I’m always on the hunt for hidden gem restaurants in Victoria, BC. The Canadian province’s capital city is full of foodies who are obsessed with supporting small businesses, local farms, and sustainable producers. As a result, there are a ton of great restaurants ranging from casual fish and chip shacks to fancy spots perfect for a date night.
So if you’re ready to experience off the beaten path eats, use this as your guide to finding the best hidden gem restaurants in Victoria!
Hidden Gem Restaurants in Victoria, BC
Save this to Pinterest for later, as I’ll add more hidden gem eats in Victoria when I discover them!
Friends & Family Bake
website | neighborhood: Downtown/Chinatown (get directions) | cuisine: Filipino | price: $
Friends & Family Bake has my favorite bite out of all the things I’ve eaten in Victoria. It’s a tiny Filipino bakery hidden off Fan Tan Alley that I had the pleasure of visiting on an Off the Eaten Tracks food tour.
You’ll find a ton of baked goods lining the case as you enter. Like many Asian bakeries, you grab a tray and serve yourself with tongs. There will be both savory and sweet options, sometimes both in the same treat.
If available, don’t miss the ube ensaymada. It’s bright purple thanks to the ube and has the most supple pastry. There’s a sweetness that almost gives it a hint of coconut flavor, but there isn’t any coconut in sight. Make sure to lean over plenty of napkins because the cream will explode like a bomb when you bite in!
Part and Parcel
website | neighborhood: Hillside/Quadra (get directions) | cuisine: farm to table | price: $$$
I learned about Part and Parcel from one of my Instagram followers. It’s in a neighborhood off the beaten path where most tourists never venture, so I’m happy to have gotten the recommendation. The restaurant has an easy-breezy hip vibe that marries farm chic and minimalist coastal decor.
You can expect well-executed farm-to-table dishes from breakfast through dinner. It’s more affordable to go during lunch, but I’m sad I missed dinner because you can try the whole menu sans sandwiches for ~$235. As someone who can never decide, I love when restaurants offer this.
If it’s on the menu, don’t miss the fried chicken and Parisienne gnocchi. You can get the chicken as a sandwich, but the pro move is to order it on the side or on top of the gnocchi like we did.
I kept gushing the whole time that the meat would have ended up on my list of the best fried chicken in Seattle if they were located here. It has the most perfect crunch followed by tender, juicy meat you can tell was brined for hours.
The gnocchi is a vegetarian dish with earthy mushrooms and an addictive garlic cream sauce. I love how the dumplings are pan-fried to give some savory balance to the sweet caramelized onions.
Cafe Malabar
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | cuisine: southern Indian | price: $$
This is another one of the hidden gem restaurants in Victoria, BC I would have never discovered on my own. It’s in a commissary kitchen located inside the Victoria Public Market food hall. I tried it on my Off the Eaten Tracks food tour and I’m thrilled over the discovery.
They focus on Malabar coastal cuisine showcasing ingredients from the Canadian west coast. Seattle’s Indian restaurants mostly focus on northern Indian cuisine, so I love that Cafe Malabar brings southern dishes to North America.
You’ll find dosas, fish curries, and other hearty dishes on the menu. Since I was on a food tour, we focused on the snacks and tea. Cafe Malabar makes all their own spice blends. That focus on craft really shines in their teas. For example, we got the Sulaimani tea with lemon and spices that make it both tart and warming at the same time. It’s a must get to start off or end your meal.
Food wise, don’t miss the Kerala egg puff. The pastry is savory and flaky, so it’s good enough to eat on its own. But what makes it over the top is the egg and masala stuffing. It’s a bit spicy, which you can temper with their addictive homemade tomato ketchup.
Pro tip: Cafe Malabar has a tasting menu that lets you try a bunch of their specialties in one go.
MaiiZ Nixtamal Eatery & Tortilleria
website | neighborhood: Downtown/Chinatown (get directions) | cuisine: Mexican | price: $$
MaiiZ is an unexpected hidden gem in Victoria’s Chinatown neighborhood. Chef Israel Alvarez Molina worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico City before moving to Vancouver Island. Missing the flavors of home, he adapted the traditional Mesoamerican Nixtamal process to work with organic corn grown in Armstrong, BC. The result? A stone-ground tortilla that is sturdy enough to hold a filling, but complex enough to provide standout flavors on its own.
