Vis-à-Vis in Victoria

2232 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria, BC V8R 1G4, Canada

★★★★☆
(542 reviews)
Categories: French restaurant Bar Breakfast restaurant Restaurant

About

With a “face-to-face” mentality, Vis a Vis is a personalized and engaging experience. With front row seats, you are able to interact with our Bartender & Charcutier while sipping on a glass of wine, locally crafted beer or a signature cocktail.

Website
visavisoakbay.com
Address
2232 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria, BC V8R 1G4, Canada
Plus Code
CMGP+M2 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Time Zone
America/Vancouver

Business Hours

Monday
11 AM–9 PM
Tuesday
11 AM–9 PM
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
11 AM–10 PM
Friday
11 AM–10 PM
Saturday
11 AM–10 PM
Sunday
11 AM–9 PM

Services

Service options
Outdoor seating Kerbside pickup No-contact delivery Delivery Takeaway Dine-in
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park Wheelchair-accessible entrance Wheelchair-accessible seating Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Offerings
Alcohol Beer Cocktails Coffee Healthy options Small plates Spirits Wine
Dining options
Breakfast Brunch Dinner Dessert Seating
Amenities
Bar on site Toilets Wi-Fi Wi-Fi
Atmosphere
Cosy Romantic Upmarket
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards Credit cards

Photos

Reviews

4.3
★★★★☆
542 reviews

Most Mentioned

patio (20) mussels (14) bisque (11) crab (9) eggs benny (8) french onion soup (7) bison (6) intimate (6) shrimp and avocado salad (5) brussel sprouts (5)
5 stars
334
4 stars
109
3 stars
47
2 stars
27
1 stars
25
★★★★★
November 29, 2024

Great and friendly staff. The French Onion soup was delicious and also the Mussels. Been a bar setup its not as quiet but the playlist music is good!

★★★★★
October 28, 2024

Great food! First time trying this restaurant and can say we will definitely be back. The steak tartare was our fav! Staff were also friendly. Would recommend :)

★★★★★
August 24, 2024

The food was lovely and the service was great! Our table was beautifully set with fresh lavender and a candle lit water lantern. The restaurant is rather small, so I would recommend a reservation. The quality of the products they use is definitely 10 out of 10. The Bison was cooked to perfection and exactly matching my request. The creme Brulee was one of the best we've had on the island. Definitely recommend this lovely restraunt with amazing staff.

★★★
August 19, 2024

Delightful, impeccable service, but really disappointing food. It doesn’t much to learn how to do a proper Caesar salad (hint: there is no creamy dressing and no you can’t charge $20 for lettuce and croutons), or prepare the bison shoulder with just a bit of originality and respect for the diner (potato puree and carrots side?! Come on). The seafood bisque was reportedly good and the mackerel pate is decent. Would come back because the server was just so outstanding, but next time I’ll ask a lot more questions about the menu.

★★★★
July 24, 2024

We visited Vis-a-Vis during a dine-around event and were initially disappointed, so we never returned. However, today we decided to give it another try, and we had a great experience. ▪︎ The lamb was excellent; the side veggies were cooked perfectly, and the shredded potato block was amazing. ▪︎ The bison was also good, although the mushroom cream was quite salty, and the meat was a tad chewy. ▪︎ For dessert, the crème brûlée was decent. Overall, I would definitely revisit this place again.

★★★★★
January 2, 2024

Favorite area in Victoria Oak Bay area. Quiet and elegant ambiance. Generous portions, surprising combinations like the Steak Sandwich resembling a pizza-steak fusion, Grilled Marinated Octopus offering a salad-centric cold dish, and Scallops Soufflé presenting a delightful blend of seafood chowder and scallops

★★★★★
December 26, 2023

We ended up here when the Penny Farthing wasn’t taking any more reservations. This place is soooo good! And the two restaurants are sisters - same kitchen - but this food is French and fabulous! We had the duck, the gnocchi, and the beef stew. Yum!

★★★★★
April 22, 2023

1. chicken supreme - so good! soft n tender, mushroom sauce and cabbage was right on the point 10/10! 2. lobster bisque - amazingly good and i love the texture, could be more salty and richer though 3. french fries - hot and crispy just perfecto in general: very good service, there was a bit of waiting for the food but that’s fine, dinners good! ratings: 9/10

★★★★★
November 22, 2024

Always loving enjoying a glass of wine at this warm and welcoming spot. If you get Paulinka huge bonus

★★★★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

Everything is lovely. Food was tasty and very friendly service.

★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

Great wine selection to go with a great meal.

