Bard & Banker

Was just passing by and this place had a cool look to it so we stopped in for a drink. We sat at the bar. I tried an Old Fashioned for the first time. It was good. Friendly staff. Cool atmosphere. Didn't try the food, but will next time in in Victoria.

This was the best cheeseburger in Victoria. We stumbled into this place late afternoon. It wasn't busy but nothing really is during the week anymore. Our waitress was fantastic and the food was epic. I'm definitely coming back during the night....I can only imagine what a fun time it would be.....top Marks.

Had the fish and chips here and they were excellent. The batter was light and crispy, and the portions were generous. I ordered the two-piece but probably could have managed with just one—definitely not leaving hungry. The staff were super friendly and made the experience even better. Great spot, highly recommend.

Beautiful space but very dark. Good service. Over priced, underwhelming food. But worse, downright bad marketing. The lettuce wrap dish described as shrimp and veg on crunchy noodles. Really 7 tiny shrimp tiny. Wilted straps of green pepper, 1/10th of a very small pepper, 3 shreds of cartots and 8 bits of green onions, and some over oozed ramen noodles (the super cheap kind) swimming in a sweet sauce. Overall disgusting and scammy. Nothing fresh and clean about the food.

Best burger in Victoria and I stand by that! Service is top tier, the atmosphere is magical, and the food is amazing. A wide range of options on the menu as well as on their drink menu. Definitely recommend stopping in. (They also have a gluten free menu :))

Be aware that if a wine is N/A on the Happy Hour menu there is no substitution. We had a great server, Jill, and she helped us at our outside table with food choices. Later when it started to rain we got to be at the bar inside. Good food portions. The nachos looked great at another table;) Interior decor excellent. Servers were helpful all the way through our service. Go and enjoy this pub.

Classic isn't it!? Always have a good pint and time here. They always have sports on the TV, and show most major tournaments including soccer (football). Great for small or large groups. Good live music too. Keep it up! Thanks for all the good times!

If you're visiting Victoria, I recommend this restaurant. It has very good dishes, and you'll really enjoy what you eat. The place inside is incredible, and if you're there in the summer, you can enjoy the patio. They're dog-friendly. The service of the waiters and staff is very good and they are friendly.

Great friendly service and good food. The lunch special pricing was especially worth it. Had fish & chips but with a side salad, soup of the day (seafood chowder), and partner had the burger with fries. It was all good except the fries were super salty. Would have been a 5 otherwise. Nice place inside.

I was very impressed with this restaurant. I'm celiac and have a hard time eating out on a normal day. While the menu wasn't labeled with any gf option our waitress was great asking the kitchen if items were gluten free or changes that could be made to accommodate. Even let me sub sides for something I wanted to try instead for a small upcharge. Visited our table often and refilled our waters each time. We were there for late dinner and the vibe of the place is so cool. Dim lighting leaned into the "pub" vibe and almost felt like a long time running prohibition bar or something.

Great place to come to for a good time. Much better than the place we had dinner at. Wish we would have just come here instead. It was busy! Great sign. We got a seat at the bar and were promptly greeted and orders taken. I was looking for a Canadian beer as a tourist and I got one. Thank god. Molsan Canadian. I grew up drinking it so I had to order two. Plus I found some Canadian whiskeys which I happily slurped back a couple doubles since I wasn't driving. I wasn't hungry but i figured I'd eat something because that's what you do as a tourist on vacation. You eat and drink everything you can stuff into your face! I settled on calamari. Oh wow! They nailed it! The cook on it was perfect. The seasoning was better than perfect. Oh god it was good. I wasn't even hungry and I killed that plate! I couldn't stop eating lol The tomato's on the plate I sort of understood, acid to cut the heavy fried meat with, but I didn't eat. Regardless it was great and a great experience. If I do make it back this way I'll definitely stop in to eat again. The liquor flights also looked pretty epic. Missed those at first and regretted it lol thanks guys.

