Planning a trip to Victoria, BC? Here’s what you need to know about restaurants in the city and which ones you should try!
The Ruby on Johnson
When booking our stay at the Best Western, we had the option to add breakfast to our stay, which we opted to do and received vouchers for The Ruby. I was already extremely impressed because most hotel breakfasts are a continental breakfast and not the greatest so when I realized we could pick just about anything from the menu I was pretty happy.
I ended up ordering the don chego breakfast tacos and they were easily the best breakfast tacos I have ever had. I’m typically not a big fan of egg but they were delicious and fully loaded with bacon, beans, avocado, pico de gallo, cheese and sauce. There are two other kinds of breakfast tacos so you can try one of each or three of the same taco depending on which toppings you like the best.
On day 2, I ordered the straight eggs breakfast, which came with their homemade jam. The breakfast came with the biggest strips of bacon I’ve ever seen, and the homemade jam was delicious. The breakfast was the perfect meal before going out and exploring the city as it was the perfect amount of food.
The Ruby does waffles unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I ordered their chocolate waffles that were topped with dark chocolate, sponge toffee, coffee crumb and whipped cream. It was a lot of toppings, but everything came together deliciously. The waffles alone were crispy on the inside but light and airy on the inside. It was definitely quite the sugar rush, but it was just the rush I needed to get my butt up to the top of Mt. Douglas that morning.
La Roux Patisserie
La Roux Patisserie is a cute pastry shop located in China Town that makes some of the best pastries I’ve ever had. It is a great place to stop in for a coffee and a pastry before heading back out to explore.
Steamship Grill & Bar
Located on Victoria Harbour, Steamship Grill & Bar offers a great view of the harbour and is across from the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. In the summer months, they have a patio that looks out on the harbour.
I ordered the whiskey crab bisque to start and the lobster ravioli for my entree. Margaritas were also on special that night so of course I ordered a couple with my meal. They actually made a really good margarita so I can imagine that would be pretty dangerous sitting out on the patio on a warm sunny day.
The food was absolutely delicious. The bisque was some of the best bisque I had ever tried. I also tried some of my friend’s chowder, which was also really good. You definitely wouldn’t be disappointed if you ordered either of the soups. The lobster ravioli was some of the biggest raviolis I’d ever had. I was a little nervous about what kind of sauces would be as lobster ravioli is usually accompanied by a tomato-based sauce, which I don’t like. This lobster ravioli was actually accompanied by a cream-based sauce and complimented it really well. The entire meal was super delicious, and I found the prices extremely reasonable for a seafood restaurant on the water. This is definitely a must-stop restaurant in my opinion.
Frankie’s Modern Diner
Frankie’s is a great lunch or dinner spot with modern décor and an upbeat atmosphere. I stopped in at Frankie’s on a day that I was looking to have a light lunch and tried the seafood chowder and Caesar salad. Caesar salad is obviously an easy dish and hard for a restaurant to the screw up. What did make this Caesar salad stand out for me was some of the thickest pieces of grated parmesan I have ever had on a salad before and there is nothing better than parmesan on every bite. The seafood chowder was really good too and had tons of seafood in it. There is nothing worse than a seafood chowder that only has a couple chunks of seafood, and this definitely wasn’t the case at Frankie’s.
They have a great happy hour from 2-5 Monday through Friday and all day on weekends, so it makes a great place to have a couple drinks and snacks at.
Bard & Banker
The décor at the Bard & Banker was what drew me in and made me want to check it out. I had read about the pub and had already added it to my list of potential restaurant options, but it wasn’t until we were walking past it on our way to Steamship that we decided we would definitely be stopping in the next night.
The day we went they were doing $5 tacos so that what we ended up getting with a cup of their broccoli and cheddar soup. The tacos were excellent, but the broccoli and cheddar soup was a bit more broccoli then I am used to but it was still good. We hung around after our meal to have some drinks and enjoy some of the live music that was playing.
Definitely try one of their alcohol towers – it’s great to share if you’re in a group and also a pretty cool experience.
Garrick’s Head Pub
I headed to Garrick’s to watch the soccer game while having a couple drinks and ordering some food. Garrick’s is definitely a beer lovers dream with 65 beers on tap. If you don’t like beer, like me, there is also cocktails for you to try. I ordered the deep fried pickles, which come with their house made dill aioli that was delicious and paired perfectly with the pickles.
Garrick’s is the perfect place to catch a game or just hang out with friends and have a couple drinks.
Finn’s Seafood Chops and Cocktails
I cannot say enough good things about Finn’s. From the beautiful décor to the extremely friendly waitstaff and the incredible food this is definitely a place you have to try when you are in Victoria and undeniably my favourite restaurant in Victoria. This is definitely the type of place you’ll have to make a reservation at during their busy season if you want to make sure you get a table.
I ordered the seafood chowder and the fresh BC steelhead and was blown away by the meal. I’ve tried the seafood chowder at many of the restaurants I’ve visited in Victoria and this one was by far the best. It was fully loaded seafood chunks, bacon and veggies in the perfect creamy chowder. I do love fish, but it typically isn’t something I would order in a restaurant and was actually debating between the steelhead and the crab to order but ended up ordering the steelhead because I do love trout and the leek & scallion mashed potatoes sounded delicious. The meal also came with a side of spinach, which I don’t like but decided to try it after the first couple bites of my meal being so good and even the spinach was really good. I ate every single bite of food off my plate and if it wasn’t for being in a restaurant, I probably would have licked the plate clean… it was THAT good.
If you try any restaurant from my blog post THIS is the restaurant to try. I promise you will not be disappointed.
The Sticky Wicket Bar & Restaurant
The Sticky Wicket is probably the biggest bar/restaurant I’ve ever been in and is actually located in the Strathcona Hotel. It is a great place to grab food and some drinks. They also have a games room, tons of spaces for rent for business lunches or events and there is a rooftop patio, which would be great in the warmer weather.
I ordered the beef burger with fries, and it was definitely one of the better burgers I’ve had. The fries were nothing to write home about, but the burger was seasoned perfectly and really enjoyed the house aioli on the bun. Service wasn’t the best but I’m chalking that up to the fact that they were getting SLAMMED with a ton of people in town for a hockey tournament on the weekend.
Cactus Club Café
Cactus Club Café was not actually on my list of restaurants but after several times passing by and it always being busy with people eating and drinking, I knew I had to stop in. This may actually be my favourites place if you’re looking to enjoy some cocktails. They have a great cocktail menu and a food menu that is just as good.
I ended up having the chicken fingers and truffle fries. Chicken tenders are usually pretty basic, but these ones were breaded in a light panko breading that was great and not too heavy. The truffle fries were fantastic and definitely worth the upgrade. Cactus Club offers a great elevated menu and I’m sure you will be able to find something for anyone.
Irish Times Pub
Irish Times Pub is another great spot for dinner and drinks. The place was packed when we got there but we didn’t have to wait too long before we seated. The pub has a lower level and an upper level, which was pretty cool. Live music started that night at 9:00 p.m. and the band played so many great classics. I could have easily sat there the entire night drinking and listening to the band.
I wasn’t the hungriest when we got there so I ended up ordering a bowl of the seafood chowder. The seafood chowder was fully loaded with every bite having seafood and/or veggies in it. My friend ordered the fully loaded perogies and they were definitely fully loaded. My friend really enjoyed the meal and if I’m ever back here I will be returning to try the fully loaded perogies!
Victoria actually offers a ton of great restaurant options, and I can honestly say I didn’t have a bad meal my entire trip. There really is something for everyone so I hope you get a chance to enjoy some of the great restaurant I ate at during my trip here.
