Friday - August 21st. Perhaps the worst dining experience we've had in several years. We had drinks in the Commons area as we awaited our reservation our 8pm reservation. A nice young woman waited on us, conversed with us and made us feel at home. Had I know what was to come, I would have stayed in the Commons. Instead, we went to the Kitchen (fine dining) section of the restaurant. What we experienced in the Kitchen was a disaster. 1. Arrived at 7:30pm to have a drink in the Commons. 2. We were seated in the Kitchen side at 8:20p against our 8pm reservation. 3. We ordered a bottle of wine, appetizers and our entrees. 4. Our wine came immediately. Our appetizers arrived 40 minutes later (9:00p). 5. Our waiter poured the wine and never refilled the bread. 6. We waited until 9:50p for our entrees to arrive. They never did. We asked for the check and left. The waiter never apologized or spoke of the delay. Either he was unaware of it, or did not care. The waiter was more interested in draining the nice bottle of wine into our glasses than anything else. As a minor annoyance, the waiter repeated each of selections in French to show his confirmation as we ordered. Keep in mind, the menu is in English - we ordered in English. Is the waiter French or Quebecois? Who cares? The accent is fine, repeating the order in French is not. It comes off as pretentious and rude to your customers, regardless of your native tongue. Fine dining does not equal French anymore. Good service does, however. The manager never came to our table to discuss the delay. Given the ticket times rising in the kitchen, I would have expected some sort of table touch or discussion to occur. Our only interaction with the manager was to explain ourselves, get the check for what we had consumed and leave. He gave me a card to "come back another time". Except the card did not have his name on it to contact him personally. How exactly was that supposed to work? When we left at 9:50p (foregoing our entrees), there were less than five active tables in the restaurant. How can the kitchen still be behind with only 5 tables left? What kind of ship are you running? Seemed like a total disconnect between the front of house and back of house. Our table was late. Our server was terrible. The manager didn't notice the long ticket times, anticipate the customer's reaction and take some type of approach to solve for it. The kitchen couldn't put out the food. As a result, the customer experience suffered greatly. I wasted $172.22 ($145.94 + $26.27 tip). I'm angry I even tipped the server 18% on the bill. The server even had the audacity to huff and speak under his breath as I checked out. Should have zeroed him right there. Total fail. read more

Loved our dinner here. Started with tempura fava beans and chilled pea soup - both were spectacular. For dinner, the halibut - very well prepared, absolutely delicious, and fried chicken - also excellent, very crispy crust. Our drinks, well the food was truly the star. We found that the presentation could have been improved upon. They were served in chunky water glasses without straws. Which made them feel like we were out for a drink at a pub. Not very refined or sophisticated. But, we did find they were well balanced in taste Overall we loved our dinner. It is a bit confusing as there are three restaurants within the 10 acres brand, all very close together. We are going to try the bistro for a bit more casual dinner, they also have a larger menu selection. The service was also very good here, which we appreciated. We love the concept - organic, local farm to table, so live supporting restaurants that share or values about food quality and ethics. The menu changes weekly, with the seasons. read more

I have had a wide variety of experiences around the world. (I don't mean to sound stuffy, but I travel and eat out often) never in my travels have I had the experience that I had at this restaurant. The food I ordered was a cioppino style dish that was not only lacking in flavor but it was uncooked! I returned the dish but upon return I found the food to be totally lacking in flavor and inedible. When the waitress finally asked me how the food was I was honest yet received no confirming response. It was a totally disgusting experience. If it were my restaurant, I would have never let me walk out of there paying that bill. Short advice, go elsewhere. read more

Unfortunately we had terrible service here tonight. We were part of an industry group - we checked in and the hostess seated us in the wrong section which cost us the full bill as a result. On top of this, 2 of our group arrived as we were about to leave, so we stayed for 1 more drink and they tacked on a mandatory 15 percent gratuity at the end on to he total bill for a "large group size". Food was good but took more than 45 mins and came out at different times so we were not eating together. Will not be returning. read more