Came here for a quick lunch snack. Got the Italian soda, a bowl of clam chowder, and the lobster cake. The Italian soda was very mid. Nearly flavourless, but maybe that's some people's thing. The clam chowder on the other hand was really delicious. Very chunky--lots of bits inside, and very thick. It came with butter and two large pieces of bread that were surely bread. No complaints. The lobster cake was good in flavour but even my soft mouth hated the mush texture. It was falling apart on the plate as I broke into it. The salad on the side didn't quite fit either in my opinion. Service was great. The patrons are quite rambunctious and it was really loud inside (there was a soccer game going on).

Our waitress Shay was friendly and welcoming We started by ordering a few glasses of wine, a double scotch, and an old fashioned The place is trending, it has a youthful clientele, we left around 9:00 pm and the place was completely full. If you want a happening place this is the one for beer, libations and bar food.

Bard & Banker is an awesome pub in Victoria's Inner Harbor area and a great spot for food & drinks with a group. Located in a historic bank building, they offer a pub atmosphere that is both elegant and inviting - truly a cool space to spend some time. They offer a good variety of standards - I would call it the nicer side of pub food. We had the calamari, fried cauliflower, and pork belly poutine, which was a highlight. I had a half-rack of the ribs, which were good, if not exceptional. The crispy mashed potatoes as a side were bursting with flavor and the real highlight of the dish. Service was friendly, although a bit disorganized (entrees came out at the same time are our apps)

Had great meals more than once. The building was an old bank and holds much of its original construction. Live music on weekends. Service was wonderful! Worth a stop for sure!

Stopped by for the long weekend and yes there was live music here. We got here at 10:15 pm and though the place closes at 1am their kitchen apparently shuts down at 10pm (bummer) so we went to grab a bite else and then got here to enjoy some live music and drinks! The live music was too loud to be honest for our liking almost deafening if you are seated in the front tables. We moved to a booth at the back of the restaurant. The service was terrible and there was nobody coming to take our orders. Finally we walked and placed our orfer for a canadian whisky flight. The flight was okay. Overall it is a nice place to hang out with loud live music but dont expect to have any convos with your folks. One of the very few places open till 1am in Victoria.

Beautiful interior, decent food! We visited Bard and Banker for dinner on a Sunday night and got seated right away. I loved the old-school ambiance with the beautiful chandeliers, polished wood, etc. They didn't have live music that night, but I'm sure that would've added to the charm, as well. They had a small selection of mocktails, so we both ordered the Sparkmouth Moscow Mule. I didn't realize this was a canned beverage, but our server brought out copper mugs to pour them into. Unfortunately, these just didn't taste like a mule to me at all, which was unsurprising because they didn't contain any ginger beer for some reason. For food, we ordered the Crispy Calamari to share. I really liked the dipping sauce, but the calamari itself was a bit doughier than expected. Still good though! I also got the West Coast Paella, which they were able to make without chorizo for me. It was very filling and tasty (but not mind blowing). I did appreciate the generous portion size and had plenty left over. My friend got the Steak and Guinness Pie, which he said was very good. Overall, the ambiance definitely outshined the food, but still a nice spot for dinner!

Burger and fries were good, not awesome. Fries were crunchier than they looked on Yelp so those were great, but burger was just okay. Also had really NOT good clam chowder but really awesome focaccia bread, so that was a wash. Waitress was okay, not great or bad. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back here, but if I was in the neighborhood I would return for the fries and bread.

Very nice older building, lots of character, two levels for dinning and private rooms for events, service was exceptional, food was very good, had the braised pork belly routine which was very good, clam chowder was thick, rich and buttery. Prawn pesto linguine was very good as well. Adult beverage selection is very extensive. Highly recommend when you are in downtown Victoria.

From the moment we entered the door, we felt welcomed. The food was outstanding. The service was exceptional. This place is unbelievably amazing. I highly recommend this place.

