OEB Breakfast - Victoria

We stopped in for a drink while exploring the city. I was impressed by the building interior and…read morethe beautiful holiday decorations they had up. It was such an inviting space. We sat at the bar but there is a lot of seating throughout: high tables, low tops, booths, and some private nooks towards the back. They had live music that was really good! We had drinks (lots of beers on tap and a full bar) and the hummus. They had a happy hour menu. The hummus was really tasty and a large portion. We had great service at the bar, friendly and attentive.

We stopped here for an appetizer and a cocktail before continuing on our way while we are walking…read morearound Victoria. The restaurant itself is beautiful the inside and original decor is quite exquisite as it used to be a bank. The food was OK. I felt like it was overpriced for portion served and lacked a little bit of flair for something that is normally smaller portions. The oysters were good and a cocktail was decent, but since we weren't super impressed with the other appetizer, we decided not to have dinner there. The service was OK, but they were very busy so we had to go up and get our check when it was time to leave.

Pulling IPA Craft Beer

Tablorone Hot Chocolate

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Love the old school decor

Block Kitchen + Bar

4.6(65 reviews)

0.7 km

Locally owned & operated

Vegetarian friendly

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!!

So straight up this place went and took us to places we hadn't been prior to eating at the Block…read more Overall a very enjoyable experience for sure, but you cannot pigeonhole this place, which is a very good thing! We are big fans of traditional fare, but the Block is a place we are so glad we experienced and will certainly return utilizing the knowledge we garnered during our first experience. A big thank you to for helping us through picking one price fixe January exploration of your local restaurants and filling it with other ala carte additions. As we often do we ordered far too much food, wanting to explore everything off a menu that is far reaching. Not sure if our additions worked with the price fixe menu, but we sure enjoyed checking everything out. The interior is interesting with the addition of structural steel in the space to keep this heritage building (I think) standing tall for a few generations. We sure hope it's still here for a long while and will most likely come again the next time we are in Victoria. That is saying a lot as there are a wide range of restaurants in the neighbourhood, but you do want to check the Block out!

From local craft beers to exotic cocktails, we have a drink for you and that special someone.

Duck Spring Rolls with Nam Jim sauce.

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Admiral Sho Cauliflower with marinated and fried cauliflower bites, General Tso sauce, sesame, chili thread.

The Churchill

4.2(71 reviews)

I am giving the overall bar a 5! It's a super fun bar located right off the major street in…read moreVictoria. I was visiting for only 4 short hours. We wanted to grab a beer and head back to the boat. The atmosphere is super fun. We were greeted right away and I was overwhelmed with the beer list. The server let me try a few. I don't think she heard me because it was a little loud. I ended up getting a beer I wasn't a fan of. I'm not one to send things back so I drank what I had. 1 star for the beer I had. This place has MANY drinks to try from. I didn't see a food menu. They might have one. I also didn't see a physical menu, it was scanned from the bar. Still recommend going here!

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.

Booth area

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Wind Cries Mary

4.0(103 reviews)

TL;DR: Stylish, confident, and memorable. Absolutely worth…read moreplanning your day around. If I lived in Victoria, this would be a regular. If you're visiting, it belongs on your short list. Food: The beef tartare was a standout. Easily one of the best bites of the trip and arguably the best tartare I've had, full stop. Thoughtful without being precious. Drinks: Cocktails lean more inspired than perfectly balanced, but that works here. Nothing mind blowing, nothing wrong. A solid B+ across the board. Vibe: Feels like a moody, posh NYC basement bar. Dim lighting, techno and jazz, well dressed 20 and 30 somethings on dates or out for the night. The room does a lot of the heavy lifting, in a good way. What could be better: Cocktails could use a touch more balance and restraint. The ideas are strong, but a bit of dialing in would elevate them from good to great.

Food, service and ambiance were excellent! Can't wait to go back!!…read more The drink menu is amazing. So many unique creations! The food was a sharing menu with 2 to 4 choices for 2 people. We chose e items and it was the perfect amount for us.

Bar - IG @bougiefoodieboi

Tasting Menu: April '26 - Pork belly

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Cocktail pairing

The Courtney Room

4.1(79 reviews)

The wife and I had a Wonderful Dinner here!! Everyone was super nice and Very Friendly!! I would…read morerecommend The Coutney Room to anyone for wants a perfect evening!!

