Eat! Drink! Explore! Langley, BC
I recently did a day trip to Langley and what a fun day it was. A day of non-stop eating and drinking (responsibly of course!). My agenda included visits to 3 restaurants, 2 wineries and a distillery in a span of 10 hrs. Needless to say I was quite full by the end of the day!
If you’re like me and thought Langley was all farm land and agriculture, it’s not! There are many great spots for exploring, shopping and eating. So if you are thinking of venturing out there and need some food or wine/spirits inspiration, feel free to check out some of my recommendations below.
Saba Cafe and Bistro (sabacafeandbistro.ca) is a little Langley gem tucked away near the Fort Langley National Historic Site. It’s a family run cafe, bakery and restaurant that offers a charming rustic vibe and is a popular spot for locals. Whether you are looking for a coffee, a light pastry or a full meal, Saba has something for you.
A feast for the eyes as well as the belly!
I had previously visited Saba to try their brunch and I loved it. This time, I had the chance to try some items from the dinner menu. Their focus is using locally sourced ingredients from local farmers and producers giving you a true farm to table experience. I must say the freshness of their ingredients and passion really shines through the food. And all the dishes are created to be shared and savoured family style.
Pan seared scallops - Jumbo scallops in a white caper butter. Delicious and perfectly cooked. This was a starter item but could easily be considered as an entree, just add an order of bread.
Burrata - Nine times out of ten, if burrata is on the menu, I’ll order it. So glad i did. This is the best sharing dish. Heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil finished with balsamic glaze and Maldon sea salt and served with crostini.
Lamb Popsicles - Ras al hanout seasoned lamb popsicles in a creamy coconut curry. Nice flavours. Each lamb chop is $7 so order more or less.
Vongole Linguine - loaded with fresh clams, cherry tomatoes, shallots, and fresh herbs in a white wine. This is a must order! One of my favourite dishes of the night.
Ocean Wise Seasonal Fresh Fish - Pan seared Halibut.
Cozy indoor seating area. There’s an outside patio as well.
Sit down dining or just grab a fresh baked pastry and coffee to go.
Just a small portion of their fresh daily baked goods.
#102-23343 Mavis Ave.
Fort Langley, BC
Hours:
Wednesday-Thursday 9-4pm
Friday-Saturday 9-9pm
Sunday 9-8pm.
778-545-0024.
The Bench Wine Bar (thebenchwinebar.ca) is a newer addition to the Fort Langley community and is located at 9124 Glover Rd. The restaurant offers a variety of tapas in a simple, yet stylish interior space. Or, if you prefer, pair your snacks, charcuterie board, tapas with a local cider, beer or wine out on their lovely patio.
Dishes are tapas style and meant for sharing.
If I could recommend just one restaurant in Langley, Bench Wine Bar would be it! The food was absolutely delicious. Dishes are served tapas style so everything is meant for sharing. Between the 3 of us we ordered 6 dishes and the portions were generous. The menu changes with what is sourced locally so you are getting the freshest ingredients and the taste is reflective of that. My guests and I loved EVERY dish and I can’t wait to visit them again!!
Truffle Popcorn piled high with shaved Grana Padano and drizzled with truffle oil. I can’t believe this is only $6. Order this and don’t share. It’s that good!
Linguine with preserved lemon, cream, parmesan espuma, black pepper and topped with chilli flakes. A simple dish that’s FULL of flavour.
Puttanesca pasta - their vegetarian take on the famous Naples pasta dish. Garlic, white wine, tomato, niçoise olives, topped with a generous shaving of grana Padano. Another delicious dish!
Crab Dip…well, what can i say. It’s crab dip so what’s not to like!
You can never go wrong with a charcuterie board in my opinion. A mix of artisan meats, imported cheese, pickles, mustard, fruit preserves, crackers and fresh bread.
Simple yet stylish interior.
Intimate and cozy patio setting.
Photo Credit: Bench Wine Bar
9124 Glover Road
Fort Langley, BC
Hours:
Monday-Friday 5-10pm.
Saturday 1-10pm.
Sunday 1-9pm.
604-371-4567
If it’s a breakfast or brunch spot you’re looking for, check out Hilltop Diner (hilltopdiner.ca). Serving comfort food to the masses for the past 68 yrs, Hilltop Diner is a family owned restaurant located between Langley and Aldergrove. The moment you step inside, you feel like you’re taking a trip back in time. It’s one of the few remaining classic truck stop style diners. Not only is it a local favourite, but based on their reviews, people travel from all over for their home cooking. They’ve even been featured in an episode of "You Gotta Eat Here!”.
