Vancouver Island Restaurants

[barolo]

I just wrote a long piece about Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse that I accidentally deleted.

The short version is that this newly opened spot on the Saanich Peninsula, just off the highway from Swartz Bay to Victoria, is worth visiting for the cider, the view and the charcuterie platter. They also sell apple cider vinegar and honey.

2487 Mt. St. Michael Road, Saanichton BC. Open Wednesdays to Sundays

(& holiday Mondays), 11 am to 7 pm

[Hugh]

Go to Stage.

Eat the Goat Cheese Cake.

Be Happy.

(It's guaranteed to work.)

[Betts]

Sis and I have 5 days in Victoria in mid April. She has booked "Tea at the Empress" ( I read all 8 pages of this topic - I take it that this experience is not highly thought of - more tourist than gastronomic).

Will make res 's at BrasserieEcole and plan on Choux Choux for lunch. Is Pomodori Cucina and it's eccentric chef still going? Any good ideas for a Sunday dinner after a long flight? We are staying at The Rosewood Inn which includes breakfast but any other recs are appreciated.

Last thought : Is there a local specialty, a not to be missed item that Victorians enjoy?

[twinkienic]

If you have access to a car, dinner at Rosemeade (http://www.englishinn.ca/dining.html) over in Esquimalt is always nice. Otherwise, The Superior (www.thesuperior.ca) is close to your inn.

You might want to plan Monday night dinner ahead of time because a lot of places in Victoria are closed Mondays.

[Matt R.]

Stage is ridiculously good, and open Monday.

-- Matt.

[Hugh]

Kaz has live Sea Urchin(Uni) and the chef says he is going to carry it as often as possible. It is incredibly good. Definitely worth a visit.

[Edible Vancouver]

Sis and I have 5 days in Victoria in mid April.  She has booked "Tea at the Empress" ( I read all 8 pages of this topic - I take it that this experience is not highly thought of - more tourist than gastronomic).

Will make res 's at BrasserieEcole and plan on Choux Choux for lunch.  Is Pomodori Cucina and it's eccentric chef still going?  Any good ideas for a Sunday dinner after a long flight?  We are staying at The Rosewood Inn which includes breakfast  but any other recs are appreciated. 

Last thought :  Is there a local specialty, a not to be missed item that Victorians enjoy?

←

I would suggest Paprika or Stage (both owned by the same fellow) as they are two of the best in the area. For a great "locals" place, check out Red Fish, Blue Fish down on the waterfront from fantastic cheap seafood.

I will be over in Victoria in the middle of March researching an article I am doing on the best 52 hours of food in the city, so I will be able to give you more up to date details after that trip.

Cheers,

Eric

[chamekke]

I would suggest Paprika or Stage (both owned by the same fellow) as they are two of the best in the area.  For a great "locals" place, check out Red Fish, Blue Fish down on the waterfront from fantastic cheap seafood.

I will be over in Victoria in the middle of March researching an article I am doing on the best 52 hours of food in the city, so I will be able to give you more up to date details after that trip.

←

Hi Eric,

I'd be really interested in hearing what you thought of dining in Victoria!

Today someone mentioned Red Fish, Blue Fish to me for the first time, so I'll have to try it out. This was right after having lunch at Fish on Fifth up in Sidney (affordable seafood - also well liked for its yam chips with curry mayonnaise).

[Edible Vancouver]

Hi - here is the rundown from my trip a couple of weeks ago...

Be sure to go and check out Red Fish, Blue Fish. It is run by two guys who opened and ran Go Fish for Gord Martin here in Vancouver, and they have improved on the original. The fish tacos and seafood burgers are amazing!

Some of the other places I check out that I would recommend include:

Brasserie L’Ecole – 1715 Government Street, Victoria (250) 475-6260 http://www.lecole.ca - still the best fries and beer in Canada

Café Mela – 748 Humboldt Street, Victoria (250) 33-0288 - awesome little cafe for traditional afternoon tea - skip the Empress

Choux Choux – 830 Fort Street, Victoria (250) 382-7572 http://www.chouxchoux.ca - the only true Charcuterie shop in town - perfect for a afternoon picnic

Habit Coffee Bar – 522 Pandora, Victoria (No phone or web site) - best coffee and gossip in Victoria

Lady Marmalade – 608 Johnson Street, Victoria (250) 381-2872 http://www.ladymarmalade.ca - fantastic breakfasts

Marley Farms - 1831D Nount Newton X. Rd, Saanichton (250) 652-8667 http://www.marleyfarm.ca - fun fruit winery in Sidney - the perfect stop as soon as you get off the plane or ferry

Niche – 225 Quebec Street, Victoria (250) 388-4255 http://www.nichedining.com - funky, modern room with good food

Paprika – 2524 Estevan Ave, Victoria (250) 592-7424 http://www.paprika-bistro.com - my favorite local's place

Pig – 749 View Street, Victoria (250) 381-4677 (No Web Site) - yummy lunch where everyone from construction workers to CEO's frequent

Plenty Epicurean Pantry – 1034 Fort Street, Victoria (250) 380-7654 http://www.epicureanpantry.ca - the place to find those hard to find spices, etc.

