Beacon Cafe

Vancouver Island


A steadfastly local corner cafe with a few regal touches. The chairs owe a nod to the elegant ‘Louis Quinze’ epoch while the mantlepiece pays ceramic homage to the British royal family with Jubilee mugs and royal wedding plates. Pastries and sandwiches abound, but the place is best enjoyed for its hot smoothies (including apple-pie flavor) and all-day high tea.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Vancouver Island attractions

1. Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea

0.09 MILES

Sidney's kid-luring highlight, this aquarium is accessed through a dramatic Disney-style entrance that makes you think you're descending below the waves…

2. Seaside Sculpture Walk

0.12 MILES

A dozen or so photo-friendly sculptures are dotted around the town's waterfront. Look out for a graceful gymnast, a hollow eye made out of whale bones and…

3. Victoria Distillers

0.13 MILES

The ambitious manufacturers of Victoria Gin have branched into vodka, whiskey and beyond. The distillery relocated to Sidney in 2016 and now inhabits a…

4. Sea Cider

3.13 MILES

A rustic farmhouse and cider producer where tours, samples and ocean views are available, this is a tasty pit stop if you're a red-nosed cider fan. The 10…

5. Victoria Butterfly Gardens

6.15 MILES

These gardens offer a kaleidoscope of thousands of fluttering critters, from around 75 species, in a free-flying environment. As well as watching them…

6. Butchart Gardens

6.66 MILES

Far more than just another pretty flower arrangement, Butchart is a national historic site and a triumph of early-20th-century gardening aesthetics. With…

7. Ruckle Provincial Park

8.53 MILES

A pocket of ragged shoreline and gnarly arbutus forest on Salt Spring's southeastern rump contains around 16km of trails and the oldest active farm in BC…

8. Merridale Estate Cidery

8.67 MILES

One of BC's earliest exponents of craft cider-making, Merridale has since gone from strength to strength. The rustic-chic cidery site is lined with trees…