Despite not having a great experience with the fish offerings at this restaurants, I'd still go ahead and say that Stage is amazing and has some potential to make changes to the menu! Love the European Wine Bar/French Bistro vibes they have going and it's located in the cute Fernwood neighbourhood. Love their approach on French-inspired foods and showcasing seasonal local fresh veggies and plating it differently. The food is fresh and light, which is always nice for a French restaurant. We got the local crudités served with the eggplant roasted dip and it was a delight. The tomatoes were fresh and I appreciated the various textures, depth and flavours. The dishes are great for sharing. Love the pomme frites. The BBQ shishitos were a treat! The bread and butter were phenomenal. I believe that it is freshly baked. The service was amazing! They have a great ever-changing wine list from Europe as well as different parts of Canada. In addition, they have amazing cocktails. Unfortunately, Stage fell a little short for us. We had sent an email in advance mentioning that we are pescatarians and do not eat meat. We were very excited to try their fish offerings (Halibut and Rockfish) off the menu that night but our waitress informed us that the kitchen wouldn't be able to make any changes to the dishes and that some meat products were used in both fish options. We were very disappointed, especially since the food is so good. I recommend and advise that if you have two fish offerings, at least leave one completely pescatarian and free of meat products. We also didn't want to opt for the warm potato salad with mackerel since we had already had the pomme frites. As a result, we did not have a suitable protein option that night. This was the only thing that ticked us off, considering the level of care and pride they take with the food in their restaurant. read more

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Really nice wine bar. Great wine and atmosphere. A bit pricy but very nice wine selection.

Extremely disappointing restaurant. A group of 3 of us attended the restaurant. We got sat without menus for about 25 minutes. Once we finally got a menu and a chance to order, the server came back and said 2 things were sold out (which he should have known prior). We then proceed to order a change of items then the server again came back and said one of the things was sold out. From here it took another half hour before we received our wine which ended up being corked so it needed to be sent back, then it was replaced and again same thing it was corked and sent back, brought back one last time and same thing. Then we recommended just a different wine all together (a Malbec) and then the server brought us a Pinot noir instead which he decided with the bar, not ourselves? We had felt bad about sending back the wine as much as we did so just politely drank it - they still charged us full for the wine. (I would recommend tasters and not just pouring full glasses to begin with so they don't waste wine?) Food was very underwhelming, our tomato dish was just cut tomato's with olive oil. The beef tartare was very bland and a little chewy. And our fish came out fried after we had specified to our waiter we were looking for a fish dish that wasn't fried. We ordered the steak frites which was fine but definitely not worth the price you pay. Then as we went to pay all of our bills were incorrect and had been charged some of the dishes that they were sold out of on top of our current order. Server went back to correct it and still overcharged us. Went back one more time and then ended up splitting the bills incorrectly, so one of us paid and we all needed to e-transfer eachother - which isn't a big deal but it was our last straw. Overall our experience was disappointing and extremely long as it took almost 3 and a half hours total for us to be served for our underwhelming, very expensive meal. Servers were friendly but didn't apologize once for the delays or lack of service from their end as we saw our server collectively like 5 times over the 3 and a half hour experience. read more

Really great wine bar! Lots of outdoor and indoor seating. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. GIANT WINE LIST -- YES! Ask for recommendations! Ask for wine selection by the glass (they're not listed on their menu). The food menu changes daily, so call ahead of you really want know what's on the menu. We ordered food a la carte, and got cocktails and wine by the glass. They also have an option to order all the food. What we ordered: - Mortadella and Lonza YUMMMMMMMM!!! tasty meats -- whats not to love? - Bone marrow was very tasty with herbs and pickles. It comes with bread but order more bread! - Kimchi was pretty good. It's homemade and more sauerkraut ish than Korean style. - Tomatoes was SO GOOD. It had what I can only describe as an Asian chili oil garlic sauce over heirloom cherry tomatoes... a bit like Chinese XO sauce on tomatoes. Such addictive umami flavours. Best dish by far. If it's available, order it. You won't regret it. It paired realllllllly nicely with the kimchi too. - Sardines were just alright. read more

