Hands done the best place on Pender Island! I enjoyed several meals here and would come back just…read moreto eat here again. Please get the olives to start. An absolute must, served warm with a fragrant and flavourful olive oil. The olives are so simple yet the chef adds a ton of behind the scenes flavours (think, marinating in a bunch of complimentary flavours). I ordered the vegan and GF dal one night! Huge portions with fresh shaved vegetables and a generous serving of lentils. A hearty and comforting meal that packs a ton for protein. I was utterly stuffed for hours after this meal. Next night, I ordered the vegan and GF pizza (no fake cheese, just a ton of partnered vegetables, herbs, and pine nuts). I loved this dish. Again, huge servings and a ton of delicate touches. The roasted squash added such a lovely texture and the dill and pine nuts were an excellent choice. We also got the salad, which was anything but basic. Pine nuts and herbs and a sweet, savoury dressing. It was all super excellent. Thank you for making our island experience truly remarkable!

This is the best restaurant on the island. My husband and I was here for breakfast and had to come…read moreback for dinner. The service is excellent. Every bite was a work of art. I hope to stay in their airstream the next time we come back. I'm sure this place will end up in major food and wine magazines. It's top notch all the way. Very high class with a rustic camping vide all around.

Excellent eats and great service. Interesting specials, and a cozy vibe. No notes. Friendly and…read moreattentive staff.

Duncan's best-kept secret just set the gold standard. From the moment we walked into the Old…read moreFirehouse, it felt like we were stepping into a vibe that hits that rare, perfect note: elevated but unpretentious, energetic but intimate. Huge shoutout to Owner-turned-Mixology-Mastermind Jeff, who absolutely crushed it behind the bar -- every cocktail and mocktail was a handcrafted work of art that could hold court in any top-tier city. We're talking serious flavour fireworks here. And April -- what can we say? Her service made us feel like VIPs who owned the joint. She read the room, anticipated every move, and wrapped the whole evening in the kind of hospitality you can't teach: pure instinct, heart, and grace. The food? Next level. Every bite was a flex of flavor and presentation. The kitchen is clearly playing in its own league, balancing creativity with pure culinary muscle. Combine that with an ambience that feels like cozy meets cool, and you've got an absolute home run. If you haven't experienced Firehouse Grill yet, fix that immediately.

Cute cottage cocktail bar on the island. First stop on our college girls reunion trip and it did…read morenot disappoint. The ambience is cozy with a little nautical flare. Bar seating & a handful of bar top tables located inside. Self serve water crafts and a whole menu of fun cocktails and light bites with locally sourced items. The So Long Summer was a refreshing drink. The owner chatted with us and gave us the run down of all items harvested today. Blueberries being one of them, score! Definitely a must pop in to start off an island vacation.

Great ambience and drinks. Really fun to sit at the bar and watch the bartender do her thing. Light…read moresnacks, not heavy food items, so beware. We stopped before dinner to grab drinks and hummus plate - it was perfect!

This venue is truly a different experience. Not only was it my first time trying yerba mate, but…read morethe live music was great! The lighting really adds a nice, mysterious ambiance to the venue. For drinks, we tried the kombucha, the yerba mate kombucha fusion, and the nitro horchata mocktail. The horchata was really good; refreshing, creamy, and light, at all the same time! I would highly recommend. I also tried the garrapinadas, which were excellently seasoned and caramelized. The lime gave the caramel a really nice kick! We were able to catch the Alec Shaw performance that night, and the performance was absolutely amazing. The energy in the room, the acoustics, and obviously the performers themselves, provided an amazing experience for everyone. I would highly recommend visiting Mateada if you are looking for some authentic South American food, tasty drinks, and great music!

Amazing service, truly inspiring drinks, excellent ambiance and a staff who really takes pride in…read moretheir work. Miss this experience at your own expense.

This place has become a go to spot for me when I want to hit up late night happy hour! The…read morebartender Jillian is super sweet and so personable every time I go in. The vibe is very moody and dark, a true classic jazz type lounge feel with dried flowers on every table and a cute little lamp to really give you the feeling of having your own little world at the table The drinks are phenomenal, they have a great variety and Jillian is not afraid of making something off menu for her regulars (pre tested drinks of course). My favorite so far has been the chocolate cherry martini

The food was great , ambience was perfect for the night. The service was great , Devon was very…read morewell prepared and knowledgeable with all the spirits . Very friendly place to wind down and relax! Will be coming back :)

Definitely popular among more senior members of our community. It's not for younger; more lively…read morecrowds. Drinks were unique although could've used more alcohol. Equal bar to non bar-seating ration.

Really enjoyed this small local bar. It's full of locals and good vibes. The owners are a wonderful…read morecouple, who power team that place by themselves. The cocktails were fun and delicious. I love anywhere that does traditional egg white sours. Nice little food menu with both snacks and meals. Even got a nice hot towel to clean my hands. Would recommend and go again.