The food was good. We had the prix fixed menu. The salad was the best out of our choices for…read moreappetizer. The steak tartare was tasty but the arugala overwhelmed it. The salmon main was absolutely delicious. The salmon roe added a texture were your mouthful just popped. The duck main was cooked perfectly. Did not taste gamey. The black rice or risotto in this dish was very tasty. The dessert of Panna cotta was delicious and had a citrus finish. The dessert feature of rhubarb cake was just meh. The white frosting had no taste and was thick on the cake. You finish out the meal with some jellies and some caramel Service was good but here is the reason for the low rating.... The main of the flat iron with arugala on the top with fries. They plated it and served it with a slug in it. The slug fell from inside the salad onto the plate . A baby slug. But it was living and moving. What followed was poor response and gaslighting of which this restaurant should be ashamed. In order not to disgust the others I stopped a woman that was working the floor to remove the plate. When I pointed to the slug why gave a small chuckle and half smile and stated, "well, it is farm to table." That is gaslighting. Right there that was a poor response. I see signs saying Michelin on this restaurant, but really...if you had served a slug to a someone rating you for a Michelin, you think you would get that rating? Highly doubtful. That should never have been served. Yes the restaurant cooked another meal which took longer. They cooked it just fine too....however their lackluster and empty words of well we do say it's farm to table doesn't replace an apology or an assurance of we will do better.

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Tora Tiki

4.7(19 reviews)

0.4 km

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??

TL;DR: Yes, it's a tiki bar. That's about as far as it goes…read more Drinks: Coming from someone with a rum shelf and a closet of tiki mugs, this was thin. Very limited rum selection, nothing distinctive. The menu reads like flashcards: Trade Winds, Trader Vic's Grog, Saturn. Correct, competent. Vibe: The ambiance is fun and well done. It checks the boxes, but it doesn't push past them. What could be better: Depth. The rum program feels bare, and there's no sense of curiosity. Bottom line: If you don't know tiki, you'll probably have a good time. If you do, have a daiquiri and move on. My review matches what the locals say - Yup, it's a tiki bar.

Great tiki experience

Bar

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Mai Tai/Ginger Sour Pisco

Frankie's Modern Diner

4.2(293 reviews)

0.7 km

Great service and delicious food…read more The food is always delicious and the service is very accommodating. We had a couple of children with us and they were very kind in bringing out a combination of food that the kids would enjoy and actually eat.

Frankie's Modern Diner was a nice casual place to stop by for dinner. We had a reservation for…read moredinner on a weekday, but there were hardly anyone in during prime meal time. The atmosphere was alright with dimmer lighting than other similar places which was nice for the mood, and the place was surprisingly louder than expected for the little people that were there. The waitress we had was friendly and nice, but also came by frequently to ask if we were done looking at the menu, with our food, wanting the bill. It felt very rushed despite there not being many other customers in the area. We were only in the restaurant for about 45 minutes today. The food was mediocre. I had the fried chicken and waffles, which looked good but tasted generic. The fried chicken was a bit dry and just tasted like it was seasoned with salt and pepper and that's about it. The waffle tasted like something anyone could make at home. My friend had the Caesar salad, which was drenched in sauce but otherwise looked alright. Overall, the food is on the pricier side, relative to the portion size being served. Expect to spend at least $30 to be full, not including drinks and dessert.

Starting the day with a spot of tea

Mozzarella Sticks

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Dinner with friend tonight!

Clive's Classic Lounge

4.3(82 reviews)

TL;DR: A worthwhile cocktail bar with the right mood and…read moresolid execution. Setting your expectations correctly is key here. Drinks: We had four cocktails between the two of us. All were good and well made, but a couple felt slightly out of balance, keeping them from hitting the excellent tier. Service: Attentive, professional, and engaged. The bartender knew what they were doing and kept things moving smoothly. Vibe: Dark, old-school, and moody in the best way. You quickly forget you're in a hotel once inside. Comfortable and easy to settle into. What could be better: Tighter balance and consistency in the cocktails. A small refinement would make a noticeable difference here.

A cozy cocktail bar with great drinks and appetizers. The service was outstanding. We enjoyed the…read moreSpanish Croquettes with a Cottage and a Negroni.

Duck Confit

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Duck Confit

Artemis Whiskey Bar

4.2(16 reviews)

0.7 km

Great cocktails. Lovely place Great ambiance They take care of every detail. If you pull the…read moreright book out , that is!!

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!

Artemis bar - fabulous whiskey selection.

Space shuttle themed drink lit up fluorescent! It was out of this work and super yummy!

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Humboldt Bar

5.0(7 reviews)

Humboldt was a perfect stop for a drink before dinner. I love the ambience - dark, soft lighting,…read moreplush seating. It reminded me of cocktail bars in NYC. Our server was super knowledgeable and we loved our drinks. I'd go back in a heartbeat!

Such a cute little place. We went for happy hour - we saw it advertised in the elevator at the…read moreDoubletree, which is the hotel above it. The happy hour drinks menu was super fun. I tried sn American style Canadian lager and a gimlet made with flavored gin. The gimlet was delicious. My boyfriend had a whiskey drink that was like an old fashioned and he said it was great. I can't wait to go back.