Denman Islanders are masters of the informal potluck dinner party, in part because there is no pub or traditional sit-down restaurant on home soil.
Instead, residents are happy cooking up their own feasts while also frequenting a handful of good coffeeshops in Denman Village that serve breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Jenny Myers runs the funky Kaffee Klatsch Bistro (formerly the Guesthouse Bistro). Open daily until mid-afternoon, it does a brisk business in barista drinks made with Oso Negro Coffee roasted in Nelson, BC. The blackboard menu features all-day breakfasts, inventive soups, and Vancouver Island-raised buffalo burgers. Visitors can count themselves lucky if they're around for one of the bistro's occasional reservation-only gourmet dinners.
Denman Island General Store
Stock up at Denman's only grocery store. Its in-house Café on the Rock deli is known for its pies (chicken, spinach, and quiche), fries, spring rolls, and fish and chips. Kathie's Salsa, made on the island, goes down a treat with nacho chips. And the produce section features Denman-grown fruit and vegetables. Try the fresh gotu kola, an energizing southeast Asian plant grown locally by Island Pacifica Farm.
Other Options
Ferry passengers headed for Hornby Island satisfy snack attacks at Jacquie's Wild Fruit and Ice Cream caravan at Denman's Gravelly Bay dock. Bonus treat: Organic rhubarb and plum sauce served with the ice cream combos. On Friday nights year-round, the Hornby return ferry runs late and that allows Denmanites to cross Lambert Channel for live jazz and fried-food platters at the Thatch Pub.
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