Caviar Bistro

This lovely spot overlooking the marina offers a varied menu of pastries, coffee drinks, cold drinks, a few sandwiches and wraps, omelets, egg dishes, hummus, baba ganoush, and even pizza. Just about the only thing Caviar Bistro doesn’t offer is… caviar!

The pizza had a nice thin, crisp center with a chewy edge. Hummus was nicely seasoned.

Shout out for the blueberry roibos tea!

Service was friendly and quick. 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/caviar-bistro-vancouver

The Park Pub

We’ve been looking for a local pub with great food and a friendly ambiance, and I’m delighted to have found this place. Such a great pub food menu it was hard to choose, and then it was impossible to choose a favorite. We had:

Nachos (with no beans). The half-order was huge! They were carefully layered with lots of cheese and jalapenos, and served with generous sides of sour cream and salsa.

Cheese fingers with tomato soup. These were actually four slices of a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, filled with a variety of cheeses that worked well together, melted onto perfectly grilled sourdough.

Yorkshire pudding filled with braised beef. What a creative dish! The beef was so succulent!

Service was friendly, and there are lots of screens for sports fans. Highly recommended.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-park-pub-vancouver

Q at the Empress

This upscale dining restaurant is in a beautiful room, but is open to the often very boisterous bar, which interferes with what otherwise would be an elegant experience.

The menu offers a nice selection of appealing starters, but a somewhat limited selection of entrees.

We visited twice, because there are, frankly, not a lot of fine dining options in Victoria.

Standouts were the Crunchy Leaves (basically a Caesar salad) and the beautifully plated asparagus entree.

Least impressive was the sable fish, a large steamed chunk that was pretty much flavorless.

Service both nights was excellent.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/q-at-the-empress-victoria?osq=Q

Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard

This beautiful facility offers complete tasting experiences that include a tour of the vineyard, crush facility, and the cellar. The setting is absolutely fantastic, overlooking acres of vineyards. The main building is a stunning architectural wonder that combines the Tasting Room with the production facility. Terrific hospitality from welcoming hosts, And an interesting selection of wines from the adjoining estates.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/blue-grouse-estate-winery-and-vineyard-duncan

Little Jumbo

This delightful little restaurant has a speak-easy feel without any affectation. \

Cocktail quality is front and center here, with an ever-changing list of thoughtful twists on classics and creative new concoctions.

The menu is equally well thought-out, with a varied list of starters and sharing plates, and a handful of impeccable entrees.

The staff were the real highlight, with friendly and efficient service. The entire restaurant was being handled by just two people; from front desk to bar to table service, and they made it look easy.

Highly recommended.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/little-jumbo-victoria?osq=Little+Jumbo