It was a relief to come to The Pointe for a veganized tasting menu and not have to worry about a thing. We made reservations for 4 at The Pointe about 4 days before our dinner and gave them the vegan heads up in advance. Tofino is lovely and the people there are very gracious in trying to accommodate a vegan diet, but you come across enough people who don't know what vegans eat and the vegan option is usually singular at most eateries. By contrast, The Pointe provided us an opportunity to sit back and relax and not have to worry about sifting through a menu or making sure we conveyed the meaning of vegan. Basically, we felt taken care of and were able to enjoy our evening together.
We arrived for 6:30 and were greeted warmly, first by the hotel front desk and then the hostess who was personable and pleasant. We were seated at a fabulous window table as the sun was setting (yessss!). Their dining room is GORGEOUS. It is placed on the rocks over the sea and surrounded by windows on 3 sides. Not knowing what to expect in terms of our food (it was my first time at The Pointe) I had seen photos of the restaurant online and was excited enough about the dining room alone. Every table in the dining room has a clear view of the ocean. The lounge, which is a few steps up and at the back of the room, still manages to offer an ocean view. (If you come after dark, you will miss out on the ocean view.)
Our server informed us at the onset of our dinner of the general plan that evening and reconfirmed our dietary requirements as reported during the initial reservation, even remebering my cashew allergy. The staff were so attentive, we never had to ask for a water refill once. The only beat missed was when our server was unable to report what a certain oil drizzle was when presenting the soup, but I guess they don't get a lot of specialty tasting menus requested and maybe it was difficult to be thrown out of his regular routine. He was humble and admitted he wasn't sure but guessed it might be a cilantro oil, and that was that. It was nice that he escorted us to the washrooms when necessary. That might sound weird, but the washroom is outside the restaurant in the hotel lobby, as is often the case with many hotel restaurants, and it can be easy to get lost. I've been to some restaurants where you have to interrupt bar tenders for directions or wait for hostesses to show you the way, but the staff at The Pointe were always ready to greet you as you passed by and our server was more than happy to direct us to the washroom (thank-you!).
Our meal was extremely satisfying. The array of flavours and the thought which went into the courses was appreciated very much by all of our party. We were presented with 6 courses, including an amuse bouche (a fried crispy chickpea polenta cake with a tasty and decorative endive side), a soup (smooth carrot puree with a POW of warm, comforting ginger) and a palate cleanser (a celery root sorbet with cacao nibs).
Our meal lasted for 2.5 hours, and we left feeling well fed, happy, and very, very good.
The point is if you are craving a fancy schmancy dinner experience with excellent service in a gorgeous setting, The Pointe is for you. read more