Best Brunch in Victoria

Nourish/Instagram

Almost every weekend morning, there are lineups outside brunch restaurants across the city. Brunch is a huge part of Victoria’s culture, and some argue Victoria is the brunch capital of Canada. Clearly, Victoria residents are serious about this meal that lands between breakfast and lunch, so you know this list of the best brunch spots in the city for the Tasting Victoria Awards is just as serious. Check them out.

The Village

What began as a popular neighbourhood brunch spot has transformed into a local movement putting people, community, and producers before their bottom line. The Village is “where the locals eat.” The restaurant serves delicious brunch all day, and the recipes are made in small batches daily to ensure freshness and quality. 

Our Pick:
Village latkes

Address:
2518 Estevan Ave.
4517 W Saanich Rd. 
4087 Shelbourne St.

Jam Cafe

Jam opened its doors in 2012 and immediately became a staple for locals and tourists alike.  With recipes inspired by the American South, Jam does comfort food like no other. Choose from a comprehensive selection of pancakes, including its cinnamon bun pancakes that are topped with cream cheese icing and maple butter. Its s’mores pancakes offer another unique rendition of the classic breakfast dish, with toppings of graham cracker crumble, chocolate, and torched marshmallows.

Our Pick:
Fried chicken and waffles

Address:
542 Herald St.

Floyd’s Diner

This Victoria landmark opened its first location in 2004 and now has five locations to enjoy its classics. Floyd’s is home to “The Mahoney,” a game where customers can gamble on paying the original price by flipping a coin for double or nothing on a mystery serving. 

Our pick:
The Mahoney

Address:
332 Menzies St. 
123 Gorge Rd. E
4496 W Saanich Rd.
6719 W Saanich Rd. 
721 Station Ave.

Other nominated restaurants in the best brunch category:

Blue Fox Café

Another local classic, the Blue Fox, provides excellent all-day breakfast that Victorians have loved since 1991. The restaurant is cozy, the food portions are big, and they offer a varied menu for different tastes.

Our pick:
‘Eggs in Hell’

Address:
919 Fort St.

John’s Place

Opened in 1984, John’s Place started serving diner favourites like classic eggs bennies, bottomless soups, and the first Belgian waffles in Victoria. Once open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—John’s Place hosted sock hops on weekend evenings. Now, John’s Place is open from 8am to 3pm daily and has been serving some of the same classic diner food to the same customers with the same staff for almost 40 years. Adapting over time, John’s Place stays true to the diner mystique that it did from the time it opened. You may know John’s Place for its long lines of people waiting to get in, or from when it was featured on the television show You Gotta Eat Here.

Our pick:
Eggs benedict

Address:

723 Pandora Ave.

Nourish Kitchen

Nourish first moved into its 133-year-old heritage home in James Bay in 2015. Since then, it has been one of the flagship restaurants for plant-based Victorians. Every dish and drink at Nourish is served with an exceptional combination of fresh ingredients and flavours, mostly made with plant-based ingredients.

Our pick:
Sleeping beauty pancakes

Address:
225 Quebec St.

Honourable mention: Alpina at Villa Eyrie

Food always tastes better with a view, and this beautiful restaurant located inside the Villa Eyrie Resort in the Malahat offers a 270-degree panoramic view of the Saanich Inlet, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Baker at Alpina Restaurant. 

Our pick:
Crispy pork belly benny

Address:
600 Ebadora Ln., Malahat