Cafe Malabar to reopen in a new location this month

Cafe Malabar/Website

Exciting news for Victoria's culinary scene: Cafe Malabar, a beloved family-owned restaurant known for bringing the vibrant flavours of Kerala's Malabar Coast to Victoria, has found a new home downtown. After their unexpected departure from the Victoria Public Market in December last year, the team has been hard at work to continue serving the community. 

The team faced an unexpected problem when Coho Commissary at the Victoria Public Market—where Cafe Malabar had been operating—announced its closure with a month’s notice. Suddenly, the restaurant, which had become a local favourite and had recently been named one of Air Canada’s top five best new restaurants in Canada, was left without a space to call home.

Despite the abrupt news, the Cafe Malabar owners had already been thinking ahead. Even before the closure, co-owners Kiran Kolathodan and Karma Tenpa knew they were outgrowing the market space. “We loved the market, but we also felt it was time to find a dedicated space where we could truly build the full experience we wanted to offer,” Kolathodan shared with Tasting Victoria.

While the news of Coho’s shutdown was disruptive, it came at a time when the team had already been considering their next move. They had planned a well-deserved trip back to India—a chance to reconnect with their roots, explore new flavours, and learn from family and local chefs. The timing, though unplanned, gave them a unique opportunity: instead of scrambling to find a space immediately, they took the moment to reset, gain inspiration, and return with fresh ideas.