Sea Cider – 2487 Mt. St. Michael Road, Victoria (250) 544-4824 http://www.seacider.ca - another place to check out as you get off the ferry - awesome ciders!

Silk Road Tea Shop – 1624 Government Street, Victoria (250) 704-2688 http://www.silkroadtea.com - pick up the seamist tea (it will transport you back to the seaside every time you drink it), but also enjoy a spa treatment

Stage – 1307 Gladstone Ave., Victoria (250) 388-4222 (No Web Site) - Victoria's version of Salt, but better, as they have a full kitchen.

If you are interested, this is where I stayed last time and I would recommend them both. They are very different, but both have their charms and the breakfast at Villa Marco Polo is worth the trip along!

Villa Marco Polo – 1524 Shasta Place, Victoria (1-877) 601-1524 http://www.villamarcopolo.com

Oswego Hotel – 500 Oswego Street, Victoria (1-877) 294-7500 http://www.oswegovictoria.com

If you live in Victoria or are going there and need the services of a caterer, be sure to look up David Feys at Feys & Hobbs. They are doing some of the most creative dishes I have ever seen, and they also have an awesome take out section of ready to go meals. They are so creative, they do not even have standard menus as every client is different, so they design everything from scratch depending on the needs of the person/event.

http://www.feysandhobbs.com/

Enjoy your time in Victoria!

Cheers,

Eric

[sandercohan]

Hey guys,

So my fiancee and I are spending our honeymoon in Vancouver Island. We'll be there from June 9-15. We're spending two nights on Mayne Island, then moving onto Tofino, where we're going to spend three nights, then trucking back to Vancouver, where we'll spend one night there before heading back to Boston.

Yep, it's a lot of driving and a lot of ferry trips, but we love both (we're big fans of the Maine coast), so there you go. We also really like to eat.

We have plans to eat at Pointe in Tofino, but I wanted to get some recommendations from you guys for some other spots, especially if there are some "must-try" places. Also, if you have an idea of a really great lunch place between Victoria and Tofino that would be much obliged. Our tastes run pretty broad, and your suggestions don't have to be fancy, or even sit-down.

Thanks for your help!

Sander

[Zucchini Mama]

Hey guys,

So my fiancee and I are spending our honeymoon in Vancouver Island.  We'll be there from June 9-15.  We're spending two nights on Mayne Island, then moving onto Tofino, where we're going to spend three nights, then trucking back to Vancouver, where we'll spend one night there before heading back to Boston.

Yep, it's a lot of driving and a lot of ferry trips, but we love both (we're big fans of the Maine coast), so there you go.  We also really like to eat. 

We have plans to eat at Pointe in Tofino, but I wanted to get some recommendations from you guys for some other spots, especially if there are some "must-try" places.  Also, if you have an idea of a really great lunch place between Victoria and Tofino that would be much obliged. Our tastes run pretty broad, and your suggestions don't have to be fancy, or even sit-down.

Thanks for your help!

Sander

←

Well, we've just been to Thyme on the Ocean in Comox, which I highly reccommend--it may be a bit out of your way, but you can zip up there pretty fast on the new highway. They have a Napolean Pizza menu at lunch, as well as other goodies. I had the Tartuffo Nero with black truffle paste, wild mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella from Fairburn Farms which was outstanding. They have other lunch items such as a Fisherman's Soup and lunch specials with a focus on local ingredients. Stop in Cakebread Bakery in Courtenay to pick up some excellent bread--the Garlic Miche is brilliant.

Edited May 28, 2008 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[Brenda]

Try the Crow and Gate in Cedar just south of Nanaimo. It's a great English pub out in the country. Also, take a side trip to Hazelwood Herb Farm in Cedar.

[tangaloor]

I have a trip to Tofino coming up later this week. Has anyone got any hot tips on the dining front out that way? I know a few of the usual suspects and read EAT's updates, but I'm looking for the real scoop! And is there anywhere worth dropping in to while we take a pitstop in Port Alberni? Now that would be a real scoop.