I'm not really sure what I was expecting when I visited here. All of the tourist guides say that…read morethis is the place to be, so I was expecting a Pike Place Market - esque place buzzing with people and events, but instead I found a sleepy courtyard with restaurant patrons and not much else. Hmm... I came at dinner time, so it wasn't super late or anything. I walked around the perimeter and there are some cool shops, but ultimately I thought that my expectations vs reality did not match up. Maybe they hold events in the summer when it's warmer? There is a historic drinking fountain at the front to quench the thirst of patrons and horses hauling loads from rural Saanich to Victoria. I didn't want to try it, but the water smelled nice at least? There is also a small demi-lune basin on two sides for dogs if your dog is thirsty. Not sure if I would visit here again unless there was an event or a restaurant I wanted to try.

Market Square was one of the first places I spotted on Google Maps that I knew I wanted to visit,…read morewhenever I would end up finally making the trek to Victoria: an enclosed, hidden marketplace filled with all manner of shops and restaurants, stacked like layers of a cake, with a hollowed interior boasting a public plaza where live music and events are hosted, as well as pop-up vendors, and cordoned-off outdoor dining for Whistle Buoy. It looked like *the* place to visit in Victoria; at least, from a satellite's point of view. Unfortunately, the reality was a little different. We came across Market Square the first time after nightfall on a Saturday, when just about all of the shops were closed; only the aforementioned Whistle Buoy appeared to be open (and was actually bustling, either at or near capacity, even outside in the plaza). I desperately wanted to see Market Square, even if it was just a walkthrough past shuttered windows and locked doors. We spent a few minutes taking in the sights, then headed on to our other destination. The second time we stopped in was the following Sunday morning, after its listed opening time of 11am, only to find that, even though most of the shops were open, there still wasn't a whole lot going on here. It wasn't the packed, buzzing community hub that I had hoped it to be. Perhaps our timing was bad, or things had changed since I first discovered it, or maybe my impression was simply flawed from the beginning, but I still wanted it to be more than it appeared to be. Maybe it was, once. Maybe it still is. Maybe it will be again? For as pontificatingly whiny as this review may sound, I still enjoyed my time at Market Square. Perhaps during our next visit, we'll be able to stick around longer, grab a bite to eat, explore the complex more thoroughly (I am *sure* that there are hidden doors and passages in there, somewhere!), and maybe we'll arrive during a special event that really shows off the magic of this magical masked market, because it deserves it.

Not a market but a food court. Most of the restaurants seem okay. The pasta place is subpar and…read moreextremely slow and over priced for the service. The arcade is extremely overpriced and half of the machines are broken. Total disappointment. Seems like a they jumped on to the Public Market item but never visited one when designing it.

Yelp said it closed at 6 pm. I arrived a little past 4 pm…read moreand most places were closed. It's a very small area with not too many vendors Luckily the pie restaurant and la pizza la pasta were both open and both really good. I wanted to get a souvenir from here but could not.

I love this little shop. They have some really beautiful things, and I wish I could afford them…read moreall! To date, I'm quite happy with the purchase of an adorable striped cotton/linen dress and a silk screen scarf with a distinctive hare pattern that I'm constantly getting complimented on. I had a ton of fun in here trying things on and looking around. The customer service was incredibly friendly, but not pushy or aggressive. To be honest, I feel like a lot of boutique shops in Victoria have a snobby "you're not good enough to be in my shop" attitude, and it was so refreshingly lovely not to encounter any of that here. I'm a fan.

Can't say enough good things about this little shop…read more LOVED the simple modern handmade designs and the print designs are just pure goodness.

It's such a big indoor mall with hardly any stores open. I have to say that there was nothing I…read morepurchased. I looked around went up and down and nothing!!! So sad! Wish they had more stores.

Very modern indoor mall, located in the heart of downtown Victoria, BC. It has plenty of light…read moreinside, with 2 stories of retail stores. The outside facade of the mall fits right in with the rest of the downtown area.

Nice mall. There was an LL BEAN! I didn't walk around too much but reminded me of some shops in the…read morebay.

Mayfair is definitely the best choice if your looking for clothing items, the service there is also…read moreamazing! This is 100% my favourite mall in Vic, Also their new Photo Booth is amazing! Definitely recommend

So appropriate for victoria winters. Really great to see that someone has made a specialty of this…read moreitem. You can always find the perfect umbrella to fit your specific criteria here. To all my friends having babies, housewarming parties, weddings, or graduation ceremonies this year ... you can expect a high quality, custom fit umbrella gift from me.

What a delightful store! There were so many interesting umbrellas and I bought a fun hat-brella…read morefor rainy day walks with my dog. It replaced the one I bought at the bottom of the Eifel Tower about 10 years ago. Worth a visit for sure!

Nice shop for home goods and gifts. I would come back to shop again as it is in Chinatown.read more

LOVED this store! We were visiting Victoria for the holiday weekend, and I just randomly stumbled…read moreupon this shop when we came to Chinatown for breakfast at one of the cafes- and when I peaked inside this store I was like YASSSS this is exactly my kind of shop!! So many cute items for kids and beautiful home wares- and wow the JellyCat selection! Everyone was polite and helpful and efficient. Highly recommend! And the Lit candles smell amazing!

Thank you so much for going the extra mile both in helping me find something…read more I absolutely recommend people to shop with these lovely folks. They were absolutely charming and I won't forget the kindness not to mention amazing things to buy

After walking around and shopping at several stores, this was by far my favorite store for…read moresouvenirs! Bought gifts for others and for ourselves! So many awesome items that there's no way you can leave this store without at least one item. They carry anything from Canadian eating goods (maple syrup to salmon jerky), clothing for men, women, children and infants. Calendars and postcards. Every kind of shot glass, espresso cups, tea cups and sets. Magnets gallore!!! Little good luck charms and more... Oh...they carry Christmas ornaments!!! :-) The employees are super nice and helpful! As there are anywhere from 3 to 4 ships at a time that unload at the same time, the lines can be super long. They work super fast to get you through quickly. We can't wait to come back to this beautiful city/country and this lovely store! Bravo on great customer service and how clean your store is!!!

My wife and I love whimsy and I'm a Star Wars fan too - so we came to the right spot. Tons of toys…read moreand collectibles for every age group. Part toy store and adjacent Toy Museum, both are fabulous to wander through and spend a half hour or so. The staff was excellent and friendly, and informative about the history of the toys in the store. Enjoyed talking of shared Star Wars experiences too without hesitation! Outstanding store in lovely downtown Victoria.

Ok, WOW! Frickin', just, WOW! This store is/was everything…read moreI wanted it to be. We stumbled in with zero expectations, and it's just wall-to-wall cool stuff! If you're interested in anything toy centric, this place is completely boss! I found a Funko Pop that I'd been wanting, normally only found in 3-pack, all by his lonesome. Also, the guy that helped me recommended a great place for poutine, and other cool stuff to do around town. Total score!

This is a wonderful store with great selection, friendly staff, and a great layout in a historic…read moreformer bank building.

Big fan of bookstores and architecture so this was such a treat! Didn't spend a lot of time in it…read morebut from what I can tell, it's a huge bookstore with a huge selection of books. At the least, it has all of the most popular books right now. It has quite a bit of bookish items like stickers, postcards, and bags, and I always find those items to be fun to browse. I love the history behind the place that it was designed for the Royal Bank of Canada. The stained glass and brightness of the place made it look so beautiful. I didn't end up getting anything so I can't comment on the service but the books were averagely priced. Really cool for a pop in and out!