The service here was amazing! Our waiter was personable, quick, attentive, and engaging. We came here on our last night of our 3 night trip to Victoria, BC. I chose this restaurant specifically for the ribeye steak, unfortunately there where out. My favorite thing that we ordered was the raw oysters, such that I ordered a second round. There apparently change up the menu every few weeks, as the food is sourced from their own farm. Excellent Idea in my opinion. For appetizers, we ordered the Superior selection of oysters, calamari, and pork belly. The dishes where flavorful, but definitely not a sufficient size for a large group. I ate the 45 day aged strip loin, which was very flavorful, but again, I had my heart set on a ribeye. I added some foie gras to the meal, which was nice little add on, but not as buttery smooth as other restaurants that I have had it in. My daughter had a chicken duo dish, which was essentially a fried chicken and a roasted chicken. The dish was very juice and a nice flavor. Something to try once, but I wouldn't order it again. My sister in law had the Frutti Di Mare, which is basically a seafood pasta Alfredo. I found the dish lacking in flavor, but the seafood piece that I tried was well cooked. I have eaten here once. read more

One star for amazing location right on the Inner Harbour. Then all down hill. The service was terrible. Two glasses of water arrived for the four of us and the other two never came. One of us ordered fish and chips but two orders came. So the wait staff argued with each other in front of us about what happened. Then my pasta came out with cheese sprinkled all over it after I told our waitress that I was allergic to cheese. I waited while the dish was remade. We asked for a box to take home our unfinished dinner and was given some excuse about being a total use restaurant or something where they have no boxes but she offered to wrap our leftovers in aluminum foil. What's the point? Just give me a Togo box. Inexperienced and unprofessional staff made this experience not worth the price at all. read more

We had dinner on Canada Day and I must say it was superb. My wife and I both had the halibut dish preceded by the green salad and a dozen oysters. Desert was a raspberry cheesecake. All in all a wonderful experience. The waitstaff was outstanding and the food mouthwatering. Coupling the food with a great Balvenie single malt made for an excellent evening. As we live just across the water in Washington we will be back on each visit. A most enjoyable visit. read more

Food was extremely overpriced for the quality, $9 for a crème brulee that was puny. After food was delivered, no service again, no refills of drinks, no how is your food, etc. no can I get you anything else. Empty plates were left for longest time... then another service asked us if we wanted dessert menus, our waitress only showed up to get us our bill - horrible service!. Would not go there again. read more

My husband and I dropped in for buck a shuck oysters. We asked if they were kid friendly and they said yes, which is why we decided to go. The server was cold. I don't think she really looked at us and there definitely weren't any smiles. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. 3 stars because the oysters (only one variety for buck a shuck) were superb. The experience with the server means we will not be visiting this place when we are in Victoria next. read more

We were trying to figure out the decor, paintings of women and a mermaid hanging from the ceiling ( the fans were cool), ?!?. The decor though did not ruin the food. Squash flowers, with a very nice Indian flavour dip, a tasty not too tomato butter chicken flavour, the tuna tataki, soooo fresh, melt in your mouth. Gnocchi and Ravioli for mains, nothing like freshly made pasta. My partner thought the veggies in the gnocchi were great, the corn made it. The ravioli with ricotta lemon in a tomato sauce, more like a broth, was so full of flavour that I asked for more bread to soak it up. As a note, the butter for the bread, eat it, eat it all, creamy and perfectly salty. Tasty meal and well worth trying. read more

High quality dining: best testing halibut I had in a while! Duck breast is also super! Very attentive service, beautiful decor. read more

This was our first visit to this restaurant, and it was really good. we ordered fish and chips for the children and for us, we had spaghetti and clams and shrimp, and spaghetti with only shrimp, this dish was spicy and I couldn't eat so asked for another one because I didn't know that the marinara sauce was hot; the waitress was nice and took the plate and sent me a manager to ask me how I would like my spaghetti, he was kind. He him self brought me my food with a great smile. I was happy and satisfied about the service. my family left the restaurant with a beautiful souvenir from the hostess at the front the desk that cleaned some shells and gave them to our children. Thank you to all the staff read more

Delicious food! Great dinner spot. Extremely fresh and great flavors. The patio has a great atmosphere and is warm in the winters. Staff is on point and friendly. Beer is good to. Farm to table and well priced for a quality dinner. read more