★★★★★
August 22, 2024

Well executed French fare and nice wine selection. Very welcoming vibe. Our server was very attentive.

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 22, 2024

Great food, atmosphere, service and wine selection. Very kids friendly.

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 22, 2024

Always good and that includes their neighbor

★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Our extended family of six celebrating two fathers made a Fathers Day, 2024 reservation for brunch at 11:00 a.m. at Vis a Vis. No earlier time was available. We arrived on time and were told there was no record of the reservation. We were, however, given a table with brunch and lunch menus provided by the server. When we had decided what brunch dishes to order, the server said we were not quick enough and that only lunch would be available. None of us wanted lunch so early but we had no other choice. The food was not impressive which amplified our overall disappointment in what was to be a celebratory brunch. In summary: service, reservation issue , brunch not available, quality of food all added up to the conclusion that we won t likely return. Disconcerting and disappointing as well, is the fact that Vis à Vis has told us over time that they have a policy not to take reservations on the outside tables and yet on multiple occasions we have seen reservation names and times on these tables suggesting perhaps that this is discretionary. A charming, local dining venue which we will give a miss in the future.

★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Pub style food but expensive. Went for breakfast. Greasy.

★★★★★
July 22, 2024

Food was so fresh&delicious. The service was impeccable

★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

The beef steak was top notch!

★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

Love the vibe here. My main reason for 3 stars on food is that it was mediocre and very expensive.

★★★★★
June 22, 2024

Just had a fabulous brunch - Eggs Benny with prosciutto, arugula and walnuts. Eggs done perfectly and wonderful flavour. Very different. Bravo!

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

Nice surprise in Oak Bay! Great food, very nice staff. Really cute place, with Penny Farthing next door.

★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

Great food and atmosphere

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

I had a great experience dropping in for dinner and sitting at the bar. The staff work hard to make sure you are happy.

★★★★★
May 22, 2024

A great dining experience.

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

Really great pub and menu. Nothing wild, but really really well done classic dishes. Always great service.

★★
May 22, 2024

It has a lovely, cosy atmosphere and friendly service, but my dining companion agreed that the food was underwhelming

★★★
May 22, 2024

Food, drinks and service are all amazing, but the portion sizes have shrunk considerably to the point where its no longer worth it.

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

I had the winter salad, my friend had the gnocchi. Both flavourful, very satisfying dishes. If you enjoy French cuisine, this is the place to go.

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

Really exquisite. Tried the mussels and frites with the chorizo broth (was hesitant on what chorizo broth would taste like, and wow, was I ever pleasantly surprised.) The bread that accompanied the dish was so divine when dipped in the broth, (an impeccable broth, at that.) The mussels were sizeable and very tasty. My friend and I shared oysters, and they were very fresh as well. I enjoyed the seaweed salad sample on the side. Very good attention to detail. We did have to wait quite a while for our food, but I didn t mind as I was catching up with a friend on a beautiful day on Vis à Vis patio. I will excitedly return.

April 22, 2024

Be aware. I felt like this establishment is racist or homophobic (havent made up my mind yet). Came in with my GF and the blonde girl said all their tables were reserved. 3 out of all the tables were empty. A caucasian old man and 2 kids walked in and the server said sit anywhere you want ha ha ha when we questioned it one server said we dont take reservations. Clearly they dont know the operations of their restaurant or dont want colored people sitting at the tabled area but have room for them at the bar.

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Love this neighbourhood place~ came here for brunch and the food was amazing! Burger was deliciois with a nice charred flavour from the patties. The steak tartare was a large portion. The fries were nicely fried with salt and herbs. I even got a bubbly wine flight that went great with the food. It was my first time trying a bubbly red! Our server was super friendly and would love to come back for dinner sometime.

★★★★★
March 22, 2024

Delicious food!!

★★★★★
March 22, 2024

Fantastic Eggs Benny!

February 22, 2024

Went for Dine Around menu. Disappointing Entree was a very thin piece of bare cod and 4 halves of overcooked fingerlings. No colour or veg on the plate. No flavour,either. Not putting their best food forward. Food : 2/5

★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Food was excellent. My Morrocan spiced bison was rare and fork tender. The Ling cod was nicely seasoned and cooked perfectly. The wine choice suggested was a good choice, not overpowering but complimentary for a white. The atmosphere was good but a bit more noisy than I would have liked. The service was very good. All the staff answered questions and service was quick and unobtrusive. It was dine around time and we chose to select from the special menu. However, we were tempted with the regular menu. Another visit is in store to sample the regular menu. Wine and drink pairing suggestions are listed on the menu as well.

