came here on a sunday around 6 and was able to get a seat at the bar! really enjoyed the atmosphere and choice of music. right away our servers were very kind and personable! everything on the menu sounded amazing so it was really hard to make a choice!! we started with a pickled egg cuz i had never had one before.. enjoyed it! we got the smoked salmon belly and let me tell u.. it is absolutely amazing to experience the taste of smoked salmon with the soft texture of belly.... and the sauce on it was amazing as well. we the. got a noodle dosh, which i of course forgot the name of and forgot to tale a picture of because it was so good we had to eat it right away!! its sort of like a ramen, and the broth was addicting.. a liiitle spicy, and loved how they used dashi in it. the noodles were a great texture too. definitely get the noodle dish if u have the chance. i also forgot the exact details of our last dish, but it featured leeks and was just amazing. i also got the country sleaze cocktail which was really tasty and refreshing! overall an incredible experience, definitely check this place out when ur in victoria. it was absolutely incredible and i cant wait to go back!!
Vegetarian options: most dishes were vegetarian, but u may have to ask about vegan options
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Blais
A sublime experience with friends. If you're offered the bar - trust me, take the bar. The personal, attentive service from Todd, the perfectly staggered arrival of small (but big) plates and the cocktails - wow. Continues to be our go-to Victoria spot for a never-miss night out. Thank you
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chrystine Ingraham
Perfection! Todd at the bar is a gem. Each dish and drink was not only exactly as expected (from Todds reccomendations) but exceeded our expectations. The flavors were beautifully balanced. We sampled several dishes, and not one disappointed. The mixed drinks were expertly crafted, and the wine recommendations were spot on. The service was attentive yet relaxed, creating an inviting atmosphere that made the entire experience unforgettable. I highly recommend this spot for anyone in search of exceptional flavors, textures, and top-tier service in a laid-back setting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carolina Marin
The absolute best meal I’ve ever had. At the beginning I was kind of skeptical about the menu since there’s three categories: salads, pastas & fish dishes which I’ve never experience before but oh my god. We loved so much the ravioli we had to try another of their pastas!!! And the combination of the ingredients it’s unreal. I also got the tuna tartare an absolute immaculate Citric sauce and it came with a ciabatta that was also amazing. This was the absolute best food experience. I discover flavors I never experienced before in foods, it’s not your regular menu so you have to be open minded so please be and you’ll not regret it!!! Dessert was TOP TOO
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ethan McStravick
Endive is a must visit. The food is amazing. The cocktails are good as well but I would recommend ordering food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Blake Bank
I'm not here to cast shade, but I've been to marilena's twice now and reaction fell flat regarding food. Which always makes me come back to Endive. If you are looking for culinary creativity in flavour and presentation.. this place is it. You will eat art here. How it's not a Michelin rated restaurant is beyond me. I am always floored with every dish I have. Matt has curated such an incredible restaurant for Victoria, this is the place we needed. Then we have Todd on the bar, the cocktail mastermind behind all the incredibley detailed drinks that look almost too good to drink. Chef's kiss. This place will always be the number one restaurant in Victoria in my eyes. If you disagree, you probably have the palate of a child.. go back to the spaghetti factory ;)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ian Hogben
First rate cocktails, great seafood forward food menu. Todd at the bar is a genius. Passionate about local industry and local ingredients. Pitch perfect palette. Oh; and Twin Peaks was playing on the day David Lynch died out of respect. Legends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lynda Kaye
Fantastic, inventive food served up in a casual, welcoming atmosphere. 3 of us shared smaller plates (beet salad, mussels, green hummus) and 2 fresh pasta dishes. Loved every mouthful. We'll be back!
Vegetarian options: Lots of great choices.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexandre Henri-Bhargava
Fantastic place but not for everyone. The food is by far some of the best you will get in the city because it’s actually like no other restaurant. Shared plates, pescatarian, seasonal menu, with often the vegetables being the star. Very creative. Use of relatively rare ingredients, complemented by local best, in interesting combinations. Lots of use of fermentation. Amazing, homemade made pasta. With creative food like this there will always be some misses and some hits, but the hits are home runs. If you dressed this food up, it would not be out of place in a Michelin tasting menu.
This is definitely a hipster, casual kind of place with cool artwork on the wall contrasted with exposed brick. So although the food is amazing, not a place for a business dinner, nor a place for a big 80th birthday, and not a place for kids. It’s fun, intimate, and relatively loud. A cool place to come for a date or hang out with friends. Service is unpretentious and friendly.
Drinks match the food. Five stars.
This place feels like it belongs in a much more foodie city like New York or Montreal, and it is a gem to have in a small city like Victoria
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tracy Gao
Best mussels in town. Parsnips are tasty but a bit over cooked.
