Auntie Pesto's

We had the most wonderful evening at this restaurant — everything from the food to the service to the setting was exceptional. Reservations recommended!! Our servers, Jana and Elliotte, were incredible — so friendly, welcoming, and genuinely helpful. They made us feel completely welcome and taken care of throughout the night. We started with a few shared dishes — the Beef Carpaccio, Saganaki Cheese, Foie Gras and Pickled Beets — each one perfectly prepared and bursting with flavor. The Seared Scallop Entrée was a standout as well: fresh, beautifully cooked, and elegantly plated. We paired everything with a crisp glass of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, which complemented the dishes perfectly. We sat outside on the lovely deck overlooking the marina and the ocean — such a peaceful and beautiful setting. Great food, and amazing service made for a truly memorable night. Life is good—100% recommend — can’t wait to come back.

Love this place

Food was good, although needed a bit more salt. Servers were attentive but somewhat cool in tone.

Seating was very unacceptable. We had a reservation at 5:30 pm and when we arrived most of the tables in the restaurant were unoccupied. We were placed at a table right by the front door. I suggested to the server that it will be cold (it was a very cold winter night), and she said “there is a heater at your table”, and left with no compunction. We were cold and kept out jackets over our knees to stay warm.

Unfortunately, the door did not close automatically, so we became the door manager needing to get up and close the door continuously throughout our meal. The server noticed it and closed it once in 1.5 hrs. And, when we left at 7 pm, there were still empty tables throughout the dining room far away from the door.

I noticed that some folks have commented that locals get preference, or maybe non-islanders are not really welcomed? I felt disrespected.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 4

Service: 2

Had an absolutely amazing meal at Auntie Pesto's - Chef Shawn prepared a 3 course vegan meal for us on request, and it was incredible.

The salad was a bed of mandolined, pickled yellow beets and heirloom tomato, topped with a little frisee, shaved fennel, toasted pine nuts with a fresh lemon and thyme vinaigrette.

The main was a marinaded, pan seared beet steak on a bed of seasoned, braised wheatberries with oyster mushrooms, baby carrots and a soy maple miso glaze.

Desert was a Coconut Bliss ice cream with toasted almonds and wild Armenian cherries.

Definitely the best meal we have had on the Island, and one of the best vegan meals we've had in a restaurant, period! We're glad we called ahead and talked to the Auntie Pesto's crew - they did something special rather than just trying to adjust a few things off the menu to accommodate us. Bravo!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Got reservations (sorry natives) for 7:15pm and still here standing like an asshole at 7:45 inside with not one person come over to address our waiting time!! Customer service is not a strong point here . Don't know what the point of a reservation is if you cannot honor it!! Again I understand when things don't go as planned but to ignore us complety is not appropriate.

Atmosphere: 1

Service: 1

Excellent experience on New Year's Eve. Service was great, food delicious.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Phenomenal food and wine! With knowledgeable and attentive staff!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Elegant restaurant with ambiance and friendly staff. Good food and well priced

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

HOTTEST pasta in the game

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

What a delightful place for dinner. Fresh ingredients prepared and presented very well. I modified the special somewhat with no problem - ordering spaghetti puttanesca with a side of halibut - delicious and enough pasta leftover for a snack later. I was with a group that was more familiar with the menu than I - everyone was delighted with the meal and kind, responsive service. I will come back to Salt Spring Island because of the promise of eating there again.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This is the best pasta place I have been to! Congrats on the food and service!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Seafood Dill Alfredo

Nice view of the Harbour, that is the highlight. The food is ok, the service was decent. We wouldn’t go back but it was nice to try once.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3

It's a nice restaurant by the marina. However, the food is just okay.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 4

As someone who loves carbs, Italian cuisine has always been one of my go-to favorites. This time, I decided to try their lamb meatball special, seafood pasta, and spaghetti Bolognese. The flavors were really impressive. The lamb, prepared with a special ginger sauce, was tender and had no gamey aftertaste, which I appreciated. The seafood was fresh and had a nice, springy texture. The spaghetti Bolognese was rich and flavorful. My only small critique is that the pasta could have been a bit more al dente for my taste, but overall, the dishes were delicious and satisfying.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Beef Stroganoff, Meatballs and Marinara Sauce with Focaccia Garlic Toast, Vegetarian Lasagna, Seafood Dill Alfredo

Hard to complain about the food. It was very tasty and a decent portion size which is something you don't come across often on the island. A bit on the pricy side but everything here seems to be. Everyone got pasta and was pleased with what they ordered. The restaurant was very relaxed, the decor and inside was fine dining. The staff were friendly and helpful. There seemed to be no strict rules on attire, some were well dressed while others were dressed very casual.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5