After a long day of exploring, we were sad to find that many restaurants were already closed by 8 pm, even thought it doesn't get dark until after 9 in summer. We happened upon Schooner while driving around town. We don't have a reservation, but they seated us right away. The service was friendly. We had the bacon wrapped scallops, which were tasty. I had the seafood pasta which was surprisingly light despite its white cream sauce. The salmon in this dish was the highlight for me, so tender. My husband at the ribs which he said were some of the best he's had in a long time. The potatoes were well seasoned and crispy. He could not stop eating until his plate was clean! Portions were ample as we were both stuffed. Oh yeah, the drinks were also good. read more

The Schooner Restaurant - Ribs and Seafood Pasta - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

Amazing all around! Scallops for an appetizer - Plank Salmon and their Seafood Pasta dish highly recommended. Sat at the bar and watch the BlueJays game cheering on with Jeremy the bartender! Great fun atmosphere. I would definitely go again....oh and they gave us a ride home because we walked there in the day light and left in the dark! High five to their staff! read more

The Schooner Restaurant - Bar area with BlueJays on TV! - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

We went there this evening for my wife's birthday. I had made a reservation online and when we arrived, they did not have it. I immediately started to feel tense. The owner came over took a look at my reservation and noticed that I had reserved it for the wrong night. He then told me don't worry we will seat you and we proceeded to have a most excellent meal with fantastic service. I highly recommend this place. Should we ever find ourselves back in Tofino? We will definitely be stopping in for a meal. read more

Excellent service, unique wonderful menu, our cocktails were up to par and the food was served hot and it was delicious. We even enjoyed a homemade crumble dessert that was fresh and warm. They had many servers to help us and the view was spectacular! We wish this restaurant was in our town. read more

We loved everything about Schooner's! We didn't have a reservation but they made us feel comfortable and found a lovely cosy seat for us. Very warm hospitality. Our server was so friendly and humorous. We loved him! We ordered: - Appetizer: spicy prawns - $19.50 - Main: Seafood boil for two - $82 - Local beer - $10 Total with tip (20%) was about $137. Food was great! Loved the prawns - the sauce was addicting! Their fresh warm baguette is everything you'd want with the sauce! The seafood boil was simple yet packed with flavours. It was light on the pallet, which we liked. We will definitely be back when visiting Tofino again! Thank you for such a great dining experience and for being fabulous! read more

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You can't come to Tofino without eating seafood. I've been on the island for a few days now. We went to The Schooner in Tofino. It's a 75 year old restaurant. We ordered three courses for two. Oysters nami nori, fried oysters. With honey wasabi mayo, special sauce and tobiko, delicious. Warm goats' nut salad Hazelnut + cheese, raspberry vinegar salad classic seafood boil for 2 Super fresh, with salmon, halibut, cod, clams, mussels, shrimp, crab legs, corn and potatoes in the soup, with homemade bread is really delicious, even drank all the soup! The overall feeling is good, but the $95 seafood for two is too small, in the end, two people ate more than $160 plus tip! read more

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This was our first time here but came with people who have loved it in the past. We tried to get in on a Wednesday at 4:45, when they opened. It was tough because they had a line of hopefuls waiting, but Whaylon managed to seat us. Everything for the evening was booked. And no wonder! The food was amazing and the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. Justin, our server, was upbeat and knowledgeable about the menu and helped us make our selections. He checked on us frequently and added his insight throughout our meal. Two of us had the Admiral's plate which had 6 entree size portions of favorites. Two of us had the Halibut Bawden Bay, which was stuffed with crab, baby shrimp, Brie, jack cheese, and scallions. All came with rice and vegetables. We shared cheesecake and crème brûlée and were happy with both. We all were very impressed and loved every bite. If you are ever in the area, make sure to get a reservation early. You will not be disappointed. read more

The Schooner Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

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Food service and ambiance were Outstanding. We had been hiking all day and neglected to make a reservation, but they found seating for us at a cozy table for two upstairs. We always go in new restaurants ordering things we know we like-but our waiter was so great and made recommendations, so we decided to try something different. I had the halibut. I think it was the best meal I have ever had. I know a lot of times these things depend on hitting on the right night, but something tells me-it's always like this at the Schooner. We were on vacation and I really hope I get to return someday. read more

