The Black Cat was selected for lunch, and I was very happy to support another small Bellingham…read morelocal business. Placing a to go order over the phone was very easy, the lunch menu is small but has a little something for every dietary preference. Customer service was excellent, as the hostess was extremely courteous. I absolutely loved the nostalgic decor, whimsical artwork, and stained glass windows. I would definitely return, and highly recommend!

We were looking forward to trying The Black Cat after reading strong reviews. I had taken the day…read moreoff to have lunch with my wife, and we were excited to visit somewhere new. We were seated promptly by a friendly hostess at a table in DT Fairhaven, and our server was the bartender. After being seated, we waited a long time without anyone taking our order. We eventually asked if we had a server and were told it was him, with no apology or explanation. We ordered drinks and food, but after more than 40 minutes, we noticed two tables seated after us had already been served, finished eating, and were leaving. At that point, we asked for the check and said we would not be staying. About 15 minutes later, the server returned with our food instead of the check. We declined the meal and sent it back. He then asked if we wanted it boxed to go, which we also declined. His reaction suggested frustration rather than understanding. We never got to try the food, so we can't comment on it. The service, however, was well below expectations given the restaurant's reputation. This was lunch on July 15, 2026. We may try The Black Cat again in the future, hoping this was just an off day.

I had the pleasure of attending the Pastime Event - Prohibition era themed at Chuckanut Bay…read moreDistillery . The fee was $20 which included a fantastic table of Charcuterie and Salmon Canapés . Live Jazz tunes from a trio of very talented musicians entertained us for the evening. The owner Ethan was in attendance and was very attentive to every detail, making sure everyone was having a great time and even gave private tours to view the rooftop bar. The bar tenders were fantastic and attentive, and the prohibition era cocktails were great! I especially love how they went the extra step and made the old fashioned and served them in a flask, hidden in a faux Bible. The whole experience was phenomenal! Their Spirits speak for themselves! If you haven't done a tasting in the beautiful tasting room.. what are you waiting for? I can't wait for all the upcoming events like the Krampus celebration and many others!

Stopped by for a Saturday dinner with my wife. Street parking available though we walked from where…read morewe were staying. Not very busy though WWU is out for the summer. Seated promptly. Orfldered a margarita and coffee Martini. App was the queso which was excellent. Main was a Capri sandwich and a meatball sandwich , both with a side salad. Salads were fantastic. My meatball sandwich was okay, missing something. Capri sandwich I was told was good. Ambiance was nice, rustic and not too loud. Overall a good experience.

Wow. Amazing. We were on a romantic getaway to Victoria this summer and decided to stop by Bodega…read morefor lunch. We got there when it opened and the few people working that day just made the experience one to remember. Sat at the bar and had a few spectacular cocktails while sampling many meats and cheeses on their charcuterie board. Bread was perfect... ordered a refill. Everything we tried was perfect so I need to go back and try the rest of the menu. Best meal of our trip to BC.

I should start with a disclaimer - tapas is one of my absolute favorite meals, and I didn't care…read morefor some of my dishes here. HOWEVER. I also live in Washington DC (one of my favorite tapas places there is funnilly also called Bodega) and it is very possible tapas here is different from what I am used to. I haven't had tapas elsewhere in Victoria or anywhere else in Canada. I also wonder if I would have preferred its sister restaurant next door. I asked the hostess what the difference was and she said the one next door was more of a sit down family restaurant. And, to that effect, all of the indoor tables at Bodega were high tops, which I find uncomfortable, so we had to sit on the patio. The ceviche here is incredible. A standout. I have had ceviche in many places over many years and in many countries and types of restaurants, including places that just do ceviche. This may be my favorite ceviche ever. The next most impressive dish we had was a squash with pepitas and other toppings. I asked what kind of squash it was and they said they didn't know for sure because it comes from the chef's mother's farm so it can rotate. On the one hand I find this incredibly charming. On the other hand, I asked because I have dietary restrictions and cannot digest patty pan squash. They assured me it wasn't that, but their inability to tell me exactly what it was didn't engender confidence. Luckily, chatgpt was able to identify it from a photo and it was one that I know is safe for me. We ordered gambas al ajillo, which is normally one of my favorites, and I found it underwhelming. Just not very flavorful. Also I am used to it coming out in a ceramic baking dish or cast iron but this was just in a bowl which seemed odd and may contribute to why I found it less flavorful. Patatas Bravas were solid but also hard to mess up. My husband got some meat items that I didn't eat as a pescatarian but he enjoyed them. And my least favorite dish was a dish featuring albacore tuna, egg and tapenade. I normally love all three of these things and was intrigued by the fact that it was albacore vs ahi or yellow fin or some other fancier type. I ended up finding the tuna dry and tough and the olive tapenade and hard boiled egg offered a lot of the exact same types of flavors and it just wasn't a very pleasant dish to eat in my opinion. Other people might love this. I dunno. I also found service here a little chilly. This is a hard thing for me to rate because I am aware that there are significant cultural differences between Canada and the US and servers in the US are unusually effusive and attentive, in extreme cases to a point of being overbearing, whereas in Canada servers may prioritize not interrupting or getting in the way over being chatty. But even compared to other restaurants we visited in Victoria this felt a little frosty, especially when it came to my dietary restrictions. I very much got a vibe from multiple people that it was weird for me to ask questions about what was in the food or about the restaurant. All in all this wasn't bad. Other people seemed to be enjoying themselves. I think it is a very distinctive style and ambiance and it is going to be a match for some customers and not others, but I personally prefer something with warmer ambiance and more accessible dishes.

