quaint island

My family and I are frequent travellers to Vancouver. It rarely crosses are mind to visit other parts of British Columbia. This time around, we wanted a change of scenery and luckily enough, tickets were inexpensive to Victoria.

Victoria is a beautiful and scenic place surrounded by Mother Nature’s beauty. Surrounded by luscious greens and a vast body of water, it is a great weekend get-away to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of city life. The island gives me a sleepy, slow pace vibe but that’s what I enjoyed about it. We explored downtown Victoria and there were many great restaurants and places to visit. It forecasted rain when we were there but we were blessed with two days of sunshine and one day of rain. My sister wanted to see cherry blossoms and luckily we did see a few trees blooming. It would have been magical if all the trees were in full bloom decorating the city in pink. We didn’t get the opportunity to visit a popular attraction which is The Buchart Garden but in the near future it’s going on my bucket list. If you have an opportunity to visit the island, don’t forget about this botanical garden.

The highlight for us had to be the delicious, baked goods from Crust Bakery; the exquisite Italian food at IL Covo Trattoria; and the authentic Indonesian lunch plate at Ayo Eat. Visit the beautiful island for a relaxing get-away.

Victoria, BC

Travel Dates: March 11 - 13, 2023

Coffee Spots & Bakery

Habit Coffee

Address: 552 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC V8W 1N7

Website: www.habitcoffee.com

Lucky for us, our Airbnb was right across Habit Coffee so this was my go-to spot for a nice cup of joe. Most spots in Victoria are not open early so I was happy to see the coffee shop open at 7am when we were visiting. A quaint little spot with friendly vibes and great coffee. If I had more time in Victoria, I would definitely settle in with a nice read and enjoy an Americano at this lovely spot.

What we ordered: Americano and Latte

Hey Happy Coffee

Address: 560 Johnson St #122, Victoria, BC V8W 3C6

Website: www.heyhappycoffee.com

Located in Market Square, Hey Happy Coffee is a great place for great ambiance and coffee. Not only do they offer speciality drinks but they have a variety of food items such as baked goods, sandwiches and salad.

We visited the coffee shop on a sunny Monday afternoon and you can see everyone was in a positive mood due to the sunshine. It was a pleasure to see parents with their little children and pets sitting in front of the coffee shop basking in the Sun while receiving their intake of Vitamin D!

What we ordered: Ice Americano and Latte

Bear & Joey Cafe

Address: 1025 Cook St, Victoria, BC V8V 3Z7

Website: www.bearandjoey.ca

Inspired by Sydney, Australia’s cafe culture, Bear & Joey is a brunch spot nestled in a lovely neighbourhood on Cook Street. We arrived around 9:30 am and notice it was already busy! I thought luck would be on our side and we would be able grab a seat for 3 but there were no seats available. Make sure to visit their website and see if you can book a reservation online.

There were seatings in the cafe for take-out orders so we decided to chill there. Overall, great ambiance and nicely decorated space. I ordered a dark chocolate, matcha & almond croissant and an iced Americano. The croissant was tasty and the caffeine intake was necessary as we ventured out and explored downtown Victoria.

What we ordered: Dark Chocolate, Matcha, & Almond Croissant, Iced Americano & Latte

Crust Bakery

Address: 730 Fort St, Victoria, BC V8W 1H2

Website: www.crustbakery.ca

The highlight of our trip hands down has to be Crust Bakery. The sweet and savoury pastries are amazing! We came here two times during our weekend trip. The bakery usually has line-ups but the two times we were there, the line-up moved fast. I wanted to order everything from the display window. We settled on a few items with a balance of savoury and sweet. My favourite items had to be the croissant with ham & provolone, butter croissant and raspberry, lychee, rosewater and pistachio pastry. Guaranteed, whatever you order you will be impressed and come back for more! Just like us.

