The Bear describes itself as an "elevated sports bar". What this translates to is a laid back and…read moreupbeat but classy vibe and a menu of sophisticated but approachable dishes. And of course there are TV's. They were a little busy when I visited on a Monday night but you didn't need a reservation to be seated right away. The service was good. My waitress was very friendly. While the food wasn't lightning fast, it took less time than I expected to get my entree after ordering given that they seemed busy, and my dessert came out very quickly. I had: Foragers martini: This tasted exactly as you would expect from the name. Spruce-flavoured anything was not actually in the ingredient list, but I would describe the flavour of the cocktail as "sprucey". It was pleasantly strong. Grilled wild sockeye salmon: My first thought was that this was a small portion for the price, but the huge plate was deceiving and this was actually a very satisfying serving with a large cut of salmon and a healthy heaping of farro salad. The salmon was cooked perfectly - I loved how the skin got crispy and flaky. The farro salad was hearty and delicious on its own or with the salmon, and the pickled fennel and the orange coulis were interesting compliments to enhance the dish. Chocolate basque cheesecake: I was going to choose this anyway, but my waitress also recommended it. This was a great basque cheesecake - rich with a slightly burnt crust. The candied hazelnut brittle totally elevated it. The slice was big enough to share, but it was really good and surprisingly not too heavy, so I finished it by myself easily. It was so expensive though... I was staying at the hotel so I got 10% off food, and even then I spent $80 after tip! I knew it was going to be expensive and decided to treat myself since it was my last night in Tofino, but I think without the 10% I would've gone somewhere else anyway. Even with the whole "elevated" thing and acknowledging that the food and drink was not at all what I would consider typical sports bar food, it felt so bad to spend $80 on one person at a place calling itself as a sports bar.

The food was amazing! We came on a night with moments of gusts. Not sitting close to a heater meant…read moreit felts like forever for food to arrive. We appreciate the server wasn't a dan of the chill so it took a while for our food to come. We recommend sitting inside unless it's a hot summers day. We ordered the maq burger and schnitzel sandwich which was really good. We initially went to Tough city sushi but I wasn't pleased with the "take these menu and seat yourself - and only take the 2-person seater". The service here was amazing in comparison. Life is too short for shitty service. This place I would recommend. Food and Service are worth it.

If you love cocktails this is a must visit. All spirits and liquors are made in house in Tofino…read more Various flavours from straight up gin to floral and licorice notes absinthe. You can try the spirits straight up neat or in a cocktail. If you love the taste, you can purchase the bottle in 375ml or 750ml I like floral notes and my favourite was the Ursa Major drink made with rose hibiscus gin. Refreshing, floral and a hint of the ginger beer.

There was a small wait at the brewery so we decided to check out Tofino Distillery. TD specializes…read morein certified organic spirits and are located next door to Summit Bread Company. We dropped in on a Tuesday afternoon (around 5:00pm) and they were fairly busy. There's only two tables inside but the patio can fit another two to three groups. One bartender running the show; super chill and cozy spot to grab a few drinks. There's about a dozen mini cocktail options (gin, vodka and absinthe based), all at a reasonable price of $4.34 per drink. Bottles included vodka/gin ($25.00 for 375ml, $43.00 for 750ml) and absinthe ($40.00 for 375ml, $75.00 for 750ml). Sad that they were sold out of their arancello (orange vanilla) and limoncello. - The bee's knees ($4.34) - light, floral and refreshing. - Tijuana go surfing ($4.34) - this one was our favourite (and seemed to be what everyone else was ordering). A tantalizing kick from the jalapeno and a touch of sweetness. Get it. - Demon dog ($4.34) - beware, the absinthe is heavy on the anise but still stays smooth and enjoyable. Worth a try but we aren't huge absinthe drinkers. Awesome spot to enjoy a few mini cocktails. Make sure you try the jalapeno vodka.

Super cute second location of the original truck! They have a large outdoor seating area with…read moreumbrella covered tables. Long lines, so come right when they open up! You can make any burrito a bowl and they have some tofino exclusive tacos/burritos!

Tacofino is a must visit when you're in town! The food is very good and fresh. I enjoyed the fish…read moretaco and the tuna taco. The fish was large and flavours went well together. As well, the tuna taco was a half seared tuna and flavours went well together as well with the ginger on top. The burritos are worth getting as well. They are huge stuff burritos which will definitely make you full. The pieces of crispy rice was a nice surprise in the grilled chicken burrito as there was a good blend of textures. Because there's lots of people and it's busy, it was a bit slow. It took a while to place the order and get our food. Outdoor space is limited so it may take some time to get a table with the many people there. At the outdoor seating area, there's free water, utensils and hot sauce.