It was recommended to by the concierge when asked for a good spot for seafood and vegetarians. This cool little spot was scrumptious, thoughtful and going to be on repeat. The menu offered variety without being cluttered. The Oceanwise offerings coupled with 10 acre farm's organic locally grown, seasonal produce made for a lovely meal. (Seafood platter and seasonal risotto) The pumpkin cheesecake was the cherry on top. But the real treat was the attentive and engaging host team. Ps the network of refurbished ceiling fans from the 20s were noteworthy. read more

Servious was amazing but the food wasnt great. My family ordered the trout, halibit and a salmon! 2 of them were Extremly fishy i couldnt eat mine! Way way over priced read more

We found this place on open table and ate here on a business trip to Victoria. We liked it! Plenty of choices for everyone, lovely ambiance, good service. read more

First anniversary of my review of Oyster, now called Pescateros Commons. Still great oyster choices, served well (extra horseradish for the cocktail sauce). The hummus/tapenade plate was fine. The fried calamari had pleasant curry-tinged crust. Still broad choice of beer and wine. Still brisk, friendly service, like waitgoddess Chelsea. Remains a reliable nosh-and-a-beer joint us tourists need. read more

My wife and I went to this place since it was close to our hotel and seemed to have a decent menu. We had to wait for a table, but the wait was well worth it. The ambience was nice, and the service was great - they left us to ourselves, and you could see that they we're attentive enough that when we needed something, they were right there. One of the things that I liked seeing was the interaction of the staff - very professional and helping each other when needed. It all made for a good experience for all their customers. Now the food - my wife and I decided to have the Surf and Turf for 2, with an added lobster tail. I was kind of leery when the server said that the Ribeye would come sliced already, but it made sense since it was a meal for two. He steak was fabulous! Grilled to perfection, medium rare, it was the BEST tasting ribeye I have ever had - and I've had many - even from the "best restaurants in YYY" that you see in those magazines on airplanes. The prawns were fabulous, and my wife said that her lobster tail was very good. We're only in Victoria for a couple days and want to try some place else, but we'll certainly come back here when we return to the city. read more

Service was ok......nothing extraordinary however. My meal (halibut) was good, but way overpriced. There was really nothing that would command the premium price they are asking for their entrees. The value was simply not there. Oysters were excellent, but again, significantly higher than the market price. I thought the menu was very limited, especially the seafood choices. When the restaurant was Pescatories, the offering was far superior in my opinion. read more

Girls night out at this fabulous restaurant for the first time lsat night. Absolutely brilliant. Lovely, friendly, attentive, knowledgeable staff. Food was out of this world. Great selection of wines too! Will definitely go again! read more

No idea why this is only reading 3.5 stars on Yelp. It has top ratings on tripadvisor which seems more in line with our experience. Circa August 11th, 2017; an evening that will live in infamy... :) I called 10 days prior to our arrival to Victoria BC. I chose this restaurant for its published quality and ambience. I asked the sommelier that answered the phone if they had a private table I could rent/book. He said they didn't have any private rooms but had a couple of semi-private tables; done. I then asked, since he was the sommelier, if he had a bottle of brunello on the menu. My wife and I have had a bottle of brunello every year since our wedding day and this one should be no different. He didn't have one but his reply was, "I'll get you one." I booked the table for 6:30 PM, at peak dinner time, and I asked that they consider it our anniversary dinner. He took note of these. Awesome, I hung up the phone thinking that MAYBE one of the 4 requests would be in place upon our arrival (I have experience with this at other fine dining establishments in the states) :). At the outstanding Delta Victoria Ocean Point hotel, I asked them to bring the car service to take my family to dinner. They took us on time and delivered us to 10 acres kitchen. As my wife and son walked in first, with my daughter and I in tow, they greeted her as Mrs. (last name) and asked her to come to her reserved table which seemed quite nice and indeed semi-private right at the specified peak time of 6:30, well, 6:40 as we were 10 minutes late. Two of four asks down with a great intro to begin with. They walked us through their menu and asked if we'd like to start off with something to drink other than the wine they have decanting for us. I asked what wine they had, and the outstanding Adriana (Brazilian sommelier) stated it was the bottle of brunello I had requested. At this point I'm thoroughly impressed; three of four items checked. My son was exhausted from the trip and his stomach was uneasy so we asked if they could make us a customized, simple, pasta dish. They delivered it perfectly without hesitation. Extra point not originally requested. When our food came, steak dish, seafood pasta dish, they were flawless. Not over-seasoned, cooked perfectly, super fresh. My wife and I are foodies from Seattle, these dishes were truly outstanding. They congratulated us on our anniversary as they continued to pour our wine. Four of four items now checked. Our kids are young and were a bit tired so we ordered dessert to go and they offered a digestif to us compliments of the house. We declined only because we wanted to get the kids to bed. As the dessert arrived, like our perfect sommelier, Adriana, our perfect waiter, Charlie, commented on my wife's shoes/heels. She, being impressed by Charlie's knowledge of designer shoes, turned to me and stated, "OK, I'm happy now, he commented on my shoes." :) To Charlie, Adriana, and the staff at 10 Acres Kitchen; My sincerest gratitude for making my anniversary dinner to a perfect bride....a perfect one. read more

