Hidden high above the ancient forests of Vancouver Island, tucked within the sanctuary of Tigh-Na-Mara, is a dining experience so unlike any other, so indulgent, yet so ‘why do more restaurants not do this?’ We know we will be back. Welcome to the Treetops Tapas and Grill – Canada’s only robe-and-sandal restaurant, and the decadent finale to the hotel’s signature Dip & Dine ritual. Yes, you heard correctly: at the Tigh-Na-Mara hotel, there is a restaurant where you can eat in after being at the spa, in your robe. And it’s a fancy restaurant – a fine dining one. It’s at times like this that I love living in Canada.
My husband and I had just floated in the mineral waters of The Grotto and sweated out the night before in the Cedar saunas. We were chilled, zen, and very happy. We were also quite full of the delicious free spa snacks, which we came to regret. Not because they weren’t delicious, but because the feast that lay ahead for us was a four-hour affair and extremely indulgent.
Oh, and it was free refills. Yes, unlimited refills of the delicious, fine dining food that you enjoy. Meaning, you can have the tasting menu in your robe, and whatever you want to try again, you can order again. A truly luxurious experience. Just you, your robe, and a menu designed for lazy indulgence.
Chef Lukas, trained in classical French cuisine yet inspired by the land, curates a tasting journey through the Pacific Northwest. All the ingredients at Treetops Tapas and Grill are locally sourced and authentic to the region. And delicious, as we were soon to find out.
The Fantastic Feast at Treetops Tapas and Grill
Our multi-course meal, which we chose to have the wine pairing with, arrived with our gracious waiter, who was an utter dream. The most friendly and jovial man, he described each dish with such flair and passion that it brought smiles to our faces even before we’d had our first drink.
We began with the kale salad, studded with dehydrated blueberries, grainy granola, and a spiced pear purée, its savoury notes lifted by a very generous pour of Road 13 Viognier. I love Road 13, a local winery to us in British Columbia, and their Viognier is a favourite. The kale salad was sensational, so delicate yet full of flavour, the sweetness of the blueberries punctuating the savoury kale. Lovely.
From there, it was a sensory sensation: We had a Squashed Orchard soup, so rich and creamy with maple Dijon crème fraîche and crunchy pumpkin seeds, paired with a glass of Cedar Creek Riesling – delicious.
We had a very moreish mushroom toast, with goat cheese, topped with truffled glace and crowned with dollops of 63-degree egg, which is the perfect temperature to make the perfect egg. It also featured pickled lavender shallots, which were an interesting flavour. The egg was a new experience for us, and this heavenly dish was made even better with the earthy notes of Oyster Bay Pinot Noir.
Next, we had Scallops and Brussels, served with carrot lemon purée, pulled pork hock, brown butter crumble, a dish which my husband knew already he would order again. This was delicate, savoury, buttery, and deliciously earthy with the sprouts, and paired beautifully with the Hillside Pinot Gris – a winery I hadn’t yet discovered.
This was followed by the duck and leek tartlet, topped with micro arugula & pear salad, BoMé spiced Shepard cheese, melted leeks, pulled orange & thyme infused confit duck leg, preserved raspberry glace de viande. Whilst I never eat duck, I let myself try it this time, and felt guilty for how delicious it was. This paired wonderfully with the Dirty Laundry Rosé, a slightly sweeter rosé wine that worked so well.
Next, we had the cedar-baked Solo Kuterra steelhead fish with house-fermented black mustard. This was so delicate and fine in flavours, and yet the fish was full in flavour, which paired well with CedarCreek Chardonnay – a staple favourite in our family.
Then, we had the foie gras torchon, another dish I would normally pass but couldn’t resist here at Treetops Tapas and Grill. Served with fermented plum jam, black truffle honey (delicious), house-made sourdough crostini, and ginger pear fluid gel, this was a sumptuous dish that went delightfully with Orofino Chenin Blanc, a local winery I know is very popular. And no wonder!
Then we had the elk striploin: tender, juniper-brined, served with butter-whipped potato and a demi-glace of blackberry and currant. Paired with Hillside Merlot, it was a dish we couldn’t forget, and thus, at the end, naturally, we asked for more. Twice!
We probably should have stopped there, but then my husband wanted more of the mushroom toast and the scallops, whilst I wanted more kale salad. We lost count of how many courses we had. Maybe fifteen? Sixteen?
Our waiter celebrated our appetites, and at no point did we feel ashamed (though we potentially should have). It was truly lovely to know we were so welcome here, and the four-hour eating slot actually came in unbelievably useful, given the deliciousness and relaxed atmosphere. We called it being very indulgent. They called it normal. My kind of people.
Dessert at Dusk… and Dawn
We ended, blissfully, lazily, extremely full, with Chocolate Vineyards, a Mission Hill red wine gel over a molten cake, finished with gelato and paired with Framboise from Elephant Island. The red wine gel was insane, a very flavoursome, rich, decadent concoction of wine in a tiny dollop on a fantastically rich cake. Apparently, almost a whole bottle of wine goes into each dessert. Wild. Too full to enjoy it properly, we took it to go. (Pro tip: it was even better the next day with a hot coffee and ever so slight hangover).
Where Indulgence and Rest are Mandatory
Dining at Treetops Tapas and Grill felt like an unexpected theatre experience. From our fantastic waiter, who put so much love and passion into explaining each course, to our fluffy robes and unorthodox attire, to the wine pairings, and beautifully presented food that looked like art. It was truly a ritual. We knew we would remember this meal for many years to come – but not before returning.
We left Tigh Na Mara feeling nourished, in body, soul, and stomach. Even our hangovers were trivial after such a great night’s sleep with the ocean breeze clearing our heads in the morning!
We cannot recommend coming here more – if you want a dining experience that you’ll remember, for all the best reasons, you must come to Treetops Tapas and Grill.
Treetops Tapas and Grill
1155 Resort Drive
Tigh-Na-Mara
Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre
Parksville
British Columbia
V9P 2E3
Canada
