Victoria, British Columbia serves as a hub of amazing restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and more! The food scene in the capital city keeps expanding, with several new eateries dropping in every year.
As a food lover, Victoria will please you in every way; whether you’re after simple, everyday food, or a 7-course fancy gourmet meal, this city has it all!
Below we’ve compiled some of the best Victoria restaurants that are worth trying and putting on your “to-try list”.
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15. Dumpling Drop
Located in Victoria’s Chinatown, Dumpling Drop is the one-stop-shop for all your dumpling cravings. If you prefer enjoying them in the comfort of your home, they sell frozen dumplings too.
With Dumpling Drop, your choices are simple – Pork Belly, Vegan, and Rotating Weekly Special.
If you hadn’t tried vegan dumplings before, be prepared to be deliciously surprised! These dumplings are sure to be some of the best you’ve ever had – crisp on the outside and packed with flavor inside.
Their Pork Belly dumplings are equally good too.
All of their dumplings have a different texture to them; the outer shells are fully crisp, leaning more towards fried wontons in texture.
No matter what you order, remember to add their house-made chili oil to your list.
What to order: Pork Belly dumplings, Vegan dumplings
Address: 556A Pandora Avenue, Victoria, BC V8W 1N7
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14. Fuego Old Town Eatery
Fuego is a laid-back Mexican eatery serving an all-day breakfast menu. This restaurant is a spin-off of the popular and long-standing Victoria restaurant, Cafe Mexico. The environment in the eatery is home-y, and there is also a large patio space overlooking the courtyard with enjoyable views.
Fuego Old Town Eatery is well-known for its Cornbread French Toast, a classic breakfast with a twist, which is quite rare to find. The battered cornbread tastes unique but great, and you get a variety of yummy toppings with it.
The bacon comes nice and crispy, and there are a few jalapenos in the cornbread batter that add a contrasting spice kick to the sweet-savory French toast.
If you’ve already exceeded your quota of traditional apple pie, the El Porco Benny at Fuego brings to you a unique twist to the classic American dessert.
You get slow-roasted pulled pork and caramelized apples on two crispy pappas patties; topped with perfectly poached eggs and smoky chipotle hollandaise, this dish is not just good, it’s spectacular!
What to order: Cornbread French Toast, El Porco Benny, GF Veggie Omelette
Address: 1435 Store Street, Victoria, BC, Canada V8V 3C6
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13. Jam Cafe
For your breakfast cravings any time of the day, Jam Cafe in Victoria offers the most delicious solutions. In fact, this family-owned eatery’s Vancouver location holds a tight spot on our Best Brunch Spots in Vancouver list, and that’s something that doesn’t happen easily. Comfort food in a rustic-city atmosphere would be the right words for Jam Cafe.
The Chicken French Toast, with its perfect blend of sweet and savory notes, will make a great start to your brunch. Made with thick-cut brioche, the French toast is topped with buttermilk fried chicken, hot honey sauce, maple bourbon BBQ glaze, and more such delectables.
Another exciting option here at the Jam Cafe is the Charlie Bowl. The bowl comes with crumbled buttermilk biscuits, hash browns, bacon, ham, spinach, roasted corn salsa, cheese, and more. Topped with mushroom gravy and two sunny side eggs, this is the epic breakfast bowl.
What to order: Chicken French Toast, Charlie Bowl, Pulled Pork Pancakes
Address: 542 Herald Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1S6
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12. Red Fish Blue Fish
With features in prominent magazines and appearances in TV shows, Red Fish Blue Fish is one of the most cherished eateries in Victoria. This classic fish & chip shop serves sustainable, grab-and-go seafood, all of which is locally caught. At RFBF, you can savor your seafood on a front-row seat to Victoria’s busy inner harbor.
When you are at a fish n chip shop, you have to order their signature Fish and Chips. Served with housemade tartar sauce, coleslaw, and Kennebec chips, the fish is tempura-battered and deep-fried to crispy golden goodness, perfectly flaky, and fresh.
For your fish, you can choose between different options, like pacific cod, wild salmon, and BC halibut, and also the number of pieces you want.
RFBF has bomb tacones as well. These are hand-roll style tacos, in grilled flour tortillas, served with coleslaw, pea shoots, lemon-pickled onions that add a tangy kick, and a sauce.
