The service was exceptional, and every bite and sip felt like a little piece of heaven. After…read morenearly every dish, we found ourselves looking at each other saying, "Wow... oh my God, that's amazing." The pork belly bao is generously sized and easily shareable. The bun was incredibly fresh, light, and pillowy, while the pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth tender with the perfect balance of richness and tang from the kimchi. The pickled vegetables added a bright crunch that tasted incredibly fresh. We started with the salmon tartare, and it was phenomenal! Rich, buttery, bursting with flavor, and so good we were literally fighting over the last bite. And the scallop? Order one for each person. Seriously. It's far too delicious to share. It had just the right amount of heat, leaving the perfect lingering warmth that immediately made us want another. Do yourself a favor and give yourself enough time to work your way through the menu, because every dish we tried was outstanding. Each plate was thoughtfully curated, beautifully executed, and cooked to perfection. I like to call it the C³ trifecta: curated, created, and cooked. Without question, this is some of the best food we've had in a very long time. We can't wait to come back (when visiting) and continue eating our way through the rest of the menu.

Drove down from courtenay to meet with a friend to go to the…read moreCity & Colour show and she suggested the Block as she had been before. Ambiance was great - super warm and welcoming which was magnified by the host. Super lovely. Then the wait staff. Whoever is hiring/training is doing a great job! Not drinking right now but the cocktail menu was super tempting. Every menu item sounded great. We got some help on ordering from our servers and Tanya picked ones she had enjoyed before. We also sat right beside the pick up window so it was fun seeing food come out! The food was fantastic. See pictures for what we ordered. Not sure if I can remember the names of everything but it was a perfect combo!!

Loved the Zombie last time I was in, a bit pricey but ambiance was worth it. Hope to come back…read moreagain. Any happy hour specials??

Last stop on an Alaska cruise. Found this gem. The bartender ( co-owner?) was super friendly and…read moreattentive. Fun fun fun drinks. For 3$ add a dole whip swirl.....yes please!!!!!! From the tiki glasses to the clientele and inclusive vibe this was the icing on the cake for our vacay! 1000% will come again. Wish my town had a place like this!

ERROR is the most incredible cocktail I've ever had. Also, the alien bubbles gave me the shits…read more Worth it.

Super cool speakeasy with hidden entrance and really nice vibe. Warming, it is VERY dimly lit,…read morebring your glasses! At $20+ a drink though, not a place you'll be spending all night at but cool to stop by. Very attentive servers!

TL;DR: Chaotic, fun, and not for everyone. Go for a show,…read morestay longer than planned. If you're nearby and there's a drag show, it's worth going. It's fun, different, and a welcome disruption to the usual Victoria vibe. Vibe: Wizard of Oz-themed gay bar with zero subtlety. Loud, campy, and a sharp contrast to the rest of Victoria's generally polite energy. Not really a place straight couples need to linger unless there's a show. Drinks: Strong and fast. These are drinks, not cocktails, and that's exactly right for the room. Entertainment: We caught a Taylor Swift-themed drag show. I'm very much not a Swift fan, my girlfriend is, and we both had a good time. The performers carried the night. What could be better: If there's no show, the appeal drops fast unless this is already your scene.

