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
Chobap Sushi Bar. Voted best new restaurant in VIctoria 2026. Only seats 8 people. Expensive, but worth it for a special occasion. Intimate setting, and amazing food. - Map
Sen Zushi - Great sushi, but also affordable (their Sunset Roll in particular is amazing). - 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. - Map
Four Spice - Good Indian food, great veggie pakoras - Map
Siam Thai - Good Thai food for lunches - Map
Cafe 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 - Solid Seafood, burgers, and pasta. - Map
Red Fish Blue Fish - Long wait for fish and chips, but it’s good. - Map
Nautical Nellie’s - Seafood, burgers, pasta. Variety for large groups. - Map
Finn’s - Good seafood downtown. Family-friendly. - Map
Burgers, Soup, and Sandwiches
Ba-Le Banhmi - Vietnamese sub sandwiches, great for lunch. - Map
Big Wheel Burger - Vancouver Island original. Restaurant-quality take-out burgers and fries. - Map
Burger Crush- Just a solid burger, great crunchy fries. - Map
Tacos / Mexican / Texmex
*Ay Mi Mexico - A tiny restaurant inside a convenience store. One of Victoria’s best kept secrets, great Mexican and Portuguese fare. - Map
Boomtown - Large portions of delicious burritos or bowls, with a nice patio (enclosed patio in winter). - Map
Tacofino - Larger tacos/burritos, island-local legend. - Map
La Taquisa - Good tacos. They also sell their shells for home use. - Map
Brunch
Volta - Spanish-influenced brunch. Really good blueberry jam for toast. - Map
The Ruby on Johnson - great brunch place - Map Location 2
Breakfast Shop - eat in or grab-n-go brunch fare. Sandwiches, bowls. - Map
John’s Place - Brunch diner with a ton of memorabilia on the walls. - Map
Shine Cafe - Small but mighty cafe for brunch fare. 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. Elevated comfort food like tater tots, mac ‘n’ cheese, and an exquisite burata salad. - Map
Rabbit Rabbit Wine Bar- Lovely food & wine pairings, great for a special occasion. - Map
The Courtney Room - Great for brunch, lunch, or dinner. - 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
Eva Schnitzelhaus - Modern take on classic Germanic food, lots o’ meat, warm atmosphere. A+ desserts. - Map
Fire and Water - In the Marriott, a very good restaurant in a hotel. - Map
Pizza
*Dough Eyes Pizza - My favorite new pizza place. Woodfire oven, quality toppings. The guanciale on the “Face/Off” pizza is very crispy, possibly the best pizza topping I have ever eaten - Map
Standard Pizza - pickup-only, worth the hassle of picking up. Call early, they’re busy for good reason. - Map
Pizzeria Prima Strada - Traditional thin-crust, wood-fired Italian pizza. Best eaten in restaurant. - Map
The Joint - Gourmet/weird but quality pizza, good for takeout. - 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 done right, with raclette option. - Map
Farmhouse - Great sandwiches for a good price. Tip of the hat to their pulled pork sandwich, great BBQ sauce. - Map
Farm and Field Butcher - Best bacon ever. Good sausages. Moderate cured meats selection - Map
Tasting Menus and Special Occasions ($$$)
Lumache - The best Italian food in Victoria. Wine pairings are great. Excellent presentation. Difficult to get a reservation because it’s at the top of the food chain. - Map
Ugly Duckling - Pricey tasting menu, but really good food, including some stellar desserts. 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 - Underground (literally) cocktail bar. Mini pizzas and nachos are good. - Map
Humboldt - Cocktails! They map their cocktails from wide appeal to niche. - Map
Clive’s - Pretty good for a hotel bar. - Map
DESSERTS
Bakeries
*Working Culture Bread- All of their dough is sourdough. Best, fluffiest cinnamon buns in history? Yes. - Map
*GoodSide Pastry House - artisanal creampuffs and quality baked goods. Go early, as there’s always lineup. It is also always worth the wait. - 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 around a dozen 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, sold 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