Hilltop roadside diner. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the stomach room to try their famous pie.
Walking into the diner is like going back to a time when homestyle food was made fresh, from scratch, with local ingredients. Don’t expect too many instagram worthy photos of the food here. It’s simply all about the solid, generous, old style homey diner food.
Diner style food and atmosphere. The soda counter and bar stools add to that nostalgic feel.
A little history…..
The menu is pretty extensive offering a variety of home-made diner fare. Great selection for breakfast/brunch. The other side of the menu offers lunch items like soups, pies, burgers, roast turkey, roast beef, roast ham, hand-cut fries, homemade hashbrowns... The list goes on.
Breakfast/Brunch menu.
Apple Fritter Sandwich has me intrigued!!
The Apple Fritter Sandwich! Not the prettiest dish but certainly tasty. A perfect sweet and savoury combo. Delicious and oh-so- filling!
23904 Fraser Hwy
Langley, BC
Hours:
Everyday 8am-2:30pm.
Did you know that Langley is the home to many wineries? I certainly didn’t!! Here are two I visited during my day trip: Glass House Estate Winery and Township 7 Winery.
Glass House Estate Winery (glasshouseestatewinery.com) is a family owned vineyard and boutique winery that produces hand selected, single vineyard, low yield artisan wine located in beautiful South Langley. Enjoy the afternoon wine tasting (choose 5 wines to taste for $10 per person) and pair it with a selection of their sharing plates. The wine tasting room in the “glass house” is nice but the outdoor garden patio is the place to be.
Garden patio.
Photo credit: Glass House Estate Winery.
Glass House Wine.
Photo credit: Glass House Wine.
Tasting Flight.
Photo credit: Glass House Wine.
You wont find just the typical charcuterie board on the sharing menu. The mussels with bone marrow in a spicy beer broth is a nice choice.
Guacamole with lobster, prawns, smoked tomato, spicy crema served with corn chip is next level.
Tempura sushi.
23449 0 Avenue
Langley, BC
Hours:
Monday-Tuesday CLOSED
Wednesday - Thursday 12-6pm.
Friday 12-9pm.
Saturday 11am-9pm.
Sunday 11am-8pm.
604-427-3225
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Township 7 Vineyards & Winery (township7.com) was founded in July 7th, 2000 in the 7th Township of Langley. Located in the beautiful south Langley countryside, the winery provides a pretty little escape by offering a "wine country experience" without having to venture too far. While I am no wine expert, quite the opposite actually, I really enjoyed the 2 whites and 2 reds in the flight. It was lovely to sit outside in the sunny garden sipping my wine and taking in the fresh air. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
The pretty garden area, with picnic tables for patrons to sip and soak in the beautiful scenery.
2017 Riesling.
2018 Reserve Chardonnay.
2017 Reserve 7 Merlot.
2017 NBO.
21152 16 Ave
Langley, BC
Hours:
Open Daily - 11am-6pm.
604-532-1766
If you are looking for something a little stronger, stop by Langley’s first craft distillery, Roots and Wings (rootsandwingsdistillery.ca) It’s a family owned and operated micro distillery that produces small batch artisan spirits made from 100% BC homegrown ingredients. Visit them for a tasting or purchase from their collection of farm-to-table spirits which include vodka, whiskey and gin. These can be enjoyed on their own or used to craft your favourite cocktail.
How cute is Roots and Wings Distillery?
Our In House Cocktail tasting tray.
Left - Right
Mother’s Mercy - Peachy Keen Vodka, Lemon syrup, Club Soda.
The Handsome - Johnny Handsome, Grapefruit Juice, IPA Syrup, Lime Leaf Bitters, Foamer.
Habanero Caesar
Re-Joyce Pickle-tini - Dill Pickled Vodka, BC Brine Pickle Juice, Cucumber Black Pepper Shrub.
Products for sales.
7897 240 St.
Langley, BC
Hours:
Monday-closed
Wednesday-closed
Tuesday & Thursday 12-6pm.
Friday 2-7pm.
Saturday 12-6pm.
Sunday 12-5pm.
604-371-2268
For more information, visit Tourism Langley (@tourismlangley)
Disclaimer: All locations visited were part of a media tour. All food and drinks were complimentary, but the opinions expressed in this post are my own.