Greater Victoria weekend brunches
Victorians are avid brunch fans; the city’s trendiest spots sport long lineups as they vie for your appetite with creative menus and stellar service. Gathering with family and friends after a hectic week? Looking to refresh and refuel after a hike on the famous Galloping Goose Trail? Whether it’s edgy cuisine or tried-and-true classics, this brunch-spot list has you covered.
Sunnyside Cafe
101-1234 Esquimalt Rd, Victoria, BC V9A 3N8Not quite as well known as its list mates, Sunnyside Café serves brunch to match the big guns. This casual little eatery, tucked under a cycle shop, serves all-day breakfast favourites from traditional bacon and eggs to huevos rancheros and breakfast burritos. The Saxe Point Benny (wild salmon, capers and hollandaise) is a must. Place your order at the counter and take a number to your table so your server knows where to find you, or perch at the window counter to people watch.
Jam Cafe
542 Herald St, Victoria, BC V8W 1S6Featured on Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here, long lineups at the homey, rustic Jam Café are guaranteed on weekends but worth the wait. Innovative, quirky breakfast offerings are Jam’s hallmark; sample the chicken ’n’ waffles or the red velvet pancakes. Daily specials such as mango pineapple cheesecake French toast keep things interesting for the regulars, and big appetites will appreciate the Charlie Bowl: crumbled biscuit, hash browns, diced ham, green onions, cheddar and sausage gravy topped with two sunny side eggs.
Shine Cafe
1320 Blanshard St, Victoria, BC V8W 2J1This family-owned business focuses on local suppliers for coffee, tea, bread and eggs. Its hearty fare includes dishes such as Scottish breakfast with black pudding and Polish eggs Benedict served on perogies.The dining room is bright and sunny with friendly service and that essential key to a good brunch — the bottomless coffee cup. There’s a second location uptown that’s a little less roomy, but otherwise just as delish.
The Blue Fox Cafe
101-919 Fort St, Victoria, BC V8V 3K3If you want to hang with the cool kids you visit the hip, happening Blue Fox. It’s busy and loud, but plate glass windows and high ceilings keep it from feeling overcrowded. Healthy options for the active West Coast lifestyle include breakfast salad, or go for something more decadent like the Apples Charlotte French Toast. For a one-two punch breakfast cocktail, try the iced Russian coffee (vodka, Kahlua and a double shot of espresso).
John's Place Restaurant
723 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC V8W 1N9The Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here loved John’s Place, and so it should, what with solid brunch meals such as Yankee corned beef hash and English breakfast. There’s a bit of whimsy, too, in offerings like French Toast Erotica, and Bat out of Hell Meatloaf and Egg. Ogle the autographed celeb shots on the wall, or listen to the jukebox while dining. John’s has a cozy, family atmosphere — if you come in by yourself, you won’t be alone for long.
Floyd's Diner
866 Yates St, Victoria, BC V8W 1L8Elvis and Marilyn Monroe are at Floyd’s. Their portraits that is, along with other nostalgic diner-days memorabilia. The menu offers diner dishes with quirky names like Listen To Me When I’m Talking (eggs, bacon, sausage or ham, potatoes and toast). If you’re feeling adventurous, order the signature Mahoney and put yourself in the cooks’ hands. They’ll whip up whatever they see fit, and you can flip a coin to pay double or nothing if you’re feeling lucky. Not that brave? Try the pancakes with house-made bourbon maple syrup.
The Beach House
5109 Cordova Bay Rd, Victoria, BC V8Y 2K1Plan to linger over brunch at the Beach House. Big picture windows and waterfront patios ensure there’s not a bad seat in the house to take in the ocean view. The menu is small but varied, with a number of standard à la carte items with which to customize your plate. Add a fruit cup to baked oatmeal with fresh berries or sausages to your Belgian waffles. See the iron fish sculpture over the bar? That’s a 1940s whisky bottle in its belly, salvaged from the dining room’s former dancehall days.
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