Esquimalt is home to some of the most diverse restaurants in Victoria

When you think of Esquimalt, food probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. The navy base and Buccaneers Days might, though.

But among the streets of Esquimalt—from the Gorge to Saxe Point—restaurateurs from around the world are quickly calling it home.

Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins tells Tasting Victoria she’s happy for this organic growth of diverse restaurants.

“[It’s] a wonderful reflection of our community,” she said. “And Esquimalt residents love the opportunity to dine around the world in our town.”

For example, almost every day since opening last month, Syriana Restaurant has had a line out the door, and the restaurant had to extend its hours just to keep up. From pistachio baklava to falafel and kebabs, the story of how Syriana came to be is just as incredible as the food.

Six years ago, Safaa Naeman and her family fled Syria from the civil war. In 2017, she moved to Victoria with her family. She and her family learned English at Camosun, and before opening Syriana, Naeman worked in education. But soon, she found that there was something missing about her new home: the food.

While she spent some time in kitchens back home, Naeman had never actually cooked for a living—in Syria, she worked as an accountant. Against the odds, in 2021, she began catering full time, but her dream was to open a storefront, and she began saving money to bring that dream to life.

Luckily, the community has always been on her side, and in January, a Gofundme page was started by Safaa’s English teacher at Camosun, Emily Ryan. Overall, over $3,000 was raised to help cover the costs.

“We need this connection with the community and people,” she said. “Especially for me, it's my personality. I like to have lovely people around me.”

In the first week of Syriana Restaurant’s opening, the storefront was covered with bouquets of flowers from family members, friends, and guests happy to see it open.

Syriana is among good company on Esquimalt Road.

Around the corner is Guido’s Caffe, which sadly announced its closure scheduled for the end of June. The classic Italian café will be particularly missed for its Friday and Saturday homemade pizza, its variety of pastries and paninis, as well as its potent espresso shots.

Down Esquimalt Road, La Belle Patate has been a fan favourite for those who enjoy the most authentic Québécois poutine on Vancouver Island—squeaky curds and all.

Meanwhile, on the corner of Esquimalt Road and Head Street, Blue Nile has given the town quite the big appetite for West African food.

Longtime fans and first-comers of Blue Nile have enjoyed a variety of traditional vegan dishes simmered with mouth watering spice combinations and a few tender chicken and beef dishes native to Ethiopia.

One of our favourites is injera—a delicious sour fermented flatbread made from an extremely nutrient-packed, gluten-free grain called teff. Guests can also enjoy Bunna, a traditional coffee from Ethiopia—the birthplace of coffee.

Near the Gorge, and taking over for Benjo’s Tacos at the Craigflower Foods Market, is another new restaurant: Ay Mi Mexico.

The authentic Mexican restaurant is run by husband, Luis Cabello, who is originally from Mexico City; and wife, Amanda, who is originally from Edmonton. The two met when Amanda was dining with her family at a restaurant in Playa Del Carmen eight years ago.

Amanda never returned to Edmonton, and instead moved to Mexico, bouncing from Playa Del Carmen to Mexico City. Luis’s family owned a restaurant and that’s where Amanda became well-acquainted with more traditional Mexican food like barbacoa.

Three years ago, the couple moved to Victoria, and though Luis has been in the industry for more than a decade, Ay Mi Mexico is the first place of his own and the first restaurant job Amanda’s ever had.

Their goal is to bring Mexican street food to Victoria. “There’s nothing better,” Luis told Tasting Victoria.

And while Esquimalt is full of food from across the globe, including Indian, Thai, and Chinese, it’s also home to one of the best Indigenous-led food trucks on Vancouver Island: Songhees Food Truck.

With a ton of redevelopment intended for Esquimalt, there’s no telling what’s in store for the municipality, but in our opinion: the more, the merrier.