Nice place with a staff that is trying their best on and (especially) off the clock. The free…read morerounds of shots and the Negroni provided by the staff (Beth I believe was her name) was nice as well. Didn't have to even put down my card and got a nice buzz :)

We were wandering around in the dark and happened upon Matthew's. We loved it! And how lucky for us…read morethat it was Happy Hour! Our wonderful server, Seth, immediately and proudly proclaimed (with smile) that they use premium liquors for all their Happy Hour pours (at a mere $5!) I ordered the Rosemary Gimlet from their Unique Cocktails list: House infused rosemary gin, fresh basil, lime juice, simple syrup--it was total perfection. Nate, our second server, joined in the fun as we toured the photos of young stars. Beautiful atmosphere, wonderful staff, delicious drinks. A fun time was had by all!

Very disappointing dining experience. We came here after a show at Granville Island. The restaurant…read moreonly had 3-4 occupied tables, yet the atmosphere was uncomfortably hot. Four of us ordered one dish when we arrived, and then placed another order about 10 minutes later. After waiting for an hour, both food orders were completely missed by the staff. The kitchen was closed by the time we follow up on the orders. They waived the $20 bill but that didn't make us feel better. My friend at least received a drink, but I ended up sitting there drinking water for over an hour and left with an empty stomach. This restaurant charges $20+ for one dessert and $40+ for one main dish. The service quality is not okay for this price range.

We tried majority of the items off their menu. When we came there were not many guests but then…read moreagain it was a Tuesday night so it was understandable Ahi tuna crudo ($19) - the tuna was too fishy. Didn't taste very fresh and the orange vinaigrette sauce didn't do anything to help it. The jasmine rice balls were an interesting touch. Wouldn't recommend Shishitos and cauliflower ($14) - the cauliflower florets were nice but the shishitos were lacking that snap you get (it was a bit soggy). Wouldn't recommend Steamed Bao bun with butter prawn masala ($21) - this was one of the highlights of the night. The butter masala went so well with the Bao bun and it soaked up that sauce perfectly. Loved the snap from the shrimp but wish there was more of it dispersed throughout the dish. Definitely get this dish Crab satay ($19) - this dish was weird... The crab was misled by the flavour of the peanut sauce and it just didn't work well together as a dish. Each component was fine on its own but nothing worked together. The cabbage salad felt like just an afterthough. Would not recommend. Sweet and sour pork belly ($16) - this dish was also interesting - it felt more like just a crispy pork belly. That's it. The sweet and sour sauce felt non- existent. There needed to be another punch in this dish to make it more complete. Wouldn't recommend Sea bass ($37) - this dish was great. Loved the texture of the sea bass. The potato gnocchi was a nice touch and that Goan curry sauce went really well with everything. Wouldn't order again Beef Kad Pra kao ($29) - this was another miss. The beef wasnt chewy but it lacked flavour. It needed more basil in it to bring out the flavour. Nothing about this dish impressed. Wouldn't order again Dubai chocolate bar ($17) - absolutely delicious. Loved the crispness of the chocolate crumb offset by the softness of the dense pistachio creme and the chocolate ganache. The little bits of the rose petals gave it that essence that it needed. It wasn't overly sweet. Would get this again Overall quite a few missed and some great dishes. The serving sizes are appropriate for the price. The service was great and not overbearing. Definitely try the steamed bun, the sea bass and the Dubai chocolate bar. My biggest issue with the dishes were that the garnished were almost the same for every dish. I understand it's for the pop of colour but it was so repetitive and didn't add any value to the fish other than the pop of colour (the green shoots and the red radish). I had the spiced Guatemalan carajillo it was pretty smooth and not too sweet. I would want to try their other drinks as they have quite an extensive menu.

After trying their Caprese Bruschetta, signature martinis and their burger sliders with crispy…read morekale, we haven't been able to stop going back. Atmosphere is great! Never busy when we go on a weekday around 7pm. Staff are so friendly and welcoming.

Amazing food! Do yourself a favor and come check this place out. The beef stroganoff was to die…read morefor- layered with so many flavors with the most tender pieces of steak that melt in your mouth. Drinks are so yummy and so many options for specialty cocktails. Amazing service every time and the owners are great people. If I lived closer I'd be here all the time!

My friends saw this place as we drove by and really wanted to try it upon reading that they use dry…read moreaged beef. Upon entering we were greeted right away. It's a small place consisting of maybe 10 tables or less. They had small vases of real flowers on their tables and displayed throughout which is a really nice touch. My friend ordered a single patty burger and fries with a drink. Sadly they ran out of chicken wings which was what I wanted so I ordered nothing. I did take a bite out of the burger and shared the fries and drink tho. The fries were on point! Not too thick, not too thin. Really crispy outside and yet still soft and warm inside and they gave us a good portion of fries too. Thanks for that! I do hope if I happened to be in the area next time they have more chicken wings. Until next time...

Whew, chile--when I asked a local for food recommendations in Victoria, they told me about Murder…read moreBurger, so I bookmarked it right away. The next day, before heading to Butchart Gardens, I stopped in. The spot is just behind the Parliament building in a bright yellow house with indoor and outdoor seating. The menu was short and to the point. I ordered the double smash burger with onions and all the trimmings, plus a canned soda. Took it to go and ate it on the shuttle ride. That burger... the best smash burger I've ever had. Flavorful, seasoned well, not too heavy--just perfect. The fries were good and well-seasoned too, but way too much food for me. Next time I'd skip the fries and stick to the burger. I've been bragging about this burger ever since. Highly recommend!