4 Best Restaurants in Victoria, British Columbia

Café Brio

$$$$ | Downtown Fodor's choice

This intimate yet bustling Italian villa–style room has long been a Victoria favorite, mainly because of its Mediterranean-influenced atmosphere and cuisine, which is prepared primarily with locally raised ingredients. The menu changes almost daily, but you might find local halibut paired with an anchovy bacon vinaigrette, or even an apricot dessert soup. Most dishes come in full or half sizes, which are ideal for smaller appetites or for those who want to sample the menu more widely. Virtually everything, including the bread, most pastas, charcuterie, and desserts, is made in-house. The 400-label wine list has a top selection of BC choices.

OLO Restaurant

$$$ | Downtown Fodor's choice
Victoria's foodies rave about this small Chinatown bistro that serves up some of the city's most innovative fare, simply yet superbly. Many items like the smoked salmon and pasta are crafted in-house, and the locally sourced menu changes often, often with a French flair. The tasting menus (C$68–C$78) are superb examples of Olo's creativity: starters might include lamb tartare, grass-fed beef carpaccio, or perhaps pea soup with cauliflower and an "egg" made from cheddar and carrot. Main tasters could be short-rib steak done "French-rare," from a local organic farm, or miso-sake lingcod. And the different pavlovas are to die for. The high-arched windows, brick walls, and sparse decor make the room feel airy yet warm, an ambience that emphasizes the restaurant's passionate foodie ethos.

LURE Restaurant & Bar

$$$ | Vic West

A sunny patio, intimate balconies, and a wall of windows take in sweeping views across the Inner Harbour at this seaside spot in the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort. Casual mains and shared plates, such as local-brew battered halibut, maple bourbon pork ribs, and spiced-grilled Angus beef striploin, along with simple desserts with a twist (try vanilla cheesecake with pickled cherries) are served all day and into the evening. Creative cocktails, wines by the glass, beer tasters, sunset views, and a lively bar scene make this a great choice for a casual night out.

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Vis à Vis Wine and Charcuterie Bar

$$$$ | Oak Bay

If you think that Oak Bay is all British tweeds and shepherd's pies, pull up a stool at the long, polished-wood bar in this thoroughly modern storefront bistro. The imaginative small-plates menu emphasizes fresh, local ingredients and regional purveyors in a long menu of charcuterie selections as well as updated comfort foods like braised short rib and onion tortiere, Parmesan frites, mouthwatering soups such as Dungeness crab bisque, and salads. The beers are mostly locally crafted and the wines—from BC and farther afield—come in 1-, 5-, or 8-ounce pours, making it easy to pair different wines with the various tapas. You might top off your meal with a small something-sweet: macarons or a selection of bite-size chocolate treats.