Bay Moorings in Horseshoe Bay

We were heading over to Vancouver Island on a Monday, arriving at the ferry terminal in what should have been plenty of time for the 2:30 sailing. Unfortunately for us, it was not a typical Monday. There was a 1-2 sailing wait, which surprised even the locals. Not to worry we thought, the next sailing was at 3:30 and we looked good for that one. Alas, it was not to be either – we missed it by 4 cars, leaving us stranded there for another 2 hours. By this time it had been hours since breakfast and we were going to kill each other if we didn’t eat soon. So we locked up the car and left the terminal to see what was to be had in Horseshoe Bay village.

Against our better judgment we succumbed to the pull of the fabulous view to be had on the patio at the Bay Moorings Restaurant (www.baymooringsrestaurant.com/index.html). Together we’ve lived in eight countries and visited many others, and we are both of the opinion that there really is no place on earth like British Columbia. The view from the patio is a perfect example – the sun on the water and the majestic mountains, where patches of snow are still to be seen. Sea birds, some coasting on air currents, others diving at fishes. The spectacular untamed beauty of this province is truly remarkable, something I didn’t really appreciate until I left and came back. On this, Bay Moorings truly delivered. We sat in silent awe for a few moments, appreciating the opportunity that the ferry had delivered us. That and the very quick delivery of a nice cold local lager put us in a much calmer mood immediately. Unfortunately, we were much less impressed by the food. We ordered some dolmades when we ordered our pints – it’s a Greek restaurant after all – and a pizza and the seafood special a few minutes later. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the dolmades because they never came. We were surprised they were taking so long when suddenly the rest of our food arrived. We mentioned the dolmades to the runner and when he said he would bring them quickly, we declined. (We didn’t really need that much food, we had just needed something quick to start.) The server came by the table shortly thereafter and rather brusquely informed us that it was not her fault, she had ordered them. Rather an irrelevant fact at that point, as she had not ensured that we actually received them.

We shared a thin crust pizza we (I) designed with tomatoes, green pepper, onions and feta, and Chris ordered one of the daily specials, mussels and clams with a white wine marinara sauce. The pizza crust was very thin and nicely crispy. The toppings were fresh enough and went well together. The mozzarella cheese was not quite melted, however. It could definitely have used a few more minutes in the oven, but we were too hungry at that point to send it back for more cooking, and so ate it anyway. We were not however hungry enough to eat the other dish. The shellfish themselves were fine, but the sauce was ultra salty, to the point of being bitter.

On a more positive note, the check came quickly, and our change was returned with similar efficiency. They are clearly used to serving ferry customers who often need to rush out in a hurry.

So while we don’t recommend the food, at least the items we ordered (given the ownership, I would be surprised if the greek food weren’t better), they do have a beautiful view, and the beers were cold and came quickly. So if you find yourself stuck at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal sometime and want a nice view and some drinks, it’s a fine place to go.

1 thumb for the food, but 4 thumbs for the view.