What we ordered: Raspberry, Lychee, Rosewater and Pistachio Pastry, Fruit-Curd Meringue Tart, Croissant with Ham & Provolone, Butter Croissant, Lemon Passionfruit Slice, Farmer Ben's Egg Pastry (With Bacon, Tomatoes and Rosemary) and S’mores Treat

Restaurants to Visit

Ayo Eat

Address: 560 Johnson St, Victoria, BC V8W 3C6

Check out their Menu

A must visit when you come down to Victoria, is Ayo Eat, a take out shop serving delicious Indonesian cuisine located in Market Square. The shop has a limited menu with only 5 to 6 dishes so we settled on two dishes, the Sate Ayam and Nasi Campur Rendang.

The sate ayam, (ayam translates to chicken in Indonesian) were grilled to perfection! The chicken sate were juicy and the peanut sauce was a great companion. We enjoyed the skewers with white rice and pickled vegetables. I must say the pickled vegetables were nicely pickled. Crunchy and sour. Just how I like it! The next dish, Nasi Campur Rendang is an Indonesian beef curry served with rice, prawn crackers, spicy potato chips and pickled vegetables. What a delicious dish packed full of authentic Indonesian flavours! The beef was cook to perfection and the dish had a balance of sweet, sour and spicy. The hint of heat came from the beef rendang and the homemade sambal on the potato chips. If I had a bigger stomach, I would order everything off the menu.

What we ordered: Sate Ayam and Nasi Campur Rendang

Red Fish Blue Fish

Address: 1006 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1N8

Website: www.redfish-bluefish.com

Make your way to Red Fish Blue Fish not only for the delicious BC fish & chips but the great view and atmosphere. We strolled to the dock side eatery and immediately saw a long line up. Long line up always equates to good things! The weather was incredible so waiting for 30 minutes was nothing. We ordered one Pacific Cod and BC Halibut which came with tartar sauce, coleslaw and kennebec chips. The fish is tempura-battered which made it light and crispy. If I had to choose, I would choose the cod over the halibut because it was lighter. If you like a meatier fish then the BC halibut would be a great choice for you. Overall, a great experience and food always taste better with a scenic view!

What we ordered: 1 Piece Pacific Cod/1 Piece BC Halibut w/ tartar sauce, coleslaw & kennebec chips

Ramen Arashi

Address: 2950 Douglas St Unit 222, Victoria, BC V8T 4N4

Website: www.ramenarashivictoria.com

There a couple of few spots for ramen in the island but Ramen Arashi had the best online reviews. We were third in line before the door opens at 11:30 A.M. Good start and great sign seeing there was an actual line-up. We ordered three bowls of Tonkotsu Ramen. First timers here so we got to try the classic. A bowl cost $15.45 and the tonkotsu comes with pork belly, marinated egg, garlic oil, red ginger, garlic, and green onion.

Overall, nice rich flavour, the noodles were chewy and the pork belly was tender. I like the addition of fried garlic as a topping. The service was excellent and it does fill up quick so make sure to come here right when they open.

What we ordered: 3 orders of Tonkotsu Ramen

Dumpling Drop

Address: 556A Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC V8W 1N7

Website: www.dumplingdrop.ca

Dumpling Drop is located right beside Habit Coffee so it was across from where we stayed. We scanned the menu when we left Habit Coffee and the menu looked pretty solid. Not only do they serve dumplings in-house but there are frozen dumplings for purchase. As well, during dinner time from Thursday to Sunday they serve Thai food. - Chaiyo by Dumpling Drop. We were here during the late afternoon therefore, we couldn’t order Thai food so we settled on some yummy treats to share.

We ordered three dishes to share since we had dinner reservation elsewhere. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much but WOW! Lots of flavours with the pork belly dumplings. I love how they weren’t the traditional steam dumplings, but they were pan fried. A nice modern twist! Crispy Chicken Baos were solid and full of flavours. Don’t get me started on the mango sticky rice. The sweet coconut rice was cooked to perfection and it was topped with fresh mangoes. A nice balance of sweet and sour. I regret not having a chance to come here for dinner service. If there lunch menu is that impressive, I bet you anything their Thai dishes are superb.

