Victoria, BC has a lot of good local restaurants. Like, a lot. This guide is designed to help newcomers, tourists, and locals find places they haven’t been to before, and ensure that you have a great time. Enjoy!
Japanese and Sushi
Sen Zushi - great sushi, but also affordable (their Sunset Roll in particular is amazing) - Map
Toro Sushi - real wasabi option, focus on quality - Map
Yua Bistro - cozy local Japanese restaurant. Limited seating, great food. - Map
Curries
Tibetan Kitchen Cafe - Great curries, quantity and quality. Get there early for seating at lunch. - MapCurry Club - great Indian food - MapFour Spice - good Indian food, great veggie pakoras - MapRoyal Spice - good indian food, best veggie pakoras - MapSiam Thai - good Thai food for lunches - MapCafe Malabar - very tasty Southern Indian food, lots of seafood options, coconut forward, interesting breads - Map
Seafood
Fishhook- French/Indian fusion with seafood - Map
Ferris’s Grill and Garden Patio - seafood, burgers, pasta - Map
Red Fish Blue Fish - long wait for fish and chips, but it’s good - Map
Nautical Nellie’s - seafood, burgers, pasta - Map
Finn’s - Good seafood downtown. Family-friendly - Map
Burgers, Soup, and Sandwiches
Ba-Le Banhmi - vietnamese subs, great for lunch - Map
Big Wheel Burger - Vancouver Island original, take-out, restaurant-quality burgers - Map
Soupa Cafe - good lunchtime soup/sandwich shop - Map
Tacos
La Taqueria - Small Tacos - Map
La Taquisa - Tacos - Map
Tacofino - larger tacos/burritos - Map
Brunch
Breakfast Shop - eat in or grab-n-go brunch fare. Sandwiches, bowls. - Map
The Ruby on Johnson - great brunch place - Map
OEB - Canadian brunch chain. They have mimosa flights. - Map
Volta - Spanish-influenced brunch. Really good blueberry jam for toast. - Map
John’s Place - Brunch diner with a ton of memorabilia on the walls. - Map
Misc Dinner Spots
**Rudi- Same owners as Wind Cries Mary. Moderate pricing for great food. Great sharing dishes. - Map*
Wind Cries Mary- great sharing dishes for small groups - Map
The Courtney Room - great for brunch, lunch, or dinner. - Map
Fire and Water - In the Marriott, but a very good restaurant in a hotel. - Map
Ten Acres Bistro - delicious, locally-sourced food. Family-friendly. - Map
Superflux Cabana - Brewhouse restaurant, beers and fries, great patio for summer - Map
Jones Bar-B-Que - smoked pork, brisket, and sausage on a bun. Very Schryer’s - Map
va Schnitzelhaus - modern take on classic Germanic food, lots o’ meat, warm atmosphere - Map
Pizza
Standard Pizza - pickup-only, best pizza place til Bicycle Pizza gets a storefront - Map
Bicycle Pizza - great pizza, only available frozen or as a pop-up shop, since they lack a store front
The Joint - Gourmet/weird but quality pizza - Map
Brickyard Pizza - by-the-slice, better than Hot House or Ali Baba - Map
Meat and Cheese
L’Apero Bistro - Best cheese selection, done by Guillaume the “Cheese Jedi.” Wine & Charcuterie - Map
Farm and Field Butcher - Best bacon ever. Good sausages. Moderate cured meats selection - Map
Tasting Menus and Special Occasions ($$$)
Janevca - Fine dining, fancy everything, excellent taste, and black sesame chocolate mousse = yes. - Map
Lumache - The best Italian food in Victoria. Wine pairings are great. Excellent presentation. - Map
Ugly Duckling - Pricey tasting menu, but really good food, including some stellar desserts (poached apple). Map
Perro Negro - fancy but medium pricing, fantastic food. - Map
Marilena - Quite expensive, but good for a celebration. Standard western fare, great sushi, amazing tuna tartare, lots of wine options. Map
Wine/Cocktail Bars
Tourist - They always have an open bottle of white, red, and bubbly. Good food, too. - Map
Cenote - basement cocktail bar. Mini pizzas and nachos are good. - Map
Clive’s - Not bad for a hotel bar. - Map
Rabbit Rabbit Winebar - lovely food & wine pairings, atmosphere maybe a bit pink, shiny & pretentious - Map
DESSERTS
Bakeries
*Working Culture Bread- all dough is sourdough. Best cinnamon buns in history? Yes. - Map
GoodSide Pastry House - artisanal creampuffs and quality baked goods. Go early and there’s a lineup. - Map
Pure Vanilla Bakery and Cafe - Great bakery, sweets, cheese buns, etc. - Map (in Oak Bay, not downtown)
Crust Bakery - strange but delicious pastries and sandwiches - Map
Patisserie Daniel - known for their cinnamon buns - Map
Dutch Bakery - staple bakery of downtown Victoria - Map
Ice Cream
Better Acres Craft ice Cream - Very good ice cream, in a house-made waffle cone - Map
Chocolate Favoris - Ice cream cones with 12ish chocolate dip flavors. Boutique chocolates - Map
Cold Comfort - Ice cream sandwiches of many flavors. Dairy-free and vegan options - Map
Parachute - Small-batch ice cream with a variety of staple and experimental flavors - Map
Hazel’s ice cream (Not Downtown) - Ice cream bars dipped in various flavors on Dallas Road in Summer - Map
COOK STREET VILLAGE
Pizzeria Prima Strada - traditional thin-crust Italian pizza - Map
The Beagle - delicious pub food, good beer selection - Map
Thunderbird Chicken - fried chicken, optional sandwiches - Map