Where to Eat in Victoria, B.C.: A Food Lover’s Guide

Once easily categorized by “West Coast cuisine,” Victoria’s current dining scene is as much driven by international experience as it is by local ingredients, with chefs from both hemispheres gravitating to Vancouver Island. Propelled by an influx of youthful talent wanting an escape from big-city expenses and that big-city pace (there’s a reason it’s called “Island time,” after all), the demographic, skyline and energy of British Columbia’s capital has grown swiftly and positively. As a writer who’s been covering the food and drink community here for the past 25 years, I can attest that the scene in Victoria has never been as thriving, and it’s all fuelled by passionate entrepreneurs and by the area’s bounty. There’s never been a better time for a foodie to visit—and here’s my personal dining shortlist, organized by tenure.

The New Kids

One of the most anticipated new restaurants is the freestanding location of Birdman, the hot new fried-chicken joint that extends into the wee hours from the tight team at Wind Cries Mary—one of our classy small-plate, cocktail-laden juveniles that gets buzzier every year. Diners here eat messy: digging into fried Rossdown Farms chicken doused in smoky-sweet Birdman sauce and served alongside addictively crunchy, fan-like waffle fries (dusted with chicken salt, no less). Similarly, Dough Eyes opened this summer, the freshest pizzeria from the super strong team behind Café Brio and Brasserie l’Ecole, two of the city’s OGs. You won’t find a classic margherita here, but all is forgiven when you discover the N.V., a stunning white-sauced pie with fontina, pecorino, zucchini and olives.

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Lumache, from ex-Vancouverites James Frost (formerly of La Quercia and Livia) and sommelier Heather Dosman, is proving the delicious charm of handcrafted pasta and slow-food methodologies, which are best experienced via their eye-opening tasting menu. Emmaline’s, courtesy of another ex-Van hospitality patriot, Elizabeth Bryan, has brightened up Quadra Village with its casual bistro fare of rotating seasonal home cooking—sharing the ’hood’s glow up with stellar stalwart Part and Parcel nearby. For the quickest bite downtown, pop by Otto Charcuterie, a small-scale, ultra-local sandie shop rightfully famous for its mortadella with pistachio pesto and ricotta on fresh focaccia. Cap it off with nearby Le Croissant Chaud, a satisfyingly decadent and refined French bakery and café led by young French-trained chefs.

The Juveniles

Ugly Duckling has proven that fine dining needn’t be excessive, with its pristine, ever-changing set menu that is clearly chef Corbin Mathany’s love letter to nature (now with equally stacked pairings to match) in a tiny jewel box of a space in Chinatown. Chobap Sushi Bar is one more room to plan reservations for, with eight lucky seats achieving the thoughtful omakase dishes of chef Clark Park. Sitting at the bar is like being in Park’s home, and it’s one of the most coveted dinner invites in town. Rabbit Rabbit is another diminutive—and smart-dressed—room; visit here for Top Chef Canada alum Billy Nguyen’s Asian-inspired small plates (such as my own favourite, the albacore tuna crudo with fragrant yuzu dill tartare), matched with thoughtful wines by the glass. It’s bar-hoppingly close to Matadora Tapas, where lust-worthy pintxos and smart cocktails await—or, you could invent your own vermut flight from their long list. Adventuresome drinkers know to stop by Tourist Wine Bar—and newly next door’s Café Tourist—for constantly rotating plates and glasses, all with a naturalist, minimalist vibe. And when downtown’s omnipresent seagull population has you also craving shellfish, pop into the cozy corner spot of Shuck Taylor’s for the freshest (and most fun) oysters in town, guaranteed. Eva Schnitzelhaus is a fantastic departure to the deliciousness of casual German snacky fare, while Café Malabar immediately transports you to the fragrant sensory overloads of South India’s Kerala. Both are reflective of the welcome international influence colouring Victoria’s culinary scene.

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The natural opposite to these humble spots is the fine dining destination restaurant, Marilena, with its luxurious seafood towers and deepest wine program (courtesy of the Top Table masterminds). I still dream of the mouth-melting otoro (a bluefin tuna belly) sashimi, a dish bested only by their outrageous wagyu A5 sashimi. If you are still scaling verticals and horizontals, it’s worth swinging by the Courtney Room for its impressively thorough cellar, and to catch the creative new menu from ex-Torontonian chef Julie Hyde. Their bar remains one of the best happy hour secrets of the city (it isn’t documented on their own website, but others have done the legwork to whisper about the $12 cocktails).

The OGs

Two longtime legends have been impressively revitalized under new owners Sam Harris and Vincent Vanderheide, alongside talented wine director Peggy Baudon, leading the aforementioned Café Brio’s romantic and effortless Italian into the next generation. As ever, the house-cured meats remain a must-order, as does the dreamy rotating seasonal contorni. And, more recently, Brasserie l’Ecole has cemented itself as the brilliant French bistro you want in your neighbourhood. I can’t not order Brass’s endive salad, lashed with lardon and fresh hazelnuts, but the Salt Spring mussels in Pernod is my epitome of Island comfort food. I’ve been going to both Brio and Brass since each of them opened more than 20 years ago, and they remain top of class.

From the inside, it’s clear what unites all these diverse spots. Our supportive, collaborative community of producers are buoyed by a league of keen locals, always looking to support their own.

Explore More Island Getaways

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• This Newly Reopened Vancouver Island Resort Is Built for Whale-Watching and Wine-Sipping
• Where to Sip Wine, Cider and Spirits on Salt Spring and Pender Island

From the November/December 2026 issue of Western Living magazine. Subscribe to Western Living for more design, travel and lifestyle stories.