Shelter Restaurant

The food at Shelter was amazing. We chose the Tofino Surf Bowl with salmon. And calamari for starters with some local beers to drink. All delicious. We had to wait about 15 minutes for a table when two of us turned up without a reservation. We sat and ate at the bar. The staff were really helpful and friendly. The view from the restaurant is magnificent. While waiting for our drinks, we saw two Bald Eagles fly over the marina chasing gulls. They caught one and flew off. What a spectacle!

We've been to Tofino multiple times, but this was our 1st time dining at Shelter and holy - why did we wait so long?! The food, service and views were all amazing!

Ended up order the Shelter Salad, Seafood Chowder and Braised Beef, everything was delicious, easily 1 of the best meals we've had all year. The salad was fresh and zingy, the chowder came loaded with big chunks of seafood, and the beef was so tender it melted in your mouth!

The views of the water and mountains made a beautiful backdrop, would not hesitate to come back again on our next visit!!!

I hardly ever give a 5 star
But this place exceeded my expectations.
We had tuna stack, seafood chowder , salmon bowl . All very tasty and garnished nicely.
We served by Ethan and his friendly energy made our experience even better.
View from the well decorated and cozy patio is amazing

Highly recommended you get a reservation prior to coming in. We did not have one but the staff found us a table in no time. Very good food, good service, great location by the pier surrounded by hills. Highly recommended!

If we could put 10 stars we would. Everything was amazing: tuna stack and kale/salmon salad were awesome. Beautiful views (thanks Diego, the sea lion for the show!!). Best of all was our knowledgeable, engaging and total Jude Law look alike server, Dave from Wales, a total rock star!! Thanks 🙏 we’ll definitely be back. Jay & Lisa

Where to begin?!!

My husband and I came to Tofino today for the first time.

After reading the reviews of Shelter, I made reservations for dinner here.

Our server, Jane, was AMAZING! She was super friendly, knowledgeable about all of the food, and gave us just the right amount of attention.

We decided to share several options. We ordered a Caesar salad, calamari, and seafood chowder to start. Easily, one of my top 2 Caesar salads and calamaris EVER! They were both so good! My husband loved his seafood chowder and the taste that I had of it was delicious.

We then ordered the slow cooked beef flat as a main entree and, HOLY... it was amazing! Fork tender, delicious mashed potatoes and gravy, and perfectly cooked greens. The only thing is that, after the large portions of our starters, we had to bring the main back to our hotel room as we were far too full to finish it. We will be having it for breakfast though.

We each ordered a peppercorn infused Caesar and they were perfect! So delicious! I also ordered a Seaside Smash and it was amazing!

I could not recommend this amazing restaurant more. If you are in Tofino, I suggest that you go and experience it all for yourself.

I will be thinking of this incredible meal for years to come.

We were visiting Tofino for a few days and decided to head to Shelter for some nice seafood. Everything on the menu seemed so amazing that we had a hard time choosing, but thanks to our kind waiter with strong opinions on salmon (😉) the choice was easily made! Amazing salmon with risotto, would definitely recommend! Restaurant has an amazing atmosphere. We didn't book upfront, but we got to sit at some lounge-chairs next to the window with a view on the harbor which was extra cozy. Thanks a lot for your amazing service and food.

We loved our night out here for my friend’s birthday! The atmosphere was upscale and cozy. Great waterfront option for fancy cocktails and wine. Friendly staff and quick service. Two or so main options for vegetarians.

The Shelter Restaurant was our favourite meal when we visited Tofino..the tasty meal we experienced demonstrated to us the freshness of the ingredients from local farms and the Tofino waters..the very warm greeting and the very cozy atmosphere of the Shelter Restaurant made our evening meal very memorable..

I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner here.
It's right on the waters edge, so the view adds to the ambience.
I had the wild salmon and asparagus pasta! Creamy and full of flavor!

My server was such a breath of fresh air. She was pleasant and professional.
She was knowledgeable about the area to suggest things to do in Tofino and Ucluelet.
There is parking yet during high season and peak times, there may not be any spots available.

Dining at shelter was a wonderful experience. The staff was very friendly, the vibe of the dining room was comfortable, private, and very west coast. The menu had lots of options and was also not too large, and all of the food was delicious, creative, and came in fairly generous portions. The whole experience only took 45 minutes but it did not feel rushed at all. I left feeling really full and really happy. Thank you to the whole team at shelter for such a great dining experience.

The roasted chuck flat, sourdough bread boule paired with their house red finished with the chocolate pot de creme was extraordinary. Great team, view & location. An interesting place to seek shelter from the storms.

Had a great evening at the Shelter Restaurant. We had been here 4 years ago, but last time at old location. We felt really sorry about what happend to old location. But the new location got some great views. Food was awesome with good service. We had the calamari, seared salmon and shrimp and mussel fettuccine. Always a great choice. Would love to come back in 4 years. Thank you.

Great views right by the marina.

Highly recommend the tuna tower.

Love the wood burning fireplaces by the windows.

Very romantic place with good wine selection.

We are visiting from Vancouver/Toronto and we decided to check out Shelter! Our server was very kind and super informative. Tonight, we ordered the feature entree with was a Rib Eye Steak sliced up with vegetables and baked mashed potatoes. We had the steak cooked medium. We also ordered oysters as well which was also a feature. Oh my goodness, the rib eye steak - my partner and I were in heaven! It just melted in our mouth, the vegetables and the baked mashed potatoes were amazing! To be honest, the rib eye steak being $84 and it’s shareable blew one of our experiences at a Vancouver restaurant out of the water. We were so stuffed and also had leftovers. I really hope that Shelter puts this item on the menu! Why? I want and will recommend everyone to try this feature! It was THAT good.

I ordered the slow roasted beef chuck flat. It was a good portion and rich in flavour. The restaurant itself is a bit hard to find on a dark rainy night if you’ve never been before but the atmosphere is really cozy and relaxed. Lastly, my server Liam was excellent and made for a very personalized experience.

Best mussels I’ve had! Expected to be pricier than it was. Great service and awesome food. Cool spot

I highly recommend the restaurant, especially for a special occasion. We had the chef’s recommended 3 course Valentine menu and it was so delicious. And our server Liam was so very personable, professional and knowledgeable. An exceptional meal in a gorgeous setting.

We came here on our honeymoon, and mentioned it in the reservation. They treated us so well, gave us free mocktails (we don't drink) and mussels and staff took is on the pier for a photo. The service was amazing as was the food and beautiful views! Highly highly recommend, especially if you book right before sunset!

Great new location on the water. Food was phenomenal. Tables felt close together like I was hearing what everyone was saying around me. But I can't really blame them wanting to maximize the patio area. Server was attentive but casual and knowledgeable. There when needed but not always interrupting. Definitely a great place to try!