★★★★★
February 22, 2024

Went for lunch and will be back. 2nd time. Have not tried dinner yet. But I will.

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

This restaurant was recommended to us for brunch and it did not disappoint. My husband said the breakfast wrap was the best he had in his life. Cute space and attentive service. Would like to try their dinner menu next time we are in town.

★★★★★
January 22, 2024

One of our favorite places.

December 22, 2023

Oh man, this place might be the worst in Victoria. From the horrific FOH staff to the Kraft cheese used as Parmesan on the fries, it could likely be the worst meal I ve ever had. Take a look at the connected penny farthing menu and you ll notice it s the exact same menu with $4 added to the price of everything..

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

I give the services 4 stars. Service was great, the serveuse was genuinely kind, same with the young man that brought my food. Breakfast was bland, frozen hash brown, I was hopping for fresh cut hash browns. Everything was very very bland. I ll come back for dinner another time just because services was really caring and attentive.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

My salad was delicious and no shortage of bacon which is greatly appreciated.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

I went today with my friend as a late birthday present. The decor was stunning. Very French bistro. The staff were very attentive and friendly. The food was to die food and not even expensive! Real good quality ingredients and real French menu. Our waitress (I think her name was Orla) was amazing. So sweet, always smiling. 100% will be coming back!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Incredible, knowledgeable, and friendly service. Oysters were fresh and appetizers were wonderful - highly recommend the beef tartar. Shared the châteaubriande special across three. All sides were standouts - the scalloped potatoes, mushrooms, and parmesan truffle fries are perfect. Trust Caroline with her plate and wine recommendations and you wont be disappointed!

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

A pleasant surprise to have a full service and white linen place that is open at 7 AM. The staff is friendly and attentive.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Had a lovely time at Visa a vis. A nice intimate dinner with great service. Everything we ordered was exceptional and very well balanced. Food was truly cooked to perfection!

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

We used to love this quaint place. Could the chef put any less boring cheeses in the cheese platter? If that wasnt bad enough the amounts are miniscule. As for management at vis a vis or Penny Farthing they are brutish. Recommend they refine their customerskills or be retrained. Have had several unpleasant experiences as have my friends.

December 22, 2023

The mussels I ordered looked good when served but were ridiculously small. I have never seen mussels so small. Very expensive for very little.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Best breakfast croissant and super friendly staff!!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Great $10 specials! And gotta love the bottomless coffee

★★
December 22, 2023

High priced pedestrian food..clearly not hitting the mark here! Low quality steak, enormous cafeteria style salads of ice berg lettuce primarily Charcuterie platter so poorly done..two small pieces of cheese, endless bread and large crude portions of mustard and sauce all out of proportion and balance. Server hated his job clearly because not once did he smile or try to enhance our experience there

★★★★
December 22, 2023

Nice little Cafe, good menu, kind service.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Best place to get breakfast in Victoria! If you go before 9 you can get some things for $9.99. Big portions, delicious food, great service, cute atmosphere!

★★★
December 22, 2023

The food was not overly impressive. The Beef Bourguignon lacked beef. Otherwise, everything else was fine.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Had a splendid breakfast here on April 28 If you go before 9am there are special deals on some of the breakfast items. Staff are wonderful (especially Orla and Daniel)

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Great place for a seafood lunch

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Excellent creme brulee. I was accidentally handed the wrong bill and the staff were able to correct it within minutes. Highly professional and I would recommend it

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Its okay, but there room for improvement.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Amazing dining experience. Mussels were to die for and there is a new sommelier working there who is just lovely.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Excellent shellfish bisque

December 22, 2023

Not impressed, my wifes bouillabaisse consisted of three mussels, three prawns and a small piece of rockfish. My beef bourguignon was served with instant potatoes. I was initially served the wrong entree. Drinks are extremely expensive. There are lots of better places to spend your money

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

People have been recommending this restaurant for a while. Not disappointed. Great food and service. Thank you.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Excellent service, great food, and charming atmosphere. Always a favorite of ours!

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Outstanding! Luke, Rebecca, and Lindsay gave me the greatest service, and now I am complete!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

This is a cozy little restaurant very warm atmosphere, the food is amazing we came for breakfast several times while on vacation in Victoria.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

We stopped here for an early dinner to wait out rush hour on the Malahat Highway. So glad we did! The food (especially the bisque!), atmosphere on the outdoor patio, and eagerness of staff to please were stellar . . . Five stars PLUS. Service, despite the shortage of wait staff, was good. Will definitely visit here again.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Excellent food, service and prices

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

The food is good, the service is good. My partner was a huge fan of the mussels and the ratatouille. I had the Niçoise salad and the oysters, the former of which was nothing like what I expect from a Niçoise salad. The oysters were lovely!Unfortunately, Vis-à-Vis did not stand out to me as a must try in Victoria.

