August 2025

This renovated eatery replaced another in the main area of a Sechelt waterfront hotel which has also been renovated. The Sechelt waterfront is partly indigenous reservation but I believe this section is public. We were here for the first time for dinner with another couple and while everyone else in our group loved it, I had reservations, and it wasn’t about the reservations.

The physical plant and location is dazzling. You walk in up a few stairs and are just above the level of the ocean which is right there across a public walkway where people are promenading. Huge windows visually put you outside. The room is large with lots of space between tables. That ocean view is the nicest of any restaurant we’ve seen on the Coast and although there was plenty of chatter it felt benign and we were easily audible across our table.

A nice young girl showed us to a four-place table at the window and we were happily seated. Server was an older middle-aged lady who arrived promptly and chatted amiably about the menu, drinks, and a bit more about the recent history of the renovation.

There are six starters, three salads, lots of pizza and pasta, and six mains three of them fish. There are additions including honey and three proteins not available individually, some sides and a couple of desserts. For a local restaurant there is an impressive bunch of creative cocktails and a really nice wine list, Italy-emphasized, with what looked like fair prices.

We had beer and cocktails, and a grand cru burgundy we brought was nicely handled and served. Corkage was $45. My gin martini was straight up, just below room temperature, and thin as restaurant martinis nearly always are.

We all started with a tomato and stracciatella salad shared half-servings each. This had several vegetables including the tomatoes and focaccia croutons. I couldn’t taste the dressing and all generally lacked a bit in flavour and freshness with the croutons tiny and soft.

I and one of the ladies had chicken which turned out to be well-cooked breast of sliced small quantity containing some bone. There was a “polenta” which seemed a viscous rice and cheese mixture, and a large piece of practically raw broccolini. Robin’s pizza had mushrooms which I couldn’t taste and I thought lacked crispness right out to the edge which may just be a personal quibble. I got to tasting the lamb papardelle after it had cooled off but it tasted good although I thought the pasta was a bit overcooked.

The other three at the table all seemed to like our server lady who said she had worked at several restaurants locally and a pub. At the risk of being sent up as a Michelin-addicted phony snob I found her over-inclusive and loud. She also was a world champion at shouting straight across table conversation and got going at a distance of 3 meters bringing food. I tried to keep talking but was shouted down. Salt-and-pepper were presented in grinders but they were the only supply for the whole room so not left. The “down-home” pub style seemed out of place in a restaurant trying to be high-end.

High points of Fred’s for me were the gorgeous windows and view and our 2015 Corton-Pougets from Rapet. Prices generally were big-city (chicken $39 ribeye steak $72 side of broccoli $13) which I didn’t think was justified by the quality. The server just isn’t my style but as my wonderful wife reminded me, in that situation I should just suck it up.

Personnel may be the problem here as the kitchen and front end probably hail from before the renovation which I’m guessing was accompanied by in-and-out gentrifying food service consultation. Anyway the result felt like a mIxed experience: food 6.8 service 4.0 ambience 9.1 value 6.3 peace and quiet 7.2. I could see going back probably for lunch just to eat in that dining room.

September 2025

Early second visit, a bit better. A completely different but no better server: pretty young lady who was uber quick and without any hint of apparent interest or warmth. I had a roast beef special ($50) which was delicious except for the Yorkshire pudding which was dry. The $100 barolo was respectable and good value. There is a sommelier, also overly quick and dismissive but the wine list is good.

We will go back.