Had to find a quick meal before leaving Victoria and since this place was on the walk back to Chinatown from The Empress Hotel I decided to try out their happy hour. Off the happy hour menu I went with the Poutine, Honey Garlic Wings and Mac & Cheese Arancini (turned out to be Lobster Risotto Balls due to a typo on menu). The food in general was just ok, maybe a little uninspired. The best thing was the honey garlic wings which the larger portion size was a good surprise. The poutine I'm pretty sure was overly salted and that's coming from someone who usually tolerates a higher salt level. They brought out the Lobster Risotto Balls and mentioned that the Mac & Cheese Arancini stated on the menu was some type of typo. In hindsight, they should have probably let this be known when I was putting in my order. They were fried nicely and had that subtle lobster flavor, but I really wanted those Mac & Cheese Arancini. I went with the Driftwood IPA since I had one earlier in the day and it's a local beer. A very hoppy local beer just FYI. I think the best part about the place is the aesthetic. It's a very warm, classic/classy vibe with lots of wood and leather booths. It's a sizeable place that is widely spread about two stories. I could see coming here just for a quick drink when I'm back in the area. Service was alright for what it was. It's very easy to spot since it's a larger restaurant so you'll be able to find it. It appears they run daily specials and have live music so the nights might be more busy, but it was pretty slow when I was there for happy hour on a random Thursday. Cheers!

Came here to celebrate an anniversary and it did not disappoint. The inside was beautiful with its lighting and wood finishes. We had the salmon and prime rib, and both were excellent. All the drinks we ordered were good as well. The only thing we didn't like was the hostess who was showing us to our table walked very fast ahead of us which we thought was rude. We noticed she did that to other couples as well so it should be something worth rectifying.

I love reading and hearing the phrase "Buy 1 Get 1 Free"...I love it, LOVE IT! Monday was my 3rd and final day in beautiful Victoria, at this point I had blown lots and lots of money on food and fun. By the grace of Gawd, the Bard and Banker has an incredible Monday Special...Buy 1 Get 1 Free on their large Fish & Chips meal, fantastic! It seemed so too good to be true, so I even messaged them on facebook just to make sure. $26 CAD for large Fish & Chip plate...lovely! Two large hot crispy chunk of cod perfectly breaded with that pleasant crunch on each bite. The tarter sauce paired perfectly, as well as the generous mound of chips, and just the right amount of coleslaw. Best of all, my wife's plate was free! $9 CAD for large imperial pint of draft beer, fabulous! The interior was is grand, gorgeous and elegant, but its still a friendly relaxed pub atmosphere, so no snobbery or pretentiousness. The host and waitress were both friendly. $35 CAD, or $26 in USD, made this the cheapest meal we had on our holiday, thank you Bard and Banker!

Great experience and wonderful service. The fresh squeezed lime margarita was great. Hummus appetizer with pita and salmon was fabulous.

We popped in here for some drinks and to share a few apps and I am glad we did! They have outdoor seating available or indoor and wow the inside of this building is beautiful! The architecture and ambiance was perfection. The food was good too. We shared the fries which came with yummy garlic aioli, calamari, oysters Rockefeller, and Mac & cheese arancini. Everything was cooked great. However, I do think their prices are a little on the heftier side in relation to portion size. Our server was really nice and attentive. She helped us with the menu and made sure we were satisfied with everything!

Great bar, has history and appreciates wine. Lots of great events as well. Really enjoy coming here and look forward to future visits.

We came in as a party of six on Saturday morning at 10:00 AM. We were able to be seated inside right away, and we loved our booth and our waitress! Our booth was decorated with Guinness themed art. Here is what I enjoyed: Empress 75-This cocktail only has 4 ingredients and it was the definition of balance. The gin and Prosecco were well matched, and the lemon was present with a sweet aftertaste from the sugar. This was a pure delight, and I would have ordered another had time allowed. Haida Benny-this is a smoked salmon lover's dream. The egg was poached perfectly, the hollandaise was nice and the potatoes had a nice seasoning. The bannock bread was an excellent choice to serve with the smoked salmon. I loved my time here-they were generous with their serving sizes and the quality of the food was wonderful.

The group had a farewell party here before everyone left Victoria. The location is a beautiful place with lots of fancy lighting and polished wood, making it look like an old bank or library, and the pricing is as "fancy" as the decor. It's a nice place for a special occasion, but out of our budget for a regular night out! My Bangers and Mash were tasty with a Somersby cider, while Hubby enjoyed The Bard Burger with Smoked Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese, and a small salad.