★★★
December 22, 2023

The wine was fantastic! A beautiful French with robust and rich flavours. We started with the parmesan fries which were excellent. My husband had the duck which he enjoyed a lot however the plate it came on didnt support the juices/sauce and therefore it ran off the plate onto the table. On the recommendation of our very lovely server I got the seafood boulliabase which came with 3 tiny overcooked mussels, 4 prawns, a couple of potatoes and side of bread . All for $34!! Yikes. It was also too salty. I should have complained but didnt. We just wont be back.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

All around good place for a drink and hearty meal. Enjoyable and good value, will Yes , I will go again Food : 4/5

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

We loved this place and our wait staff was so great.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Excellent shrimp and avocado salad. I could eat it every day. Wine tasty if not a wee bit costly.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Went for lunch, everything was top notch! Food was fabulous! The server could have been a bit more informed..

★★
December 22, 2023

We took our daughter out for early birthday dinner arrived early at 4:40pm on Sunday only 1 other couple having wine in resturant. We shared the crab dip very tasty 50 minutes later our entrees lamb, duck & bision arrived presentation was nice unfortunately they were all cold room temp. They didn t charge us as we left the meals on our plate paid for the wine & left disappointing evening. The manager used the excuse the pub was busy, hard to see that from our perspective.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

My wife and I went to Vis-a-Vis for dinner and it was amazing! The service was incredible from the moment we walked in the door. Ryan was our server for the evening, and he did an outstanding job! The new menu had so many delicious choices that we asked Ryan for his recommendations. I had the bison shoulder and my wife had the ling cod - we would highly recommend either of them! What made the dinner even more amazing was the head chef brought out our meals himself. Our evening ended with a mango compote cheesecake and handmade berry macarons by the head chef (both need to be permanently added to the menu!!). If you are looking for an upscale dining experience with great food and great service, we would highly recommend Vis-a-Vis. We will definitely be back!

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Very good food, pleasant atmosphere and good service.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

Had one of the best dining experiences I have had in a long time. The food was second to none.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

What a great night enjoying the incredible dishes of Vis-à-Vis. The cod and bison are amazing, to name a few. What a gift for Oak Bay!! Thank you we will be back soon.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Fantastic date night spot. Amazing cocktails, huge wine list, and even better food. This place is great!

★★
December 22, 2023

My family and I used to love coming to Vis-à-Vis but over the past year, the quality of the food has declined so much that we have decided not to return. The last meal we recently had was incredibly disappointing. We will not be returning. The most disappointing part of our meal was the starter: the Brie tart. Chewy phyllo pastry with tasteless cheese (not quality Brie) and a spoonful of extremely sweet jam on top. Very strange flavours, not tasty and not well presented.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

So happy to have a great spot in Oak Bay - never leave us! Love that its prime date-night but can also bring the kids.. ooh and the breakfast!!

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Something has changed, poor wine selection, poor food sequencing, second rate food quality. Very disappointed.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

We stopped in by chance on a Friday evening a little after 5pm and were able to snag a spot in the window. We realized how lucky we got after watching the lineup quickly build up. Our server was lovely, the food was fantastic, and the overall vibe of the restaurant was cozy and welcoming. We will absolutely be returning, next time with a reservation.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

A cute and cosy French-themed restaurant attached to the Penny Farthing Pub. Overall a good experience but the food is nothing to write home about and is all prepped in the same kitchen as the pub food. Certainly a decent restaurant and worth a visit but nothing particularly special.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2023

Not my pick, and upon looking at reviews after the fact which seem either hit or miss, that jibes. There for breakfast, I had Croquet Madame and was very disappointed. Others at the table had simpler meat and egg combos that looked more appealing albeit equally un-French. Service uneven. Leave any expectations of a French bistro experience behind.