This may be a gay bar by night, but there's nothing queer about the brunch menu here, folks!…read more My wife and I spotted this place the night before, when it was lit up in all manner of multichromatic madness, gleaming and glittering gaily, with pulse-pounding tunes pouring down the adjacent alleyway. The interior décor intrigued me, but as we had our toddler son with us, we couldn't enter during the "adult" hours, but we resolved to return in the morning for their legendary "best brunch in Victoria". Did it live up to its reputation? YAAAS QUEEN, SLAY those taste buds! My wife ordered the Homemade Maple Bacon, drizzled in mezcal cheese and accompanied by similarly glitzed-up scrambled eggs, roti flatbread, and a light salad with vinaigrette. After waffling back and forth over two dishes, I went with the ambiguously named "Tomatoes" which, as expected included tomatoes, of course, resting on a bed of a soft, moist cheese similar to queso fresco, dressed in chili crunch oil with peanuts and topped with spinach. It was wonderful, with my only regret being there wasn't enough of it. I had decided against the Steak and Eggs, as I'd wanted something lighter for breakfast, but in the end, what I'd ordered was a little too light for me. No matter; I helped the wife finish her meal as well, so everything worked out! I will say, though, that menus that lean in a little too far into brevity when it comes to the description of their entrées for the sake of being cute should probably rethink this strategy, and in all honesty, $16 CAD is a little steep for a dish this paltry in size, no matter how good it is. Alright, I've been enough of a basic bitch about nitpicky things, so let's put a bow on this review, slap its backside and send it on it's way! The "Lions, Tigers and Bears" cocktail was a frisky, refreshing take on my favorite, the Old Fashioned, and my pregnant wife's (virgin) Caesar may have been Bloody Mary-red, but it left me green with envy after a couple sips! I would be hard-pressed to choose between the view on our (inevitable) return visit to Victoria which, I hope, will be far sooner than later. For now, we'll be somewhere over the rainbow back home, waiting for a tornado to whisk us up and fling us back over the border. Vancouver may be the true Emerald City, but the yellow brick road leads directly to Friends of Dorothy in Victoria!

Wind Cries Mary is located at 45 Bastion Square, Victoria, BC…read more Food : (5/5) Service : (5/5) Ambiance : (5/5)

Located in downtown, we made a reservation for a late dinner to celebrate birthday while we were in…read moretown. The restaurant has a cozy, dimly lit atmosphere perfect for a date night. There was an interesting smell at the entrance when we first walked in, but luckily we were seated in the back room. As recommended, we ordered family style to try a variety of dishes. Endive salad - can't really go wrong with the classic combination of apple walnut and goat cheese, however many larger pieces of endive were quite bitter. tater tots - nice presentation with the cubes. The tots were perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Paired well with the jalapeño ranch, and the lumpfish caviar was a fun addition. Beef tartare- the beef was fresh and flavor was good overall. However the toast was only cut in half, made it hard to eat or cut into. Middle of the toast also got a little too soft from the juice. Fried chicken - solid fried chicken, the meat is tender and well seasoned, crispy on the outside. The semolina cube didn't add much for me, but the 3 hot sauce added a nice balance of heat and acidity. Ling cod - The fish was tender and cooked well. Surprisingly, the cabbage really stood out. Service was a bit slow, we had to flag down our server for refills. Overall we enjoyed our meal, every dish was well prepared, but nothing truly stood out as memorable. We did appreciate it being farm-to-table, and the commitment to source ingredients locally.

Amazing. Perfect. Just a great experience. Order the plant-based ravioli because it blew my mind…read more Great service, food, and ambiance.

I can't say enough good things about this place. The food, the service the atmosphere were all off…read morethe charts great. The Waitresses were beautiful and intelligent. And the owner, rob, made me feel like an old and valued friend. All the while he was supervising everything that was going on in the restaurant and making sure that everything was perfect. Located at a fairly busy intersection in Victoria the place has floor to ceiling windows in the bar which gives the place a tremendous energy. They were doing plenty of business in there but I'm surprised that the place just isn't mobbed all the time.

Great happy hour. Had the lager on tap- turned out to be Phillips Tilt and it was great. It was…read morequiet inside and nice and cool and it made a great rest stop during our very busy day sightseeing. Service was great and we loved the music.