We were staying in Victoria at the Hotel Grand Pacific and just returned from Butchart Gardens late afternoon of Wednesday 2016/9/21 on the CVS tour bus which dropped us off in front of the Fairmont Empress Hotel. We wanted to find a good restaurant within a short walking distance. On the basis of the tour bus driver's comments while going out to Butchart Gardens, we walked in about 5 minutes to "The Kitchen" and entered approximately 6 PM before it became quite busy. Was surprised to find the reservations desk OUTSIDE the front door, but we were seated at once in the rear room in a booth; the room had beautiful wall art and a hanging statue of a mermaid, as well as the old fashioned belt driven ceiling fans. When initially seated I mentioned the background music seemed a bit loud, so the volume was very quickly reduced much to my amazement, since usually such requests go unheeded. Menu seemed limited but the food was fabulous. Should never have eaten any of the delicious warm bread and saved room for the gigantic dish of halibut with vegetables. I made the mistake of ordering the lemon cheese cake: since it was so delicious I had to eat every single bite, and since the piece was so large I became uncomfortably stuffed - can only blame myself. Prices quite high but worth every loonie. Our waiter, originally from Quebec province, was extraordinarily good. When visiting Victoria again I will be in a serious quandary since the food was so fabulous I will not be sure if I want to go to another restaurant. read more

I saw a mouse run through the dining room part way through our meal. When I pointed it out to our server he said "Yes, we have a mouse problem." There was no apology and no further follow up by our server or the manager. A letter has been sent to the health authority so hopefully they will get more of a response than we did. The 20% automatic gratuity for a party of only 6 (not the standard 8) was audacious even without the vermin. I will find a better (cleaner) place to spend my money. read more

MICE!!! Yuck This place has a bad mice infestation and the staff seemed to feel it was not a big deal at all. We first saw a mouse while eating our appies. We alerted our server who said "yea it's an old building" as if it was perfectly acceptable to have rodents running around the dining room floor. at one point we counted 3 mice at once running down the aisle between tables. absolutely disgusting and not to mention a serious health concern. if they are on the floor during business hours, they must be on seats, tables and in the kitchen after hours. restaurant should be shut down until the issue is dealt with. Only reason i am giving it two stars is because all the other one star reviews about Mice (there are quite a few) have been pushed into the "not recommended reviews" by yelp for some strange reason. Go to Il terrazo and spend your money somewhere much better read more

Had a wonderful experience here thanks to the unpretentious staff. They were really fun, friendly, and clearly loved their jobs. (Riann, you rock!) And the food was fantastic, too. Highly recommend the tomato soup and Gnocchi to start. Loved my fried chicken and the tastes of halibut my wife gave me. Had the chocolate cake for dessert, which was excellent. Overall, highly recommend this restaurant for great comfort food updated with a modern touch and fresh ingredients. read more

We were very disappointed with our dinner last night. Food and service not good. Washrooms were dirty.

