Excellent eats and great service. Interesting specials, and a cozy vibe. No notes. Friendly and…read moreattentive staff.

Duncan's best-kept secret just set the gold standard. From the moment we walked into the Old…read moreFirehouse, it felt like we were stepping into a vibe that hits that rare, perfect note: elevated but unpretentious, energetic but intimate. Huge shoutout to Owner-turned-Mixology-Mastermind Jeff, who absolutely crushed it behind the bar -- every cocktail and mocktail was a handcrafted work of art that could hold court in any top-tier city. We're talking serious flavour fireworks here. And April -- what can we say? Her service made us feel like VIPs who owned the joint. She read the room, anticipated every move, and wrapped the whole evening in the kind of hospitality you can't teach: pure instinct, heart, and grace. The food? Next level. Every bite was a flex of flavor and presentation. The kitchen is clearly playing in its own league, balancing creativity with pure culinary muscle. Combine that with an ambience that feels like cozy meets cool, and you've got an absolute home run. If you haven't experienced Firehouse Grill yet, fix that immediately.

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.

It is a brave thing to open a new restaurant during a pandemic but I am so glad that Rain Dogs took…read morethe chance! This is my new favourite downtown eatery! Wonderful decor, amazing art, great music - but most importantly a fabulous menu. We tried everything in the dinner menu and nothing disappointed. It is impossible to name a favourite. The duck tortellini and the accompanying sauce was so delicious; the pulpo was cooked to perfection; the salmon melted in your mouth. The bread (baked in-house) was as bread should be. The wine selection was impressive and the Gun Street Girl cocktail is my new favourite! Have decided to make Rain Dogs Wine Bar our weekly date night restaurant. Check it out!!!!

I'm new to visiting Victoria and have been making my way through the varied and highly touted…read morelatest and greatest bars and eateries. Was it the attention? Was it the wine list? Was it the menu? I loved all of it. It will be my first stop each and every time I visit. Bar none.

This place was magical. Period. Amazing wine selection, Rachel and her staff were so welcoming and…read moreknowledgeable, and the vibes were simply immaculate. Can't wait to return!

Decided to pop on here due to signage out front. Super cool vibes and decor. Friendly service and…read morelots of good beverage options. Wine, beer, cocktails and cider. I had a peach cider. Felt like a neighborhood bar for sure. Not sure if they had food offerings but on that night you could bring in outside food. Check it out and treat yourself!!

We discovered this spot on our recent trip and it was INCREDIBLE! What we loved:…read more- Our waiter was very cool & great to talk to - The cocktails (a lot of which our waiter had invented I believe) were amazing including my husband's Canadian Tuxedo whisky drink that included a red wine foam. I also loved my frozen espresso martini - The wine list was great and reasonably priced - The food was delicious and a great price for the quality. The brown sugar tart dessert, for example, was so good and tasted a bit like an amazing cheesecake. All the appetizers and mains were perfect too! As we were finishing dinner around 8:30 pm-ish on Friday night, new guests arrived for their Happy Hour which included great food options (that we skipped since we were full from dinner) and specialty cocktails were around $13. Such a great price for such delicious and fun drinks! We'd hoped to come back the following night again but ended up getting tied up with kids' bedtime and missed it. We were bummed since we really wanted to go back to try the Happy Hour and more cocktails!

Amazing doesn't even begin to describe my experience at Atelier in Sidney…read more The service by Cade was beyond anything I've experienced - his brilliant demeanour and knowledge of all the dishes and drinks were top notch. The food we had were the following; freshly made bread + whipped butter, the decadent prawns , chicken pot pie and 3-course tasting menu (pork belly, stunning scallops and he best chocolate torte I have ever tasted. I can't say enough about this food and service. Our only hiccup was the cold draft coming in - but the food and service was so good, that we can overlook. We can't wait to come back!! Thank you for an amazing experience!!

I've come to realize that Canadian wines just aren't my jam. They tend to be on the drier side and…read morethat just isn't my preference. But regardless, I love exploring new wine regions and had a lovely visit to Church & State during my honeymoon. We made a reservation ahead of time and got to enjoy a tasting at the bar before grabbing a glass to enjoy on the patio with a cheese board. Service during the tasting was just okay. Our server out on the patio was much warmer and provided us more information about the wines and the property. While there, we saw a wedding party arrive as they host weddings here. No surprise as the grounds are absolutely gorgeous! The view from the patio is stunning and it felt like the perfect getaway!

Came for the bubbles and stayed for the views…read more Church and State Winery is a gorgeous spot specializing in sparkling flights, with plenty more to enjoy on their full lunch menu. You can choose between a sparkling flight or red flight from their sister location in the Okanagan. I ordered the bison burger with fries, and while the burger was solid, the fries were standout--crispy, golden perfection! The views from the deck overlooking the vineyards make it an ideal place to linger over a glass (or two)! A great addition to a day spent touring the Butchart and the Butterfly Gardens :)

Lovely, lovely, lovely! We were here on a stunning early June evening. Beautiful atmosphere, great…read moreservice and tasty wines. No food is available here but there are restaurants all around us. The views are fabulous. We'll be back.

Service was very poor. We were asked what we wanted, when we ordered, the person said ask the other…read moreserver. She served other tables who came after us. We ordered food, didn't even see it by the time we asked for our check. No apologies. The ambiance and the view are great. Otherwise, for a Saturday evening they were not prepared at all.

We had a charcuterie board, cheese and wine - the host Bryan was very welcoming and went above and…read morebeyond! We had a great late night in Anacortes.

Super friendly and cute place…read more We went close to close and the staff still let us come in and enjoy a quick little wine sesh The back spot wash set up so cute for pics too

One of the best bars I have been to in a while, I was surprised to slip right in for a table of 4…read moreon a beautiful June Saturday night. All the drinks we had were top notch and unlike others I've had anywhere else. My favorites were the Lost Luggage and Pingu Club. The server was attentive and knowledgeable as he was the creator of a handful of them on the menu.

Humboldt was a perfect stop for a drink before dinner. I love the ambience - dark, soft lighting,…read moreplush seating. It reminded me of cocktail bars in NYC. Our server was super knowledgeable and we loved our drinks. I'd go back in a heartbeat!

These people are amazing and their customer service is just wonderful. They helped me out yesterday…read morewith an order that I am very grateful for. Thank you so much. Barb Calgary

THIS PLACE IS A RIP-OFF…read more July 27, 2019. This morning six guys including myself had breakfast at The Roost. At the end of the meal we received our bills. They had added a tip of $2.70 without any forewarning to my bill. When questioned they said it was for service for MORE than six. I pointed out that we were only six, not more than six. The response was, "But you made a reservation for seven." I asked how I was to have known this in that there was no information on the menu. The response was. "You should have been told when you made the reservation." The fellow who made the reservation shook his head "no". I asked what was the percentage? It was EIGHTEEN 18% !!!!! To top off the insanity, the mobile credit card terminal invited the user to tip again !!!!! On top off the tip and the tax !!!!! No offer was made to correct their mistake in that we were only six and uninformed patrons. At that point we recognized this as a lost cause and left noting to them that they were now struck from our weekly Saturday morning breakfast list. Don't go there. Please.