We saw a mouse running through the dining room & when we alerted staff they responded "oh yeah well…read moreit's 100 year old building so really nothing we can do" excuse me?!?! I was taken aback coming from a so called private members only club. It's almost laughable to have guests adhere to a dress code when you have rodents running around. Would highly recommend booking elsewhere

This is an old private club and is very proper. We had lunch there as guests even though we belong…read moreto a reciprocating club. The food was very good and the service impeccable. We learned that jeans are not allowed so I bought some pants for the occasion. It was worth it.

This place is a jewel. Go here. Make sure to get reservations for tea. The garden walks are…read morespectacular. For tea you have a choice of 3 sizes of food - all the food was lovely. Scones - cheddar and currant, profiteroles, sandwiches, tiny tarts, chocolates, creme brulee, and you get a big pot of your choice of tea. Don't miss the gift shop! (Full disclosure - I couldn't eat here with my food allergy to corn and carrageenan but my friends could and my server graciously allowed me to drink a pot of tea and watch others eat the food. I loved the tea so much - royal Abakhazi - that I bought 2 tins of it.)

A delightful High Tea amid gorgeous gardens…read more We had a lovely experience enjoying high tea at Abkhazi Gardens. The grounds are gorgeous and lovingly maintained--it felt like stepping into a hidden oasis. We were especially lucky to catch a rare lily in bloom during our visit, which made the garden stroll even more special. The tea house itself is quaint, but charming in its simplicity. We ordered high tea for three and spent a leisurely afternoon savoring bites alongside the house black tea blend, which was smooth and fragrant. What added an extra layer of richness to the experience was learning the incredible family story of the Abkhazis. It's fascinating and makes the visit feel truly meaningful. ** Donations to support the gardens are requested upon entry. I recommended carrying some cash to drop into the collection box. They take American dollars as well. For anyone looking for a peaceful escape, delicious high tea, and a touch of history, I definitely recommend a trip to the Abkhazi gardens!

We actually saw the outside of this mansion/castle 2 summers ago on a city tour excursion from our…read morecruise ship. This summer, we were on a road trip and took the ferry across from Port Angeles to Victoria for a few hours. This was a perfect stop before lunch, and this time we did a self guided tour of the interior. Super friendly people work here. The ticket seller was very nice, the greeter inside the castle set us on our way, and even the souvenir shop lady was exceptionally nice. Maybe its just that they're Canadian? Or maybe they're just...nice. lol Be advised that there's a lot of stairs to tackle on this tour. This is a perfect place to see if you only have a few hours in Victoria. We took a cab from the ferry dock and back later. It was a short ride so not too expensive. Crowd wasn't tooo bad at the time we went in July.

I was here for Upstairs Downstairs a production from a local improv theater company. It was lovely…read more A whole bunch of fun in a beautiful castle!! Wow! This place is cool! I recommend a visit here if you can swing it. So nice! Lots of history of course. When it was built, the tower was the highest place anyone could stand in Victoria.

I had slice of the day, which was Sicilian. Salami, onions, roasted red peppers. It was delicious…read more I had a Belgian wheat - Driftwood White Bark. Spicy, malty, little to no hoppy finish. Service was prompt and friendly. Cool little place with a live DJ playing an eclectic mix of music. In addition to beer, seltzer, full bar and pizza, they also have pinball games and stand-up video games. They also have console games that you can play at the bar on big screen TVs behind the bar. Really fun place.

We ordered chicken strips to go and wish we'd had time to stay. The food was really good, not just…read moresmart and final chicken strips, and the owner was really nice. We will definitely come back to stay and play and try other items on the menu.

A beautiful place to take a leisurely stroll and enjoy the pleasant smell of flowers and beautiful…read morediverse color variations of flowers. We came on a beautiful day with no rain and sunshine. It was hot but luckily we brought a hat. Very relaxing garden. Came here on vacation and took the ferry from Vancouver. Ate snacks on the boat as well as at the gardens. Pro Tip-make a reservation and buy tickets for the ferry and gardens at the same time. We made the mistake of showing up to the ferry and it being sold out. So we had to pivot our trip. We booked tickets for the ferry and Gardens for the following day and it worked perfectly.

