Vista 18 Restaurant + Lounge

Beautiful restaurant with scenic views, attentive service, inspired dishes ( lots going on with each plate - volume, colours, textures, and tastes which made each plate very interesting), but most of all pretty incredible value. Chris's 10 oz chunk of strip loin and sides are highly recommended.

The two who ordered omelettes thought they were good. My avocado toast was fine, but the toast was brittle making it tough to cut.

This is not our first experience at Vista 18 and in the past, it's always been good. However, this time we were NOT impressed. It was for my wife's 60th birthday and shortly after our meals arrived, the waiter said, “So how long are you planning on being here as the hostess needs the table for a group of 8 people” We found that inappropriate and rude. My wife's sirloin steak was tough and full of fat. He recommended the ribs to me saying, “fall off the bone tender” NOT! They were over cooked, dry and so tough. We had hoped our elusive server would have at least asked how our meals were while our guests were eating theirs, but finally showed up after we finished picking at them, not leaving time to get them right or remedy them. Very disappointed

Beautiful scenery 180 view of the ocean. Services excellent and very professional and prompt however brunch a little disappointing. Pork rib hash was tasty but about 1 tablespoon of meat on 3 ribs. Plenty of vegetables and good cappuccino

We had a nice dining experience at Vista 18. The only issue was when we arrived for our reservation at 5:45 we were told to wait for 5 minutes while other people arrived and were seated right away. We had not asked for a specific table so wondered why? We did have good service once seated and very good food. The view we had was not the best as we faced downtown with all the new construction and cranes going on. Last time we were here we faced the water and the Inner Harbour which is preferable. Overall a pleasant experience.

Our server was energetic and fun, short and quick banter but did not bother us more than he needed to. Perfect service.

Tonight’s dinner was spot on. Everything about the dishes and service was perfect. A really big thanks to the management team (Kieth) aswell as to our server Lauren who both went above and beyond for us to ensure they left an ever lasting impression. Can’t express enough gratitude for the perfect service aswell as most tasteful dishes we have had in quite sometime. Thanks so much. We will definitely be back again soon. ?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Roast Pork Tenderloin Bacon-Wrapped with Side of Prawns, Soup, Creme Brulee

Best Roof top restaurant. View is stunning.

Vegetarian options: They have vegetarian and gluten-free options

Parking: Ask the front desk for parking pass and you can park at their parking lot.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Calamari, Crispy Chicken Waffles

A very disappointing first time visit.....when paying the bill for my friend and I, I submitted cash, over the amount of the bill, and advised the waiter I would pay the tip in cash.... he did not give me any change..... therefore missed out on a 20.00 tip.... very rude and condescending.. - he even took my bill, and was rather rude, when I asked for a copy.....A tip is never to be expected, it is a reward for service.........and at the discretion of the guest...... we noted other waiters being very courteous to their guests........maybe because we did not order liquor and our bill was rather small compared to some?????? If you do not like your job, move on buddy.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 1

We were at Vista 18 last night for a celebration dinner prior to the theater.
The parking lot had spaces but were so tight we almost were trapped! We ended up parking on the roof and then we had to run in to get a pass and run back out to our car, which made us late for the restaurant. Very stressful! I will never attempt to park inside again. ( this was my 3rd visit ). We were a bit stressed when our hostess told us we were late and she'd been trying to call us! Fortunately, they'd saved us a beautiful table in the corner. However, there was a table directly behind us, with 4 people who were extremely loud and that kind of ruined the ambience for us. Most of the restaurant was empty, so it was strange that we had to be seated next to a rowdy table. That could've been better planned.
Our server ; Drew was absolutely friendly with exceptional customer service skills. All his suggestions were absolutely perfect for us. Especially when we were trying to decide on the wine. Drew was never intrusive & naturally observant to our needs.
The Vista chips & aioli was absolutely delicious . The olives yummy too.
My Sister had the Lamb Tbone which was perfection itself.
My scallops & arugula risotto was a huge disappointment. Drowning in arugula , mozzarella & pesto it was over poweringly unpleasant & for me , unpalatable. To ruin the delicate flavor of scallops like this was a crime. Chef- take note!! I could not eat the risotto. Drew came to the rescue with the peaches & cream Brule with a blueberry cloud of cotton candy! Scumptiously shared!
We followed up with martinis prior to running out to the theatre.
A great evening thanks to Drew & most of the food. A definite revisit.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Creme Brulee

What a view. What a meal. What service!

