Gibsons Restaurants

DINING OUT — IN AND AROUND GIBSONS LANDING

The South end - or perhaps the beginning - of BC’s Sunshine Coast offers an excellent selection of both casual and fine dining restaurants, ranging from funky Mom and Pop bistros and bakehouses to elegantly-appointed European establishments.  The nice thing is, you don’t have to walk far from the village centre to seek them out. For the most part, they’re either in or just a short stroll from the  picturesque village centre and Gibsons Landing itself — and those that aren’t are but a short drive away.

On the scenic route from Langdale ferry, the first of several excellent coffee shops visitors will see is Just-a-Cuppa Cafe, a proudly independent coffee house/bistro with a deserved reputation for roasting and serving some of the finest and most flavourful ‘fair trade’ and organic coffees to be found anywhere. Just-a-Cuppa isn’t the only one. Both nearby Truffles and Mike’s Place –  also renowned for its huge selection of Italian Gelati — are excellent venues for that all-important ‘pause cafe’ and tempting pastries.

Family dining — where good, wholesome rather than fast food reigns — is readily available from such old established and consistently good restaurants as the Waterfront Restaurant, Molly’s Reach (immortalised in the long-running CBC ‘The Beachcombers‘ series) and a few yards further west, the recently expanded and renovated Leo’s Tapas and Grill — a lively Mediterannean outlet much favoured by local residents and visitors alike.

Casual dining aside — which by no means suggests the alternative is stuffy or outrageously expensive — Gibsons’ Haus Uropa offers European haute cuisine as well an award-winning wine list. The restaurant has also earned AAA of North America’s Triple Diamond Award for Best Restaurant. A large patio, ideal for family groups, offers excellent harbour and ocean views and as well as an outstanding menu, Uropa provides a warm and inviting environment in which to enjoy the finest of European food.

The Landing is also home to the village’s only (but none the less excellent) Chinese restaurant: Bayview Szechuan which, like the Waterfront and Molly’s Reach offers excellent harbour views and outstanding value and flavour for money. Next door stands the village’s famed Gramma’s Pub — no stranger itself to hearty pub fare and a wide selection of beers, wines and spirits.

More recent additions to the Gibsons Landing restaurant scene are Smitty’s Oyster Bar — just down Molly’s Lane, and about as close to the fresh fish landing dock as you can get - and a short walk up Gibsons Way Hill, the tiny but already immensely popular Sita’s Spag Shack. Opened near the end of 2007, Sita’s has quickly gained a reputation for preparing the best in friendly and comforting Italian cuisine in an authentic Italian neighbourhood atmosphere.

Deciding whether or not to dine out in Gibsons Landing isn’t the problem.

Choosing where can be more of a challenge.