Bowen Island. Or take your kids to enjoy a Tiger-Tiger or Bubblegum waffle cone at the Union Steamship Ice Cream window.

Candy in the Cove

Dubbed the World’s Tiniest Candy Shop. No doubt you will find treats that you haven’t seen since you were a child — and others that you’ve never seen before and dare not try. Do it anyway, Willy Wonka would be so proud.

Bowen Island Specialty Foods

Bowen Island Pizza Company

Supplying pizzas to the Ruddy Potato and the occasional pop-up Pizza event on Bowen Island, the Bowen Island Pizza Company offers a fresh option for pizzas.

Bowen Island Coffee

Sold in the General Store and Ruddy Potato, home-roasted coffee roasted since 2002 on Bowen Island.

Bowen Island Farmers Markets, Vegetable Stands and Farm-to-Table

Bowen Island has a history of farming that survives to this day with a few larger growers and small part-time enthusiasts who sell primarily at the farmer’s market or seasonally to the local grocery stores. 

You can find fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables at the The Ruddy grown by: 

• HomeFarm
• Alderwood Farm

There are also a few roadside honour-system fresh vegetable stands: 

• Fresh eggs and rhubarb (just past the new Bowen Island Cidery) 
• Food stand on Sunset Rd, just up from Adams road on the way to Cowan

You can also get fresh organic produce boxes for pick-up on Bowen Island: 

• HomeFarm offers a CSA Harvest Box for members

Smaller growers regularly feature at the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays at BICS, May to October: 

• Bowen Agricultural Alliance

With the growing season being roughly April to October, you can find fresh produce most of the year and fall apples and root veggies later on. 

Food Foraging on Bowen Island

Hunting for food in the forest or along the seashore is becoming popular with a number of books explaining how to forage in the Pacific Northwest. 

While Bowen is a relatively small island, it has supported some small-scale foraging with local experts, including Steph Carruthers,and Emily van Lidth de Jeude.

Most foragers follow an ethical foraging approach, taking only a little here and there and being mindful of the seasons, climate, and local conditions. 

Here are some of the more common foods that are found on Bowen Island: 

• Salmonberries
• Huckleberries
• Mushrooms
• Skunk cabbage, also known as swamp lanterns
• Seaweed and kelp

If you’re new to hunting for mushrooms, be sure to follow a guide or learn from an expert to avoid poisonous ones.

Special Food Events on Bowen Island

Enjoy larger gatherings in the summertime?  There’s nothing like sharing in a communal feast when the sun is warm and sets late in the evening. 

On Bowen Island, it’s a sign that summer has arrived and the community has come together to celebrate, whether it’s a special event or Friday afternoon at the beach.

Homefarm Long Table Event

In years past, HomeFarm Gardens has hosted Long Table dinners on Bowen Island. Be sure to check their Facebook page for upcoming events.

BowFest

Each year Bowfest features local treats and vendors in Bowfest Park (Crippen Park). This is a great opportunity to see what’s new on the Bowen local food scene.

Applefest and Apple Harvest Festival

Applefest has been a big event for many years, but after the pandemic it has not come back to its previous glory with the apple heritage table (see below), homemade apple pies, apple pressing machine, and games for kids.

Both the Bowen Cider House and Riley’s Cider have joined forces to offer the Bowen Apple Harvest Festival in early October, featuring tasting, orchard tours, cider pressing and a ticketed Long Table dinner.

The Bowen Island Fastpitch Tournament (mid-August ) 

Well, it ain’t gourmet cooking, but taking in a weekend of fast-paced action with a burger and your choice of fine beverages, while kids run around chasing fly balls into the blackberry bushes is something of a Bowen Island tradition for more than 30 years. 

Most Asked Questions About Food on Bowen Island

Is there really a Bowen Island Brewery? 

Alas, there used to be a brewery on Bowen Island up until 1986  [reference], however, the beer you will find in the General Store is brewed by NorAm Beverages out of Kamloops, BC. 

Can you get Chinese Takeout on Bowen Island? 

There used to be a service that would deliver Chinese takeout to Bowen Island on certain days of the week. But that has been discontinued since 2020. In the golden days, Adam would pick up orders from the Horseshoe Bay Chinese Restaurant, load them in his red wagon and meet customers at the library. Those were great days.

What Food Choices do Bowen Islanders really want? 

We scientifically surveyed (not really) a number of residents to discover what dining options are most lacking on Bowen Island and which specialty food options they miss the most from past lives in places far away. 

“I wish Bowen Island had good Thai food. Like you get in Australia,” says one Aussie expat. 

“I miss poutine. There I said it. Real poutine, not ‘West Coast fusion’ poutine.” 

“You know, I want to be able to buy chips, chocolate and ice cream after 8:30 pm. You know, when no one’s looking.” 

“Good Chinese takeout.” 

“Indian takeout food.”

“We need more coffee shops!”

Bowen’s Food Landscape

In the last few years, Bowen Island restaurants, farmers, and food sellers have not been immune to the global pressures facing the hospitality sector.  Staffing, food supply, housing and the pandemic’s impact on tourism have been disruptive, to say the least.  

While those challenges have not yet abated, it’s amazing to see that new businesses have emerged on Bowen Island while others have toughed it out. 

Can Bowen Island supply us with its own food? 

Is it possible to grow food on Bowen Island to feed local islanders and supply Bowen Island restaurants, cafes, and specialty shops? 

According to a report from the Bowen Island Food Resilience Society: 

​​We learned that while there is a wide variety of foods being produced on Bowen, over time the production of local foods has gotten tougher. Challenges that were identified include economic barriers, regulations, poor soil, invasive species, and climate change leading to water scarcity.  – from the report (The Communication and Engagement Groundwork Report and Toward a Resilient Food System for Bowen Island: Agrarian Analysis.)

The report details several steps that can be taken to improve the situation facing farmers, food producers and opportunities for developing further food production on Bowen Island, including a program called Low Hanging Fruit that invites volunteers to help harvest tree fruit for local families, farmers and the food bank, that would otherwise fall to the ground unused . 

To learn more about Bowen Island’s food security, please visit the Bowen Island Food Resilience Society.

One Final Taste

Well, there you have it. There’s undoubtedly something you haven’t yet tried on Bowen Island, a Bowen Island restaurant you still haven’t tried, or at least, not recently.

Please try get out there and support our local food businesses, and tell ‘em we sent you.