Perched between the majestic old-growth Forests of Tofino, British Columbia, and the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, the Wickaninnish Inn is a destination like no other.

This Spring, the “Wick,” as it is affectionately known, shares the celebrated cuisine of The Pointe Restaurant on the pages of The Wickaninnish Cookbook: Rustic Elegance on Nature’s Edge.

Guests travel from around the world to spend time on Chesterman Beach, including American actor Neil Patrick Harris, who praised the Wick as an incredible hotel, in the New York Times.

Since opening in 1996, the kitchen has been led by some of Canada’s most talented chefs, from Rod Butters, the current Executive Chef Warren Barr. The recipes inside speak to the Inn’s longstanding commitment to farm-and ocean-fresh ingredients, and strike a harmonious balance between the bounties of land and sea that surround the Inn.

The Wickaninnish Cookbook is an invitation to home cooks around the world to enjoy a piece of Chesterman’s Beach, with a few tips on how to make Inn-style food even if you live far away from the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The décor of the Inn creates a seamless transition between the natural environment outside and the building’s design inside, celebrating local artisanship.

Designed with the Wick’s rustic elegance in mind, the book features a textured hardcover case that mimics the hand-adzed cedar posts and beams used throughout the Inn, carved with traditional First Nations tools by master carver, Henry Nolla. Along with dramatic, full-colour photography, The Wickaninnish Cookbook showcases the region that inspired the over 100 unique dishes that grace its pages.

There are dishes to take you from breakfast to dinner, and from storm watching to beach picnics. From simple pleasures done perfectly, to elaborate seafood dishes meant to impress: The famous Wick granola; Rod Butters’ shellfish-rich potlatche, a West Coast take on bouillabaisse; Duncan Ly’s Thai-scented chowder; Andrew Springett’s cinna­mon-smoked duck; Mark Filatow’s bright spot prawn escabeche; Justin Laboissiere’s saffron-scented ravioli stuffed with crab; Warren Barr’s crisply briny oyster coals or his beautifully sculpted salmon mosaic; Matthias Conradi’s decadent chocolate platter for two; Matt Wilson’s hearty breads. There is salmon in a myriad of dishes, crab in almost as many, and so much chowder!

WARREN BARR is the current chef at The Pointe Restaurant. Born in Vancouver BC, he honed his farm-to-table skills on Canada’s east coast at Prince Edward Island’s Inn at Bay Fortune. He joined the Wickaninnish Inn in 2011 and has been executive chef since 2013. In that time he has crafted an experience designed to define and elevate Canadian cuisine. He was awarded the first award for “Continuous Culinary Excellence” from Food Day Canada. He was also one of just fifteen Chefs to be invited on the Canada C3 sailing journey in 2017, inspiring a deeper understanding of Canada.

CHARLES McDIARMID is the owner and Maître de Maison of the Wickaninnish Inn. From the time his parents settled in Tofino in the mid-1950’s, they dreamed of opening an inn on the rocks overlooking Chesterman Beach. The Inn opened in 1996 and has fulfilled the family goal of creating a destination that allows others to discover the remarkable beauty of the west coast of Vancouver Island.

JOANNE SASVARI writes about food, drink and travel for publications including The Vancouver Sun, WestJet and TASTE. She is editor of Westcoast Homes & Design, and past Travel editor at The National Post. She is also the author of Frommer’s EasyGuide to Vancouver and Victoria and Paprika: A Spicy Memoir from Hungary.

THE WICKANINNISH INN is a landmark Relais & Châteaux designated resort in Tofino, British Columbia, Canada, which has been honoured as a member of both Travel + Leisure’s Hall of Fame and Condé Nast Traveler’s Platinum Circle. Established in 1996, The Wickaninnish Inn is still family owned and operated, and the only resort on beautiful Chesterman Beach.