We were happy we got the chance to try this place after walking past it a few times throughout our weekend trip. We especially wanted to try it since we noticed it tended to be full at all hours of the day and night due to its historical importance. It seems to be a hot spot on the weekend on Friday and Saturday nights, while during the day, most folks spend about an hour max eating and drinking, so it's definitely a one-stop shop that reminded us of a diner/night lounge more than a typical restaurant vibe. The food gave upper-echelon diner vibes, while the drinks/cocktails/mimosa towers/whiskey flights, etc...reminds you more of a bar/lounge. It's hard to put this place in a regular restaurant category, so you have to come here to understand the kind of place. I wish we had come for dinner and will do so on our next trip back to Victoria. Also, I heard there's a ghost about. Wonder if it's true :)

We came on Christmas Eve and ofc they were super busy. We decided to sit at the bar since there was opening and it would have been about 15-25 mins wait for a table. The bartenders we had were amazing. I have a seafood except fish allergy. I asked if I could get my salmon cooked in a different pan because of them and they were happy to fulfill that request. The drinks were good. Had the alcoholic hot chocolate and a gin & tonic. Not pictured was the crème brûlée but that was really good too. My partner had the Steak and Guinness pie. He really liked it but it was a bit big for his appetite. It's very filling. The decor was very festive and I loved it. I'd come back the next time we visit Victoria. There was a band later on in the night. Wish they sang holiday songs but they had a good voice.

This is a great location. I came here for a birthday drink, which turned into four, and that was about all I did. I passed on the meal. I did try a flight of wines, all of which were excellent. The live music is excellent, and it covers a wide range of mood-appropriate styles. Middle-aged individuals will really feel at home here. It's extremely cozy. Both the people and the service are stunningly beautiful. Visit them if you can in Victoria; you won't regret it.

Great ambiance. The garden burger was perfect, onion rings, fries, cauliflower bites all good Chicken cucumber Asian dish can be done better - the dish is overloaded with fried wonton sheets however the chicken quantity is pathetically low.

Had a great time here while visiting Victoria. Saturday night there was live music and the drinks were well made. I tried a whiskey flight that was very good. A little disappointed they stopped serving food. I would have ordered more drinks if there was a late night food menu. Went back the next day for lunch. The pork belly poutine and French Dip were both amazing. The barrel aged old fashioned on happy hour was excellent. Will definitely come back when in the area.

Breakfast- 4 stars: breakfast here was really tasty. I had an empress 75 to drink as it was on early happy hour. I had the full English breakfast. It was pretty good and had your usual fare consisting of beans, black pudding, eggs, potatoes, bacon and veggies. We shared the Belgian waffles. They were tasty! Definitely a little on the sweet side. Dinner- 2 stars: they had a good selection of local and Irish beers on tap. We shared the calamari which was decent and I tried the scotch egg. It was a seafood one and was decent. I had the scallops for dinner. I would definitely not recommend this as it was not worth the price. I got four dinky scallops and a ton of peas. If you're really into peas then this dish is for you. I sampled the duck breast which was alright.

Fantastic place to dance with live music!!! Lots of local people and tourists also from all around the world!!!

We've come in 3 times in 3 days for a reason.... Dressed up really nicely for christmas inside with festive vibes and a great selection of brews. Service is attentive and prompt, Stephanie made us feel warm and welcome on our trip from Seattle. We'll be back next year for Christmas and this will be a sure stop! Thanks guys!

This place was fantastic. We made reservations ahead of time as it gets full on a Saturday night. Terrific variety of delicious food. The band was fun to listen to. Had a great time and would highly recommend.