It was a 45 mins drive from the cruise port to the garden. Luckily my friends are smart enough to…read moreuse the public transit route which cost us $6 and it dropped us off right at the entrance to Butchart garden. A short walk and we paid for the entrance which was approximately $45 pp. I think price is a bit steep for a self tour garden. I think it should've been $25-$30 pp but that's my opinion. There's no rides, no shows or attraction whatsoever beside the theme gardens. We entered and saw several souvenir shops and eatery and information desk. Further is the trail towards the flowers garden that lead us to the sunken garden a little to the left. The sunken garden is a beautiful sight from above and below complete with water fountains and pond. The beauty doesn't stop there. Further walk to the right outside of the sunken garden is the rose and dahlia garden. The dahlia is something else! I've never seen so many in quantity and so many variety in one place! Just gorgeous and they're huge! I tried to take photos with my hands for comparison. A little walk further is the Japanese garden and this is what I call serenity, peace, tranquility. It was so quiet except for the trickle of water and the pond. I can imagine meditating in the Japanese garden. At the end we walked through the English garden and stop at the eatery for their huge bowl of chili and a hot dog and refreshment. They do offer complimentary water fyi so bring your water decanter if you have it. I bought a Coke Zero instead Near the exit I stopped by their window garden which is like a greenhouse packed full of flowers. My only disappointment was that I was expecting to see a greenhouse of exotic, tropical flowers and plants. They have an abundance of flowers and plants but they were all common variety. Roses, dahlia, vinca, marigold etc... I was hoping to see tropical orchids, hibiscus, tropical bird of paradise, torch ginger, monstera deliciosa, passion fruit flowers etc... I was also hoping they have a fruit orchard but the only fruit tree I saw was apple tree.

We came here during our brief stop in Victoria. Everything is absolutely gorgeous, creative, and…read moreincredibly well made. They also have an admirably wide variety of pieces and mediums, from glass to crochet, and even diy art kits. The studio itself is adorable and has a lovely vibe. Whether you're looking for decor or even just a souvenir, I would highly recommend stopping by

Miniature World has some truly impressive displays, and there were several miniatures that were…read moreincredibly detailed and beautifully crafted. It was clear that a lot of time and talent went into many of the exhibits. That said, the experience felt a bit inconsistent. Some areas were much more engaging than others, and a few of the displays didn't have the same level of detail. At times, multiple audio narrations were playing at once, which made it difficult to focus and became a little overwhelming. We also noticed that several of the interactive buttons and TV displays weren't working during our visit. For $19, I don't regret stopping by, but it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. For me, it's more of a one-time attraction than somewhere I'd visit again. If you enjoy miniature art and displays, it may be worth checking out, but it ultimately wasn't the right fit for my interests.

We had scoped out this as a place to stop with our 4 yr old. We walked over and her entry was free…read more She enjoyed all the buttons to push and the displays, the beginning part through "space" and all the castles and trains. We appreciated the stop. In general, I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to come back but with kids who like small things, trains, dioramas, it was worth doing! I think we were in and out in about an hour. I bet some kids could zoom through in less time (then maybe not worth the price?) and some kids might take 1.5-2 hours, so maybe try to gauge if you think its something you/your family would enjoy. Some displays had buttons that didn't work but for the most part if you looked or read the placard you could figure out what was going on.

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE What awaits you nicely tucked out of…read moretown (far away enough from the city, yet not as far as Central Saanich/Sidney) just off the highway is this little mini golf oasis that offers three rental accommodation units too (complete with unlimited mini golf). Five stars go towards this well-maintained gem! === THE GOLF Adults are $12.85 and kids are $8.55. That gets each of you 18 holes of golf and there's something for everyone: young, old, beginner, and advanced. At least two of the holes have a couple of options for you to hit into, which result in closer or further placement for the hole situated down below. $5 allows you to play again. === 3. SERVICE We were helped by a couple of ladies and both seemed friendly. They tend to what looked like plants they sell in the clubhouse as well as a small ice cream freezer (which starts at $4 a bar I believe). === 4. ENVIRONMENT It's a picturesque location with two big fountains and ups, downs, bridges over water and plenty of artificial turf and garden features. Wheelchairs and baby strollers will make it over most but not all of the holes (some had stairs only to get up or down). Parking is available in a decent-sized lot in front.

Fun, beautiful, and a bit challenging in the water park like setting!…read moreThe garden was meticulous and ever changing as you played through. Each hole was set up differently and it was fun to see who did the best! You should come to play a game yourself or bring the family!