Victoria's best vegetarian and vegan restaurants
If you're tired of pub grub or just want a light, healthy meal on-the-go, join the vegetarians and vegans around you, and visit one of these local establishments. Offering a variety of styles across the healthy food spectrum, you're sure to find a place that hits your sweet spot.
Green Cuisine Vegetarian Restaurant
5-560 Johnson St, Victoria BC V8W 3C6Green Cuisine is a small, self-serve, buffet-style vegetarian restaurant that changes its food offerings every day. A list of all ingredients for each dish is available, and the restaurant offers vegetarian, vegan, organic and raw options. It also sells its own vegan products including tempeh, tofu, amazake, mochi and wheat cutlets. Regulars rave about the desserts, juices and smoothies.
Yummy Greens
108-4440 West Saanich Rd, Victoria BC V8Z 3E9This vegan, raw food spot is the third location for the owners; the others are up-island, in Courtenay and in Qualicum Beach. It's not a sit-down venue – the food is only available for takeout, but you can easily phone in your order ahead of time so it's ready for pickup as soon as you arrive.
Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant
617 Johnson St, Victoria BC V8W 3C6Lotus Pond is a small restaurant that only seats about 20 or 30 people, and it serves vegan and vegetarian Chinese food. The menu is based on Buddhist principles, meaning there's no garlic, onion, chives, leeks or shallots in the food. Even meat-eaters love the mock meats used in the dishes, and everyone declares the turnip cakes are excellent.
Be Love
1019 Blanshard St, Victoria BC V8W 2H4This mostly vegan restaurant specializes in organic, local, plant-based cuisine that is wheat, dairy, gluten and processed sugar free. This is not a low-light, utilitarian venue; the décor is bright, airy and attractive, with huge windows, lots of wood and original art on the walls. Another nice touch is the cocktails—being vegan doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good drink with your meal.
The Blue Nile African Restaurant
3-612 Head St, Victoria BC V9A 5S8The Blue Nile, while not strictly a vegetarian restaurant, serves a variety of vegan and vegetarian East African cuisine. Located in Esquimault, it's a wonderful place to try something new, either buffet style or from the menu. This family-owned restaurant even offers takeout if you want to dine at home.
Rebar
50 Bastion Sq, Victoria BC V8W 1J2ReBar has been around since 1989, and for good reason. Before its vegetarian sisters, raw and vegan, came on the scene, ReBar was serving delicious meat-free food, although meat and fish dishes are also on the menu. Some people like it so much they make a point of eating here every time they visit Victoria.