Their Albacore Tuna Tacone comes with a massive piece of tuna, grilled perfect medium-rare, and is fresh and juicy. This particular tacone is served with spicy spot prawn mayo; the mayo tastes utterly delicious on everything!
What to order: Fish and Chips, Albacore Tuna Tacone, Chowder
Address: 1006 Wharf Street, Victoria, BC
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11. Saveur Restaurant
With multiple accolades behind its name, Saveur Restaurant, and its award-winning chef, Robert Cassels, have been impressing food explorers with their French-inspired contemporary cuisine. From playful brunch offerings to elegant chef’s tasting menu, your experience at Saveur will be nothing short of incredible!
The Beef Carpaccio at Saveur is one of the simplest yet extremely delectable plates you will try here. The thinly sliced beef is so buttery soft that you will slurp it down effortlessly. The cilantro and scallion salad plated in the middle adds some extra flavor and bite to the dish, while the peanut bits sprinkled all around add a nice crunch.
Their Crispy Pork Belly is a gluten-free and dairy-free appetizer that you’ll love. Served with hearty squash veloutè, peanut sesame granola for texture, and flavorful lemongrass coconut, all flavors on the plate are so pure and shine individually as well as go extraordinarily well together.
What to order: Beef Carpaccio, Crispy Pork Belly, Saveur Burger
Address: 658 Herald Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1S7
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10. NUBO Japanese Tapas
Have you experienced Japanese tapas? Yes or no, NUBO Japanese Tapas will excite you equally! With inspiration from Izakaya dining and following culinary techniques from all over the world, this little Japanese restaurant is designed to deliver a modern dining experience. This Japanese sushi bar is small and intimate, with a business casual vibe.
If you’re taking kids to NUBO, order the TakoYaki; you would be amazed at how quickly the plate gets empty! These are octopus balls, a classic Japanese snack/appetizer; the small pieces of octopus are extremely tender, perfect for little mouths to enjoy.
If Rolls are your ‘thing’ at sushi bars, do try NUBO’s Victoria’s Secret Roll – a spicy tuna roll with guacamole and cucumber – a classic sushi roll, delicious in every bite.
Those of you who don’t eat fish can try the Cowboy Roll. Yes, you guessed it right! It has sliced Angus beef (drool alert!), yam tempura, asparagus, avocado, and cucumber. The treat is that the beef will be cooked (torched) to your preference right in front of you, on the table.
What to order: TakoYaki, Victoria’s Secret Roll, Cowboy Roll
Address: 739 Pandora Avenue, Victoria, BC V8W 1N9
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9. Bodega
An absolute gem in Victoria, Bodega is a favourite for locals and tourists alike. Serving authentic Spanish tapas in an intimate and cozy atmosphere, you’ll find yourself stopping by here regularly after just one visit.
Bodega’s signature Charcuterie Board is filled with different cheeses, meats, sauces, and chutneys that your taste buds will thank you for. The additional flavours brought about by the different sauces make the board an exciting culinary journey you must try at least once.
The Beef Carpaccio is a delightful delicacy that tastes out-of-this-world delicious. The flavors and textures complement each other well, like a melodious song you’ll most likely hear in heaven.
If you could order only one dish in this place, this one is highly recommended.
What to order: Bodega Board, Beef Carpaccio
Address: 1210 Broad St, Victoria, BC V8W 2A4
8. Uchida Eatery
For simple and tasty Japanese food made from organic and locally sourced produce, visit Uchida Eatery. This decade-old eatery is simple and warm and takes a farm-to-table approach to traditional Japanese cooking.
One dish that gets sold out quickly at Uchida is their Negitoro Don. You get delicious fatty pieces of albacore tuna served on a bed of sushi rice. On the side, there is kinshi egg (shredded egg), wasabi, green onion, and soy sauce. You can easily taste multiple layers of flavours and quality in each bite.
One more dish that will make you fall in love is the Tuna Zuke Don, which comes with soy sauce sake marinated albacore tuna sashimi on bed of organic rice, kinshi eggs, greens, nori, green onion, ginger, sesame, and wasabi. This goodness is simply packed with flavours.