★★★★★
December 22, 2023

A romantic atmosphere, calm relaxing music, dimmed lights and beautiful and delicious dishes

December 22, 2023

They didn t have our reservation that we had booked to take our 93 year old father out for Christmas lunch. They sent us next door to their attached pub The Penny Farthing. They share a kitchen so I m sure our experience would be equally poor on either side of the wall. The service was extremely slow and poorly organized; over an hour from sitting down for our food to arrive. We ordered a mocha and a cappuccino in addition to our meals. The beverages were so poorly made we sent them back. The entrees were fairly decent however the 4 desserts we ordered were not very good. Our waitress was trying but had too many tables to cover Overall we won t ever go back to Visa Vie or The Penny Farthing

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Nice place - good food - great service

★★
December 22, 2022

Was really excited to try this place out. Other peoples food looked good. Unfortunately my bowl of turkey, veg and rice soup was mostly just broth. I left hungry.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Very good staff ! Cozy little place !

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Went in for a first time visit for their Dine Around Victoria menu with my girlfriend, food was absolutely spectacular! Good service and wonderful atmosphere. Definitely will be back!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Food was great. The bartender mixed amazing drinks. Really liked the atmosphere and the service was great! Would definitely recommend it to my friends.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Loved the place, very romantic and charm. Little expensive and no big deal. I asked a vege burger and at the end, it was a big falafel sandwish, at the moment i felt that i wanted to eat plant based hamburger and not a falafel, i hope they fix the menu, saying a falafel sandwish and not a vege burger. still i need to come back and try something else and maybe here i will put one more star.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Adorable little Cafè

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Always sit at the bar. Excellent cocktails. Amazing wine and beer selection. The food is always piping hot and expertly prepared. Fun atmosphere too. Ambiance for romance.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Good try

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Good beer and fries. Didnt like the salmon burguer that much but everything else was great.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Great ambiance, server and staff were very helpful and attentive. The steak and parmesan frits were perfect. Heat wine list and extensive beer list as well

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Perfect spot for sunny day.they have nice happy hour between 3 to 5.we had bunch of small dishes and we loved everything Luke was our server he was great.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Had to work late. An amazing cocktail and the best poutine Ive had in a while made it pretty damn enjoyable!

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Wait time is brutal!! Dined with one other at around 1pm and our food took nearly an hour to come out. One open kitchen between both restaurants?? Servers were scrambling to get people their food, clear bills, and clean up tables, and they were apparently struggling - i don t think that s on any of them tho, our server was great and understanding - still ludacris wait time, especially if it wasn t an unusual day.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

So lovely. Stopped in for lunch on the recommendation of the Nico, my shuttle driver from Oak Bay Hotel. I had the Quiche of the day and a glass of my fave Rosé, Cote de Rose. The Quiche was so tasty. I opted for the side salad which was simple and delicious. Very generous portion, I couldnt finish it. Wonderful, friendly service. The weather was beautiful so I sat on the patio. A little loud but who cares when you have a glass of Rosé and a perfectly cooked, custardy quiche?

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

The seafood platter was lovely and they have an extensive wine list. Highly recommend!

Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Worse restaurant food ever. Very lukewarm service. Pictures say a thousand words. The carrots were charred black and inedible, the duck leg was black and there s a rat, named Remi, that makes better Ratatouille. Believe it or not, we had to pay for this. Very, very sad that we didn t go to our favourite, Brasserie l ecole.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Great breakfast, always a treat.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

The food was good although the wait for the food was over an hour.

★★
December 22, 2022

So sad to see one of our all time favourite restaurants go down hill so fast since COVID. The last 4 times we ve dined there, we ve left feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. Many of the classic go to favourites have been removed from the menu. The portions sizes are tiny. The meat and cheese board offers a two single servings of cheese (literally) and they ask $32! The seafood selection is almost non existent, and they re pushing you into a $100 steak. Very few choices for appetizers. Really unfortunate as we love the location and atmosphere. Please bring back the classics and value for money.

December 22, 2022

doesn t serve past 9 pm even though hours are posted till midnight.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Duck cassoulet was made using navy beans instead of a more tender bean such as cannellini beans. Also the duck was tough and had a bitter smoke flavour (this can be caused by white smoke at too low a temperature). The chowder was also over salted - sent back but still charged for it. And my partners mussels had a few tainted ones in the batch. Now thats a show stopper. Bloody shame to have a restaurant with such potential in the heart of Oak Bay. I know businesses are working hard to recover from COVID, but we deserve better. Best to have a pint and a few chicken wings next door.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Charming place - great food and service, reasonable prices. A little oasis for lunch with a friend! I had quiche which was delicious, with perfectly done pomme frites. I will return when back in the area.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Decent selection of beer. The food was average

