01
Downtown Downtown Guide
Zambri's
An Italian institution from chef Peter Zambri, serving rustic regional pasta, wood-fired pizza, and seasonal mains in a high-ceilinged room inside the Atrium building.
Best Downtown Victoria Restaurants.
The best downtown Victoria restaurants, from Chinatown and Bastion Square to the Inner Harbour and the Pandora corridor.
23 current picks · 5 archive links · Updated June 2026
Quick answer
Where to start
Start with Zambri's, Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar, and Il Terrazzo. The archive links below are worth a scroll for the backstory — just check hours and details before you head out, since they change.
- Current picks
- 23
- Archive support
- 5
- Coverage
- Downtown Guide
Best Downtown Victoria Restaurants
Reliable lunches, slow dinners, and pre-show bites within walking distance of the hotels, offices, and the harbour.
Treat this as a shortlist, not gospel. Start with the current picks, raid the archive links for the backstory, and always check hours, menus, and reservations before you head out — these things move around.
The archive isn't filler. It's here when an older Tasting Victoria story still explains why a place, neighbourhood, or dish is worth your time.
- Central Victoria location
- Strong fit for visitors and locals
- Useful for lunch, breakfast, brunch, dinner, drinks, or date night
- Listed in the Tasting Victoria editor picks
Local picks
23 places
02
Downtown Downtown Guide
Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar
Toptable's elevated West Coast room — globally sourced seafood, a Japanese-leaning raw bar, and a serious dinner menu of towers and steak frites. Named Canada's Best New Restaurant.
03
Downtown Downtown Guide
Il Terrazzo
Inspired by Northern Italian cuisine with a Pacific Northwest twist, Il Terrazzo has served Victoria for three decades from its hidden Waddington Alley courtyard with six fireplaces and a vine-draped patio.
04
Downtown Downtown Guide
Tourist Wine Bar
A small, low-lit natural wine bar with a tightly edited list of bottles and a snack-driven menu of charcuterie, oysters, and chef's plates that change weekly.
05
Harris Green Downtown Guide
J&J Wonton Noodle House
A long-standing family-run Cantonese and Szechuan spot known for hand-made noodles, dumplings, and wonton soup made from scratch in a tiny open kitchen on Fort Street's restaurant row.
06
Downtown Downtown Guide
Cafe Malabar
A Keralan kitchen perched on the Inner Harbour at the edge of Old Town, with a waterfront patio and a menu built around South Indian cuisine using local seafood and produce.
07
Pandora Downtown Guide
Tacofino
The Tofino-born taqueria's Victoria outpost, slinging tacos and burritos from a stripped-back storefront.
08
Chinatown Downtown Guide
Brasserie L'École
A small French country brasserie at the edge of Chinatown. Since 2001, the room has stayed intimate, the wine list deep, and steak frites and mussels among the city's most-ordered plates.
09
Chinatown Downtown Guide
Rabbit Rabbit
A snug, sexy wine bar in Chinatown with a low-lit room, an ever-changing bottle list, and a kitchen turning out shareable plates built around local produce.
10
Bastion Square Downtown Guide
Wind Cries Mary
Cozy ambiance with dimmed lighting and a beautiful courtyard patio. Nose-to-tail butchery drives a dynamic, ever-changing menu paired with a deep cocktail list.
11
Pandora Downtown Guide
Rudi
A European-inspired room across from City Hall, doing fresh pasta, charcuterie, and shareable plates that nod to Central European heritage. Open weekdays for lunch; evenings only Sat–Sun.
12
Downtown Downtown Guide
Chobap Sushi Bar
Victoria's first 8-seat omakase counter from Osaka-trained chef Sun Min — a tightly composed multi-course menu built around small-boat catches, with a focused sake pairing list.
13
Downtown Downtown Guide
Yua Japanese Bistro
A modern Japanese bistro in Old Town with a bright dining room popular for casual weeknights. The aburi oshi is some of the best in the city.
14
Inner Harbour Downtown Guide
Red Fish Blue Fish
A harbourside takeaway built inside a recycled shipping container, serving Ocean Wise–certified fish and chips, tacones, and chowder to a near-permanent queue. Closed in winter.
15
Downtown Downtown Guide
Uchida Eatery
Handcrafted Japanese cooking since 2012. Donburis, sashimi, grilled mackerel — simple, tasty, takeout-friendly, with a small menu that turns over with the seasons.
16
Downtown Downtown Guide
Ferris' Burger & Oyster Bar
A two-floor downtown stalwart since 1991 — casual main-floor burger and grill open daily, oyster bar upstairs Wed–Sun evenings, with a steady happy-hour crowd for shucked bivalves and pints.
17
Downtown Downtown Guide
Nubo Japanese Tapas
A small-plates Japanese izakaya doing yakitori, robata-grilled skewers, and creative maki alongside a sake-forward drinks list. Recently relocated to Fort Street and merged with sister bar E:Ne — check the site before you go.
18
Downtown Downtown Guide
Lumache
A 16-seat slow-food Italian room in the former Hank's space downtown. Handmade pasta, traditional Northern Italian plates, and a thoughtful wine list built around small producers.
19
Chinatown Downtown Guide
Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions
A Chinatown counter doing a single immersive tasting menu built around the fields, forests, and waters of Coastal BC. Set aside two and a half hours.
20
Downtown Downtown Guide
Humboldt Bar
An intimate cocktail bar inspired by the 19th-century naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, with a nature-driven cocktail list and a recent spot on North America's Top 100 Bars.
21
Downtown Downtown Guide
Citrus & Cane
A tropical cocktail bar with rum-forward riffs on classics and a leafy, low-lit room that channels old Havana. (Currently between locations — check the site before you go.)
22
Harris Green Downtown Guide
Cafe Brio
A long-standing Fort Street stalwart serving Italian-leaning, ingredient-driven plates in a warm, candle-lit room. House-made pastas, locally sourced proteins, and one of the city's most-loved wine lists.
23
Harris Green Downtown Guide
Bold Butchery & Grill
A locally owned halal butchery and grill — generous shawarma wraps and bowls, falafel, charcoal-grilled meats, and a steady takeaway crowd. Stays open late on weekends.