VERDICT: WE GAVE 4 OUT OF 5 TICKETS AND HERE’S WHY!
Sea Breeze Lodge, Hornby Island, BC, Canada
I was going to try to put into words what a phenomenal experience it is every year at the Sea Breeze Lodge’s restaurant…
but nothing seemed quite right… so here is how the legacy owners of this stunning restaurant & resort describe their own story:
“LIKE COMING HOME. Year after year, guests return to Sea Breeze Lodge, citing our friendly, down-to-earth service and the lodge’s warm and welcoming environment. We pride ourselves on treating guests like family, encouraging them to enjoy the property as much as we do. We’re passionate about all things Hornby Island, and we love sharing our favourite things to do and see with visitors new and old.”
This is the absolute truth. I take a much-needed girls’ trip to Hornby Island late September every year (with my favourite sister + our 2 other soul sisters) & there’s a couple of non-negotiables… we stay where we stay every single year (nope, not telling where!) & we have at least one memorably scrumptious meal at the beautiful Sea Breeze.
The service is absolutely top notch. The team are always so happy to see us, they help each other with their tables, they always have the best meal or drinks recommendations & their interactions with each other feel like family.
Where to start with the food? We always get two appies to share & try out their latest craft cocktails. This time we tried the Velvet Underground (hibiscus & delicious!) & Jungle Jim (pineapple & Aperol!) both refreshing & tasty. We also tried the Beach Bum (tropical beach party in your mouth!) & a Basil Breeze (crisp, dry & refreshing).
We’ve long given up trying to decide on our own meal for the evening… we narrow it down to order the four meals that sound the most intriguing & then share between us because we know that everything is so tasty, we just have to try each one.
This time we enjoyed our meal in front of a roaring fire during a huge storm! The Prawn Tempura & Calamari appetizers with meals of Katsu Tofu Salad, Lemon Herbed Chicken & their pasta special of Creamy Pesto Penne with Chicken & Bacon – to die for!
This trip was no less sensational than the last four years but there was a little special element… one of the owners stopped by our table to say how much he loved our energy & our powerful women vibe & he hoped we were enjoying ourselves. He was so sincere that we told him what we’d just been saying, yet again to each other, what a special experience Sea Breeze always is to us. He was so thrilled & explained this was a family business that is near & dear to their hearts. He introduced us to his mom, who’d arrived for dinner & had all the staff running to say hello.
We learned that the Bishops have owned & operated Sea Breeze Lodge for over 50 years!
Brian & Gail have handed the daily operations to their sons, daughters-in-law & grandchildren, who have each shaped the lodge in their own way.
In their own words:
“Stephen, our middle son, passed away in 2022, but his legacy of unwavering pride & devotion to the business continues to be felt by our family, staff & guests. Stephen dedicated his life to Sea Breeze, and our family is determined to uphold his commitment to the resort as we strive to fill his shoes in making every guest feel special.”
And believe us, they absolutely do. We were introduced to daughters & at least four renowned chefs that were visiting that night & we giggled to see they were hosting a trivia night as well – it was a Thursday night & it was packed for the later seating! We loved that the bartender came to seek our advice on the drinks we’d ordered & asked our names.
There’s an adorable corner with some Sea Breeze Lodge merch & gifts as you leave the lobby. On our way out, each team member we passed said thank you & wished us well on the rest of our stay.
The Sea Breeze Lodge also has cabins to rent that are apparently fantastic. If that experience is anything like our meals always are then you’re in for a time you won’t forget.
With every trip, we offer feedback to travel companies along with honest views for you, the reader. We rate adventures on a scale of one to five tickets, judged on quality, service, memorability, and price. A perfect ‘Ticket Rating’ of a five-ticket score means the experience was flawless and we’d eagerly return. Your desire to go back is the ultimate measure of a trip’s worth. Exclusive to My Return Ticket.