December 22, 2022

What a disappointment. Im sorry I didnt see Gabrioles review before going here. I booked based on overall ratings which show 4.3/5 and the great website photos that make the place look like a fun and happening place. Went here on July 2 for dinner for 4. Service was poor, after we were seated it took ~10 min before anyone came to talk with us. No one menitoned the items on the menu that were unavailable, we found that out later when we tried to order them - groan. We had to ask about the Fish of Day, halibut in parchment $42 and no details about how it was seasoned until we asked, she wasnt really sure. Restaurant was only 50% full on a Saturday night at 7pm... oh oh, alarm bells are going off. This is a pretend french restaurant that is joined with the Penny Farthing pub. As we know from history the French and English dont make the best bed-fellows, neither do they work as 2 restaurants sharing 1 kitchen. We left the restauant and went to the pub because we had just spend $20 on cab fare to get there. At the pub we discovered that many of the same items were on their menu, with a price difference of $5 less on average at the pub. The pub grub was fine and our pub waitress, Megan, a treat. It ended off fine, but not the evening we had planned to celebrate a special occassion. I dont recommend Vis a Vis.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Everything has been incredible, the attention of the staff and the food. I recommend you share the menus, since they are very abundant. I recommend this restaurant.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Delicious food and good service.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

The food was excellent and so was the service!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Seafood chowder was very tasty Our lunchtime companion had the quiche which was nicely presented with a salad; also very tasty. Good service and atmosphere. Perhaps will try for dinner to have the full experience;)

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Service was great and the food was good. There are no changing tables in the restaurant so not a great place for families with little ones.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

One of our go to restaurant on the island, top five favorite. The food, service and ambiance is excellent.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

We had an amazing lunch. The food was great but Jacob made our dining experience even better. He was personable and fun. A real credit to his profession. If I could give 6 stars out of 5, I would.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

First time dining here this weekend and was very pleasantly surprised it lived up to the hype! Best french onion soup Ive ever had and escargot was fantastic. Will definitely be back!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Delicious seafood Charcuterie. Beef tartar with egg yolk yam is very tasty.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Very good brunch and dinner place, the service is awsome

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Very nice patio and two different menus options ( you can also order from The Penny Farthing menu). I only don t give them a 5 star review because the menu doesn t specify what the gluten free options or any other dietary options are. The service was good and they are pet friendly at the patio. I had a gluten free Brie pear prosciutto chicken burger. It was good but later on I realized that I could have opted for lettuce wrap and my server didn t even mentioned anything. Anyway we enjoy our food and will definitely come back.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Vis a Vis is located in the Oak Bay Beach neighbourhood in Victoria. We decided to try this restaurant out for dinner. It s a casual French bistro with classic dishes such as French Onion Soup, steak tartare, mussels and steak frites. We ordered a couple of drinks to start. They had watermelon cocktails which sounded yummy but there was a lack of watermelon flavour. For the food, we ordered French Onion Soup, Escargot and shared the steak frites. All of the food was delicious. My friend even said that it was the best French Onion Soup she had ever had! Would definitely recommend a visit here if you re in the area.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Quite possibly the driest turkey I have ever had. Although presented smartly with piped potatoes, perfectly dressed Brussel sprouts, and a light cranberry compote, the white turkey slice (from a turkey breast roll) was too dry to choke down. A dark stuffed turkey slice was ok. Not terrible, not fantastic, just ok. We had to ask for gravy as none came with the meals. Server did not return to ask us how our meal was and forgot we had ordered a slice of pie to take home. We waited and waited for the bill and finally stood, still waiting for what turned out to be a tiny, tiny (maybe 1/12th, 1/16th) slice of to go pie. We have had excellent breakfasts and lunches at Vis a Vis in the past, so this meal may have been just bad luck. I do want to return but hope the team improves its attention to finer cooking and better service.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Wow! Couldn t have been more impressed and delighted with our dining experience. Every dish came out beautifully plated and cooked to perfection. We will be back to taste more! Once was not enough.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Everything about my experience this evening was perfect. Lawrence, our bartender was so lovely, the chef special (halibut) was exquisite, and the ambience was very intimate.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Edit: I come back here a couple times a year, this time I was a little taken aback, there must have been a change in ownership or something, the sausage that was second to none has been replaced with sausage that you could expect at a fast food restaurant. The bacon went from thick and delicious to cheap, but more quantity. The eggs came heavily salted from the kitchen which I dont understand, let me put salt on my own eggs, and they only had peanut butter and orange marmalade jam... the peanut butter had standing water on it, and when we asked for any other jam we were told sorry they didnt have any. All in all disappointing as this was one of my favorite places for a delicious breakfast. If it was a cost thing I would have paid more to maintain the high quality ingredients.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

We were a family of 4, and had A great evening with very good food , very friendly servers, and personable Manager and chef who came to each table and check that all was well. Very satisfying experience - will be back

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

Excellent food, exceptional service, knowledgeable staff, cosy atmosphere, welcoming!! What more could you ask?