Seats are quite close together so be mindful of this if you’re looking for a private dining. However, the setting is very intimate and perfect for a date night. Cool abstract feel that’s carried by the dim lighting and art work.
Food is great. Pescatarian menu. Would recommend going in the evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pesto Pasta Dish
Chris Boyd
Came for dinner and this did not disappoint. The atmosphere is super cool, the food is amazing! You can tell the chefs know what they’re doing. As a restaurant owner myself, I respect how clean their kitchen is (yes I’m posting a pic of that because it’s impressive)…seriously, these guys crush it! Also I can’t recommend the split pea hummus enough, that is one of the best dishes I’ve ever had!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Todd Smith
Turned away at the door because our sleeping baby “wasn’t the vibe”. We’ve eaten here many times over the years and this was the dumbest interaction I’ve had here.
I asked if we could pull up at the bar. Server said, “I’ll need to check”, then quickly pivoted to, “It’s our license but kids aren’t really the vibe. We’re not a family restaurant.” We were well-aware this isn’t Denny’s. I’ve literally eaten here before while kids under 10 were at the next table. This seemed incredibly arbitrary at 6:30pm on a Thursday with at least six empty tables in plain sight. Especially wild given there was a disruptively loud woman yelling while seated at the corner of the bar while we were talking to the server.
So, at this point I’m not sure if it was our kid or that we’re a queer couple, but we were turned away for what seemed like a made-up -on-the-spot rationale. If y’all are a liquor-primary business, it doesn’t prohibit children if they’re with adults. And we were welcomed openly at a similar calibre restaurant moments later. We were happy to give them our business after this little debacle.
The final insult was the server shouting, “Maybe come back for a date night.” Unaware that we were on a date night for my birthday. This was a really unkind heteronormative comment.
This place is not kid friendly, nor was this interaction what I would consider a safe space for queer or trans folks. If you don’t want children in the restaurant, please put that on your website and also explicitly here in your description. It currently does not state that anywhere and is a waste of time to hear it at the door.
Kid-friendliness: Kid-hostile. They don’t want them in the restaurant.
Service: 1
Cassi Starc
We ate the salmon belly, albacore tartar, chanterelle toast, and smoked beets. Everything was incredibly delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Scyi Norgaard
Complex flavours interwoven with creative pescatarian mains, elevated vegetables and fresh homemade pasta dishes. Stunning cocktails and natural organic wines and bubbly in an intimate playful setting.
came here on a sunday around 6 and was able to get a seat at the bar! really enjoyed the atmosphere and choice of music. right away our servers were very kind and personable! everything on the menu sounded amazing so it was really hard to make a choice!! we started with a pickled egg cuz i had never had one before.. enjoyed it! we got the smoked salmon belly and let me tell u.. it is absolutely amazing to experience the taste of smoked salmon with the soft texture of belly.... and the sauce on it was amazing as well. we the. got a noodle dosh, which i of course forgot the name of and forgot to tale a picture of because it was so good we had to eat it right away!! its sort of like a ramen, and the broth was addicting.. a liiitle spicy, and loved how they used dashi in it. the noodles were a great texture too. definitely get the noodle dish if u have the chance. i also forgot the exact details of our last dish, but it featured leeks and was just amazing.
i also got the country sleaze cocktail which was really tasty and refreshing!
overall an incredible experience, definitely check this place out when ur in victoria. it was absolutely incredible and i cant wait to go back!!
Vegetarian options: most dishes were vegetarian, but u may have to ask about vegan options
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A sublime experience with friends. If you're offered the bar - trust me, take the bar. The personal, attentive service from Todd, the perfectly staggered arrival of small (but big) plates and the cocktails - wow. Continues to be our go-to Victoria spot for a never-miss night out. Thank you
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Perfection! Todd at the bar is a gem. Each dish and drink was not only exactly as expected (from Todds reccomendations) but exceeded our expectations. The flavors were beautifully balanced. We sampled several dishes, and not one disappointed. The mixed drinks were expertly crafted, and the wine recommendations were spot on. The service was attentive yet relaxed, creating an inviting atmosphere that made the entire experience unforgettable. I highly recommend this spot for anyone in search of exceptional flavors, textures, and top-tier service in a laid-back setting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The absolute best meal I’ve ever had. At the beginning I was kind of skeptical about the menu since there’s three categories: salads, pastas & fish dishes which I’ve never experience before but oh my god. We loved so much the ravioli we had to try another of their pastas!!! And the combination of the ingredients it’s unreal. I also got the tuna tartare an absolute immaculate Citric sauce and it came with a ciabatta that was also amazing.