3.7/5 After some surfing, we were really craving some nice seafood so we were glad that we booked this place prior to arriving on the island. When we arrived, there were a few walk-ins that were denied since they were fully booked. The people working on the floor were nice and attentive. Since we wanted to try a bit of everything, and fill our stomach up with some good seafood, we got the Admiral's Plate. This was accompanied by some herb scented basmati rice and some summer vegetables, which were a great addition to the seafood. Grilled Salmon: These were cooked VERY well. The sauce that went with it was also really well put together. Blackened Cod: The sauce was really well made. It went well with the fish and I wish it came with more sauce though. Halibut Bawden Bay: My partner really liked this one. The stuffing inside the halibut was well put together. Baked Oysters: I was very excited for this but I felt like the sauce and cheese really overpowered the oysters a bit. And the oyster tasted good, but felt like it was a bit overcooked as well. Garlic sauteed prawns and scallops: The scallops were really well made and cooked so perfectly. We loved it a lot. Mussels & Clams: It was good. Nothing special and didn't really taste the Thai curry but it was good. Crab Legs: They were tasty but the garlic butter that came with it had less garlic and more salt and my partner felt the same way. It came in a small bowl over a candle which was a nice touch though. . . . Now onto why I rated it a 3.7: - The Admiral's Plate imo is NOT worth the price. Charging $180 for 2 is not worth it for the amount of stuff you get. And if it's a food for 2, I didn't understand why they were uneven number of things for some of the dishes. If there's an abundance of pieces, I get it but for the things you can count in one hand, there should be even numbers for people to be able to share imo. For example, there were only 3 crab legs instead of giving half of the crab (4 legs). There were also 3 scallops, and 3 mussels to share which didn't make too much sense to me. So while the food was good, it was expensive for what it was and the quantity was also uneven. - I wish they had seafood scissors. I had asked for them since the crab legs came with crab crackers and seafood picks. But they didn't have them. Half of the crab legs were soft so it was impossible to use the crab crackers since the juice just came out when I tried using them. So I had to use my teeth and fingers to try and peel the pieces. - Not that important but another nice touch would've been if they gave us a wet napkin or a finger bowl when we were done. It was nice that they had a finger bowl but we did have to ask for them. read more

The Schooner Restaurant - Admiral's Plate - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

The schooner has last seating at 9:30 and closes around 1 am. The interior is pretty cool as they have a tiny ship inside the restaurant. The salmon and halibut were delicious, I loved the flavours. The baby back ribs were too saucy. The passionfruit long island cocktail didn't have much passionfruit taste but was nice and sweet. read more

The Schooner Restaurant - Baby back ribs, halibut bawden bay, wild mushroom ravioli, and long boarding salmon - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

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We came here for our final dinner in Tofino. Their front sign says 'Steak.Seafood.Cocktails' so we were expecting those things to be great. I tried one of their cocktails- the longer island and it was delicious! I only wish they had a few more cocktail selections and this is the only one that really appealed to me. I had a beer as my second drink. As our appetizer we had the spicy prawns and man, were they spicy! Although so spicy, they were so so good! I don't usually eat spicy things and my lips were on fire after these but it was worth it because they were also super flavourful. we each ordered a steak as our main- I ordered the Admiral which was pricey at $65 but it came with prawns, crab and scallops so I figured it would be worth the money. I order my steak cooked medium- if it's too red I cannot enjoy it but I had confidence they would cook it properly since it's something they specialize in. My husband had the peppercorn steak which he ordered medium rare. Unfortunately, when we received our dinners, we realized the chef had mixed up the levels- my husbands steak was medium, almost well and mine was medium rare. This was super disappointing but when I told the waitress she did offer to put mine back on the grill for a while. I declined stating that we could just share each others steaks. She comp'd our 2nd round of drinks to make up for the mistake which we really appreciated. Unfortunately, my dinner also did not come with that much seafood- the amount of crab was not much at all and I only had 2 scallops. In my opinion, the dish should cost more like $50, not $65. It's overpriced for what you get. However, aside from the mixup and the lack of seafood, the food itself was absolutely delicious and our waitress was lovely. She was extremely personable, attentive, and did everything she could to correct the issue. I will note that the peppercorn steak my husband was divine- the sauce is the bomb and the dish is priced well for what you get. The sides for both steaks are the same veggies and potatoes and were well seasoned and cooked properly. think we will return in the future to give this place a second chance. read more

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My dinner at Schooner was by far one of my best meals ever I ordered the smoked maple salmon as an appetozer and it was wow. Ordered the salmon and steak for our dinner and they were mouth watering perfection. We then ordered Chocolate Pecan and Creme Prulee and equally delicious. The service was excellent and was quick although the restaurant was full on a Friday night. They are jus perfect and i highly recommend read more

