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Victoria

Food · Victoria · Canada

What to eat in Victoria

The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Victoria, and where locals actually eat them.

Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team

Photo: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0

Quick answer

Start with Afternoon tea, Fish and chips and BC spot prawns. The city's signature splurge: a long tea service in the Empress's Lobby Lounge overlooking the harbour. Menu prices exclude 5% GST, and 7% PST on most restaurant food and drink (10% on alcohol) is added at the till.

Key facts

Signature dish
Afternoon tea
Vegetarian-friendly picks
5
Tipping
Tip 15–20% on the pre-tax amount at restaurants and bars, about $1–$2 per drink, 10–15%…
Food experiences
4

10 foods to try

Dish · Vegetarian

1.Afternoon tea

Tea with finger sandwiches, warm scones, clotted cream, jam and pastries, a tradition Victoria has kept from its British colonial days. Several hotels and tea rooms serve it.

Where: The Fairmont Empress is the classic; tea rooms in Oak Bay and the Butchart Gardens Dining Room are alternatives.

Street food

2.Fish and chips

Battered halibut, cod or salmon with chips, often eaten outdoors by the harbour. Halibut is the local favourite.

Where: Stands at Fisherman's Wharf and waterfront shacks along the Inner Harbour.

Dish

3.BC spot prawns

Sweet, large prawns caught off the BC coast during a short spring season, served simply grilled or with garlic butter.

Where: Seafood restaurants and fish markets during the season, usually May to June.

Dish

4.Dungeness crab

Whole steamed local crab, cracked and eaten with butter — a West Coast feast.

Where: Seafood restaurants, and Fisherman's Wharf, where crab is sometimes sold straight from boats.

Snack

5.Smoked and candied salmon

Pacific salmon, often sockeye, smoked or cured with maple or brown sugar into chewy 'candy' strips, sold vacuum-packed.

Where: Fish shops and specialty stores downtown; it travels well as a gift.

Dish

6.Vancouver Island oysters

Cold-water oysters from the island's east coast and inlets, served raw with mignonette or barbecued in the shell.

Where: Oyster bars and seafood restaurants downtown and around the Inner Harbour.

Dessert · Vegetarian

7.Nanaimo bar

A no-bake bar of chocolate-coconut-crumb base, custard buttercream and a chocolate top, named after Nanaimo up the island.

Where: Bakeries and cafés across the city.

Drink · Vegetarian

8.London Fog

An Earl Grey tea latte with steamed milk and vanilla syrup, a British Columbia café staple well suited to rainy winter days.

Where: Independent cafés downtown, in Fernwood and in Cook Street Village.

Drink · Vegetarian

9.Craft beer

Victoria was one of the first Canadian cities with brewpubs, and it now has a dense cluster of craft breweries around downtown and Vic West.

Where: Brewery taprooms in the Rock Bay area north of downtown and waterfront brewpubs in Vic West.

Drink · Vegetarian

10.Saanich Peninsula cider

Orchard-grown craft ciders from farms on the Saanich Peninsula, made from heritage apple varieties.

Where: Cideries north of the city, near Butchart Gardens and Sidney, which run tasting rooms.

Food experiences

Afternoon tea at the Empress

The city's signature splurge: a long tea service in the Empress's Lobby Lounge overlooking the harbour. Dress smart-casual and book ahead.

Fish and chips at Fisherman's Wharf

Take the harbour ferry to the wharf, order halibut and chips and watch the seals and float homes.

Saanich Peninsula farm and cider tour

Drive north for farm stands, cideries and wineries on the rural Saanich Peninsula, combined with Butchart Gardens.

Brewery crawl

Walk between the craft breweries clustered north of downtown and the brewpubs on the Vic West waterfront.

Quick bites and street food

  • Fish and chips — Stands at Fisherman's Wharf and waterfront shacks along the Inner Harbour.
  • Smoked and candied salmon — Fish shops and specialty stores downtown; it travels well as a gift.

Vegetarian options

Of the 10 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Afternoon tea, Nanaimo bar, London Fog, Craft beer and Saanich Peninsula cider. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.

Eating out: tips and etiquette

  • Menu prices exclude 5% GST, and 7% PST on most restaurant food and drink (10% on alcohol) is added at the till.
  • Popular downtown restaurants fill up on summer weekends and cruise days; book dinner ahead.
  • Spot prawn season is short, usually May to June; look for specials.
  • Many cafés and casual restaurants close by mid-afternoon or early evening.
  • Ask for 'Ocean Wise' or sustainable seafood choices; many restaurants mark them on menus.

Tipping

Tip 15–20% on the pre-tax amount at restaurants and bars, about $1–$2 per drink, 10–15% for taxis, and $10–$20 per person for whale-watching guides if you are pleased.

Questions travellers ask

+What food is Victoria famous for?

Afternoon tea, Fish and chips, BC spot prawns and Dungeness crab. Tea with finger sandwiches, warm scones, clotted cream, jam and pastries, a tradition Victoria has kept from its British colonial days.

+Is Victoria good for vegetarians?

Several local staples are meat-free, including Afternoon tea, Nanaimo bar and London Fog.

+Do you tip in restaurants in Victoria?

Tip 15–20% on the pre-tax amount at restaurants and bars, about $1–$2 per drink, 10–15% for taxis, and $10–$20 per person for whale-watching guides if you are pleased.