Sooke Harbour House

We recently moved to the Sooke neighbourhood and finally stopped in at Sooke Harbour House, a spot we often admire while walking the spit. Brunch was excellent, and the baked goods were terrific too. The bread is to die for, and so are the pastries. The food was high quality, and the service was excellent. They poached the eggs just right, and the hot tea stayed hot in the pot right to the last cup. Our server in the cafe and the food server both did a great job. They deserve a bonus! We'll make this our regular brunch stop and hope to try the restaurant soon. Thanks, marc & nancy

The food was superb, from the wild mushroom benedict one morning and house-smoked salmon the next to the craft cocktails and a first dinner course worthy of a top chef. I also had a mid-afternoon snack of little wing Pacific oysters with a martini. We last stayed in 2016 and came back in 2025. There was new management, a complete remodel, and a new chef, but the quality was still outstanding. We booked the epicurean package for two nights, with two breakfasts and a five-course chef's menu dinner. The room was superb, with a soaker tub and all the usual amenities, though no microwave. They supplied everything from shaving kits and toothbrushes to toothpaste and makeup removers, so there was no need to ask at the front desk. The semi-private harbor balcony was a nice touch, and I enjoyed coffee from my first-ever Nespresso, much better than Keurig. It is pricey, but well worth it.

The service was good and the ambience was great, but dinner felt just okay for the price. For Valentine’s Day, the only option was the fixed-price menu, starting at $125 per person before drinks. The presentation was a 10/10 and the dishes looked good, but the taste was more like a 6/10. I had octopus, salmon, and halibut, and all of them lacked flavour and needed salt. I don't understand why presentation seemed to come before flavour. For what you're paying, I think you can find much better food elsewhere.

We all agreed the meal was fabulous, and we know good food: we used to run a restaurant in Ontario, where my Mom worked alongside her mother and I grew up working beside mine. We took Mom to Sooke Harbour House for her 86th birthday. We live in Vancouver, while she lives in Ontario. The burrata came with pickled onion, chopped almonds, and colourful tomatoes with great flavour. We got focaccia to mop up the green basil sauce. The flank steak was perfectly cooked, the broccolini still crisp, and the caramelized onions and au jus were lovely. I appreciated that the kitchen didn't make everything salty, since I prefer to add salt myself. The hot potatoes were crisp outside and creamy inside. I ordered the coconut cherry tart. It wasn't too sweet, the coconut was subtle, and the cherry filling was delicious. The setting was lovely, and Rachel, our waiter, made the evening. She was professional and attentive, and we enjoyed her humour. We'll be back this summer when we're in Sooke.