What we ordered: Crispy Chicken Bao, Pork Dumplings and Mango Sticky Rice

IL Covo Trattoria

Address: 106 Superior St, Victoria, BC V8V 1T1

Website: www.ilcovotrattoria.ca

IL Covo Trattoria, is a rustic Italian restaurant with a warm ambiance serving northern Italian classics. It was a great finishing touch as our final dinner in the island. I really enjoyed the Impepata di Cozze and I must say, I loved the pasta my sister ordered which was the Linguine alla Puttanesca. They did not skimp out on the seafood for this dish. Her pasta dish had succulent shrimps, mussels, salmon, scallops and clams. A dish from the sea!

Overall, we were impressed with the service, ambiance and the food. I would definitely come here during the summer time and enjoy their food on the patio.

What we ordered: Impepata di Cozze, Spaghetti allo Scoglio, Tagliatelle Alla Genovese, Linguine alla Puttanesca and Sorbetto o Gelato (Raspberry and Passion Fruit)

Upstairs Seafood & Oyster Bar (Ferris)

Address: 536 A Yates St, Victoria, BC V8W 1K8

Website: www.ferrisoysterbar.com

Any restaurant with Happy Hour and serving fresh, delicious oysters at a great price?! Our family is there! Seriously. We are always in search of fresh oysters when visiting British Columbia. The island is no exception especially when the island is surrounded by large body of waters.

The fresh shucked oysters were plump, not too big and not at all briny. The fresh oysters satisfied our cravings and it didn’t need much but a fresh squeeze of lemon. And it sure paired well with a light beer.

What we ordered: 2 Dozen of Happy Hour Oysters / Beer

Things To Do

Chinatown / Fan Tan Alley / Dragon Alley

Address: 500 Fisgard St, Victoria, BC V8W 1R4

Prior to visiting the island, I did not know this but Victoria’s Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in Canada. It is second oldest in North America right after San Francisco. It is a must see attraction rich with history and narrow alleys leading you to authentic shops, markets and Chinese restaurants. Make your way through Fan Tan Alley and Dragon Alley.

One of my favourite shop in the area has to be Whirled Arts. Support local and visit the shop for spiritual goods such as statues, incense, jewelry, crystals, stones, handmade bags and clothing. My favourite purchase from there had to be my handmade yoga mat bag. A beautiful one-of-a-kind yoga bag made with beautiful Indian sari by a local designer from the island. It is a yoga bag I will cherish and use for a long time.

Market Square

Address: 560 Johnson St, Victoria, BC V8W 3C6

Website: www.marketsquare.ca

A few steps away from Chinatown is Market Square. A town square situated in downtown Victoria which is a great place to spend your time while visiting. There are plenty of unique and local shops to explore as well, many restaurants and cafes. The highlight for me while visiting Market Square had to be Ayo Eat. A great take-out spot for authentic Indonesian lunch. We were fortunate to find a table in the spacious square and enjoyed our Indonesian food. If we had more time, I would love to quench my thirst with a beer or two at an outdoor patio while I enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

Vintage Shopping

Victoria is not short of vintage and consignment shopping but I must say, I think my expectation was too high for vintage shopping on the island. I was a tad disappointed but finding these two spots made my day! My favourite vintage shops had to be The Faraway and Vintage After Death. The Faraway is a beautifully curated store and I was able to find a beautiful vibrant, printed skirt for $35. While at Vintage After Death, I found a vintage Italian paisley scarf. Lucky me! I can’t believe this scarf was still there. Even the salesperson expressed to me it was a great find. I cannot wait until summer time to rock it as a turban or it would be fun to wear it as a tube top.

vintageafterdeath.com

shopthefaraway.com

Book Stores

BOOKS GALORE! If you are an avid reader or you just enjoy visiting a book store, Russell Books and Munro’s Book stores are must visits when you are here. Floor to ceiling selection of books! I had a list of books to purchase but they weren’t released until May. Even though I didn’t make any purchases I enjoyed exploring and strolling down the aisles.