Stage - Wine Bars Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Ambience: (4 Star) Good decor that works for any occasion. From a romantic meal to a small family gathering, it works. Wine: (3 Star) The wine list is both long and interesting. Be adventurous. Mark up is 100% though, so it's a bit pricier than most. Food: (2 Star) This is where things are hit or miss. Let me explain. First of all, all dishes are essentially tapas style, pricing ranges from $6 to $24 depending on the dish. Some are meant to be more a appie style, and some are more your expected bigger tapas dish. 1) Sardine: Ok honest sardine. Served out of a tin can so you could very well be mistaken in having a canned sardine for $8. 2) Chicken: This is a chicken Terrine which made with chicken thigh served on a bed of very well done egg salad. Easily the best dish of the night Now before, I continue on, the above 2 dishes are type of dishes where you'd have with bread. The bread has to be order separately for $6, sure, we are ok to pay. But the bread is where I had a big issue with and it really is the big reason for such low score. For $6, we essentially got 1 slice of thick cut toast. Nothing more. $6 for a slice of toast, let that sink in. We ended up spending $12 for 2 slices of toasts. Sorry, but that is just wrong. 3) Artichoke: Nicely put together, sauce is interesting 4) Potato: I forgot the fancy name that they use but essentially is a potato bake. Surprising 2nd favorite dish of the night though. Almost a must try. 5) Escarole: This is definitely a fail. It was essentially a broiled romaine lettuce serve with some soggy sauce. 6) Bone Marrow: This is a dish for $13, actually included the same $6 toast for free. (Sorry but if you haven't caught on, the restaurant charging for that toast at the price really bothered me and affected my experience) It was a honest bone marrow but served with something that is similar to relish. Not exactly the flavor profile that I would associate with bone marrow, but I would applaud for creativity. 7) Pork Belly: This is a sous-vide pork belly, and it's not the crispy type. Being a Chinese myself, I'm used to this type of pork belly texture, but I wonder if that is something that is readily accepted by a more general public. The pork belly itself was too salty from the sous-vide without other flavor to add the complexity. The sauce was interesting, but overall as the priciest feature item on the menu, it was a disappointing. We have also opened a $60 bottle. The bill together comes to over $200. It was an interesting experience. As stated above, the 2 best dishes were potato and chicken terrine which are your appetizer / side item. The main feature of bone marrow and pork belly were both disappointing. It is a tough joint to recommend. You have to applaud the concept and attempt of creativity. But pricing and execution was a bit off in my humble opinion on that particular day. read more

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So lovely! Food is amazing! The best blue cheese I've ever had. I need the name of it. Everything is intentional. I'd go to Victoria just to eat here. read more

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I just love this hidden 'wine bar' gem in the hamlet of Fernwood within the city of Victoria, BC. It IS a wine bar as described but it's much more. The hand-written menu changes 7 days a week and while a la carte, one may order 'everything' as its selections could be a 10+ course complete meal for 2-4 people. Favourite dishes have been, the 'first three' which are usually cheese, bread and cornichons; then bone marrow, grilled artichokes, steamed clams, all manner if amazing charcuterie and terrines and unctuous cuts of pork & beef. The wines are thoughtfully curated, sourced from mostly smaller old world producers. The spirits and cocktails are rooted in the classics, served in lovely antique crystal. This is a special little place and I find myself looking forward to each next visit, knowing I'll put my evening in the capable hands of their well cultivated culture (food & mood, drinks, music & especially service). read more

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Something seems to have changed at this place. Having had two wonderful nights here over the past year we returned with friends. To start my cocktail was, as before, the best Manhattan I could imagine. And the by the glass wine suggestions the server made were perfect, something we've noted as a strength the other times we've been there. Bread, olive and cheese starters were also satisfying. However some of the larger plates which we shared were disappointing and expensive for what was served. We opted for two large dishes, the half chicken and the pork. In the past the chef's meat offerings were always prepared in novel ways and the quality of the meat superb. In this case the half chicken was mediocre and the piece of pork at $60.00 was prepared with an unremarkable blackberry jus and was almost entirely fat and pretty tasteless. We passed on the desserts as the restaurant doesn't serve coffee, something I recalled as the only disappointment on previous visits but had forgotten. We conveyed our impressions about the pork in particular to our server who had been doing a very good job up to that point. He accepted our comments matter of factly but seemed pretty uninterested in offering anything by way of rectifying the situation. This, for me is a real deal breaker. Any restaurant can have an off night or fail to please with a dish. But when a customer struggles to find a way to respond candidly to an inquiry about how things were and there is little or no response from staff that is saying a lot. read more

