Victoria is full of beautiful sights, and that certainly doesn’t exclude its restaurants. From candlelit rooms decorated with brick fireplaces to sky-high seating that overlooks the city, there are spaces that are practically screaming to get their photo taken.
Here are seven of our top Instagram-worthy dining rooms in Victoria, featuring an ambiance you’ll want to come back to again and again.
One of the most picturesque restaurants near the capital is Fireside Grill built in a restored heritage Tudor estate. The outdoor brick fireplace makes the restaurant’s patio a real standout, and the Tudor style high-roofed interior of the main dining room provides just the style of woodwork that makes a night inside rival a night outside during the summer months.
Address: 4509 W Saanich Rd.
ENe’s sleek, understated yet precisely decorated dining room offers an excellent atmosphere to indulge in their house specialty: sake. ENe has one of the largest sake collections in Canada. The Japanese style interior is complimented by the restaurant’s well-trained sommeliers, who ensure knowledge about the prized sake is shared with the restaurant’s guests.
Address: 737 Pandora Ave.
Vista 18 gets an easy pass on this one, as it provides one of the best—if not the best—view of the city from its perch atop the Chateau Victoria. Treat yourself to a new view of the city you love and take your tastebuds on a ride with their blackened Kuterra Steelhead, sous-vide duck breast, or herb roasted chicken with butter-poached wild prawns.
Address: 740 Burdett Ave.
This stylish wine and tapas bar undoubtedly specializes in charcuterie, offering a rotating selection of Spanish meats and cheeses, alongside a fine selection of vintage wines, sherries and vermouth. The space is small but cozy, centred around a wooden bar with a ladder bartenders use to grab vintages. Surrounded by glass windows, you’ll get enough light to grab a perfect shot of its moody interior.
Address: 1210 Broad St.
No list of the most Instagram-worthy dining rooms in the city would be complete without the Romanesque style of Il Covo. This restaurant’s dining room is reminiscent of the stone and plaster tavernas you can find scattered across the Mediterranean basin. The style matches perfectly with a menu featuring Cannelloni de Mare stuffed with crab, lobster and ricotta, pork tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto with brandy sauce, and a plethora of other gourmet dishes.
Address: 106 Superior St.
An intimate, candlelit restaurant offering an old town courtyard vibe, complete with a brick fireplace. Il Terrazzo’s partly enclosed patio is just as beautiful, and perfect for making the most of warm summer days. Not to mention the food! Their classic margherita pizza is to die for, as well as their affogato with amarena cherries.
Address: 555 Johnson St.
Vis-a-Vis dining room is built around the restaurant’s name. Meaning ‘face-to-face’ in English, the main design for the dining room is focused around the bar, with customers constantly ‘face-to-face’ with the bartenders. Beyond the Victorian style brick and mortar interior the restaurant also boasts a summer patio and large private event area.
Address: 2232 Oak Bay Ave.