Originally operating as a bank in 1885, it wasn't until 2008 when Bard & Banker Public House opened its doors and has since remained a staple in downtown Victoria. We were fortunate enough to spend a little time listening to live music over a snack and a few drinks. THE FOODS | Variety of dishes ranging from steak, salads, flatbreads, seafood, burgers, soups, etc. During our visit, there was a limited menu. We ordered... - Margaroni | Soft bocconcini mozzarella is buttery and slightly sweet; surrounded by a smattering of pepperoni slices. The tomato sauce is robust against a nice, crispy crust. Chopped basil completes the dish; leaving notes of mint and pepper lingering on the palette. THE DRINKS | Beer, wine, cocktails, etc. We ordered... - Vancouver Island Dominion Dark Lager | Strong notes of coffee and chocolate. The finish is smooth, similar to a nitro cold brew. - Bourbon Sour | Basil Hayden Bourbon mixed with the acidity of a lemon, Angostura Bitters and topped with foamy egg whites to help balance the sour flavor. I like the contradiction; it's oddly familiar. THE BARD & BANKER FEELS | The bank closed early on a Friday to get the weekend party started. Beautifully ornate lighting and columns with dark wood paneling dominates the scene. There's a cozy second floor dining area that overlooks the first floor. Live music was playing while we were there and the singer had Gwen Stefani vibes. The evening was definitely popping and we had a great time. THE PARKING SITUATION | Street parking around the building. THE ORDERING LOGISTICS | Order from your table and they'll deliver your food over. As packed as it was, our order arrived relatively quickly. THE RESERVATIONS | You probably should make reservations, but we were lucky to just walk in and find an open table on the second floor. The hosts at the front were very inviting and were like, "come on in, it's open seating." No ID checks, wristbands, cover charges, etc. I had to remind myself we're not in downtown LA where most places charge an entrance fee to drink and listen to live music. Nice change of pace, Canada; I now know where the party's at.

Three stars for the ambiance and drinks. Cool old building with live music at night. People dance and it's fun to watch. They have specials everyday, but the food was very mediocre for the price. Our entrees were in the oven for way too long. My advice is to just go for drinks!

Ordered the pork belly sandwich and it was amazing. Had the clam chowder as my side and it was also tasty. Had a Moscow mule that was excellent. Wife had caprese sandwich and side salad. Pretty good overall, I'm not a fan of that much pesto. The service was excellent. Waitress was very friendly and attentive. Ambiance was also great. Very cool decor. I would certainly come back here again.

The atmosphere was fantastic. They have an out door patio area which was perfect on a hot summer day, occasional live bag pipes. Food was good, not exceptional but good. We started with poutine (because when in Canada) and calamari both were great. I ordered the steak sandwich which their take of this was to serve the steak on one piece of garlic brioche bread. Wasn't the best cut of meat but nothing to get upset over. The highlight of my entree was the exquisite garlic aioli they gave to dip the fries in. So good! Also of note, the "root beer" they serve here is not what Americans think when they say root beer. It was some odd concoction that was like sprite, cream soda and a hint of American root beer.

Very cool building with a variety of seating options (both inside and outside). The food was really good and everyone in the family enjoyed what they ordered. The staff was very friendly and d knowledgeable about all the menu items we had questions about.

Solid food, great servers, was able to handle big group orders, good vibe and good music. Overall a solid place to hang out and have food. Very good and extensive drink menu! Highly recommend the drink/cocktail towers for two or more people- makes an interesting ice breaker

The food was adequate. One could conclude that they hire a team of Houdinis as servers since they promptly disappear due to lack of interest. However they are very interested and engaging when it come time to pay the bill and tip So many really good places to eat in Vicortia, keep moving along. You'll find something better.

Nice bar atmosphere with friendly bartenders and TV's. We often look for comfortable bar stools, and they had them!

Upon entering I was somewhat dubious, since the place has an air of a fast turnaround tourist type place benefitting from a beautiful historical building. Sitting at the bar, I have to say the service was good and appropriately attentive without being overbearing. Food was fresh, nicely presented and reasonably priced considering the location. I wanted to try the Fish and Chips but also wanted to try the Poutine so I didn't want two orders of chips (French Fries). They do not offer this, but upon asking, once they stepped outside the corporate paradigm, they obliged. Obviously there was an up charge which I expected - they are a business after all. I appreciated them accommodating me on this and it was great. The oysters were fresh and full of flavor and the cocktails were well made.