Are you down for a culinary experience? Are you wiling to take your taste buds out to flavor town? Do you enjoy trap rap music to go along with your meal with a bitching glass of wine/brown liquor cocktail? If you're not, as we say in Los Angeles, a lame ass foo, this place is for you! WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE? If I was on death row, my last meal would be from this place. For additional context, I am an adventurous eater and willing to try anything once before I knock it ;]. Everything I ordered was amazing and regret not ordering one of everything. But alas, the limitations of being a regular degular human. A place like this would be right at home in Los Angeles, but traveling for a meal here is worth it. I didn't catch the name of the bartender who served me, but he was just as passionate about the food as the folks in the kitchen. Tip my cap to him for the recommendations. WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?!? The menu looks pretty simple, but the meals the chefs whip up are bussin. Your server/bartender will give you the rundown of each item on them menu since there is no description. Tapas style portions, which make it perfect for sharing. Pro tip, please call the restaurant if you have any dietary restrictions before coming here or you're going to have a bad time. Their booze selection is curated to match their menu, so if your server/bartender suggests a drink to par with your meal, please take their recommendation. Take your basic chardonnay, margarita drinking self somewhere else if that's your jam. The dishes ordered: Bread - uber thick slices of bread to mop up those plates. I needed a whole loaf to be honest. Two slices isn't enough. Pigs Head - thinly sliced meat from Peppa Pig that just melts when you take a bite. Squash - cold dish with delicious creamy sauce/honey from Georgia and peanuts you want to drown in. Kale - A light but rich plate of kale with crunch and more creamy sauce. Creton - At this point I was riding a food high, the only thing I remember was "damn, I need more bread for this". Pork - Pork with kimchi?!? Sold! It goes together so damn well. Dessert - Apple cake with honey and light whipped cream. Inject it into my veins!!! To drink - I was slipping on water and a 0% Heineken. I was tempted to throw 19 months of sobriety out the window to pair a glass of wine/cognac with my meal, but stayed the course. My only compliant would be that I didn't get enough bread to mop up every plate that came my way. Space is a little tight, but that's cool. Spark up a convo with your neighbor if you are sitting at the bar and enjoy a kickass meal! I got a reason to come back to Victoria. Just to eat here again. 10 out of 10 Jeff Goldblum's. read more

Been here many times. Always a four/five star happening, very cool place with no reservations, great wine list & many wines by the glass and a very interesting and tasty tapas-style menu. I found out later it's under new management. But it was so disappointing compared to past experiences and ran us over $300 for the pleasure, I figure I should pass on our views. The waiter was very nice, not too attentive. A $50 bottle was marked up to $130 (research suggests $48.50 across Canada). Menu and wine list are a bit of a joke. The waiter wasn't even too fussed about the menu. Bread and cheese $12, French Onion soup (good, if a little sweet) was $34, which is ridiculous. But the 'liver'--the menu is such a half baked, uninteresting effort--a small amount of liquified liver and a dash of honey for $19. Crazy stuff. Even with the pandemic, very disappointing. My reviews have received over 100,000 views from n Google and elsewhere. You'll see I don't slag off lightly. But this was such a disappointment. Other friends just told us just today of a similar experience. Avoid! read more

Stage had been on my list to try for a long time, but I was hesitant due to the wild variation in ratings. From my experience, it must have been a one-off or the reviewer because I had one of the tastiest meals of my life on Saturday. I wish I hadn't waited so long. I have seafood allergies and typically set menus, especially in Victoria are difficult for me. I asked our server if we could choose the Feast option with an accommodation of including no seafood. I was thrilled that the kitchen was happy to serve us up some amazing items taking my dietary restrictions into consideration. We got a ton of food for the two of us. There were 4 courses with two plates served for the first 3 courses and a singular item for dessert. We couldn't finish it all. Everything was fantastic. We especially loved the bone marrow. It's a fave dish of ours after visiting NYC and dining at Blue Ribbon. Tables are a bit close, but still a nice ambiance. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