Our group decided they wanted to try a local pub while we were in Victoria for our last night of…read morethe cruise. After a quick search on Yelp we settled on The Churchill so they could try several different local beers. I opted for the featured cocktail of the month Into The Wild with blackberry gin, blueberry liqueur, honey, lemon & orange bitters. I thought it was really good, smooth but potent. When visiting Canada, I thought it was mandatory to get the Poutine - Beer battered fries, squeaky cheese curds, homemade beef gravy. Very filling and did not disappoint. The rest of the family liked their choices (Nashville Hot Grilled Chicken Burgers, Pulled Jackfruit Bun) as well. We sat in a large booth instead of at the bar like most of the regulars and locals. Service was a little slow but would not keep me from coming back.

The information and service was top notch. The drinks were very innovative and the food was…read moredelicious. Se had appetizers and a couple of main menu items that were some of the most interesting and delicious meals my wife and I have had any where in the world. Daily main menu choices that rotate depending on local availability and freshness are highlighted. Portions are generous and well priced for the city. Highly recommend. We ate here after a few recommendations from other people in the local area and were very impressed. Open for dinner at 1700. Thumbs Up .

This should a must-try when you're in downtown Victoria End dive's approach focusses on seafood as…read morewell as highlighting seasonal vegetables. Great options for some terrific cocktails and they have such a cool vibe. Love the decor. My favorite are the frogs. The quality of both the food and the service was exceptional. The host was super friendly and lovely. We dined there on Friday evening and, despite not having a reservation, the host managed to get some bar seats by the chef's kitchen for two right away, which was truly appreciated! I appreciate that End Dive takes a family-style dining approach, which is great in my opinion as you get to try many of their savoury dishes. It is perfect for sharing. First, we ordered the brioche and morels and they were amazing. In addition, the spot prawns were delicious! Their in-house focaccia bread with cultured butter was truly appetizing, especially if you have some left-over sauce from the spot prawns dish. The sourdough spaghetti pasta (not pictured) was exquisite. The depth and flavours of every single dish we had was phenomenal! love that the menu keeps on changing and they're so creative! I highly recommend dining at End Dive. You won't be disappointed but thankful that you're in for such a treat. This might be my new favourite Canadian upscale eatery in Victoria!

A beautiful stop with history in Victoria. We had gorgeous weather during our spring visit and got…read moreto enjoy the patio alongside several tourists, locals, and cute pups. My mom is a big fan of the restaurants namesake and had easily the most fun. We enjoyed win, excellent food, and some great conversation with our waitress. I visit Victoria often and this is one spot I'll definitely be a repeat customer at.

This was are first bar we went to when we first got to Canada everyone was so welcoming…read more Like we were regulars and they knew us. We got a few of their local beers , cider , and their local drink was some shot. Had some of that too a few apps. Two cups of chowder Honestly, I left a bit tipsy great service. The vibe was chill. It was a great way to start the day. It's 5 o'clock somewhere.

Service started great. Server was helpful in selections and explaining the menu. After we ordered,…read moreour drinks came quickly. Food out timely.... And.. the server didn't come back after our food was dropped off. We had to ask a host for help for more sauce. The server came back after that to ask if the sauce came and immediately walked away. I "loudly" said excuse (while my water and cocktail was empty)? The server turned and I ordered another drink. The drunk never came. Dinner was beyond finished and the server blamed the bar. We weren't buying it was the bartender given the experience and timeliness of all other stuff. Either way- chicken tenders were great! We highly recommend those. The rest of the food was good and it is likely this place has decent service normally.

A truly comfortable place to unwind, but still has a fun mood at dinner time. The rotisserie…read morechicken corn chowder was fantastic! It would have been a great meal by itself. The burger and fries were solid (fresh toppings and a soft brioche bun). The hostess appeared quickly and was very kind. The server (Jenny) was outstanding... I'll say this again - outstanding. Greeted us as soon as she walked by, had my normally shy child beaming from the start by asking about his toys with sincere enthusiasm, and brought the beverages and hot soup out within minutes to get us going. The food came out soon after, was the perfect temperature, and she checked on us twice. Seeing my 4-year old so relaxed and us both willing to finish the whole plate is a true endorsement. We would absolutely come back. Thank you, Jenny!