On any given day you may see the team at MaiiZ processing corn in the open kitchen. They use it to make classics like tamales, tortas, and more.
My favorite menu item is the tacos. If you want something more familiar, don’t miss the barbacoa or chicken tinga. I rarely order chicken tinga because it’s always dry, but MaiiZ’s version is juicy and the perfect amount of spicy.
If you’re open to trying something a bit different, get your tacos with grasshopper or huitlacoche. Also known as “corn smut”, huitlacoche is a fungus that grows on corn crops and, unsurprisingly, has a mushroom-like quality. I had it once at a Mexican restaurant in LA and was obsessed, so I bet it’s equally as good here.
Pro tip: You can buy MaiiZ’s tortillas to take home!
Dumpling Drop
website | neighborhood: Downtown/Chinatown (get directions) | cuisine: Thai fusion | price: $
I love the story behind Dumpling Drop. Owner Tarn’s mother, Toom, lost her job due to Alzheimer’s. So every Friday the two would spend time making dumplings to keep her mind active. They would give the dumplings to friends and family, all of who insisted they should start selling them.
The pandemic offered the prime opportunity, so they started announcing “dumpling drops” on Instagram. What started as a ghost kitchen now has a permanent location due to its popularity.
You can get fried dumplings served hot or buy them frozen to take home. The menu has only three dumpling flavors and a few sides. My favorite is the pork belly dumplings served with the most addictive chili oil.
Pro tip: On Sundays Dumpling Drop hosts Chaiyo, a Thai sit-down dinner. I think this is the best time to visit because you can still get dumplings alongside other classic dishes like massaman curry, papaya salad, and more.
Wind Cries Mary
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | cuisine: farm to table | price: $$$
Wind Cries Mary wins for the most gorgeous ambiance out of all these hidden gem restaurants in Victoria, BC. It’s located in the basement of a historic building in Old Town. The vibe is dark and moody, with interesting vintage wallpaper, moulding, and decor to keep you looking around in awe for the duration of your meal.
They focus on nose-to-tail butchery, but also have a good amount of vegetarian dishes. I gravitate toward their pastas like bolognese and cacio e pepe for my mains, but no matter what I never miss out on the tater tots appetizer. They’re like a latke served with jalapeño ranch and caviar. While good, I think the sides aren’t even necessary because the potato is so perfectly crispy and seasoned. Make sure to get at least one or two orders for your table!
Pro tip: Wind Cries Mary has a more casual late-night menu if you want a place to eat after hitting the bars.
Fishhook
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | cuisine: seafood | price: $$
I first discovered Fishhook on a food tour almost a decade ago. They’re still kicking, so you know it’s good.
You’ll find a focused menu of main dishes, appetizers, and sandwiches deftly fusing French techniques with subtle Indian ingredients. Despite Fishhook’s focus on sustainably-caught seafood, there are surprisingly a lot of vegetarian options. They also offer dairy-free, wheat-free, and mayo-free alternatives for those who need it.
My go-to order at this hidden gem Victoria restaurant is The Belly sandwich. It has seared wild salmon belly, smoked salmon, spicy sauerkraut, herb’d chive mustard, and dill pickles. I love the combination of fatty salmon with smoky, spicy, and tangy flavors!
Little Jumbo
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | cuisine: farm to table | price: $$$
Little Jumbo is known as a “speakeasy” restaurant thanks to its location down a long hallway and its unassuming signage with just an elephant. Once you open the heavy, windowless door you’re transported into a moody space with a brick wall, tin ceiling, and black wood trim.
This spot is known as being one of the best cocktail bars in Victoria, so you’ll often see the bartenders intensely focused on crafting a drink. Oftentimes they’ll include some flair like burning herbs or smoky reveals, so definitely add one of their drinks to your order.