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This restaurant is a scam for tasting menus! Very pretentious of them, tinned sardines and olives for course 1, an assortment of veggies with salad dip as course 2, halibut as course 3 and a slice of came for course 4, and done! Halibut was good but rest is pretty useless. The restaurant does not disclose its menu and does not help in picking wine as they want it to be a surprise. I ended up having a syrah blend with my halibut , such a travesty! If you want a great tasting restaurant, try others in downtown! read more

Yeah, I was all set to love this place and really thought I would, even though the prices seemed suspiciously high (even to me, 33-year resident of NYC). But no. Cocktails are tiny and deflated somehow. Overpriced as hell, but far from the worst thing going on here. Food, waaaay worse. Like $7 (?) for one slice of (good, not amazing) bread that we absolutely needed to get so we could eat the other things we ordered, like the burrata (okay, but hilariously overpriced for $26). Crudite plate made no sense whatsoever: raw pattypan squash? Raw summer squash? I've never seen that before, nor do I want to...eating it raw both tastes terrible and gave me, famous iron stomach that I am, a huge gastrointestinal Event. I haven't thrown up in a restaurant bathroom twice in one night before, but there's always a first time, I guess? Raw stringy greens that were like kale ribs. Two tiny and tasty carrots, and two delicious raw figs...to dip into ranch dressing?? Ummm...what? Tomatoes and melon were both okay , but both hilariously overpriced for almost no prep, since they're served raw with very few mods. Check with tip was over $200 for this pile of flavorless whatever. Pretty fucking lame overall, though we did like our waiter, which is why it's two stars instead of one. Cool guy. Feels like this place maybe used to be good, but no longer. read more

This used to be one of our favourite spots under the previous ownership. We came here in 2020 and had a lacklustre meal that we blamed on the pandemic; however, we had an even worse experience on our last visit. Low lights included $3 for a piece of dry toast, a can of sardines for an appetizer, salty frisse salad covered in bread crumbs, and bland beef tartare with what looked like Miss Vickies chips on the side. On the upside, service and wine was excellent and the chicken and dessert was decent. I would like to support this restaurant given that it is in our neighbourhood; however, the menu needs a complete overhaul. read more

We wanted to try this place after seeing the great reviews on Yelp. We wanted to try the tasting menu because I felt that this restaurant knew what they were doing--they have the confidence to not publish their menu online and still thrive. I get that they don't publish their menu online but what really surprised me was that when we asked our server what the dishes were on the menu, she refused to share. She said " I don't know--the chef puts it together based on what he wants". I understand Japanese restaurants doing it as an Omakase, but I have never see a French restaurant not share what's on the tasting menu. They even refused to tell us if it was fish heavy or meat heavy (should we expect a red meat or fish for our mains)--how do you expect to order an expensive wine without knowing if your mains is going to be a steak or a fish..That should have been a red flag but we decided to still go ahead with the tasting menu. This was a huge mistake. Of the 4 courses, the first two were a basic cheese, canned sardine and olives course and the second was literally vegetable crudités. This was pretty unbelievable to me that the restaurant gets away with raw food in two of the four courses. The third was halibut and the last was a chocolate cake. The two stars are for the halibut and the cake. Coming to the service, these 4 courses (with two raw courses) took them 2 hours. Service was at snail's pace. At $70 pp, the overall experience didn't pinch us but it was definitely deceptive of them to not share the menu beforehand so we could make a more informed decision. We're never going to return to this pretentious place and would advise others to stick to their ala carte menu. read more

Amazing vibe. Incredible service. They change their menu regularly so everything is fresh and delicious. Perfect for sharing plates with a small group. read more

My sister- and brother-in-law introduced my lovely wife and I to this lovely eatery located in the Fernwood area of Victoria. I prize any opportunity to start an evening meal with a Russian Standard vodka martini and so it was at Stage. We went on to share numerous tapas-style plates including edamame, Brussels sprouts fried in olive oil, fried octopus, fried haloumi cheese and tomatoes drizzled with a pesto-like sauce, Sooke trout and all rounded off with a sampling of the entire dessert menu save for the chocolate pudding. All was of course slurped back with wonderful wine; both white and then red. And finally the front-of-house staff were really quite pleasant and lovely. If you visit Victoria any time soon, do yourself, friends and relatives a favor and book a table at Stage! read more

