Welcome to Victoria!

We are so excited you are coming to our beloved hometown for a visit! The team at HQ has compiled a list of our favourite things to eat, see and do to help you enjoy this beautiful west coast city as much we do. And do not forget to make time to meet up with our crew here – we always have a glass of chilled prosecco waiting for you. Want more ideas? Check out HelloBC’s page on Victoria.

Eat

Bodega
One of our favourite spots for food and drinks in town. Enjoy Spanish tapas in a well-designed space where the chefs and mixologists work side-by-side right behind the well-stocked bar.

Tacofino
When we do team taco lunches, we get the good stuff from here.

Yalla
Come for the authentic falafels, shawarma, halloumi and oh-so-tasty frozen mint lemonade. In summer, take your order to go and find a seat in the hidden courtyard of Fort Common behind the restaurant. (Look for the courtyard entrance between Starbucks and Be Love, just a door or two down from Yalla.)

Fol Epi
Find delicious pastries and the best baguettes in town at Fol Epi. Adjoining resto Agrius serves up innovative cocktails and a celebrated locally-sourced menu.

Jam Café
There’s always a queue to get in, but having brunch at Jam means your day is off to a good start.

Foo Ramen Bar
If you’re feeling like noodles, this is the place to go.

Nourish
On the other side of the Inner Harbour towards James Bay, this modern restaurant in a heritage house is the perfect place for a quick coffee or a leisurely meal.

Brasserie L’École
Simple yet delicious French country food in a chic bistro atmosphere. No reservations taken, so come early.

Red Fish Blue Fish
Open seasonally, this eatery in a former shipping container on the dock serves incredibly tasty seafood. Queues are long during lunch rush hours, so time your visit accordingly.

Zambri’s
Beloved by locals for almost 20 years, Zambri’s brings the crowds for its hand-made fresh pastas and other authentic Italian dishes served in a cool modern space.

End Dive
A new punk rock pescetarian bar and eatery that is the scene of the moment.

Drink

Coffee

Habit
We frequent the Chinatown shop for its chill Victoria vibe.

Hey Happy
A colourful spot on LoJo to get your fix.

Discovery Coffee
They roast a mean bean and have several popular locations around the city.

Murchie’s
Get off the hipster train in favour of the OG of Victoria coffee (and tea) shops.

Bean Around the World
Good coffee, good vibes at this long-standing Chinatown café.

Hide + Seek
If you find yourself in charming Oak Bay, stop in at this trendy nook (and especially on Sundays when they serve up gourmet waffles).

Drinks

Whistle Buoy
Cool vibes and a sunny patio in Market Square beckon us downtown for frequent after-work drinks.

Q Bar
Newly renovated and very posh, the bar named for Queen Victoria at the Empress Hotel is always busy and always worth it.

Little Jumbo
One of the first bars on the city’s craft-cocktail scene, this hip bistro brings home all the style.

Swans
Both a brewpub and hotel, come for the house beer and excellent gallery of First Nations’ artwork on the walls.

Clive’s Classic Lounge
One of the top cocktail lounges in the city, Clive’s is famous for its innovative creations.

Bard and Banker
A traditional English-style pub, this is the place to come for live music, solid drinks, and an energetic crowd.

Phillips
One of Victoria’s most popular small-batch breweries, Phillips offers tours to whet your palette, and a brand-new tasting room to enjoy your favourites.

The Churchill
Like a tiny secret oasis in the midst of the tourist track, this bar serves up an extensive selection of whiskies, cocktails and local draught beer.

The Local
If you’re looking for a sunny patio with a water view filled with tourists and locals alike, this buzzy bar will fit the bill.

See

Chinatown
One of Victoria’s most lively and historic neighbourhoods, Chinatown has trendy shops tucked in beside long-standing Chinese restaurants and groceries, bohemian artist lofts, and tacky tourist stores. Although becoming increasingly gentrified, Chinatown still retains its charm and mystery; it’s a great place to explore with your camera. Don’t miss walking down Fan Tan Alley, Canada’s narrowest street at 3-6 feet wide.

Upper Fort
Once known as “Antique Row” due to its overabundance of antiques shops and auction houses, Fort Street (from Douglas St to Cook St) has recently become a trendy strip for innovative food vendors, fashionable boutiques and start-ups. It still has the odd antique along the way, but most people now hit it for its diversity of great shopping and restaurants.

Royal BC Museum
It’s on every tourist’s itinerary, but it’s also a favourite thing to do for locals – it’s that good! RBCM is a world-class museum well worth at least a half-day exploring its treasure trove of BC history and art.

Beacon Hill Park
This beautiful urban park is full of flowers, wildlife, trees, expansive ocean views and best of all, baby goats!

Fisherman’s Wharf
On the James Bay side of the Inner Harbour, tiny Fisherman’s Wharf thrives with its docks of colourful float homes, fish and chips kiosks, and working fishers bringing in the day’s catch.

Do

Ride the pickle boats
Get around different points of the city via the Harbour Ferry, aka the “pickle boats,” with a variety of stops where you can hop on/hop off. If you’re at the harbour at the right time, you can watch all the captains start their day by synching up their boats in a fun “water ballet.”

Walk the breakwater
In James Bay by the cruise ship terminal is the Ogden Point breakwater, a popular place for locals to take a stroll along the cement jetty.

Robert Bateman Centre
Housed in the city’s elegant former railway station, Robert Bateman’s gallery features his work as Canada’s preeminent wildlife artist.

Ghostly Walks
Victoria is well-known for being a haunted city, and this tour company gives you all the dirt behind some of our most-famous (and infamous) ghosts.

Shopping

LoJo
Our former office was on Lower Johnson Street, affectionately dubbed LoJo, and we were spoilt for shopping right at our feet. This short block between Wharf St and Government St is jam-packed full of great shops like Violette, Regional Assembly of Text, Oh Sugar, LululemonStill Life, BagginsRook & Rose, Camera Traders, and Fluevog Shoes.

Roger’s Chocolates
Yes, every tourist will be packing home some of these famous chocolates, but a trip to the original shop on Government Street is a sweet tooth’s fantasy.

Munro’s
Hands-down the best bookshop anywhere for its Neo-classical architecture, beautiful interior, intelligent and helpful staff, and well-displayed rows of books. Prepare to spend hours here.

Silk Road
Custom teas, apothecary, and beautiful mugs are the hallmarks of this favourite Chinatown shop. If you have time, a spa treatment in their basement studio is a sensory treat.

Smoking Lily
Quirky silk-screened fashion with fun gifts and artful accessories in a chic heritage building. You’re guaranteed to come out with something you adore.

Public Mercantile
Find beautiful things from around the world in this beautiful modern boutique owned by two Flytographer HQ-ers!

Chintz & Co
In a pretty ivy-covered brick building, this homewares store is a visual feast spread over two floors.

Nicholas Randall
A well-curated selection of giftware, clothing, cards, and baby goods, this Oak Bay shop is on the shopping circuit for many of us.

Pigeonhole Home Store
A pretty little outlet on the way to Oak Bay filled with vintage furniture and housewares.

Need a good read while waiting for the ferry?

Passport Magazine

Check out all our issues here.

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