The Schooner Restaurant - Smoked Salmon on cedar wood - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

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We had a wonderful meal at Schooner during our staycation. The restaurant is nautically themed. When you enter there is what appears to be the prow of a ship at the front of the restaurant. Because of covid regulations we found the restaurant to be very cool as they must leave one door open. They did try their best to keep the room at a comfortable temperature however. The service was good. We shared the calamari as an appetizer and it was very good. It came in an edible rice paper seashell. For entrees my husband had their signature dish - halibut bawden bay and it was one of the best halibut dishes we've had. It is a perfectly cooked piece of halibut wrapped around crabmeat, shrimp, brie cheese and scallions topped with a green peppercorn sauce. Absolutely delicious. I had the cedar planked salmon that had been marinated in a soy ginger marinade. It also was perfectly cooked and tasted wonderful. We were too full for dessert. Schooner would be a must visit if we returned to Tofino. read more

74 years in business with the same family. The food is fantastic. The staff is friendly and efficient. It is best to make a reservation. This place is very popular for a reason. read more

The Schooner Restaurant - Catface Seafood Pasta. Excellent! - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

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So glad I listened to reviews and chose to go here over other places for a special dinner. We went here for our 20th anniversary and it lived up to the importance of the evening. We sat at the window overlooking the town and the water beyond. The vibe inside matched the view outside. Seeing dungeness crab as a main on the menu, we couldn't resist but ask to split one before actually ordering our real main course. The succulent crab was cooked to perfection, with what must have been an amazingly seasoned boil. Even the butter that came with it was surprisingly delicious. For my main I went with the catface seafood pasta -- a delicious assortment of well prepared seafood in and on bowl of a perfect and decadent pasta with robust wine + cream sauce. The veg and seasoning abounded. This was a perfect follow-up to our crab starter. My wife ordered the "second street tenderloin" with blackberry demi and cambozola. She was wowed by all the components and how well it all went together. Now for the most remarkable memory -- the service, by essentially a one-man show, was impeccable. Our server was running the whole half of the restaurant while acting as maitre d' of the busy front desk. He paid intense attention to us and all tables without making it look chaotic. He observed surreptitiously from a distance and only made his presence known when it made sense, at our pace. We were concerned that the signage of their strict time policy at the front boded for a rushed experience but it was definitely not the case. Some of the best service I've had in years. read more

Highly recommended. Food was delicious, and staff were very friendly. We ate the fish and chips as well as the banh mi special and both were fresh and tasty. read more

Amazing and my favourite restaurant visited during my little getaway to Tofino! It was unfortunate the deep frier was broken on the day that I visited so I couldn't try their calamari or fish and chips but the quality of the other plates definitely made up for it. The best dish was certainly either the mushroom ravioli or the catface seafood pasta. The sauce was so creamy and rich but not overwhelming and leaves you wanting more! Super rare to not get sick of rich cream based sauces so a definite 10/10 for the pastas. The mussels and clams had a beautiful sauce that left us scraping the last little bits of the bowl. The pacific rim hot pot was not what I expected but it was still a delightful dish to have tasted. I just wish the description didn't throw me off so much ~ Drinks were delicious, service was great, environment was lively - overall amazing place and a must try! read more

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What a friendly, upbeat, place! Happened upon it during a bike ride. The spicy tuna burger sparkled: topped with seaweed salad and pickled ginger, it was among the most memorable dishes I've had in a long time. I believe there's been some menu shifting lately: give them a try! read more

Went for the first time since pre-Covid, and the place is still as good as ever. The downstairs was closed, with all dining upstairs. The upstairs is much more modern, plus offers a better view. read more

I loved the ambience and environment there! I ordered the admirals steak and boy oh boy the steak was tender, the scallops were tender and juicy, shrimp was food, and the crab meat was amazing!!! I had their creme brûlée and it was not bad at all. It is on the higher end of price but it's definitely a good investment if you want a quality meal. read more

The surf and turf steak dinners were so good we ended up eating there our last 2 nights in town after eating at every top rated restaurant in Tofino. read more

THE BEST FETTUCCINE ALFREDO PASTA IN TOFINO. I'm obsessed with fettuccine Alfredo and I haven't been able to find a good pasta in Tofino. I didn't realize the schooner made pasta. This pasta was hearty!! Mine had local salmon because the halibut was out, yummy scallops and prawn. It was a creamy sauce...so good. And capers. The coconut chocolate pie was also amaze. Highly recommend and will be back very soon. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Toffino :) I definitely recommend it. It's absolutely perfect. We tried multiple fish based dishes and they were all spectacular. The fish is beyond fresh and tastes amazing. The flavor combinations are really cool and the overall dishes are really creative. The restaurant looks really good inside and has a great patio + the service is impeccable. I would say this is a 'full package'. read more

