Vancouver Island Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Vancouver Island - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Vancouver Island - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
An institution in downtown Tofino (it's been operating since 1949), the Schooner's main-floor dining room is comfortable and casually upscale. The seafood dishes change frequently, but ask for the signature halibut filet stuffed with Brie, crab, and shrimp in an apple-peppercorn brandy sauce—it's been their signature dish for more than 35 years. The steaming bowl of island clams, mussels, salmon, halibut, and red snapper is another winner. The Schooner also dishes up weekend brunch and hearty lunchtime sandwiches, burgers, and pastas. An oyster bar and summer patio are pluses. From October to May, the whole operation moves upstairs to a more intimate room with exceptional views of Meares Island.
With 180-degree views of the crashing surf, the Pointe is the top-notch Tofino dining experience. It's renowned for its refined west coast cuisine, which is superbly presented and excellently paired with options from the award-winning wine list—an impressive 11,000-bottle wine cellar is the latest jewel in this grande dame's crown. Ingredients from the water—including oysters, shrimp, salmon, and a variety of other seafood—and the land (whatever's in season, such as wild mushrooms and fresh herbs) are used in innovative but not too outlandish dishes. The service is meticulous. Insider tip: in winter months go for brunch instead of dinner to take in the breathtaking views of the Pacific from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the octagonal-shaped dining room. For something more casual, stop at the Inn's Driftwood Café for high-end snacks and small-plate dinners right on the beach.
Chef Nick Nutting and his crew present a unique west-coast dining experience here that puts an inspired twist on freshly caught seafood and foraged local ingredients; think seaweed combed from the shore and wild forest mushrooms. The big platters of charred octopus and steamed mussels beg to be shared. As do the famed potato-crusted oysters. Start with one of the signature cocktails, like the legendary Cedar Sour, and after dinner try Hailey's Cream, with its fig-infused rye and condensed milk. The cedar-walled dining room is light, warm, and welcoming.
Named for the year Tofino's first post office opened, this spot can be found at the Tofino Resort + Marina, where chef Paul Moran, winner of Top Chef Canada 2019, is working his magic. The avid forager uses locally sourced ingredients on his signature sourdough crust to create artisanal pizzas in an impressive 1000-degree wood-fired Mugnaini oven. Resort guests can take part in the "cook your catch" program, where fish or shellfish caught that morning is specially prepared that evening by the kitchen's team.
Located in a historic yellow house, Heartwood serves hearty west coast fare and crowd-pleasing dishes, like chef Ian Riddick's UFC (Ukee fried chicken), buttermilk fried Humboldt squid with pickled bull kelp, and "hipster-style" eggs Benedict. Cooking classes are also offered. Don't miss the cheesy baked oysters.
Former Wickaninnish Inn executive chef Warren Barr and his partner Lily Verney-Downey opened tiny Pluvio to up the culinary scene in Tofino's humble neighboring town. Thoughtfully prepared dishes are made from scratch with local, wild ingredients often foraged by Barr himself. Two dinner options are on offer: a three-course dinner menu for $91 per person or chef's tasting menu for $168 including wine ($111 without). The property includes the 30-seat dining room with living art wall and also a four-room boutique hotel in the backyard next to the kitchen garden.
One of the new kids in town, this Korean eatery offers modern comfort food with amazing views. Located right at the marina, the restaurant sits on an island accessed by a causeway in the middle of Ucluelet Harbor (Seom means island in Korean). The menu features the freshest ingredients sourced by local producers.
This big, bustling spot on the edge of town draws both locals and visitors for burgers, chowder, and fish-and-chips for lunch, and dinners of shucked oysters, pan-seared salmon, and grilled rib eyes. Chef Matty Kane's handmade fettuccini with freshly caught mussels and side-striped prawns has been on the menu from the start and is his personal fave. Choose from the upbeat pub vibe in the lofty wood-beamed first-floor lounge, or opt for a more serene dining experience, with sea views, in the upper-floor restaurant. The restaurant's newer laid-back sister property, Shed, is just down the road in the center of town.
The name, short for "sophisticated bohemian," sums up the style here: a classically trained chef serving casual fare influenced by international street food. The offbeat concept started in a purple truck before finding a permanent home in this light-filled café and bistro. The truck's long gone, but the food is still eclectic. The killer fish tacos are legendary as is the smoked-fish chowder. There's a great kids' menu and a bakery counter for take-out treats. Pick up a signed copy of chef Lisa Ahier's award-winning cookbook while you're there.
Heading to the beach? Follow the surfers to this orange catering truck at Outside Break, a cluster of driftwood- and cedar-sided shops just south of town. Dubbed “slow food fast,” the quick, cheap, and wholesome eats here include burritos, gringas (flour tortillas stuffed with meat or beans), and Baja-style fish tacos. Everything, including the salsa, is made from scratch. This is the original; there are now outposts in Vancouver and Victoria. Open until 6 pm.
This red-turreted village-center building has been a bakery and local hangout since the late 1970s. Everything from the panini and muffins to the breakfast pizza is made fresh in-house. Grab a latte and a Tofino Bar—a popular chocolate treat with a west coast spin—and climb the winding stairs to the turret room for distant harbor views. Payment is strictly cash-only.
Just steps away from the popular Tacofino truck is another take-out shack, Wildside Grill, where a commercial fisherman and a chef have joined forces to keep Tofitians and visitors supplied with straight-from-the-dock, panko-crusted fish-and-chips, plus juicy fish and beef burgers. Gather a beach picnic, or enjoy a meal under the shade of Wildside's driftwood gazebo. Advance orders are taken by phone. Open until 9 pm.
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