Wow. Stage looked like a fun date spot and now that I've been, I can most definitely confirm, this is fantastic to go to, whether you're on a first, second, or hundredth date! 6 different plates AND a drink each for under $100? WOW. I really love the interior of this spot, with the exposed brick covering an entire wall, and the modern decor accenting it all very well. Modern twists on adorable classics are nothing new for Fernwood, but that's part of what makes it my favourite part of the city. I had a glass of Chardonnay that was up on the per-glass blackboard and my date decided to get The Sting (with half syrup), and we were both happy with our choices! That being said, I would absolutely love to go back and hear more about their choices by the bottle, since they have such a wide selection and I loooove me some good wine. Okay now, onto the food. We started out by ordering the cauliflower, mushrooms, and bread with oil, since they all sounded quite tasty. I enjoyed all of them quite a lot, and I was surprised by the smokey zip that the tomato had, alongside the oil and vinegar. Looking through the mushroom assortment was fun as well, as they give quite a few different types of 'shrooms in there. Beware though, this dish is not for vampires, nor those who are planning on kissing vampires later on! Luckily, I've built up an immunity through hummus consumption, so my eternal life wasn't threatened by the garlic in these mushrooms. Lastly, the cauliflower was great but no surprise there; I feel like cauliflower is one of those classics that is pretty hard to mess up... heck, even I can do it! After we had our fair share of appys, we decided to move down into the more unique dishes in the restaurant, including the Smoked Salmon Poke (I'm a sucker for smoked salmon), Mussels, and Pan-Seared Halibut. The poke was delicious but the crackers it came with were extremely dry so I avoided them for the most part but loved the actual dish; the halibut was fantastic and wonderfully plated along with a "potato pancake" and some great veggies; and the mussels were positively fantastic, causing me to slurp up sauce right out of the shells! Again, avoid if you're into vampires. To top it all off, we had wonderful (and very quick!) service, great conversation, and an all-around fantastic evening. read more

i would say it's the best restaurant in Victoria but it's nearly the only place to get a great meal. Surpassed only by the exceptional service. Thank you thank you than you Matthew for restoring my faith in the Victoria food scene. oh and also the cocktails ... perfection. read more

A great choice for couples and smaller groups. Food is fantastic and obviously made with quality ingredients, culinary skill, and imagination. Great synergy and delicious set menu experience. The servers also very personable. Went to France and back in an evening...just in Fernwood...a must experience. We will be back, thank you, Stage! Prices are very fair for the quality and presentation. read more

Right before I moved from Boston to California, I visited a psychic, for no other reason than I wanted to find out what the move had in store for me. The psychic told me that I'd meet a doctor who loves wine within the first 6 months after moving- who would become my romantic interest. This should come as a shock to no one, but the psychic lied. I ended up working for a psychotic doctor who liked wine, but that's as far as it went. What I HAVE found in recent months is a gorgeous man who is a big fan of wine. To the point that I do not need to be the one to peruse the wine list- I leave it up to him. While he had drank at Stage before, he hadn't yet eaten there, so we made it our Saturday night date spot. He chose a great bottle of wine to start, and then I started picking the food...because I'm the picky one when it comes to what goes in my mouth. No, really. He chose the Laughing Stock Portfolio wine, which is interesting because (according to our waiter), they don't release on the label exactly how it's blended- you're supposed to guess and then look under the neck label to see if you're right. We failed to look under said label, although we didn't even hazard a guess anyway. For dinner, I wanted a little of everything. First we started with some camembert cheese with bread and salami, and then we got more small plates to share- the grilled haloumi with local tomatoes & herb vinaigrette, pommes frites, parsley, piave, garlic & lemon aioli, and crispy lamb shank, gnocchi, peppered goat cheese. We may have gotten one other thing, but I can't recall what it was. This is what I get for writing my reviews a week late and a country away. In any case, I loved the decor, and the food was amazing. The service was better than most, and it's well worth a visit for a date night, although a group can sample and enjoy as well. I'm hoping on my next visit we can come back, because I always enjoy a good date with gorgeous man. read more

