Dining and entertainment

Local restaurants

Victoria boasts North America's second highest number of restaurants per capita. The city is close to an incredible number of growers and artisan food producers and, of course, to the Pacific Ocean. This easy year-round access to the freshest local ingredients is part of what makes dining in Victoria such a unique experience.

For a list of restaurants in Greater Victoria and the Gulf Islands, including seafood, fish and chips (so good it gets its own category), lunches, casual dining, fine dining, high tea, Asian, buffets and vegetarian visit Tourism Victoria.

Wineries

Favoured with a mild climate, Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands are emerging as one of North America's newest and fastest growing wine destinations.

Visitors can stop in at any of 17 wineries in the area, as well as a traditional cidery and a fruit winery. Most of the vineyards are in the Cowichan Valley, 45 minutes north of Victoria, with several on the nearby Saanich Peninsula and three more a short ferry hop away on Saturna and Salt Spring Islands. The Wine Islands Vintners Association and Wines of Canada are good sources of information on local offerings.

Entertainment

Monday Magazine is a free weekly publication, available from boxes around town, that details local events. Visit their website for recent articles.

Victoria's local newspaper, the Times Colonist, publishes a weekly section called Go!, that contains news in the entertainment industry, reviews of movies, music and live theatre, and information about local events.