When you’re planning a trip to Vancouver Island, you’re probably planning on basking in the incredible nature that is all over the Island, visiting our beautiful small towns and visiting the vibrant capital city of Victoria. Did you know that Victoria is also one of top culinary destinations in Canada? When it comes to incredible food and drinks, Victoria’s restaurants are sure to impress, no matter where you’re travelling from! While finding great food is easy in the capital city, if you’re looking for high-quality, traditional, craft cocktails there are a few spots that the locals love and that are sure to inspire even the most discerning cocktail enthusiast.
This hotel bar is one of the most long-standing, classic cocktail bars in Victoria. With a classic lounge atmosphere, extensive selection of signature and classic cocktails made with rare spirits, liqueurs, vermouths, bitters, as well as an incredible selection of local and international beer and wine. At this bar, quality is of paramount importance that if an ingredient is needed but the products available don’t meet the standards of quality, they make it!
On a warm spring evening, there might be no better way to watch the sun set than to take a stroll along the Songhees walkway. On the edge of the water with the Empress and Legislature gleaming across the Inner Harbour sits one of the newest members of the Victoria restaurant family, Boom + Batten. With an elegant interior and a cocktail menu filled with innovative creations, fun twists on your favourites and any classic cocktail that you could want.
If you’re looking for a place to grab an incredible craft cocktail in one of the coolest bars in Victoria, you’ll want to visit this incredibly cool speakeasy located in heritage downtown. Not only are the food and cocktails at Little Jumbo amazing but cramming yourself into this tiny dining room is an experience unto itself. With cool decor and atmosphere that seems like it’s from another era, great music and ground-breaking liquid creations, this place should be at the top of your list for cocktail hour in Victoria.
On the edge of downtown Victoria, at the corner of Blanshard and Broughton you’ll find Clarke & Co. a friendly neighbourhood bar with great service and handcrafted cocktails. This fun little spot has one of the best whiskey lists in Victoria so you’re sure to be able to find your favourite on the list and maybe even find a new one too! Plus, at this cool bar, you can ask to order a bartender’s choice cocktail! It’s exactly what it sounds like – choose between a refreshing cocktail and spirit forward cocktail, and they’ll surprise you with something delicious!
These days, making a great cocktail isn’t about flare and speed, it’s about balancing flavours and elements to ensure that every sip is amazing from the first to the last. If you love a great cocktail as much as we do, there may be no better place to go than Wind Cries Mary in historic Bastion Square. Their incredible cocktail list is only matched by the friendly, knowledgeable service.
Right in the heart of downtown, in the beautiful heritage area of Trounce Alley is Bodega, the always busy and incredible cocktail bar next to Tapa Bar, one of the best restaurants in Victoria. With lovely small plates that pair perfectly with any of their fun and exceptional cocktails, this little spot is a favourite with the locals for good reason!
If you’re looking for a fun place to grab a drink, Friends of Dorothy is the place to go! This fun, elegance meets punk lounge is where you can find signature cocktails, upscale dishes, and fabulous entertainment. There’s really no place like this one!
At the edge of old town is the tropical themed bar, Citrus & Cane. With a cool, retro tiki bar vibe, incredible cocktails and excellent service this is the place to go if you want to feel like a character in Mad Men. No matter what the weather is doing, when you’re here, sipping on one of the many tropical cocktails, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation!
Q Bar is one of the top places in the city to go for inspired, handcrafted cocktails, incredible local beer on tap and an impressive wine selection. With a modern meets classic take on the interior design, soaring ceilings, impeccable service and stunning cocktails, this is the place to go if you’re looking for an elevated cocktail hour.
If you’re looking for an upscale spot with a nightlife feel in Victoria, The Palms is the place to go! Located in the chic Hotel Rialto, this fun cocktail lounge has vibrant lighting, lush palm plants, warm wood details and incredible cocktails. It’s the perfect combination of modern and classic cocktail bar and always a great night out.