★★
December 22, 2022

The food is overpriced and some dishes are rather nasty. The management couldnt be bothered to respond to feedback. Thumbs down.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

The restaurant serves wildly delicious food. Great selection of menu, lovely ambience and patio setting. A must visit restaurant in Oak Bay!

★★★
December 22, 2022

Good food but service is hit and miss. Dont go during busy times.

★★★★
December 22, 2022

Id love go here for dinner. It has a good menu and great ambience.

★★★★★
December 22, 2022

10/10. When you see the chateaubriand available just say yes, and add the mushroom side. Plus they make a great manhattan!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2022

Enjoyed the Ambiance. French onion soup and seared tuna salad was great. Friendly ans professional staff. Bar man from Powell River was great.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great dining experience inside or outside. Very creative menu so feel free to experiment.

December 22, 2021

Extremely disappointed, my girlfriend from France and I had the croque monsieur, super easy to make and hard to mess up. Apparently not, the bread was like cheap garbage wonder bread, the Bechemel was runny and had not been put under the grill, the flavour was bland and it was not gruyere they had used. The service was very good however.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Great food and excellent service in a lovely ambience. On a nice day sit outside.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Wonderful meal and ambience during Dine A Round 2021. Will definitely return to this restaurant.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Went here for Valentines Day. They had a prefix 5 course menu with three options for the main. Everything was wonderful, from the service to the aperitif.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

A bit of a wait for the breakfast to arrive at our table but well worth that wait - delicious, perfectly prepared food and our waitress was excellent

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

If youre visiting from another country, and are looking for the best version of a north american breakfast, this is it

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Was in for a cpl of drinks on a Friday. Service was excellent except we asked for some extra sauce to go with appy. We were done appy before extra sauce got there. Combination of appy was good so eaten up relatively quickly and sauce was slow coming.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

The food was excellent, but the overall experience was disappointing. We went there for my wife s birthday. When we got there, we spoke to one of their employees about getting a table. It was all outdoor seating (their COVID protocols were very good) and we were told we could leave our number and go wander around the village and we d get a call to return for a table in about 15 minutes. This was no problem of course, so we wandered a bit. It was quite cold out, but we were walking, so it wasn t a big deal. But 15 minutes came and went, and then 30, then 45. At that point we were just waiting at a bench near the restaurant, freezing our a@&es off. Finally we went up and asked, and they realized they had accidentally skipped us on their list. They were extremely apologetic and sat us as soon as possible. As far as we were concerned, this was a simple accident, and accidents can happen to anyone. In my opinion, how a business DEALS with their mistakes is the true test. Our waiter was excellent, and told us that the first round was on the house because of their error. We told him that we had been planning on sharing a bottle of wine and asked if that was ok, and he indicated that yes, it was. We weren t extravagant, the bottle was maybe a LITTLE more than a couple of cocktails would have been, but not much. At this point I thought to myself excellent, they made a mistake, owned it, and have certainly made up for it . We went on to have an EXCELLENT meal, and just a really wonderful time. Our waiter was really friendly and helpful, and the food was wonderful. We had a couple of scotches at the end of the night, and ordered a desert to share which we were going to take home to our hotel. Then the bill came. When he brought it, he told us that they had comped the desert because of the earlier mishap. I thought to myself wow, they re going all out, I was happy with the wine, but this is really pulling out all the stops. I paid the bill, and we got ready to go. Then I looked at it, and realized that the bottle of wine that we were told was on the house was actually NOT on the house. I didn t want to ruin the evening for my wife, so I didn t make a fuss. As I mentioned, our waiter was excellent. This part is pure conjecture, but my guess is that this wasn t his call. My guess is that a manager in the back probably said to him, no, we re not paying for a &$@&ing bottle of wine, just comp their desert, they should be happy with that . Our meal for two came to over $200. The difference between the bottle and the desert was probably $20, maybe $25 tops. I don t really care about that money. But the apparent pettiness of the restaurant ruined an otherwise lovely evening.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great atmosphere for food and wine.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Awesome breakfast

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great outside patio. Very clean , very safe and lots of fun.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

The basic burger on the Pennyfarthing Pub menu is just a nice big simple burger; the best way for me. The meat nicely cooked with a sear on the outside but juicy inside. There is minimal distracting stuff in the bun & and a dill pickle on the side.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Great restaurant and awesome service. One of my favourites. Their roasted mushroom and spinach Benedict is one of the best I ever had.