What to order: Negitoro Don, Tuna Zuke Don, Salmon Don
Address: A22-633 Courtney Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1B9
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7. Wind Cries Mary
Wind Cries Mary is yet another casual dining space, tucked away in Victoria’s downtown. The restaurant gives you a laid-back vibe, and you can choose to dine on their front patio or in their secret courtyard. They focus on nose-to-tail butchery and serve small plates or tapas-style for people to share.
Their Beef Tartare board will be an excellent start to your evening at Wind Cries Mary. The beef tartare has crispy capers and dijon for a kick; scoop it up with the potato chips and enjoy the fresh flavour bursts in your mouth.
Wind Cries Mary has a signature dish – Fried Chicken! It’s just fried chicken, right? Wrong! Their fried chicken is so incredible that the restaurant’s loyal diners could start a riot if it’s not on the menu!
It doesn’t stop there; the fried chicken is served with 3 house-made hot sauces. From sweet and mild to “oh no what have I done” hot. The sauces are so good that they have started selling them at the restaurant after multiple requests from diners.
What to order: Beef Tartare, Fried Chicken, Crispy Chicken combos
Address: 45 Bastion Square, Victoria, BC
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6. Chorizo & Co.
Chorizo & Co. is a casual dining restaurant where you can enjoy local dishes with a Spanish influence to their taste. The place itself is inviting; there is an intimate bar area and a beautiful mezzanine overlooking the courtyard. The dishes are served tapas-style.
To start your meal tapas style, go with the Patatas Bravas. This Spanish starter dish has fried potato cubes, which come crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The spicy tomato sauce that the potatoes are served with is spicy and flavorful, and the aioli adds a nice creaminess.
To share, you can make a try with their Grilled Humboldt Squid, which is tasty and served with golden heart potatoes, olives, fennel, radish, and warm vinaigrette. Each bite tastes like heaven!
What to order: Patatas Bravas, Grilled Humboldt Squid, Cinnamon Churros
Address: 807 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1H6
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5. Il Covo Trattoria
Located in the historic James Bay district of Victoria, Il Covo Trattoria is an authentic Italian restaurant that is designed to give you a unique and memorable dining experience. The old-world Tuscan ambience welcomes you with warmth, making it a perfect place to enjoy rustic Italian cuisine with your family and friends.
While all the dishes on their menu are made with their signature recipes, there are a few extra special ones, like the Stinco D’agnello or lamb shank.
The lamb shank is slowly braised in a red wine sauce, which makes it melt-in-the-mouth tender, coming off the bone. The toasted almonds on top deliver a slightly crunchy texture. The lamb is served with creamy polenta and vegetables.
If you’re looking for a yummy vegetarian option, try their Pappardelle Al Funghi. The pappardelle (long flat pasta) is made fresh, in-house, and cooked to al-dente. The sauce is a rich and creamy mushroom and truffle white wine sauce.
What to order: Stinco D’agnello (lamb shank), Pappardelle Al Funghi
Address: 106 Superior Street, Victoria, BC
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4. Brasserie L’Ecole
Brasserie L’Ecole is a local French restaurant, with its menu featuring seasonal, locally sourced ingredients cooked in a traditional French-country style. The interior of the restaurant is small and cozy, with a western influence, and the service is friendly.
How can you go wrong with French Onion Soup in a French restaurant?! Brasserie L’Ecole serves an excellent French Onion Soup. The highlight here is that there is no shying away from any of the ingredients; every spoon of your soup will come out of the bowl loaded with onions, cheese, mouthwatering broth, and crunchy croutons.
Their Steak Frites is one item you are likely to crave when you read all the reviews online; trust us, you wouldn’t be disappointed!
You can choose from different sizes and cuts of steak and mention your cooking preference; our recommendation would be the 8 oz certified Angus sirloin, cooked medium-rare. No matter how you order for your steak to be cooked, you can expect a perfectly cooked slab of meat, melting in your mouth.
What to order: French Onion Soup, Steak Frites
Address: 1715 Government Street, Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 1Z4
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3. Pagliacci’s
Opened in 1979, Pagliacci’s is one of the rare timeless places you could find for a restaurant. Step into the place and you will step back into history! Everything at the restaurant is made on the spot, and their quantities are so generous that you will always have enough leftovers to take back home.