Men's basketball gold Olympics on television. Fun to watch with a whole group of people.

It is a beautiful place and centrally located. The portions were huge so you could easily share. The food was good...not excellent, nothing to write about really...

DELICIOUS. I had the crispy chicken sandwich with onion rings, my partner the fish and chips. All were delicious. Probably the best onions rings I've ever had in my life. Chicken sandwich was super flavorful with yummy butter pickles and a tasty mayo. Husband says fish and chips were "amazing." Come here. Eat the onion rings. Get your iconic crunch time, babes. Just do it.

In downtown Victoria this is the bar/restaurant you'll want to visit at least once. It's much bigger inside than it looks. Also has outdoor seating, but the inside is where you want to be. A classic bar and cozy atmosphere. A great selection of draft brews and TVs at the bar.

Such a beautiful interior! Multi-storied. They also had live music on a Saturday night, so we just grabbed a few drinks there and hung out which was fun :) I scoped the menu and the brunch and dinner look awesome.

Meh. The inside was cool and nice ambiance. I had the 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Veg. Was not great. Chicken skin had a nice flavor and the sauce was good too. However, there was very little sauce and I ended up eating the breast (which was very dry and tasteless) with no sauce. I went with two other people who had The Bard Salad w Chicken and the Caesar w Chicken and both of their salads were uninspired and boring. Their chicken was bone dry and lacked any flavor. When I was served my meal it was lukewarm at best. The whole thing was cold and I could tell it was not fresh. The potatoes tasted like they were from the packet and the vegetables I could tell were frozen. Not cheap and not very tasty. Service was fine. 2/5 for the ambiance.

I feel robbed. Came to Victoria and expected good food and even better service, and after seeing the prices on the menu, I expected those standers to be met. Starting out, I must first say the service was gracious and excellent. I have nothing but good things to say about Canadas hospitality. But these guys should invest in salt and pepper, seriously, it's cheap! The fish from the fish and chips was solid, but in only went down hill from there. Everything else was bland, bland, bland. Salad was severely underdressed, and had no love. My chicken was forgotten, but our wonderful server apologized and came through. However, after hoping for some kind of seasoning on that chicken to spice up my salad, I was again left disappointed. I'm extremely saddened because the building is just stunning and such a treasure. Maybe I just ordered the wrong things off the menu....

3.5? This place is so hard to rate. We had a few meals here. The wife loved the chicken sandwich and I loved the oysters! The seafood pie was very meh at best & the fish and chips were okay. The shrimp and avocado sandwich looked amazing and the flat bread is to die for! However almost every server we had seemed put out by doing their job.... Service in all honesty was not very good until this AM. Our breakfasts both Lox & eggs and the french toast was awesome!!! Also the breakfast server this AM was amazing! I should have asked her name but she was great whoever was on Sept 23rd early shift!!

That's the most beautiful, historic restaurant I've ever been in. also breakfast was fantastic. Amazing breakfast deal - 9.99 for most items on their menu. One of my fav places in Victoria.

If you're looking for a British pub with flair, this is the place. Conveniently located on Government Street, the ambiance is a standout - wonderful light fixtures, plenty of dark wood, and open with great interior views no matter where you sit. Enjoyed black & tans, Canadian whiskies, along with delicious pork belly poutine and the steak & Guinness pie had the flakiest, most delicious pastry topped with melted cheese. Highly recommend!

My husband and I stumbled on this place on Saturday night, first week of September. We decided to walk off the cruise ship and let our feet take us where we needed to be. To no surprise, it was a crowded, low-lit bar with live music. We decided that we wanted to try out the local beers so quickly jumped in line to place our order. We were quickly served by the bartender, who was visibly busy, but did take the time to help us get acquainted with the menu. We settled up with him and headed towards the live music. We snuck into a little spot right in front and danced the night away. We found a friend, a Canadian local, who helped get us up to speed with the city and truly gave us such a warm welcome. The musicians were fantastic and the vibe in the bar was amazing. Highly recommend this place!