Where To Eat, Play and Stay in Victoria BC

This past weekend Glen and I got away just the two of us to celebrate our tenth anniversary. For some reason, this felt so monumental and huge for us. We’ve been through so much in our 10 years of marriage and we really wanted to make this weekend extra special. I hope you enjoy my take on where to eat, play and stay in Victoria BC.

Since I’ve been asked about what to do and where to eat in Victoria, I thought I would write a blog with our go-to spots.

Where To Stay In Victoria, BC

First thing is first, we stayed at the Parkside Hotel in Downtown Victoria and It didn’t disappoint. This is our third time staying at this eco friendly hotel. We first stayed here on our Honeymoon ten years ago, so it was super special to stay again on our tenth anniversary.

If you’re staying in Victoria for a night or even an extended period, this is your hotel.

First off, the entire hotel operation is sustainable and carbon neutral. It’s the only hotel in Victoria like this.

Second, the suites are extremely spacious and they all come with a full kitchen to save money on eating.

The suites come with a deck to eat or relax on as well, they’re beautifully decorated and have beautiful views.

This time we stayed in the One Bedroom Preferred View Suite. A few weeks ago we actually stayed in a two bedroom suite with our kids and I swear it’s bigger than our entire house!

The entire lobby is so stunning, they have a giant Koi pond right in the middle of the lobby with mature tropical plants draping over. Our kids were obsessed with watching them and so were we!

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In the other half of the lobby ( as two towers join ) they have a sitting area with beautiful floral arrangements and a blazing fire during the cold days.

On top of how stunning and functional this Parkside is, there is SO much to do.

Things To Do At Parkside

-Rooftop Marshmallow Roast ( Rent for 25/hour)

-Theatre Room ( Rent for 45)

-Rent an e-scooter ( 10/hour)

-Pool + Hottub

-Spa

-Rent A Bike

and if you just feel like being an introvert, the patio’s are a perfect place to sip on a latte and read a book and the views are incredible!

This Parkside Hotel is one of our favorites in Victoria and we will be coming back again with our kids! On top of it being an amazing place to stay and play, it’s priced very reasonably!

Places To Eat + Play in Victoria

While we did spent a lot of time at our hotel, we also visited a lot of cute shops and eats in the downtown core.

Since Covid 19 is lurking around, things are looking a lot different. Most small shops and cute restaurants have long lines and masks are required. We had a long list of places we wanted to eat and visit, but unfortunately the lines made us resort to eat at bigger chain restaurants that had more seating and no lines. But the reviews from our sister who lives in the area are nothing short of amazing, so I will be including a few of her favourite eats in the list!

Favourite Places To Eat In Downtown Victoria

• Fol Epi – Sweet + Savory organic baked goods
• The Keg – Favourite place to for a perfectly cooked steak
• Milestones – Delicious restaurant to hit for lunch
• Blue Fox – The line for this diner was round the block
• Pink Bicycle – The best burgers!
• Brasserie L’Ecole – Very romantic and upscale
• The Sherwood – A very hip restaurant with yummy eats
• La Taqueria – Delicious Mexican food with great margaritas
• Old Spaghetti Factory – My all time fav.
• Chocolats Favoris – The most amazing ice cream and chocolate

There are so many places to eat in Victoria and I think that’s what makes it such an amazing city! I wish we had more time to explore, but next time!

We also visited a ton of unique shops and here is a list of our favorites!

Shops To Stop At in Victoria

As mentioned above, Covid has made things a little more difficult. Quite a few shops were open odd hours or not at all while we were in Victoria. But a lot of shops offer online shopping or delivery.

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• West Coast Refill – Tons of goods for the minimal at heart
• Rook and Rose – The most delightful florist and goods shop
• Russel Books – Two floors of every kind of book you can think of
• Baggins Shoes – Custom Vans and Converse
• Lore General
• Merchant Quarters General Store *We LOVED this store for clothing*
• Fjallraven – Quality Outdoor Goods
• Silk Road Tea – A huge variety of teas

and lastly, my list for things to do in Victoria if you don’t want to shop

Things To Do In Victoria

Usually we just wander around, sipping drinks and enjoying the good eats in Victoria but we’ve also done a ton of traditional sight seeing too.

Here’s my list

• Carriage Ride Around Downtown
• IMAX
• Visit Beacon Hill Park
• Have Tea At The Empress
• Walk Along The Harbour
• Royal BC Museum

If you made it through that entire blog, go you! I had so much to say about our stay in Victoria last weekend and we really fell in love with the city all over again.

Be sure to check out all the shops, eats and hotel that I linked to make you stay in Victoria amazing!