Sooke Harbour House

This foodie haven is an ideal destination to hole up for a weekend of relaxation and indulgence.

• The innovative cuisine, which might include malted ricotta and thyme ravioli or seared rockfish with potato rosti, fennel puree and nasturtiums
• The local art that decorates the hotel and adds a charming touch

An hour’s drive southwest of Victoria, Sooke Harbour House is home to one of Canada’s most acclaimed restaurants. The property is a rambling white-clapboard inn set on a wind-whipped promontory facing the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The inn’s owners, Sinclair and Fredérique Philip, are known as pioneers of terroir cuisine (the idea that a food’s flavor comes from its soil and climate), and have transformed their backyard into nearly two acres of herbs, vegetables and edible flowers. A six- or seven-course culinary adventure unfolds each night in the inn’s candlelit dining room.

Each of the inn’s 28 guest rooms is different; most are spacious suites with slightly improvised—but entirely charming—décor: cotton slipcovered sofas, kilim rugs, fireplaces and antique chests piled with books. This is the sort of place where nothing is too perfect, but everything is exactly right for the setting. The atmosphere and seclusion conspire to let you do absolutely nothing—or at most, to pour a glass of port from the decanter the Philips have conveniently left on your bureau, strike a match to the kindling and curl up.

Foodies and couples looking to get away for a few days in beautiful surroundings.