"Why Would You Want That?"…read more The wife & I went to Barkley Cafe for breakfast this morning. She ordered the Breakfast Burrito while I ordered the Cold Smoked Salmon Bagel. I told the cashier (male with grey curly hair) that I wanted my bagel open-faced. He paused, looked at me, then said "Why would you want that?". Why would I want that? Because I'm not a moray eel who can unhinge his jaw to fit tall things like a stacked bagel sandwich into my mouth. What kind of question is that? The vast majority of the 100+ bagel places I've been to in my life serve them open-faced by default. Why this guy was so perplexed by my request is baffling. If some customer requests soy milk instead of dairy milk in their latte, does he also ask "Why would you want that?". If some customer requests their English Muffin toasted, does he also ask "Why would you want that?". How about you stick to fulfilling the customer's order without challenging them to justify it? Anyways, the wife felt her Breakfast Burrito was just average, and my Cold Smoked Salmon Bagel was disappointing, though it was ultimately served open-faced. The lox didn't taste smoked at all, and there were hardly any capers. The arugula was messy without contributing much flavor. It would've been nice if they added tomatoes (like most bagel places). Not gonna bother coming back here. Also, the seating is very cramped.

Went here for breakfast this morning. VERY busy place. They have a limited breakfast menu and…read morelimited seating. I had the breakfast burrito and my wife and the breakfast wrap. Both were good - not great, but good. Coffee was pretty good as well. Prices were fair.

The place is conveniently located the junction between Ucluelet and Tofino. The vibe is very chill…read moreand surf there. We went on a Thursday afternoon so it wasn't busy. It is self serve. They have foosball tables, cozy chairs. It is a cozy space! Basically a large is $28 and a small is $21. Besides poke, you can get specialty coffee and smoothies there and some (not a lot) of baked goods. It is a self serve kind of place with some surf merch, local art as well. The food is fresh, I order the quinoa with rice and salmon and tuna w mango cilantro and crispy garlic and cilantro, kale, w soy sauce and sasame oil, seaweed salad topping. It was very pricey for what it was but probably Tofino standards but really hit the spot. We were on holidays so all is good.

Quick and easy ordering. Chill vibe inside with friendly service. I went towards closing (oops, I…read moreshould have checked the time) and it was quiet. The portions were great and everything in my bowl was delicious and fresh. Rice was cooked to perfection. I would definitely come here again.

Staff (maybe owner) very helpful and willing to do us a last minute sandwich picnic. We asked to…read morepickup after our airplane tour just after closing and staff was able to accomodate us slightly after closing - very much appreciated !! The sandwiches we took on plane to Hot Springs Cove - Brisket sandwich was tast, the older kiddos really enjoyed the turkey and Brie, the Italian (?) wonderful cappicola cured in house was one of the best I've had. Best part easy to get in and out of and not fighting the tourist in Tofino - also try the intergalactic root beer it's fantastic!!!

The person behind the counter was knowledgeable and great to chat with. Great selection of meats…read morecheeses olives and make sure you buy the bacon jam!!!

We went in June and there wasn't a lineup when we went on a weekday for lunch. I wouldn't want to…read morebe standing in line on a hot day though. There is no shade. Service was fine. The tuna taco was good but seems overpriced for what you get. I'd say for value, definitely go for the burritos. Both the beef and the chicken were so good. Ambiance is cool, very island vibe. We are on site but if it were hot and busy, it would be hard.

This location is dog friendly and offers picnic bench seating for customers. Service was quick and…read moreefficient. I ordered the tuna taco and tatter tots. I was disappointed as it felt like I didn't have much tuna in my taco compared to when I order them in at their Vancouver Hasting location. The tatter tots were perfectly fried and I enjoyed the fresh toppings on top, but there wasn't a wow factor to it. My experience left me disappointed as I normally really enjoy eating at Tacofino at their various Vancouver locations.

Some Positives, Some Negatives…read more Came here for lunch after hiking part of the Wild Pacific Trail, so we brought an appetite. We asked the waitress what she recommended. She immediately replied that the Smoked Tri-Tip and Smoked Brisket were their best sandwiches. She also added that they were getting low on brisket, and that it was a bit on the fattier side (just the way I like it). So we ordered her two recommendations. After a surprisingly long wait given how few people were seated, the waitress finally brought our plates. My wife really liked her Smoked Tri-Tip sandwich, but I was deeply unimpressed with my Smoked Brisket. Far from being "fattier" as the waitress described, this one was lean and tough. If you took a bite of the sandwich, the entire piece of brisket would follow it right out because it wasn't tender enough for my upper & lower incisors to make a clean cut through it. This isn't the way a smoked brisket should be. I smoke brisket at home and have been told mine is excellent. I've also been to MANY Central Texas BBQ joints, and I know what a proper smoked brisket tastes like. So Chef Brandon - there's a problem. Your smoked brisket is coming out lean & tough because you're doing one or more of the following: - Trimming way too much fat off of it - Smoking it for too long - Smoking it at too high a temperature I encourage you to reassess your process. On a positive note, the home-made focaccia bread both our sandwiches were served on was quite good. I'd like to give Cedar & Salt 3.5 stars, but I'm giving them 3 stars because of Chef Brandon's temperament when speaking to customers. After placing our order, we overheard his interaction with a couple of customers, and I gotta say - he was quite snarky. His comments seemed to drive one woman away from his restaurant.

Had a couple amazing sandwiches smoked tri tip and smoked brisket! Delicious! Was a great lunch…read moredefinitely coming back next time we are up here!