3 new Victoria restaurants that are definitely worth a visit

Jan 30 2024, 12:27 am

Victoria is quickly becoming a premiere destination for the culinary arts.

Yes, of course, you can get the classics (i.e., fish and chips or sushi), but lately, culinary professionals, foodies, and tourists from around the country have set their sights on Victoria.

So, here are three new Victoria restaurants worth emptying your wallet for.

 

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Rudi — named after the owner Jesse Dame’s grandfather, Rudolph — is one of the newest restaurants in Victoria’s dining scene. The team that brought you Wind Cries Mary in Bastion Square has taken over the former Sherwood location in downtown Victoria at 710 Pandora Ave. and brought the heat up on the location’s casual fine-dining flair.

Expect expertly crafted cocktails — like the applewood-smoked Old Fashioned — from a well-educated staff and a wine list fit for a queen, crafted by Rudi’s in-house sommelier.

The food is a family affair, according to the owner, with recipes passed down from his Italian grandmother — like a chili rigatoni—and a shared family menu featuring locally sourced fare like beef, scallops, and root vegetables.

It opened hastily right in time for the holidays this past December, and so far, it’s made a huge splash.

Address: 710 Pandora Avenue, Victoria
Phone: 250-590-3255

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Shuck Taylor’s 

 

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For the diner who wants a particularly unique West Coast seafood experience, Victoria presents Shuck Taylor’s.

This seafood restaurant opened in the fall, taking over from Shine Cafe, and quickly left an indelible mark on Victoria’s downtown restaurant scene, bringing instant classics like oyster po boys and lobster rolls.

With a refreshing oyster bed, shell-abrating local oysters, like those from Mudge Island and Fanny Bay, and East Coast oysters, like Malpeques and Sand Dunes, owner Jess Taylor has finally stationed his passion for oysters, which he cultivated for nine years as The Wandering Mollusk.

And hey, what would oysters be without a rich list of white wine? Shuck’s got that too.

Address: 1324 Blanshard Street, Victoria

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Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions

The owner, Corbin Mathany, is an Ontario-born chef who has cut his teeth in some of the most creative kitchens on Vancouver Island: Hudson’s on First in Duncan and Wind Cries Mary in Bastion Square.

He’s taken that experience and channelled it into Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions— a hole-in-the-wall restaurant tucked in near Fan Tan Alley in Victoria’s Chinatown, with a menu highlighting the terroir of Vancouver Island.

Bear in mind that this is a creative kitchen, and the menus change with “the seasons, the farmers, and the whims of the culinary team,” according to the restaurant’s website.

But take a chance, and be at ease with Ugly Duckling’s tasting menu (pro tip: the butter-poached halibut is simply stunning).

Address: 543 Fisgard Street, Victoria
Phone: 250-978-0915

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