Is it possible to score ZERO? I have been going to Stage since it opened as I am a long time Fernwood resident. Over the years, I 've had duck confit, steak, frites and lovely food. Tonight, for a hundred dollars, my friend and I had two pieces of dry burnt toast, olives out of a jar ( not the warmed olives with lemon and thyme) and raw eggplant . The waitress had the audacity to tell me that the bagged chips were special as are the "canned scallops." You cannot upsell me lousy food and I won't pay 6:00 for bagged chips. This is now the worst rip off in the city. Don't go here under any circumstance unless it's strictly to drink overpriced wine- 100. a bottle. When I asked why the blackboard wine list wasn't there she said they "constantly had to change the wine every night" which is nonsense. They occasionally ran out one type of wine, but it was wonderful to look on the board and see the wine list. Now you have to listen to inaccurate descriptions of wine who isn't a sommelier. I am. I don't know who made the executive decision to take a lovely place with wonderful food like braised vegetables and chicken, and turn it into a cheap but pretentious place, but big mistake. I will never return and I'll be taking the entire neighbourhood with me. Save your money and go somewhere with actual food, not burnt , dry bread. If I could give it a minus five out of five I would. ZERO. read more

This is my favourite restaurant in Victoria, hands down. As soon as I walked through their door the first time, I knew I was going to love Stage. I've been there numerous times since then, and I haven't been let down yet. So what's to love? Well, the short and easy answer is: Everything. But to be more specific... The atmosphere in Stage is perfect. The space isn't huge, but it never feels cramped whether you're sitting at the bar (which, by the way, is made out of wood salvaged from the Mayfair Lanes bowling alley) or at an intimate little table for two in the back. I love how this is the kind of place where I can show up wearing pretty much anything and never feel out of place -- I've walked in wearing basic jeans and a T-shirt for a quick meal with a friend, and I've also shown up wearing something pretty dressy for a big group dinner. Either way, I feel right at home. The service is always excellent -- prompt, attentive, and friendly -- and I can always count on them to recommend just the right wine to pair with the food I've ordered. And oh, the food. After all, this is the number one reason why I love Stage. I don't think there's one bad thing on the menu, and I've tried almost everything at this point. My personal favourites are the duck confit (I've had it done two ways there -- once with a cherry wine sauce, and a couple of other times it was served on some kind of caramelized cabbage that can only be described as amazing), the trout with pancetta and green beans, the octopus (yes, octopus -- if you like calamari, you'll LOVE this), and the heavenly, garlicky mushrooms. And don't forget about the desserts: The list isn't extensive, but everything on it will leave you swooning. Especially the langos bites... I could go on, but I'll just leave it at this: Go to Stage. You'll be glad you did. read more

To end my last day in Victoria, we chose to have some post-work tapas and drinks at Stage Winebar. It seemed like an appropriate way to end the day before heading back to Vancouver. It opens at 5pm, and we arrived about 10 minutes before. We waited patiently, exploring the block. It reminded me a little of Commercial Drive & Main Street. Not as busy, of course, but there was a sense of cultural diversity. We sat down and ordered drinks. I ordered the B. Ress Hattenheimer Riesling (Ger.), and my fiancé ordered the Dirty Laundry "Woo Woo" Gewürztraminer (BC) to sip on. Both were delightful and worthy of trying if you're looking for a light, sweet white. For food, we ordered the sablefish risotto, fried local octopus with lemon, and porchetta and some Le Brebiou, a light sheep cheese to go along with the meat. To my surprise, the risotto was the first to appear on the table. This leads me to believe that the risotto had already been made along with the sablefish. Having made risotto a few times myself, I know it takes a while to make. I was a bit disappointed in this dish for a few reasons. Aside from it being pre-made, it lacked flavour, and the sablefish was overcooked to the point where it was chewy. The octopus dish was recommended to us, and while it arrived on a small plate, it was quite substantial. The sliced tentacles were meaty and definitely a nice treat from the usual calamari dish, which is made up of squid and batter. It was lightly fried without too much batter. The drizzle of fresh lemon made this a pretty good dish. We decided to order something from the charcuterie menu, and chose the porchetta and sheep cheese. The porchetta and cheese came with some bread and crackers, along with some pickled veggies. It was a nice combination; the porchetta was sliced delicately, and was a nice combo with the Le Brebiou and a smear of Dijon mustard. The pickled veggie assortment was refreshing, although there was one exception. There were pickled cherries, which offered a very unpleasant taste for the both of us. I couldn't pin the exact taste, but I think there was a hint of cinnamon in the concoction that it was soaked in. At the end, I kind of regretted not trying their cocktails. The food was okay, but I think the place is better known for its drinks. Maybe I will give this place another try the next time I return to Victoria. read more

