Welcome to your guide to the Best Ucluelet Restaurants! Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Ucluelet is maybe the most underrated British Columbia travel destination. This rocky and rugged small coastal town is Tofino‘s quieter little sister.
The nature hikes and water-based activities might be this town’s main attractions, but Ucluelet is also home to an exciting aquarium, fascinating wildlife species, and some stellar spots for food.
Despite its small size (it clocks in at just 6.81km²), this area in British Columbia has some cafes, upscale restaurants, and takeout spots for you to try. While most restaurants focus on using local ingredients and classic Canadian flavours, you’ll also find a selection of international spots that will take your palate on its very own trip around the globe.
To help you figure out which spots are worth visiting, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of Ucluelet restaurants that you should check out during your trip.
Whether you’re partial to Korean comfort food or simply need to find a reliable spot for breakfast each morning, there’s bound to be something in our handy guide that you’ll find useful!
By the way, if you think we missed one (or more!) of the best Ucluelet restaurants, you can contact us to give us your recos!
Your Guide to the
Best Ucluelet Restaurants
Best Ucluelet Restaurants
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Best Ucluelet Breakfast
The Blue Room
The first place on our list of the best Ucluelet restaurants is The Blue Room. Located in downtown Ucluelet, this popular bistro serves enduring breakfast classics in a relaxed setting. Although they don’t have a website, this popular spot is active on social media and often uses it to announce new dishes to their adoring fanbase.
If you’re looking for a Canadian spin on a traditional Eggs Benny, you need to try The Blue Room’s Bacon Waffle Benny. Featuring two perfectly poached eggs atop a fresh waffle with bacon and maple syrup, it’s an indulgent delight that’s bound to set you up for a day of exploring. To further channel your inner Mountie, why not try the Breakfast Poutine? Replacing traditional bacon with a smooth hollandaise but keeping those ever-popular cheese curds centre stage, this is a dish for the books.
Here for lunch? Be sure to sample the Pesto Chicken Quesadilla or the brunch-worthy Coastal Cowboy Breakfast Sandwich. Both sinful and undeniably delicious, you’ll struggle to choose between them!
During the summer months, we highly recommend ordering a glass of sangria and sitting on the relaxing patio. Offering a laidback vibe, you can easily wile away an afternoon here.
What to order: The Bacon Waffle Benny or Breakfast Poutine.
Visit this Ucluelet Restaurant:
Address: 627 Peninsula Rd, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0
Barkley Cafe
Open daily between 7 am and 2 pm, Barkley Café is one of Ucluelet’s best pit stops for specialty coffee, baked goods, and delicious sandwiches. Known for their laid-back and welcoming atmosphere, you’ll find crowds of locals milling around this café on a typical weekend afternoon.
The menu here is quite expansive, and you’ll be able to choose from an impressive array of grilled sandwiches (including the eternally popular grilled cheese!), bagels, and fresh smoothies. However, it’s their perfectly brewed coffee that keeps Ucluelet’s residents coming back for more.
All coffee is provided by Caffe Fantastico Coffee Roasters in Victoria, who are known for their high-quality beans and exceptional roasts. Whether you fancy the sharp taste of espresso or prefer a subtle medium roast, there’s something at this humble café for everyone.
Although the savoury eats here are delectable, we suggest running over to the dessert counter before you leave. Serving up everything from gooey cookies to delicate macarons and cakes, this place is a haven for those with sweet teeth!
If the food and drink weren’t enough to convince you to visit Barkley Café, did you know that these guys choose zero-emissions shipping for all products and use only sustainable packaging? In addition to composting all coffee grounds in their back garden, this place is as eco-friendly as it can be!
What to order: Any of the grilled sandwiches, bagels, sweet treats, smoothies, or coffees!
Visit this Ucluelet Restaurant:
Address: 1-1620 Peninsula Rd, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0
Currents Restaurant & Big Beach Lounge
If you’re looking for somewhere more upmarket to break your fast in Ucluelet, why not check out the Currents Restaurant & Big Beach Lounge at the Black Rock Resort?
Not only does this place serve the best breakfast food in town, but the oceanfront views you get from its floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor patio area are truly mesmerising.
Although the views of Big Beach and the Pacific Ocean are amazing, what we love most about this restaurant is its carefully curated menu. Incorporating local ingredients, healthy foods, and indulgent dishes, it’s designed to please most palates.