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Good food and great service.

Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Vis-a-Vis used to be my favourite restaurant until today. I tried to make a reservation for lunch (early Mothers Day with my parents) and my sons 19th Birthday. I was told there was a no reservation policy. So we arrived at 2 pm to follow the lunch crowd. We waited for 45 minutes and finally a table for 4 became available. The not so pleasant hostess informed us that the table is reserved for the owners friends who sit there every Friday at 3 pm. So we left and had lunch at home.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great patio setup, covered seats available heaters are plentiful and warm, and they provided blankets. I had a blood orange prosecco, which was amazing. The mussels were delicious too!

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

Excellent service. Please keep patio.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great food, great chef, great people & service.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

A little pricey, but great atmosphere and superb staff

★★★★★
December 22, 2021

I thought I would celebrate my 70th birthday with a solo brunch at a new restaurant, and decided to try Vis-a-vis. I was given a delightful patio table, enjoyed a delicious plate, treated to an elegant flourless chocolate cake, and then - was not allowed to pay for my meal! Such generosity! I would like to thank manager, Matt Field, and all the wonderful staff at Vis-a-vis for creating this wonderful memory for me. And but the way, the cuisine was extraordinary!

★★
December 22, 2021

Poor breakfast sandwich with very little fruit for a 15 dollar breakfast. Servings small. Servers were non existent. Waited with empty coffee cup and had to ask twice for more. Maybe lunch and dinner options are better. If not for the outdoor patio this place should be passed on for breakfast/brunch

December 22, 2021

I took my mother and her recently widowed friend to lunch today. We arrived at 11:45 and found a lovely seat on the patio. The ladies ordered a glass of wine, and we all ordered lunch. By 12:45 when NO FOOD had arrived, I searched out the waiter (Eric) - as it turns out he had not placed our order. By 1:00 lunch arrived, 1 hour and 15 minutes later!! Note, NONE of our order required cooking - Cold Shirmp salad and a shared Charcuterie plate. OK food but definitely not worth the wait. My time was worth more than the bill. No compensation was offered. Not worth the time or money. Patio is OK - very noisy with buses and dump trucks just meters away.

★★
December 22, 2021

Very disappointed charcuterie and cheese plate cheese dry and old same for the meat it place I will never return

★★
December 22, 2021

Food was incredibly disappointing, especially for the price point. The cocktails we had to start were heavy on simple syrup and too sweet. We ordered the escargot and prawn cocktail to start, and Manila clams as the main. Food took forever to arrive. The escargot was drenched in cognac and didn t have any other flavours and the prawn cocktail was underwhelming and not properly deveined. We sat at the bar hoping for a more intimate setting, however the bartender (our server) didn t bother asking how our food was, and it was pretty clear we weren t happy with it. We cancelled our clams and left to eat elsewhere. For a $100 meal, we would expect higher quality food and service (and there was barely anything to eat!!!). Would not recommend.

★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Limited menu, indifferent sauce in the clam dish, that included unopened cooked clams when served? Pricing high for essentially street food, as patrons are steered to sit on the patio carved out of Oak Bay Ave.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great food great service!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

One of the nicest places in Victoria. Very nice menu and the food is out of the ordinary.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Excellent food and service

★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Was recommended this restaurant on one of the tourism websites for Oak Bay. This restaurant is connected to the Penny Farthing, probably same kitchen? Service was great, atmosphere was cozy, and most of the food was delicious!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Great for breakfast.

★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

A evening in Paris vis a vis isnt. Nice atmosphere but the food was mediocre.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

We had our morning business meetings here and it is delightful. Great service, great ambience and great food, Love it!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Lovely little restaurant phenomenal staff and great food. If you get there before 9 am , you can get breakfast for $9 and a hearty one at that.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

Vis a vis is french for $30 for a breakfast sandwich and a pretty good latte

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2021

25 oz ribeye. Best steak of my life. Enough said.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

So delish!!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

The food was great and the bathroom decor will put a smile on your face!

★★★★
December 22, 2020

Awsome breakfast sandwich and eggs benny! Opens at 7 am on weekdays aswell!!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2020

We were actually at The Penny Farthing next door. Sat outside in the fenced off heated area and loved it! Great service and safely spaced tables. Love pub night !

★★★★★
December 22, 2020

Fabulous food. Really excellent. French onion soup and Moules avec potato fingerling.