WARREN BARR & LILY VERNEY-DOWNEY
OWNERS & OPERATORS OF PLUVIO RESTAURANT + ROOMS
UCLUELET, BC, CANADA
Chef Warren Barr and Lily Verney-Downey are the owners and operators of Pluvio restaurant + rooms in Ucluelet, a destination restaurant and boutique hotel recognized nationally for both its food and its hospitality.
Warren’s career took shape in some of Canada’s most respected kitchens, including Le Crocodile, The Inn at Bay Fortune, and the Wickaninnish Inn’s Pointe Restaurant. His cooking is grounded in seasonality and place, drawing deeply from Vancouver Island’s land and sea. Lily leads the front of house and hotel operations, bringing a lifelong, hands-on understanding of hospitality shaped by experience in every role, from dishwasher to senior hotel management, beginning at the age of 12 in her native UK.
At the core of Pluvio’s success is a belief that exceptional hospitality begins with building, supporting, and retaining a strong team. Since opening in 2019, Warren and Lily have focused on creating a work culture rooted in respect, trust, mentorship, and shared ownership of the guest experience. By investing in their people and fostering collaboration across kitchen, dining room, and guest rooms, Pluvio’s team is empowered to deliver hospitality that feels both refined and genuinely warm.
Pluvio has been recognized by Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, enRoute Magazine’s 'Best New Restaurants', and Maclean’s Magazine's 'Best Places to Eat Now', for both its cuisine and its service. With boutique hotel rooms extending the sense of care beyond the dining room, Warren and Lily continue, alongside their team, to shape Vancouver Island’s hospitality landscape through community, sustainability, and a people-first approach to dining and lodging.