This Idyllic Canadian Island Is the Pacific Northwest’s Best-Kept Secret

Back on the island, visitors indulge in Southeast Asian cuisine at the pop-up Lola restaurant, led by Filipino-Canadian chef Elmark Andres. The menu features a mix of Tagalog and English, seafood sourced from local waters, and fresh produce from the Bodega Ridge farm. Alternatively, guests can visit the cedar-paneled Pink Geranium, a lively all-day café and specialty food store that opened in 2024. Here, patrons might enjoy a comforting bowl of tom kha soup (including coconut, red pepper, green onion, shimeji, and king oyster mushrooms) paired with freshly baked focaccia infused with rosemary and garlic confit. Regular community events range from poetry readings to queer opera, while a large stone fireplace beckons for cozy afternoons spent reading with a warm drink.

On the lightly populated island of Galiano, food plays a vital role, showcased by exceptional dining spots such as Oxeye and The Crane and Robin. However, many locals would agree that the fine-dining gem Pilgrimme, located near Montague Harbour, is the island’s most coveted dining experience. Founded by Winnipeg native chef Jesse McCleery in 2014 after working at Copenhagen’s renowned Noma, alongside his partner, chef Melanie Witt, it has quickly become a local favorite.

Nestled within a lush forest reminiscent of a fairytale, the restaurant resides in a log cabin adorned with lanterns, antler motifs, cozy shearling throws, and a replica of Vladimir Tretchikoff’s “Chinese Girl.” With a capacity for just 16 diners, the atmosphere is intimate and relaxed, emphasizing seasonal dishes presented on artistically crafted tableware by local ceramicist Ilana Fonariov.

The 12-course tasting menu pays homage to Galiano’s rich offerings, featuring foraged ingredients such as kelp, sea buckthorn, and aronia berries (“I never knew they could thrive outside Scandinavia,” remarks McCleery), as well as Sichuan pepper leaves. Wild-fermented vinegars created from salal berries and grand fir needles replace yuzu or kaffir lime when not available from adjacent Salt Spring Island growers. True to the spirit of Galiano, nearly all fruit comes from local friends and community members.

“So many locals here have gardens and orchards,” McCleery observes. “People often drop by with boxes overflowing with plums or apples, which we happily trade for a pizza,” referencing his another Galiano venture, Charmer Pizza, a pop-up specializing in 48-hour wild-ferment sourdough made from organic grains sourced from British Columbia.