Tofino’s Wolf in the Fog got a new baby sister in July with the opening of Ombré. Serving up coastal Mediterranean sharing plates, this new restaurant brings warm and bright flavours to what is perhaps Canada’s best food town.
Ombré’s Foodie Family Tree
Ombré has a lot to live up to, not just because its older sibling has been hailed as one of Tofino’s best for a decade now, but also because they’ve opened in a space previously occupied by another iconic Tofino establishment: SoBo. Chef Lisa Ahier grew SoBo from a beloved food truck into an award-winning restaurant. In 2007, Ahier moved into 311 Neill St. where she served locals and visitors alike until 2017. After completely refreshing the SoBo space, Ombré opened in the summer of 2024.
With tourist towns like Tofino there can be pressure to cook with quintessentially West Coast ingredients like salmon, maple syrup, or seaweed. It’s not that these local products don’t deserve to be celebrated, but it’s exciting for those exploring these areas to have the chance to try something new.
Making Global Local and Local Global
For Ombré, Wolf in the Fog is a bold predecessor. The Wolf culinary team is supremely sensitive to the best seasonal and local ingredients with menu items changing daily in reaction to the new availability of ingredients. The team also take annual trips seeking global inspiration, the influence of which you can inevitably taste in the food served. Now, while the Wolf team can play more or less unfettered in the kitchen, the team at Ombré have set slightly more narrow culinary parameters for themselves.
The coast of the Mediterranean is the source of inspiration for Executive Chef David Provençal. However, what is available locally is always utilized in Tofino. Sourcing can still be difficult and expensive for this relatively remote surf spot. Provençal learned to celebrate local during his early culinary education in Quebec at such acclaimed restaurants as Au Pied de Cochon and Le Dorchester Cuisine et Complicité. He then served as Sous Chef at Wolf in the Fog for eight years, weaving yet another direct tie to the sibling restaurant.
From Mediterranean Coast to West Coast
Ombré serves an exciting and ever changing menu of small sharing plates united by coastal Mediterranean origin while celebrating Tofino’s own superb coastal produce and proteins. To start, I enjoyed the Marrakesh cocktail made with Italian Select Aperitivo, Cocchi Rosa, bourbon, and a strawberry-sumac syrup. In terms of first bites, I had a fast fan favourite, the Madeleine & Foie Parfait, as well as Garden Vegetables with garlic scape ranch. The simply named vegetable dish is a tasty array of fresh, blanched, and pickled. The flavours are fresh and bright. At this point, both my palette and curiosity were piqued. The Madeleine is superb. With the appearance of a dessert, this starter is a savoury buckwheat cookie topped with a rich and creamy foie that looks like icing, sprinkled with raspberry dust.
From Pickles to Pasta
The menu is designed to be best enjoyed when shared between at least two people. Thankfully, as I was alone, the Ombré team was kind enough to give me smaller portions so that I could try more of the menu. I was in luck and got to savour the last of the Island Tomatoes. The Wagyu Steak Tartare is seasoned with herring, and the crudo features a line-caught Brill Sole. These dishes demonstrate how local ingredients shine on Ombré’s menu, while the culinary team still manages to stay on theme.
A selection of excellent house-made pastas add depth to the lighter and brighter first half of Ombré’s menu. Their Campanelle is a sourdough pasta. Its flavour brings a hint of tang to the creamy sauce, as does the nutritional yeast. The Sugo di Carne I tried was made with spelt gnocchetti and the richest meat ragu. The Campanelle remains on the menu while the Sugo has been replaced with Potato Tortelli with wild boar ragu. Although working within stricter thematic confines than Wolf, the menu still changes frequently at Ombré as well. Check their website for updates and go in anticipating some delectable daily specials. This is great for locals who won’t get tired of the options over repeat visits.
Other Ombré Offerings
The creative cocktail and wine menu at Ombré both match the high quality and thoughtfulness of the food while staying true to the Mediterranean inspiration. And, if you’re in Tofino over the weekend, Ombré also serves brunch from Friday to Monday. They’ve got coastal classics like Florentine Benedict and Salad Niçoise. At least initially, Ombré seems to have lived up to expectations. Now we’ll see if they can uphold them for a decade as Wolf in the Fog has done.