This is one of my favorite places for a casual dinner with friends. The food is consistent and the staff are decent. What really makes this place though is the atmosphere and the fact that you can get so many different things. The entire menu is small plates and 95% of them are awesome. Occasionally I've had something that was mediocre but it's well worth it because most of the food is simply amazing. Make sure you don't park in the residential only parking zones though. They actively ticket in this area. read more

If I lived in Victoria, I would come here every other day. Maybe. While we were on the island, we visited Stage Wine Bar, and I would say in terms of quality, value, and taste, it is one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. We got two fish plates to share; first, the Sooke trout, green beans, house bacon, and smoked almonds ($12.50). Size-wise it wasn't huge, but comparable to other restaurants. The main thing was that the plate here is smaller and there are less garnishes. This was really good. That bacon! The white fish along with the bacon fat... delicious. Of course we had to get the seared local sablefish, tomato, nicoise olives, and pine nuts ($14.25) -- this was actually the last one available. This was plated very simply, once again, on a small plate. But really, this was good. And only $14! Seriously, this would be like $30+ in Vancouver (along with a bigger plate and garnishes). The fish was really quite buttery and soft. Despite it being a wine bar, I opted for a Manhattan. (Too much wine drinking throughout the weekend, so had to change things up.) Cute glass, no? Anyway, I'd highly recommend that you check out Stage if you're in Victoria. read more

We definitely drove out here specially for Stage from the downtown hotel we were staying after reading the reviews. The ambience was lovely and I liked the decor a lot besides finding the lighting a bit too dim. As for the food, I liked most of them but find the value uneven. For instance, edamame for $8 was way overpriced! While considering heirloom pork, pommes puree, roast garlic reduction, friends and I debated if pommes puree was potato or apple. He said it literally meant apple puree while I countered that fries were often called pommes frites and potato seemed a more likely side. (Both would have worked with sausage, I must say.) It turned out to be a gloried banger and mash, which while good was a bit pretentious. I liked the forest mushrooms, parsley, garlic, sherry & grilled bread as well as the duck confit with caramelized caraway cabbage, wine syrup. Tho I have to say the cabbage side didn't work too well for the duck in my opinion. Crème brulee was the very good creamy, smooth consistency but the burned sugar top was thin and $8 was a bit expensive. Our server was polite and friendly but disappeared after the last dish arrived for a long time and didn't check back until we were ready for dessert. Overall, good food but not great value. 3.5 stars. read more

4.5 stars. Minus a half because of a disappointing texture on the pork carpaccio and a very disappointing pork belly (hardly any fat, the meat was chewy and tasted like chicken; Lark in Seattle kills this dish so we are spoiled). great atmosphere good wine tastes great service one of my favorite spots in Victoria. read more

*Holy smokes, everything is amazing, highlights were the Humboldt Squid, Gnocchi and the Tartare, really good flavors in all their plates *Service was eager and friendly as all get out, very down to earth *BC wine choices we tried were pretty good and affordable read more

By far one of the best dining experiences in Victoria for foodies. Chef is excellent and service is knowledgeable and engaging. Atmosphere is fantastic. Highly recommend to foodies. read more

Never been disappointed with the food. It's real food that costs real money. Like anything in life, I don't mind paying for quality if you're getting quality, and Stage delivers in spades. Easily one of my favorite places to go in Victoria! Wine list is bang on, a great place to go for just a drink or two as well. read more

Awesome. The wine is good, but you would expect that from a place called a wine bar. But the martini's are perfect! The octopus is ridiculously good. The food is fantastic, great atmosphere. One of my top 5 for sure. read more

Wow! What a gem! I was traveling the Pacific Northwest from Texas, and this was hands down our favorite spot! We opted for the 5 course tasting menu (which is paired with drinks). 110% totally worth it, these guys know what they are doing!Everything we tried was delicious, fresh, and well presented. It was a lot more food than we expected & were happily stuffed by the end. All the drink pairings were perfect and all local from BC with the exception of the Prosecco. Also 5 stars on the ambiance, their Spotify playlist, and the service! I am jealous of the locals who get to enjoy this spot on the regular! If you are in the area it's a must! read more