Below is the email I sent to management with no response. To Pescatores Management: Hi there, I recently paid a visit to Pescatores: Kitchen with three friends. We thought it would be nice to go to a well-respected seafood restaurant in Victoria to celebrate a university graduation. Honestly, I expected a fabulous experience on this night as it was a special occasion for my two newly graduated friends. Our experience was barely mediocre. The customer service was terrible and frankly, uncalled for. The food was just OK -- I can't say that the food tasted great. I am still unclear as to why the servers and hosts were unwelcoming and rude towards us. I am a young employee of the public health sector and as an analyst, felt like I needed to figure out what the problem was. Knowing that we were polite individuals, I looked around to see if I could pin point why other guests were being served with respect and kind smiles. The only thing I could think of was that we were a group of young people, maybe it was even because of the way we dressed. If this is the reason why the servers were rude and failed to give us attention, I am very disappointed in this establishment. I believe that everybody should be treated kindly regardless of the demographic or appearance. Gratuity should be granted to those who provide excellent service and satisfying meals. I had a hard time deciding how much I should tip because of the way I was treated. My entire experience was ruined because of the way we were spoken to and how unwelcoming the staff was that I could not enjoy my meal. It would be wonderful if management can clarify my assumptions so I can feel better about the situation. I strongly feel that an apology is necessary. Regards, Nancy read more

Great food. Good service. (... although our waiter did appear to be running between tables and while he never rushed us, we did wait for attention a little to long due to him covering many tables). I let 3 people know (face to face) to eat here the next day i liked food and drinks so much. read more

The food is amazing! The service was just good. It was the small things like water glasses not being refilled quickly, dirty plates not being bussed quickly- that type of thing. I LOVE the food, the location and the farm to table ethos. Highly recommended with suggestions for some minor improvements. read more

Fine dining prices at a cafeteria setting. I don't want to set my own table at $30 a meal. Food was mediocre at best

We went based on two enthusiastic recommendations and were definitely disappointed. The halibut was salty and a little dry, served with a delicious coulis but bland vegetables. It was overpriced and the loud 80s soundtrack did not make this a pleasant place for a nice meal. It might be good for appetizers and cocktails though since there is a nice view of the harbor. read more

Good food and service close to ship docks if you're cruising. Good food, great service and good local beers.

Very friendly staff but they got my order wrong. I asked for Cajun chicken with my salad and they sent plain grilled chicken. The pub was very open and great view of the harbour. I just wished they would've made up for the mistake somehow. read more

Had a lovely dinner with great service. They were most accommodating if food allergies. The Miso Sablefish was delicious. The variety of local vegies was a treat. We enjoyed the Panna Cotta (with cherry compote) for dessert. The only drawback was that we shared the dessert - would have enjoyed the whole one myself :-) read more

We had a wonderful diner for 2 in early February, from the the gracious hostess, to our helpful, patient, relaxed waiter Addian. My wife and I enjoyed a glass of Painted Woif Chenin, lovely smooth wine from South Africa . We started off with grilled ceasar which we enjoyed very much, my wife chose a bowl of local clams and mussels, very tasty, maybe a bit to salty. i enjoyed a game hen with local vegatbles. We capped off the evening with a tasty smooth mango / rasberry sorbet. The atmosphere was relaxed with professional service. We missed some th eold dishes, but we enjoyed are evening very much ! read more

I stopped in for a late lunch and will be back. I started with a perfectly made, per my request, 3/1 martini. Then came the ceviche. It was not served like a traditional ceviche, more like a beautiful salad. Oh wow, as I am writing this I am craving it again. It was wonderful. I then had the deep fried oysters. They were good, not the best I've had, but good. What took the experience from good to great was the service. I am a solo diner, and I love eating out alone. Unfortunately, sometimes this means the server takes my order and then ignores me in lieu of bigger tables, (presumed larger tips) or hovers around me like I need the company. Not here, the service was impeccable. My server Courtney was the perfect balance. I wanted for nothing yet she did not ever intrude on me. In an industry where, far too often, service seems to be an afterthought, her service made the experience exceptional. The service is the reason I will be back. Well, that and the shrimp ceviche. read more