Urbanspoon Review

Sooke Harbour House
(250) 642-3421
1528 Whiffen Spit Road
Sooke, BC V9Z0T4
www.sookeharbourhouse.com

Amazing birthday dinner!

by Marc Larrous
August 05, 2010 – Really likes it

To splurge for my birthday, my wife took me to dinner at the famed Sooke Harbour House last week. I had heard lots, and was eager to see (=taste!) for myself what all the “fuss” was about. Usually, such rave reviews make for a disappointing experience, or reality-check, but in the case of Sooke Harbour House, this was certainly not the case. All of my high expectations were met, and far beyond that. Either my wife had arranged for very special treatment (not really her style though), or the service at this place is just always very charmingly hospitable, able and attentive. Rarely have we had such personalized and down-to-earth yet amazingly knowledgeable and alert service in a fine dining restaurant. Wait staff tends to be a bit snotty at such places, but not in Sooke!
Our table had a wonderful view over the ocean (Strait of Juan de Fuca), with the Olympic Mountains in the background when it was light still enough to see. The dining room is practically perched on the water, and surrounded by the gorgeous edible delights of the organic gardens that surround the hotel restaurant.
Though it was a warm night, a crackling fire was ablaze in the grand fireplace at the heart of the dining room, making the atmosphere all the more charming and cozy.
Our dinner was superb; we had a 7-course gastronomic adventure menu, with perfect wine pairing arranged by the knowledgeable yet highly approachable sommelier (have you ever seen such an impressive wine list? WineSpectator wasn’t kidding when they awarded this a Grand Award in the past years – this is one of a kind!).
Each course was amazing, both in presentation, flavours, smells, textures, combinations, and unique ingredients – too much to mention! Every night is a new, unique menu though – so I couldn’t recommend specific dishes.
You can read some of the past (intricate!) menus on their website if you want to get a feel for what you can expect. Expect lots, and get even more!
We had a truly wonderful experience – by far my best birthday dinner ever (and I’ve had a few good ones!). I would recommend this place to anyone. Don’t be scared off by rumours about overpriced or overrated meals. It’s simply not true. Sure, if you’re into fast food – don’t go. But then again, you wouldn’t really be reading reviews on UrbanSpoon if you weren’t into good, honest and inventive food, now would you?!
Next time we go (which will be soon), I’m planning to surprise my wife by booking a room for the night as well. We were offered a tour of two rooms by the helpful front desk staff, and it definitely caught our attention – amazing rooms with amazing views and full amenities, at very fair prices indeed. Plus they have some excellent deals and specials a lot of the time. Can’t wait to go back!