After a long day of traveling from Portland (up at 4am) we checked in to our bed and breakfast and they recommended some places to eat within walking distance. One of those places was "Stage" so we thought we'd stretch our legs and try it out. We arrived shortly after it opened at 5pm and there were only a couple others there at the bar area. We were sat quickly next to the window and, being first timers, were told about their menu and what guests typically order, etc. This is a tapas/wine bar which means they specialize in small plates and offer many varieties of wine on their menu. We love to sample all sorts of dishes (as well as each others) so we knew this would be perfect. After we ordered we were brought a small sample with pork belly and radish which was delicious. It definitely set the tone for the meal. My wife and I decided on two hard ciders, a spring salad, a BBQ chicken plate, and the house Gnocchi. All dishes were fresh and tasty and brought out promptly. The flavor of the chicken was spot on and served with some house made polenta. The Gnocchi was rich and almost sweet, a perfect compliment to the more savory pork pancetta that accompanied it. It was nice to unwind after a long travel day from the states and everyone was so friendly that when we come back to Victoria, this will be on our list of stops for sure! read more

Hands down my favorite restaurant in Victoria. Haven't had a bad meal or experience there yet. Last night the fried chicken, gnocchi and scallops were all terrific. The brisket and buffalo sausage appetizers were really good as well (and came with yummy toasted bread). We ate at the bar and the bartender and servers were friendly and chatty but not in an obtrusive way. Reminds me of some of my favorite restaurants in Portland, great food, cool vibe and friendly service!! Can be a bit loud on weekends but that is the only negative I can think of.... read more

My first visit after I found out about this place on Yelp. We wanted to go for a casual meal - nothing big, but a bit more then a snack. And this was really the place for us. We chose the daily feature, which was Sidney Island Venison, with Ricota filled raviola, and Bourdolaise sauce. What a feast. Ok, it was a pretty small portion - but I guess that's why they call it Tapas. But the taste - absolutely fantastic! Very friendly, attentive service. She suggested a full bodied BC red to go with the Venison, and that was an excellent choice too. Next time I'll probably try one of the platters to sample more of the variety they offer. read more

Fantastic service; Great Food; Wonderful Wine selection; Completely worth the trip! We were in town from Seattle and were met at the door by the owner who attended to us all evening making us feel important and well take care of. The wine selection was fantastic and the food was terrific. Staff, food and service rival the best in Seattle. Highly recommend Stage when visiting the Victoria area. read more

Booked a table for 6 but didn't need to. Food and service really good. Worth getting out of the downtown core to experience the Stage. read more

We wanted to go to Brasserie L'ecole, but the wait there was 2 hours. We decided to give this place a try based on the yelp reviews. I am assuming this place is seasonal, so I don't know how useful this review will be to you, but I thought I'd yelp it anyway, because I expected much more based on the reviews. Here is what we had: Fried brussels sprouts - rating 0 - omg, DO NOT order these, unless you want to have salty, oily, burned out brussels sprouts. Here is a hint chef - do not cut the brussels sprouts in little pieces, open them a little bit and fry them as a whole, so that the inside is still soft and tasty. Ewww, I still feel like I have the taste of these in my mouth. Roasted fall vegetables - rating 3 - this was alright. Again, way too salty. There were a few pieces that were grilled and they were burned. Pommes Frittes - rating 1 - bad fries. DO NOT order them. Moroccan braised chicken - rating 3 - this was ok. I am not a big fan of moroccan flavored dishes, but my husband enjoyed this. Sooke trout - rating 1 - bad, bad, bad. Way too many nuts in this dish. Flavorless fish. Ambiance - rating 5. Place is nice and modern inside. I love the brick walls. Service - rating 4. Friendly staff and fast service. So overall, I rate this place a 2 because the food we had was really not that great. I would definitely not go back. read more

We love this tapas bar. Especially on a winter night. Such a cozy setting with candlelight's and brick wall. It's fun to order different plates to make your dinner. Our favorites are the Brussels sprouts and the pomme frits. This was our 4th visit on 4 separate trips to Victoria. We've never been disappointed read more