The best restaurants in Victoria, BC

Victoria, British Columbia presents a food scene that is compact enough to explore in a single port call but varied enough to make choosing difficult. Near the Inner Harbour, seafood arrives fresh from Pacific waters. In Chinatown, handmade dumplings and ube pastries reflect a dining scene with influences that reach well beyond the island. Local farms support seasonal menus across the city, resulting in plenty of ways to sample the region without traveling far from the harbor.

Want to taste the flavors of Victoria on your Alaska cruise? In this overview of the best restaurants in Victoria, BC, we'll help you find meals worth planning a port day around.

The waters around Vancouver Island give local menus a distinctly Pacific focus. Wild salmon and oysters are common finds, while Dungeness crab and BC spot prawns appear when season and supply allow. Sustainability is widely prioritized as well, with many restaurants maintaining high sourcing standards.

Here are a few of our favorites.

Fishhook takes seafood in an unexpected direction, uniting Indian flavors with French culinary technique. Its menu centers on sustainably sourced seafood, farm-fresh ingredients and dishes such as curries or open-faced tartines. The chowder is especially distinctive, bringing coastal ingredients into a preparation with more spice and warmth than a traditional cream-heavy bowl. Fishhook is a recipient of the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice award, establishing it as one of the platform’s top-rated restaurants.

It is a good choice if you want a sit-down meal without committing much of your day to formal dining. Dietary alternatives are available, making ordering easier when people in your group have different tastes.

At Red Fish Blue Fish, the setting is a major part of the charm. The counter sits directly on Wharf Street along the Inner Harbour, with casual public-pier seating and seafood served straight from the outdoor kitchen. Wild salmon and BC halibut are available as fish and chips, while the menu also includes grilled fish sandwiches and hand-held tacones. The restaurant serves only Ocean Wise seafood, and has been recognized repeatedly as one of the area's best seafood destinations. 

Just be aware that Red Fish Blue Fish does not take reservations — a fun and spontaneous stop when the line is short, but guests working with a tight schedule may need a backup option during busy meal hours.

Those who’ve enjoyed the Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar might tell you that this restaurant is a must-visit, provided your Victoria port schedule allows time for dinner. The raw bar features oysters, sashimi and nigiri, while BC seafood and Vancouver Island ingredients are well represented throughout the rest of the menu. Because Marilena begins dinner service in the late afternoon, check your ship’s all-aboard time before making a reservation.

YAM Magazine highlighted Marilena for its service and wine program in its 2026 awards, while Vancouver Magazine named it Best Restaurant in Victoria for 2025–2026.

Victoria’s farm-to-table restaurants draw heavily from nearby growers, fisheries and producers, bringing Vancouver Island ingredients into downtown kitchens. That close connection to the region gives chefs plenty of room to build dishes around what local farms and waters are supplying at the time.

Part & Parcel in Quadra Village has been cooking with Vancouver Island produce since 2013. Its menu rotates with the season, but the Kamut fried chicken sandwich is typically available as one of the restaurant’s signature staples. Small plates make it easy to order several dishes for the table, while vegetable-forward options add variety beyond the richer plates. YAM Magazine included Part & Parcel in its 2026 list of best restaurants.

The location is outside the main Inner Harbour and Chinatown cluster, so plan on a short ride rather than treating it as a quick stop between downtown sights.

10 Acres takes its farm-to-table approach literally, using ingredients grown or raised at its North Saanich farm whenever possible. Regional farmers and fishermen fill in the gaps, so what reaches the plate reflects what is fresh and available nearby. Look for seasonal favorites such as the local farm salad or fresh-shucked oysters. Vegetable dishes get real menu space here, allowing vegetarian and vegan diners to choose from a range of options. 10 Acres Bistro has also earned a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice award.

Hidden behind Bastion Square, Wind Cries Mary brings a different atmosphere to Victoria dining. The restaurant uses Vancouver Island ingredients in a sharing-plate format and has both street-facing outdoor seating and a courtyard farther inside. In 2026, Wind Cries Mary was named a Regional Top 10 Honoree for Best International Restaurant Bar — Canada by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards. Fans of the restaurant might tell you that this is at least partially thanks to its revolutionary approach to tater-tots, featuring toppings such as lumpfish caviar. 

Victoria’s Chinatown has roots reaching back to the 19th century, but eating here today goes well beyond traditional eastern cuisine. Filipino baking sits near Mexican cooking grounded in traditional nixtamalization, while handmade dumplings are a savory distraction between Old Town sights.

Friends & Family Bake occupies a small storefront in Fan Tan Alley and specializes in Filipino breads and pastries. Look for ube ensaymada, which brings purple yam flavor to the soft, enriched bread. It is easy to carry with you, making the bakery especially convenient when you want a quick bite in between adventures rather than a full meal.