This was the absolute best food experience. I discover flavors I never experienced before in foods, it’s not your regular menu so you have to be open minded so please be and you’ll not regret it!!!
Dessert was TOP TOO
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Endive is a must visit. The food is amazing. The cocktails are good as well but I would recommend ordering food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I'm not here to cast shade, but I've been to marilena's twice now and reaction fell flat regarding food. Which always makes me come back to Endive. If you are looking for culinary creativity in flavour and presentation.. this place is it. You will eat art here. How it's not a Michelin rated restaurant is beyond me. I am always floored with every dish I have. Matt has curated such an incredible restaurant for Victoria, this is the place we needed. Then we have Todd on the bar, the cocktail mastermind behind all the incredibley detailed drinks that look almost too good to drink. Chef's kiss. This place will always be the number one restaurant in Victoria in my eyes. If you disagree, you probably have the palate of a child.. go back to the spaghetti factory ;)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First rate cocktails, great seafood forward food menu. Todd at the bar is a genius. Passionate about local industry and local ingredients. Pitch perfect palette. Oh; and Twin Peaks was playing on the day David Lynch died out of respect. Legends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic, inventive food served up in a casual, welcoming atmosphere. 3 of us shared smaller plates (beet salad, mussels, green hummus) and 2 fresh pasta dishes. Loved every mouthful. We'll be back!
Vegetarian options: Lots of great choices.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic place but not for everyone. The food is by far some of the best you will get in the city because it’s actually like no other restaurant. Shared plates, pescatarian, seasonal menu, with often the vegetables being the star. Very creative. Use of relatively rare ingredients, complemented by local best, in interesting combinations. Lots of use of fermentation. Amazing, homemade made pasta. With creative food like this there will always be some misses and some hits, but the hits are home runs. If you dressed this food up, it would not be out of place in a Michelin tasting menu.
This is definitely a hipster, casual kind of place with cool artwork on the wall contrasted with exposed brick. So although the food is amazing, not a place for a business dinner, nor a place for a big 80th birthday, and not a place for kids. It’s fun, intimate, and relatively loud. A cool place to come for a date or hang out with friends. Service is unpretentious and friendly.
Drinks match the food. Five stars.
This place feels like it belongs in a much more foodie city like New York or Montreal, and it is a gem to have in a small city like Victoria
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best mussels in town. Parsnips are tasty but a bit over cooked.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Seats are quite close together so be mindful of this if you’re looking for a private dining. However, the setting is very intimate and perfect for a date night. Cool abstract feel that’s carried by the dim lighting and art work.
Food is great. Pescatarian menu. Would recommend going in the evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pesto Pasta Dish
Came for dinner and this did not disappoint. The atmosphere is super cool, the food is amazing! You can tell the chefs know what they’re doing. As a restaurant owner myself, I respect how clean their kitchen is (yes I’m posting a pic of that because it’s impressive)…seriously, these guys crush it!
Also I can’t recommend the split pea hummus enough, that is one of the best dishes I’ve ever had!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Turned away at the door because our sleeping baby “wasn’t the vibe”. We’ve eaten here many times over the years and this was the dumbest interaction I’ve had here.
I asked if we could pull up at the bar. Server said, “I’ll need to check”, then quickly pivoted to, “It’s our license but kids aren’t really the vibe. We’re not a family restaurant.” We were well-aware this isn’t Denny’s. I’ve literally eaten here before while kids under 10 were at the next table. This seemed incredibly arbitrary at 6:30pm on a Thursday with at least six empty tables in plain sight. Especially wild given there was a disruptively loud woman yelling while seated at the corner of the bar while we were talking to the server.
So, at this point I’m not sure if it was our kid or that we’re a queer couple, but we were turned away for what seemed like a made-up -on-the-spot rationale. If y’all are a liquor-primary business, it doesn’t prohibit children if they’re with adults. And we were welcomed openly at a similar calibre restaurant moments later. We were happy to give them our business after this little debacle.
The final insult was the server shouting, “Maybe come back for a date night.” Unaware that we were on a date night for my birthday. This was a really unkind heteronormative comment.
This place is not kid friendly, nor was this interaction what I would consider a safe space for queer or trans folks. If you don’t want children in the restaurant, please put that on your website and also explicitly here in your description. It currently does not state that anywhere and is a waste of time to hear it at the door.
Kid-friendliness: Kid-hostile. They don’t want them in the restaurant.
Service: 1
We ate the salmon belly, albacore tartar, chanterelle toast, and smoked beets. Everything was incredibly delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Complex flavours interwoven with creative pescatarian mains, elevated vegetables and fresh homemade pasta dishes. Stunning cocktails and natural organic wines and bubbly in an intimate playful setting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...