If you’re looking to load up with healthy dishes before a large hike or day on the slopes, why not try the Hearty Oats and Green Lantern Smoothie? Both are filled with powerhouse ingredients that will keep you full for hours.
Prefer a more indulgent breakfast? Try the French Toast, Big Beach Breakfast, or the large Steak and Eggs. Whatever you choose, it promises to be perfectly cooked and bursting with flavour!
Oh, and one more thing – this place is an ocean-friendly restaurant, meaning that they aim to cut out single-use plastics and increase their sustainability measures.
What to order: The Hearty Oats, Green Lantern Smoothie, French Toast, Big Beach Breakfast, or Steak and Eggs.
Visit this Ucluelet Restaurant:
Address: 596 Marine Dr, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0
Best Ucluelet Pizza
Abbondanza
If you’re looking for Ucluelet restaurants that serve excellent pizza, consider the search over with Abbondanza. This place may be rather no-frills, but it’s known throughout Ucluelet for its excellent wood-fired pizzas, friendly atmosphere, and use of classic Neapolitan cooking methods.
You can either dig into one of their signature Margherita pizzas or spice things up with the Pollo Arrabiatto. Topped with chicken, red chilis, olives, red onions, and lashings of marinara sauce, it’s a taste sensation that’s sure to be adored by your entire party (perhaps not fussy kiddos though!).
If you’re here for lunch, why not dig into one of their popular subs? Stuffed with everything from pepperoni and sausage to peppers and eggplant, these versatile, carb-filled delights aren’t to be missed.
What to order: One of their classic pizzas or enormous subs.
Visit this Ucluelet Restaurant:
Address: 1972 Peninsula Rd A, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0
Shipwrek Pizza
Another excellent pizzeria in Ucluelet is Shipwreck Pizza. Perched right on Main Street, this quaint eatery is ideal for an affordable bite after a day of sightseeing.
Unlike other pizza joints, Shipwreck Pizza isn’t afraid to play with fire when it comes to toppings and combinations. Of course, you’ll find classic picks like Pepperoni, Meat Lovers, and Cheese pizza on the menu. However, you’ll also find the chefs displaying new creations like a butter-based Ukee Fried Chicken pizza smothered in maple syrup.
It may sound completely unpalatable, but it’s a revelation.
If neither of those options takes your fancy, why not try the Davy Jones pizza made with white bechamel and feta or the Perfect Storm pizza with banana peppers, green peppers, and house sauce? Both brimming with flavour and making use of exciting ingredients, they’re always flying out of the kitchen (or sailing, should we say!).
To bulk out your meal, consider opting for the daily special combo. Whether that’s a free set of wings with any large pizza or a deal on the nachos, the folks at Shipwreck will always find a way to sweeten a deal and make it lighter on your pocketbook.
What to order: Any of their classic pizzas or anything highlighted as ‘new’!
Visit this Nanaimo Restaurant:
Address: 250 Main St, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0
Best Classic Ucluelet Restaurants
Pluvio Restaurant + Rooms
Known for its enthusiastic use of seasonal ingredients and modern twists on Canadian cuisine, this is one of the Ucluelet restaurants that you need to visit before leaving town. Run by a husband and wife team, chef Warren Barr & Lily Verney Downey, this place believes in the power of wild hospitality lead by flavours unique to this rugged and rich slice of our world and their vibrant, passionate members of the community that serves their patrons.
Pluvio is one of Ucluelet’s more upscale restaurants that will most certainly be one of your Best Ever experiences on the Island. So much so, that we couldn’t end our evening without knowing we were going to write an entire piece about the experience at Pluvio Restaurant + Rooms.
You can expect perfectly presented dishes with food that feels far too artistic to eat, but somehow tastes even better than it looks, all served with top-notch service.
Depending on your foodie fantasies and budget, you can choose from the restaurant’s three-course dinner menu or the Chef’s Tasting Menu.
Visit this Ucluelet Restaurant:
Address: 11714 Peninsula Rd, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0
Heartwood Kitchen
Are you searching for casual bistro-style dining in the heart of Ucluelet? If so, you’ll simply adore Heartwood Kitchen! Located on Peninsula Road, this popular spot specializes in classic BC dishes that make use of Ucluelet’s local ingredients.
Compared to some of our other picks on our list of Ucluelet restaurants, this spot might see some higher price points. However, it uses an impressive range of fresh ingredients that make up for the slightl