Loved everything about this restaurant! Ate upstairs in the small dining area adjacent to the bar. Beautiful treelined view out the windows- very bright and airy. Tables are close, so don't be surprised if you chat up the neighbors. Service was friendly, knowledgeable & efficient. Cocktails include the classics as well as unique, crafted options. Seafood shines here! The Kushi oysters were uber-fresh and sublime! They were served with a raspberry- shallot mignonette. The seared sesame seed crusted albacore, accompanied by a spicy aioli, was poetry. The clam chowder was a light, perfectly seasoned broth, with clams served still in opened shells. Finally, the salmon grilled atop Meyer lemons and fresh herbs on a cedar plank was perfectly cooked and delicious. All items were caught, dug or harvested with 6-24 hours of being placed on our table. The beauty of the seafood is allowed to shine through. A perfect meal! read more

Meh. Certainly over priced as are most things in tofino. Nothing special. Good food but not amazing. And 23$ for 6 oysters is absurd. Especially considering the location. read more

Truly the best seafood plater me and my wife have had. No reservation. They got us in at the bar with the best view right beside the window second floor! Everything on the platerfloor for two was , "close your eyes and saver the flavour" dishes! With a good white wine this was hands down the best seafood playter we have had! my gosh! Truly the best! read more

Drinks were very good (I had the house cocktail that's a play on a mai tai--flavorful and not too sweet!) The host/server was awesome. Our food was good to excellent: loved the smoked salmon but wouldn't order the baked oysters again. Would have tried the crab but it was too pricey for us! read more

Absolutely delicious food, friendly staff and fresh seafood. We were excited about the seafood and not disappointed. The music in the room was nice and the upstairs had a nice view and I like being upstairs. Definitely worth the 5 stars. read more

This restaurant amazed me! I never had tuna burger before. But after having their tuna burger I was just wowed! very juicy with lots of fries. My friends tried beef burger and they said it was really good. read more

The Schooner Restaurant - Tuna Burger - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

This place is fabulous!! The only down side is the strong seafood aroma. Unless you're a seafood fan, then you'll probably love it. I am not, so it took me a bit to get used to. Our waiter was amazing. He was so knowledgable, outgoing and obviously really passionate about working there. I wish I could remember his name to give props. Anyhoo, not being a seafood fan he recommended me to try the filet mignon and convinced me to get it less than my usual medium well. I'm glad I listened because it was so delicious. Super juicy and full of flavour. It came with seasonal veg and potatoes, all in a wonderful wine sauce. My friends shared a huge seafood platter. It had lots of variety and they said it was amazing. A must go if you're in the tofino area and looking for a great date spot. read more

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I would give this restaurant five stars but the service was a little bit slow and the host was not the friendliest but other than than it was fantastic. We weren't super hungry so we asked if we could split an order of ribs. The server indicated that that was a good dish to share so that's what we ordered. The ribs were amazing; meaty, moist and tender the sauce had just a tinge of a bite which made it fantastic. Plenty of potato for two of us and a small serving of veggie as well. We finished with the chocolate lava cake which was absolute heaven. This is a must have item! Would surly go back here. read more

Stopped in for lunch after walking the lovely beaches in the Pacific Rim Park. This was such a fantastic find. I have to admit I came for the Caesar that I saw posted on Yelp with the intention to only have drinks. A few hours and a complete meal later, we left very full and happy! Since it was beautiful day, we sat on the patio. The wait staff is so fabulous and attentive and fun! We must have had three people waiting on us. There was never a want that went unmet! The special drink today was the Caesar and for $8 you can add crab and shrimp. Um yeah!!! That drink made my day! We shared the baked Brie to start. This dish is so delish! The Brie is melted with brown sugar. The dish is served with a local raspberry jam, apples, candied pecans, a mango relish and a baguette. The fish and chips were calling my name. So flaky. So crispy. So amazing! Really one of my favorite fish and chips I have had. For dessert, we had a "bite" a small portion of a dessert. This is such a great way to enjoy something a little sweet without a huge portion! We had the creme bruele and just loved it! Schooner's is a great find with a great ambiance. Loved our time there! read more