Our sever Scott gave a great wine recommendation. He was approachable and knowledgeable. Great evening! Will be back soon

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was pretty good, the view was amazing, the waiter was very good but it was a little dark for eating. Hard to see your own dish.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sesame Tuna

Great staff ! ( our waitress Lauren was Awesome) the restaurant was quite and the views few uninterrupted. Food was soo good as usual! ( 10 oz steak and all the sides ?)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Vista 18 is an interesting establishment with an above-average location and views. The atmosphere is upscale and modern, but the wait/cook staff haven't quite caught up to the standard it tries, and somewhat fails, to set for itself. There is tremendous culinary potential that juxtaposes the stark reality, that Vista 18 seems more intent on being a cocktail bar that simply coincidentally sells food as well.

Making reservations was easy, but finding the restaurant was difficult, and hotel staff seemed unwelcoming to diners who aren't guests renting rooms. Further perpetuating the principal issue that Vista 18 does not hold itself to a fine dining standard; first and foremost. Moreover, it carries itself as just another bar or restaurant burdened by its relation to the Chateau Victoria hotel.

From the time of ordering to the time of receiving food, approximately 45 minutes had passed and my date and I saw our waiter no more than twice. He was quite nice in the few interactions we had, but sadly the establishment gave off an air of 'understaffed'. If you aren't getting alcoholic beverages, options are quite limited. But if you're in a mood to be inebriated, if nothing else, your cocktails will be made promptly and delivered just as quickly. If you can get service, it's phenomenal otherwise, you may be waiting all night.

As far as the food is concerned, the ingredients were indeed fresh and delicious, but the plating lacked concise vision. The Roasted chicken and Prawns was a messy and unrefined dish. Perfectly cooked, simply needing more time and thought to be exemplary, in my opinion. My date, suffered through the 10 Oz Angus Steak which she ordered as 'Medium' but came to us quite tough as 'Medium-Well' to 'Well-done' at best. The lime butter and vegetables were excellent additions though. Prices are higher than average for average-quality dishes and cocktails.

The drink menu is about twice the size of the food menu, you'd be forgiven for confusing the two. Cocktails are creative and quite delicious, the wine selection also being extensive. Gluten Free/Vegan options are clearly labeled and easily distinguished, giving it points for accessibility. The food menu could benefit from an overhaul, if it got half the attention the drink menu receives, I wouldn't have felt prompted to write a review.

One caveat, that I'd be remiss to not mention, the servers gave us a free desert for my birthday. Which was a very nice gesture. However, the desert menu lacks diversity and creativity. Even without cost to us, the Peach Brule lacked cohesion, distinguished flavor, flair, and jenaisequois.

Anyone who frequents Michelin-Starred restaurants may not be impressed by Vista 18. An interesting gimmick, a nice view, sub-par service and food for the price. The casual diner might find better culinary experiences elsewhere in Victoria. If you're a hotel guest I implore you to try the bar.

TLDR; Worth a try, perhaps not worth a revisit.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

Views here are obviously stunning, like the rest of the reviews say. Service and cocktails were also quite good, but it was really the food that made this review fall flat.

Miso chicken wings were a cool idea, and came out fine, but lacked any real pop. Scallops were cooked well but also lacked flavour.

Steak was severely overcooked when it arrived, but that’s no problem. The server was prompt and apologetic. The unfortunate part was, even though it didn’t seem to be busy at all in the restaurant, it took over 30 minutes for the new steak. When it finally arrived it was in fact cooked nicely, but once again the dish lacked anything memorable when it came to flavour.

Would recommend this place for a sunset cocktail for sure, but if you’re looking for a nice meal there’s plenty of better options in the city.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 2

Service: 4