Great, innovative cocktails in the heart of Eastsound. We went here after dinner around 8pm and it…read morewas super busy. There's always seats if you don't go in the summer, as I see some people brave the cold and enjoy their drinks right outside, but we wanted to be warm so we took one of the last tables and eventually moved to the bar seats. We happened to go during the Orcas Island Film Festival so we decided to try some cocktails in that theme. One of them was the Harlem Renaissance which was inspired by Once Upon a Time in Harlem, and we opted for a $2 add on of smoke which was well worth the additional flavors. This cocktail was really interesting as it comes with a candy cig with ashtray for a fun little drink The other we got was Frou Frou which is fruity and light, inspired by "Coward". I found this refreshing yet not as innovative as the Harlem Renaissance. One slight miss is that some ice were a bit too crushed so it dilutes the drink quite a bit, but the drink is so flavorful and strong that I didn't really mind all that much for this drink For fun, we also tried the Underberg which is a digestif bitters which is incredibly bitter but herbal, kind of like a jagermeister. It apparently helps with digestion if you overconsume. It was an experience and worth the $5

Delish creative cocktails in a cozy pub environment. We tried one of their fall inspired cocktails…read morecalled November rain and it was outstanding. Very pricey, but quality ingredients and a very complex blend of fat washed bourbon with spice & citrus. Also tried a clarified rum punch drink that was a special and it was delicious as well. They do offer a very limited menu of small bites like an onion dip and chips, some hummus and cheese plates along with sardines.

We love this place. Can't say enough good things about its…read moreownership and employees. It's a run well business with heart and soul. Great staff, great vibe. It's cozy and eclectic, always a fun night out. We love their happy hour pizzas and muscles that come in a gorgeous sauce with focaccia bread ...their happy hour is awesome !!!!!! The owners treat their staff well and it shows. The staff have been there for years. I recently talked to one staff member who has been there a long time she stated that she loves it there that management is great and that the working environment is awesome. I like to support businesses that treat their staff well being that they are the heart of the establishment. They should be treated like gold !

Food was so good, we loved everything we tried especially the chicken cubanette! Service was great,…read moreour server was very nice and knew lots about the menu! Restaurant has a dark ambiance inside which is quite nice! Definitely gonna become a regular dinner spot in the rotation!

Everything was perfection! My hubby loved his gran tiserva rioja and daily special red snapper with…read moreclams. My daughter and I indulged in the patatas bravas with delicious aioli and zesty sweet tomato sauce and honey glazed chiccharones. Terrible for my cholesterol but made my belly so happy!

So good from start to finish. Everything we ordered hit, and I already know I'll be back to try the…read morerest of the menu. Service was great. Our server was attentive and around when we needed something but never interrupting, and his recommendations ended up being some of our favourite dishes. The anchovy olives were a standout, super crispy, packed with flavour, and not overly fishy at all (great if you're a bit hesitant about anchovies). The mushroom toast was rich, savoury, and full of umami. Just a heads up not to let it sit too long since it softens the bread. The tuna tartare was fresh and well-balanced. Not my personal favourite served on toast, but still really enjoyable overall. The paella was excellent, perfectly cooked shrimp, tclams, and crispy pork belly chicharrón that added the best salty, fatty crunch. The roasted cabbage completely surprised me and was easily one of the best veggie dishes I've had in a while. I could have eaten a whole plate of it. We wrapped things up with churros and shared a pitcher of sangria. For three people, it came out to about $68 each before tip, which felt very fair for how much we ordered. Would definitely recommend.