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Well.... once someone decided who are server was, they finally took our drink order. Then when we ordered our son's dinner and our meals, we were told his dinner and my appetizer should be out in 10 minutes. That was 30 mins ago. Finally came out. Son's burger was great. I had tuna appetizer- was delicious but cold. It came out after multiple people who had arrived after us had gotten their food. Almost an hour. Bathroom was out of toilet paper and paper towel. Still waiting for our meal. Been here an 1:14 and my wife has yet to have anything to eat. 1:18 food finally arrived. Food was 6 out of 10. Good. Not great. At the end of the night after all of this, they tried to offer us free dessert which didn't make up for delays. We declined as we had a 6 year old that needed to get to bed. Offered us 15% off the bill. Was not remotely enough to make up for this. Our server tried his best but this meal was a disaster from the get go. Hope you have better luck. read more

By far our best experience in Tofino. We came for our honeymoon and wanted to hit all the best restaurants in town. Being one of the busiest restaurants in town we wondered if we would ever get a reservation. We stopped by to see if we could figure something out By the end of the week and within minutes the manager had set us up at the bar. As soon as we sat down the bartender was friendly and made us feel very welcomed. Even though it was very busy she explained everything in full detail and still had time for the other customers. With her recommendations we ordered the admiral seafood platter. Yes it's expensive but damn was it good. You'll never find anything like it. It was so good my wife tipped 30% and she's so cheap she squeaks when she walks. The drinks were also 5 star. I love a good ceaser but wow are these ones good. My wife who maybe has 3-4 drinks a year somehow put back 3 of the mango margaritas. 5/5 food 5/5 drinks 5/5 service 5/5 experience.... So good we are going back for our last night in Tofino. **** they also called us ASAP when we left a message for a reservation **** Highly recommend!!!! read more

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Great marine-/pirate-themed decor inside the restaurant, and large, multi-tiered patio with sun umbrellas. Our server was polite, attentive and kept our gluten-free needs always in mind. The portion of seared squid was small, but grilled well. Generous helping of goat cheese on the goat nut salad. The halibut Bawden Bay was excellent, though the rice was a little bland. Overall, slightly overpriced (the norm for Tofino) but a good experience! Opt for indoor seating! read more

Top notch service. Really good food. I had the surf and turf and the seafood was amazing. Best scallops I have had. We also shared a peanut butter chocolate tart and the homemade ice cream. Would absolutely recommend Schooner! read more

Great seafood restaurant. A must try in Tofino. We come here everytime when we are in Tofino. Covid made us hesitate to dine in but we ordered take out this time and the food are taste just like the same as I remembered! Maple Whiskey is a must! read more

Had a great lunch at The Schooner. While my wife had the fish and chips, I had the unbelievable drink called The Titanic. A drink for lunch? Believe me, a liquid lunch this ain't. You start off with a mason jar filled with a very good Caesar. Little spicy, full of flavour. Then you add skewers of the following: Chicken wings, ribs, spicy prawns, onion rings, gherkins, a cheeseburger slider (I had that switched that out for one if their lamb-aletta sliders), some celery stalks (because what's a caesar without celery), and a magnificently fried oyster. I say magnificent because I'm not a big fan of the fried oyster, but this one was awesome. Lightly breaded, fried to perfection, just awesome. And each individual component of this meal in a mason jar was just as impressive. The flavours were great, nothing too overpowering, and all cooked to perfection. One of the most memorable and best things I've ever had. Oh, and my wife's fish and chips were very good as well. Covered in a cheesy-bread crumb coating and pan fried (not deep fried), her meal was crispy and quite flavourful. A nice light alternative to the heavy battered deed fried variety you get elsewhere. All in all, a great meal at a nice family friendly place that we'll be sure to come back to the next time we're in Tofino. read more

The Schooner Restaurant - The Titanic Caesar - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

Traditional fish and steak house that definitely impressed! Service was great, server was very knowledgeable and the food exceeded expectations. The hot pot was perfectly balanced and my husband's seafood pasta is just what he wanted. The Caesar salad dressing was one of the best I had! Highly recommend this Tofino staple. read more

Had a really good meal on our first night in Tofino. Staff were friendly and attentive. Atmosphere was pleasant, tables were spaced apart due to COVID and lighting was just right. We started off with the Baked Oysters which came out piping hot. The cheese over the juicy oysters was very well done. Then we had the Classic Boil Seafood for 2 which also came out piping hot. There was a lot of seafood with broth plus bread for dipping. We wanted to have dessert but was too full. Would dine at Schooner again the next time we are in Tofino. read more

The Schooner Restaurant - Classic Seafood Boil for 2 - Seafood Near Me - Tofino, British Columbia

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