The bestseller here is Hemingway Short Story (yes, most of their dishes have unique and fun names!). This is stuffed tortellini, where the stuffing is beef with a variety of cheeses.
While the pasta is cooked to tender yet al-dente perfection, what takes the crown is the wicked bacon cream sauce. You can taste the light smokiness of the bacon bits, without them overpowering the dish. You can also have the dish baked with cheese for an additional price.
Mr. Robert’s Seafood Lasagna is another dish at Pagliacci’s that foodies are extremely fond of. The lasagna comes layered with Canadian Dungeness and rock crab, shrimp, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella cheeses, and their popular marinara sauce.
Each layer in the lasagna has sufficient quantities of crab chunks and shrimp, so you get chunky bits in every bite, and the layers are perfectly creamy as well. This seafood lasagna is a family favourite dish.
What to order: Hemingway Short Story, Mr. Robert’s Seafood Lasagna, Edgar Allen Poe’s Crab Cakes
Address: 1011 Broad Street, Victoria, BC V8W 2A1
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2. 10 Acres Bistro
Located in downtown Victoria, 10 Acres Bistro brings to you local and sustainable dining with their farm-to-table approach. While the main dining area has a pleasant decor, the most preferred dining location, however, is their heated patio. The bistro’s menus are inspired by the changing seasons and all the ingredients are locally sourced.
Let’s start with soup! The French Onion Soup served at 10 Acres Bistro has raving reviews everywhere. With an absolutely flavourful base, the soup comes with plenty of onions, a sufficient quantity of cheese, bacon bits, and deliciously crunchy croutons on top.
If you’re there for lunch, do try the Pacific Cod & Chips plate. The fish is beer-battered and fried to golden crisp goodness – crunchy and crispy on the outside, and moist and flaky on the inside. You can taste the freshness of the fish as soon as you take the first bite.
While the Rotisserie Chicken at 10 Acres Bistro is in a league of its own, their Chicken Pot Pie, stuffed with the rotisserie chicken, could be one of the best chicken pot pies you’ve ever tasted. The gravy makes the pot pie next-level-delicious, and the little salad on the side cuts the richness with its freshness.
What to order: French Onion Soup, Pacific Cod & Chips, Rotisserie Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie
Address: 611 Courtney Street, Downtown Victoria
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1. Il Terrazzo
Il Terrazzo has been a landmark in the city’s dining scene for over 29 years. This Italian restaurant, with its old town courtyard setting featuring brick fireplaces, gives people a dining experience closest to dining in Italy. The restaurant’s menu is inspired by Northern Italian cuisine, with a pacific northwest twist.
When you dine at Il Terrazzo, you cannot miss their Frutti di Mare della Casa, which consists of prawns, halibut and scallops tossed in white wine, cherry tomato, leeks, crushed chili flakes, garlic red onion, lemon parsley cream and linguine noodles.
Ask any diner for their recommended dish at Il Terrazzo, you will hear Cannelloni di Maiale. Yes, it is a pasta dish, but not any pasta dish – a pasta dish that will make you want to go to heaven straight away!
Another superb dish you should try at Il Terrazzo is the Osso Buco. You get braised veal shank, cooked to melt-in-the-mouth consistency, served on flavor-packed, cheesy, and creamy saffron risotto.
What to order: Frutti di Mare della Casa, Cannelloni di Maiale, Osso Buco
Address: 555 Johnson Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1M2
After a stomach- and soul-filling meal from one of these restaurants, you can head out to explore the best of everything that Victoria has to offer. Our guide on the Best Things to Do in Victoria list will leave you with a multitude of exciting options to choose from.
How We Create Our “Best” Lists
All Noms Magazine’s “best” lists are created using multiple factors and signals to help readers find the best restaurants, things to do, and places to stay at. Some of these factors and signs include personal experiences, correspondence with locals, and compiling experiences from review sites.
Each list is also created to be balanced (in terms of price, cuisine type, ambiance, and more) as possible. This means that the lists are not specifically created in ranking order. You should be comfortable picking from any of the spots on the list and generally have a good time. But of course, YMMV (your mileage may vary) and everyone may have different experiences/palates.