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PODCAST: Ucluelet restaurant Pluvio named Canada’s best fine dining experience

TODAY IN B.C.: ‘As local as they can be’, establishment tops TripAdvisor list
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On this edition of ‘Today in BC’, host Peter McCully chats with Warren Barr and Lily Verney-Downey of Pluvio Restaurant in Ucluelet.

TripAdvisor recently unveiled its Best of the Best Awards for 2022 and Pluvio Restaurant and Rooms topped the Best Fine Dining Restaurants in Canada category.

The couple opened the intimate 24-seat culinary business in 2019.

“It’s very rewarding,” said Verney-Downey. “We get a lot of cards, letters and even presents from guests after they’ve left just thanking us for a wonderful evening. It’s pretty amazing to be able to impact people that much through a restaurant. It’s awesome.”

Chef Warren Barr was asked about the movement today to create as many items and ingredients on the menu as possible.

“There’s all sorts of different ideas about what Canadian food is,” said Barr. “But I think where I’ve landed with it is we have all these cultural influences for sure, which is great because there’s just so much to inspire us and for us to learn from and so many sort of resources are drawn as far as culinary inspiration goes. Executing these influences but keeping the product domestic, I think is what makes that interesting.”

Because the restaurant is fairly small, Pluvio changes the menus fluidly in response to what ingredients are available.

Verney-Downey says they are fortunate to have a wonderful sommelier on staff and in 2020 made a wine specifically for Pluvio with Avril wineries.

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Peter McCully

About the Author: Peter McCully

Peter has been a broadcaster and publisher on both of Canada’s coasts and has owned a small newspaper and run an advertising agency along the way.
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