Bars often don’t have great food, but Little Jumbo is an exception. You’ll find an eclectic mix of dishes using mostly local ingredients. If available, don’t miss the Quadra Island Clams. I’m not one to usually order clams, but these beauties are perfectly cooked in the most scrumptious white wine sauce. In fact, I was eating the broth with a spoon it was so good!
Be Love
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | cuisine: vegan | price: $$
I remember being surprised by how many vegan and vegetarian restaurants there are in Victoria. Be Love was one of the first ones I visited and they really make it so their customers never miss the meat products.
You can expect a veg-packed, healthy-leaning menu consisting of appetizers, mains, salads, and sandwiches. I’m obsessed with ordering bowls, and Be Love has quite a few to choose from. My go-to is the Masoor Dal one served with lentils, raita, mushrooms, wilted greens, and rice. It’s a hearty hug that’ll sustain you throughout the day.
Bon Macaron Patisserie
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | cuisine: French | price: $
Macarons aren’t my favorite dessert. In fact, I used to find meringue too off putting texturally and only recently started liking them. Bon Macaron Patisserie is to thank for the turning point in my relationship with this French pastry.
Not only are Bon Macaron’s version of this classic French treat texturally brilliant, they come in a ton of interesting flavors. My favorites are the savory ones, as they’re so different from the sweet styles you typically find. For example, some of their flavors include tomato basil, gouda chive, and goat cheese fig, my personal favorite.
Pro tip: Can’t fit them in? They ship boxes of macarons right to your door!
Pendray Inn & Teahouse
website | neighborhood: James Bay (get directions) | cuisine: British | price: $$$
You likely heard that afternoon tea is one of the quintessential things to do in Victoria. Most afternoon teas around the world provide nice ambiance and a novel opportunity to sip tea alongside an often womp womp platter of desserts. Few are known for having good food, but Pendray Inn & Teahouse is one of the rare exceptions offering well-executed bites.
The bottom tier of your treat platter will be the savory nibbles. I recommend one person in your party getting the traditional afternoon tea and the other person getting the west coast afternoon tea so you share all that they offer. The egg salad and mushroom pastry on the traditional menu can’t be beat, while the candied salmon with tomato and shrimp pastry on the west coast one are to die for.
Both menus offer the same treats on the second and third tiers. You can expect exceptional scones, coffee cake, and macarons from Bon Macaron Patisserie.
Pro tip: The Pendray Inn & Teahouse has a vegan menu if needed.
The Ruby
website | neighborhoods: Downtown & Burnside (get directions) | cuisine: southern | price: $$
Brunch is a big deal in British Columbia’s capital city. The Ruby is one of the hidden gem options when you need some comfort food. Plus each of their locations have fun ambiance. The one on Johnson has farmhouse chic decor while the Douglas location is all about mid century modern.
Food wise The Ruby is best known for chicken. You can get it rotisserie style in a bunch of dishes or fried. Since I can never decide, I recommend ordering both chicken preparations by adding a side of fried chicken to whatever rotisserie dish you choose.
Another sleeper hit at The Ruby is the brisket. They get it from hometown favorite Jone’s BBQ so you know it’s been slow smoked for hours.
Jam Cafe
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | cuisine: comfort food | price: $$
Ok, maybe Jam Cafe is a bit more popular than suited for this list of hidden gem restaurants in Victoria BC, but it’s arguably one of the city’s best places to eat. Don’t just take my word for it. The proof is in the long lines of both locals and tourists trying to grab a table. Get there for when they open to reduce your chances of waiting.
People flock here for one of three dishes: Benedicts, pancakes, or bowls. All are exceptional, with my personal favorite being the Charlie Bowl. It’s like a deconstructed biscuits and gravy with the addition of hash browns, ham, bacon, egg, roasted corn salsa, cheese, and green onions. I love the play on southern and Tex Mex and think you will too!
Map of more Victoria restaurants
Looking for more ideas of where to eat? Check out my full map of places to explore after you eat at these hidden gem restaurants in Victoria, BC.
Other things to explore near Victoria
You’re going to need a break from eating at all these hidden gem restaurants in Victoria, BC. Here’s how to spend it.
