Whenever we’re on Vancouver Island, we always make sure to stop by Victoria to explore their amazing food scene! Here are some restaurants in Victoria that we’ve enjoyed dining at over the years. For some fun things to do in Victoria, click here.
NAUTICAL NELLIES
Nautical Nellies is a steak and seafood house in downtown Victoria located by the water. We were looking for nice restaurants in Victoria for a steak night and chose Nautical Nellies as it was about a 10-minute walk from our hotel. We loved the Filet Mignon & Baked Atlantic Lobster Tail! We’d definitely return for this dish.
Location: 1001 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T6. Click here for the map.
GREEN CUISINE VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
We stumbled across this Green Cuisine Vegetarian Restaurant on a walk and were really impressed by the amazing selection of vegan food. They have kombucha on tap, as well as a variety of baked goods and nutritious vegan foods. The restaurant operates in a buffet or cafeteria style, where you can pick and choose what to eat. We loved their soups, curry and cake.
Location: 560 Johnson Street #5 At Market Square’s Courtyard, Victoria, BC V8W 3C6. Click here for the map.
SHINE CAFÉ
Brunch in Victoria was what we were most looking forward to during our stay. On our last day in Victoria, we went to Shine Café at their downtown location for gourmet traditional breakfast. They have a second location on Fort Street. The portions here were very generous and we were stuffed! Vegan and vegetarian options available.
Location: 1324 Blanshard Street Victoria BC, V8W 2J1. Click here for the map.
NOURISH KITCHEN & CAFE
One of our favourite restaurants in Victoria is Nourish Kitchen & Café. The restaurant is in a Victorian house with a unique location in a residential area. There were lots of options for anyone who has dietary restrictions or allergies. We got the Golden Benny (gluten-free and dairy-free) with the most delicious turmeric cashew hollandaise sauce and mouth-watering smoked bacon. We also enjoyed Nourish Kitchen & Café’s bone broth as an appetizer. Everything was so tasty, but also felt healthy and nutritious.
Location: 225 Quebec St, Victoria, BC V8V 1W2. Click here for the map.
GHOST RAMEN
We love ramen and a few locals suggested we check out Ghost Ramen, a casual eatery in Victoria’s Chinatown. We were happy to learn that they make their noodles in-house! The broths were not as rich as the ramen that I’m used to in Vancouver, but it was still tasty.
Location: 1609 Store St, Victoria, BC V8W 3K3. Click here for the map.
BURGER CRUSH
This no-frills burger joint serves up a mean classic burger. Though it’s considered fast food, it’s higher quality! We were pleasantly surprised to find a variety of vegan options and that Burger Crush’s vegan patties are made in-house. They also have vegan nuggets and vegan ice cream shakes! This meal was so satisfying and brought me back to my childhood.
Location: 787 Fort St, Victoria, BC V8W 1H2. Click here for the map.
FERN CAFÉ AND BAKERY
We were looking for some sweets and stopped by Fern Café and Bakery, a vegan bakery in Fernwood, a residential neighbourhood in Victoria. I was hoping to get my hands on their vegan donuts, but they were sold out. However, we enjoyed their chai lattes and vegan buttermilk pancakes with blueberry compote. The pancakes were nice and fluffy, and the addition of the coconut whipped cream was delicious.
Location: 1-1115 N Park St, Victoria, BC V8T 1C7. Click here for the map.
DUMPLING DROP
We are big dumpling fans! The handmade dumplings at Dumpling Drop in Victoria’s Chinatown are not the traditional Chinese-style, but still yummy. They also serve baos and side dishes like cucumbers and mango sticky rice. The portions are a bit on the smaller side, so we ended up having to order more servings. The restaurant also offers frozen dumplings for those who’d prefer to cook them at home.
Location: 556A Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC V8W 1N7. Click here for the map.