Top Breakfast Restaurants in Victoria BC

Vegans, Raw Foodists and Omnivores are Well-catered for in Victoria

Oct 22, 2009

Victoria's diners and funky breakfast spots are jam-packed late on weekend mornings. Here's your guide to finding a vegan breakfast, fluffy pancakes and fresh juices.

Saturday or Sunday brunch is a ritual for tourists and locals at Floyd’s Diner in British Columbia’s capital city, Victoria. But those really in the know scoop up a breakfast at John’s Place or Lady Marmalade. For a truly delightful designer breakfast, locals visit Mo:lé Restaurant, Café Bliss and ReBar Modern Food. Most of these restaurants serve up the typical eggs Benedict, omelets and pancakes, but Victoria’s foodie culture demands a bit more creativity.

Floyd’s Diner for a Hearty Vegan Breakfast

Floyd’s Diner (866 Yates Street) is a great bargain for a quality breakfast. They serve up heaping portions, towering stacks of pancakes, crispy potatoes, an edgy atmosphere and a seemingly long wait in line. Standard breakfast fare of eggs, waffles and sausages satisfy its omnivore customers, but the restaurant also creates a tasty vegan breakfast. The knowledgeable staff will adapt the menu’s vegetarian meals, but the scrambled tofu with spinach, green onion and fresh herbs is highly recommended. Breakfast plates cost between $8 and $12.

Lady Marmalade for All-day Breakfast or Lunch

The brightly colored walls with rotating art exhibits and eclectic furniture at Lady Marmalade (608 Johnson Street) accentuate the redefined eggs Benedict combinations (prices from $11.50 to 13.50) and Asian or Mexican breakfast creations. Vegan meals are highlighted on the menu and include a saucy sesame-soy flavoured tofu-bok choy scramble ($11.50), a Big Green Salad ($8.95) and yellow tofu-vegetable curry (11.95) with fresh cilantro.

Mo:lé for Tasty and Trendy Meals

Fresh, local ingredients with designer flavors are highlighted at Mo:lé (554 Pandora Avenue) in Victoria’s Design District. Loyal patrons to this restaurant choose from a hearty bowl of organic oatmeal ($9), crispy raw granola($10), tofu or egg-based scrambles with pesto hash browns (from $11 to $13), or grab a warm banana bread to go ($4). The menu is adaptable for every eating philosophy; including vegetarian, vegan and raw food. A great hearty vegan breakfast is an order of their Feature Organic Oatmeal with almond milk and a side of fresh fruit.

Raising the bar for breakfast options is the celebrated menu at ReBar Modern Food (50 Bastion Square). So celebrated, in fact, that they have released a cookbook so home chefs can copy their creations. Known for its artistic cuisine, the creativity doesn’t disappoint. The Eggs Kurosawa with scrambled eggs, grilled tofu, scallions, nori seaweed, soy-chili sauce and toasted sesame seeds, served on brown rice with multi-grain toast ($11), pushes the boundary of the typical flavors of breakfast. Ditch the eggs and this Tofu Kurosawa is a hearty vegan breakfast. The weekend brunch menu also features a delectable coconut milk-vanilla bean basmati-wild rice pudding. Other menu items run from $5.75 for muffin, juice and coffee to $12.75 for a smoked salmon scramble.

Café Bliss for Fresh Juice and Raw Granola

Next to Mo:lé is the organic live food juice bar at Café Bliss (556 Pandora Avenue). This is the place to go for a freshly squeezed juice, superfood-packed green smoothies and raw sweet crackers with almond butter. The menu features several green juice, shooter, vegetable and fruit juice and wheatgrass juice combinations, but patrons are encouraged to create their own. Juices and shots cost between $2.50 and $8, depending on size, while the sprouted buckwheat granola with almond milk is $10.

Café Bliss also features a selection of raw muffins and cookies to satisfy any sweet tooth guilt-free. Vegans are encouraged to be cautious as Café Bliss uses bee products in some of its creations.

John’s Place for 50s-style Memorabilia

John’s Place (723 Pandora Avenue) is an iconic Victoria restaurant, with music and sports memorabilia lining the walls of this 50s-style diner. The Belgian waffles served with cream cheese butter or pancake syrup ($6.25) are a diner tradition and come topped with strawberries and bananas as a weekend special. The create-your-own-omelet section and the many side dishes to choose from mean all tastes are catered for; they’ll even substitute with their homemade vegan burger. Most breakfast plates cost between $9 and $13, with half-portions available on some items.

There are plenty more Victoria restaurants that serve up great a breakfast or brunch, just ask a local.

The copyright of the article Top Breakfast Restaurants in Victoria BC in North American Culinary Travel is owned by Mary Peterson. Permission to republish Top Breakfast Restaurants in Victoria BC in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.