At MAiiZ Nixtamal, chef Israel Alvarez Molina works with certified organic corn grown in Armstrong, BC, adapting the traditional Mesoamerican nixtamalization process to the regional crop. The corn is ground on volcanic stone and made into fresh masa used throughout a menu of tacos, tamales and other Mexican dishes. 

Fillings range from beef barbacoa to grilled cactus, with huitlacoche appearing in tacos and quesadillas. The restaurant sits on Fisgard Street in Chinatown, so you can combine lunch with time exploring Fan Tan Alley and the surrounding blocks. MAiiZ was named Best Latin in YAM Magazine’s 2026 Best Restaurant Awards.

Dumpling Drop has operated in Victoria’s Chinatown since 2018, serving fried dumplings prepared with traditional methods and a changing selection of fillings. Pork belly and a vegan option are regular choices, joined by a rotating special. The dumplings arrive with house-made chili oil, cilantro and crispy onions. The concise menu and counter-service format work well for a shorter lunch stop. 

Dumpling Drop received the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Best New Business award in 2021.

Afternoon tea has a long history in Victoria, with formal service still part of the city’s dining culture today. For cruise guests, it offers a distinctive way to spend part of an afternoon ashore, especially around the Inner Harbour where some of the best-known tea services are located. Among Victoria, BC restaurants and teahouses, this remains one of the most distinctive ways to experience the city’s British influence.

Pendray Tea House occupies a restored 19th-century mansion near the Inner Harbour. Inside, original stained glass and dark wood preserve much of the building’s historic character. The tea service incorporates local products where possible, and its seafood is Ocean Wise certified. Vegan and gluten-free accommodations are available with advance notice. Reservations are strongly recommended during peak travel periods. 

Princess guests can explore Victoria’s tea culture without arranging the details themselves:

• Local Connections: Royal Tea at Abkhazi Garden & City Highlights Created by Historian combines a guided visit to the historic Abkhazi Garden with royal tea and a city tour led by a local historian.
• English Tea at Butchart Gardens includes time to explore Butchart Gardens followed by an English tea service, bringing two enduring Victoria traditions into one outing.
• High Tea at Pendray Mansion & City Highlights combines tea at the historic Pendray Mansion with a guided city tour. The experience includes scones, finger sandwiches and other tea-service favorites, with transportation planned around the port call.

Greater Victoria has more than 20 craft breweries as well as cideries and distilleries, reflecting a beverage culture that reaches well beyond the restaurants downtown. Guests can also explore the Victoria drinks scene through the Craft Brewery & Distillery Experience excursion.

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub has been brewing in Victoria since 1984 and is recognized as Canada’s first purpose-built gastro brewpub. Its waterfront location pairs house-made beer with a menu that draws on more than 35 local farmers and producers, giving the stop as much culinary interest as brewing history.

At Phillips Brewing & Malting Co., the Government Street taproom brings brewery-fresh beer together with a full food menu from its in-house kitchen. Tasting flights let you sample several styles in smaller pours, while cocktails and non-alcoholic choices give groups more flexibility when not everyone wants beer.

Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse sits on a 10-acre farm on the Saanich Peninsula, where more than 1,300 apple trees supply fruit for traditionally fermented cider. Tastings can be paired with food and views across the orchard toward the Salish Sea, with non-alcoholic cider also produced on site. If you’d rather explore Vancouver Island’s wine and cider scene as an organized outing with logistics already taken care of, Princess offers the Vancouver Island Wineries & Cider Farm excursion. 

Princess ships visiting Victoria dock at Ogden Point, about 1.5 miles from downtown. Restaurants around the Inner Harbour, Bastion Square and Chinatown are concentrated within the central area, so it is possible to pair a meal with nearby sightseeing. Restaurants farther inland or on the Saanich Peninsula require more time. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you get a taste of Victoria as part of your Princess cruise. 

• Plan around one sit-down meal: For a typical six-to-eight-hour port call, one reserved lunch plus a quick, walkable bite gives you time to eat well without crowding out the rest of your day. Dinner is less reliable for many calls because ship departure times vary.
• Reserve when you can: Popular independent restaurants may have limited availability, and walk-in wait times can be unpredictable. A reservation gives you more control over how much of your port day is devoted to a meal.
• Keep nearby neighborhoods together: The Inner Harbour is the closest major dining area to Ogden Point on foot, followed by Bastion Square and Old Town. Chinatown sits a little farther north, but its compact blocks allow guests to combine several food stops into one visit.
• Use Princess excursions for more involved tastings: Afternoon tea; wine and cider tasting; and craft beverage experiences are available through select Victoria shore excursions, with transportation and timing built into the outing.
• Leave time to explore beyond the table: Our guide to things to do in Victoria, BC can help you plan sightseeing around your meal.

Victoria’s restaurants bring Vancouver Island into focus through Pacific seafood, seasonal farm ingredients and longstanding local dining traditions. Whether you plan a waterfront lunch, afternoon tea or a craft beverage stop, Princess cruises to Victoria make it easy to add a memorable meal to your time ashore.