ARC has a Spanish foodie experience that you can't miss out on!…read more They have exquisite Iberico ham, vermouth (spice and herbs infused wines), conservas (canned seafood) menu on Sundays! Recently they launched a flan cheesecake which is the owner's mother's recipe (if I remember clearly). I tried Vermut Rose: Lustau, Jamon Ibérico de cebo, Cinco Jotas Jamon Ibérico (100% acron fed) and selections of their Conservas: Sardines, Mussels, Anchovy, Tuna Belly, Scallop, Flan Cheesecake They also serve some very delicious sandwiches. Bread is the perfect texture to pair with their filling like artichokes, hams and more! Go relax there on a Sunday and don't forget to buy some Iberico Ham flavoured chips! The perfect gift for friends or to bring to a potluck.

I've been here three times now, but haven't reviewed it until now. The experience is similar each…read moretime. ARC Imports is an importer of Spanish products, and is located in a business park. The first time I came, I thought I was in the wrong place, but the friendly staff pointed me to the stairs which takes you to a cute little dining area. Each time, I've come on the weekend, and it's always been quiet. All their dishes are basically simple preparations of their imported goods. Over three visits I've tried their appertivos, tostas, cino jotas, tapas, bocadillo and marisqueria. Despite how simple everything is, it's quite delicious, and becomes the reason why I go downstairs to buy several products before going home. Service always been super friendly, but not always there when you need them, as the employees do double-time working downstairs and so they are not constantly present in the dining area. Overall, I always enjoyed my meals here. It's simple food in a quiet cozy place.

Nomad is one of our favorites! The small plates are incredible, and change regularly. The menu is…read morefull of familiar foods (meatballs, potato salad, even tinned fish) with small creative touches that elevate the dish. (Potatoes chips with French onion dip -- and caviar!) I also like how dishes start appearing quickly and then keep coming at a consistent pace. It's the best kind of foodie grazing, and more fun than a long wait with big dishes delivered all at once. Bring friends and order lots of dishes to share.

If you love wine and food, this is THE place in town…read more My girlfriend and I had a date night out. We came here mostly for a charcuterie plate, but it turned out to be least impressive. However, we were both very pleased with the small plates that we shared: "asparagus" and "potatoes" with caviar. SMALL PLATES The asparagus looked like a salad but was a bit warm to our surprise. I enjoyed the different flavors put together, including some bitterness. My absolute favorite is the potatoes. We ordered it with caviar, which only cost $8 extra! CHARCUTERIE We ordered the imported charcuterie board for 2. It was presented nicely, but there was nothing to brag about other than that. The amount of food was right for 2, but it's because there's lot of bread but there's little cheese and cured meat. The quality of the cheese and the meat was just ok. COST We were shocked how inexpensive it was. We ordered 2 small plates, a charcuterie board for 2 people, a bottle of Spanish wine, a slice of olive oil cake, and 2 coffees. It all added up to only about $100. It's shocking as it includes a bottle of wine. The coffee was pour over, and they made one cup at a time, but it was only $3! CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM The small plates were excellent, but the charcuterie plate needs more work. There should be more cheese and meat both in terms of the quantity but also the variation (and less bread). CONCLUSION I will definitely come back here again for wine and a couple of small plates. ************************************************************ If you found my review helpful, please smash the "useful" button! Don't forget to share my review with your loved ones and those who you care about. If you liked my review, follow me on Yelp or send me a friending request. Also, don't hesitate to PM me if you want my opinion on the business. Stay safe and healthy and keep Yelping!

Finally! A bar that serves flavorful drinks that aren't too sweet…read more We were quite happy, even delighted I might say, with This Goes to Eleven and the Mezcal Old Fashioned. Thanks for having good drinks!

Stopped by while we were in Bellingham. We were able to get…read morea table quickly. Service was good. I had the Pork Belly Taco and Queso Fundido. The taco was delicious. The meat was very tender and flavorful. The queso was ok. It was a 3 cheese sauce. Overall, nice spot to hangout.

The food was very tasty, they like salt. The potatoes were very good. I really enjoyed these…read moreflavours and the service was great. Decor was admirable, felt the spanish vibes. ​

Thank-you for your response. i don't usually make a habit of responding to replies…read more... Sure Mediterranean diet is considered to be a "healthy" diet etc. However the ingredients if not sourced from organic farms etc,, it would render any "healthy" attributes meaningless. FYI, peppers and tomatoes are well documented to contain high amounts of pesticides. If they are not duly removed, they would do more harm than good. Having said that, some are more sensitive to inflammation than others I am more than happy to re-review when your restaurant can stake the organic ingredients or non-pesticide claim. Thank-you for your attention.