Owners Eirini and Leftheri Sypss. Photo: Ryan Hook Bread, olive oil, and wine are likely considered the holy trinity of Greek cuisine. But a new food truck is bringing a more fulsome Greek palate to Victoria. The family owned and operated Greek n’ Go food truck is set on bringing a more casual take on Greek food by serving gyros, lamb kebabs, poutine, and desserts, and it’s totally flipped the former Burger Crush truck, redesigning it with the family’s YaYa (Grandma) smiling upon the Cook Street traffic.  “We love the spot, the traffic, and the diversity of people that come by [Cook Stre ..read more

Harry Tham and Shawn Soole of Clive’s Classic Lounge/ Photo: Ryan Hook Clive’s Classic Lounge is no stranger to success. The award-winning cocktail bar in the Chateau Victoria hotel frequently ranks as one of the best in Victoria, the province, and across Canada; and this year, it’s gotten an international nod too. At Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky ceremony in London, England last week, Clive’s Classic Lounge won the 2023 Whisky Hotel Bar of the Year award; and, manager Shawn Soole was named Bar Manager of the Year.  Clive’s remains one of Victoria’s shining examples of internationa ..read more

(Maritza Sanchez, behind the eponymous wall of spice inside the Mexican House of Spices // Michael John Lo) The entrance to Mexican House of Spice is tucked inside an alcove between a cannabis store and a tiny dine-in restaurant along the busy thoroughfare of Douglas Street. But once you cross the threshold, merengue music fills your ears and you’re inside Victoria’s oldest Latin American grocery store. “We bring a little bit of every single country starting from South America, all the way to Mexico,” says shop owner Maritza Sanchez, quickly rattling off the ..read more

Matt Cooke may not be an official sommelier, but the distinction suits him. The operator of this year’s Barnyard Natural Wine Festival knows a lot about wine—the way it’s made, and the BC farmers who grow the grapes. And between 2016 and 2020, the former general manager at OLO Restaurant on Fisgard Street said he was able to flex his sommelier muscles and bring a fascinating menu of natural wines to Victoria residents.  “I certainly pushed to the extremes of natural wines,” he told Tasting Victoria. “There was definitely some weird and funky stuff, but the staff and I were able to educa ..read more

The first thing you notice when you open the doors to Block Kitchen + Bar is the extensive wine rack, the red-brick walls,  and the brightly-coloured mural painted by Victoria-born artist Jason Siloh. Since taking possession of the space in August, the trio of owners (executive chef Stéphane Prévost, Andy Burke, and Jay Ahn) were hard at work transforming a space in time for its opening on Jan. 13, and only received their business license an hour and a half before opening.  “It was all down to the wire,” Burke tells Tasting Victoria, greeting us on a more relaxed Tuesday night. As ..read more

Join the Fairmont Empress on Feb. 9 for a Vancouver Cocktail Week pop up cocktail extravaganza. The event features guest bar-stars travelling to Victoria from the World Class team.  World Class 2019 Canadian winner Chris Enns, 2021 global champion James Grant, and 2022 global champion Massimo Zitti will present their cocktails to the guests alongside the Fairmont Empress bar team.  Paired with all this will be creative bites from executive chef Morgan Wilson. Chef Wilson brings over 30 years of culinary experience to a culinary style “without borders,” inspired by the Pacific Northwe ..read more

@crustbakeryonfort   In some ways, desserts have become known as an extra indulgence at the dinner table: a wink-wink or nudge-nudge you tease those with an extra bit of appetite.  But there’s so much more to it: baking alone is an art form, requiring bakers to start at 3am to begin work for the day. Also, a 2019 study said taking a few bites of dessert before eating your vegetables helps absorb vitamins and nutrients better. Not only that, but dessert delays gastric emptying, causing you to feel fuller quicker, so you ..read more

Dim sum is as much a food as it as an experience.  The origins of dim sum can be traced back to the Song Dynasty in China, when it was common for travellers to stop at tea houses along the roadside for a meal and a cup of tea. The practice of serving small plates of food with tea eventually evolved into the dim sum tradition we know today.  Chinese cuisine consists of small plates of food, typically served in steamer baskets. While dishes are often steamed, they can also be fried or baked. Victoria’s Chinese community is strong, therefore, we are spoiled with some of the best d ..read more

Each year, Culinaire brings together the very best of the food and beverage industry, and this year is no exception. Guests are invited to attend an evening featuring the region’s best restaurants, specialty purveyors, and beverage makers. Throughout the event, guests can interact with chefs, restaurateurs, bartenders, brewers, winemakers, and discover all that the community has to offer. With a variety of options from cocktails, craft beer, wine, and cider, to fresh seafood, farm-to-table and globally-inspired cuisine, desserts, and much more, there is sure to be something for everyone’s tast ..read more

@the_heart_of_the_storm Famed across Canada, Victoria’s Chinatown is an iconic and popular landmark and is the oldest Chinatown in the country. Whether you’re just visiting Victoria or want to explore the city a bit more in-depth, Chinatown is a great place to start. Tasting Victoria has compiled a few popular spots around Chinatown that serve great coffee, treats, food, and drinks. Don Mee Seafood Restaurant Don Mee serves the most quintessential dim sum experience in Victoria: shared plates, constant food, and quick service. This makes it that much more impressive that every weekend there’s ..read more