canoe brewpub

very cool atmosphere with a laid back vibe. prices are a little high for a pub but the food was excellent and it was served looking like it was a 5 star resturant. beer wasgoodas was the service. i would happily come back!

canoe has a great patio, delicious beer & used to havegoodfood. unfortunately my last experience with the food was very disappointing. the latest menu is very limited & quite expensive.

terrible service. i have been to canoe brewpub twice. the first time i found the service very slow. i was expecting faster service, especially with the amount of money they were charging for food. the food was sub par at best. the $16 dollar burger size was laughable. i mean come on, the one i received had more buns and vegetable than beef patty. the fries were not crispy at all, and the amount i received was less than what a fast food joint would give me.

but i like give restaurant the benefit of doubt. so i came back a second time with 2 other people. once again, i was disappointed. after we ordered our drinks, it took so long that i had to flag down another server to ask them where was our drinks. the food...was abysmal. 10 small pieces of dry bbq wings for $12 dollars? ouch!

at both times, no one came over to ask if wanted more drinks or if the food was okay. the place was not busy when we went there. at both times, i got fed up of waiting that i had to take my cheque to the front entrance to find someone to process my bill. sorry, but no third chance for a restaurant who charges high prices for mediocre food, poor and slow service.

the onlygoodthing about canoe brewpub was theirgoodselection of micro brew beers.

canoe was our destination for dinner one early-evening during a recent stay in victoria.  we had missed getting there during our february stay, i had it high up on our to do list for this stay, and we were sure not disappointed -- wow, what a lovely spot, withgoodfood and beverages to match!

the day was bright and sunny, the setting shined, and looked very welcoming upon arrival.  and luckily, we managed to catch a spot for the car in their small parking lot, when we got there about 5:20 pm, or it would have been back out trying to find parking on one of the nearby streets (note:  when you park in their lot, you see the hostess on duty at the time, to catch a parking permit to place on the car's dash).  the building, erected in 1894, has been designated as a heritage site on the inner harbour.  it's lovely inside and out, with all the red brick, wood finishings, and decorations.  

we chose a table inside, the weather was sunny, but it was a touch too cool and windy for us to sit outside in the patio areas.  once in and settled, our server was at our table with food and drink menus.  we ordered cold beverages, then sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed them and the surroundings for a while before ordering food.

drink:  mom ordered an ice water w/lemon, and daughter and i a flight of beer, their 'core brands' -- a lager, pale ale, ipa, and a dark ale.  the beers were cold, flavourful, and tasty -- much-enjoyed, and got our taste buds off to a great start.

food:  we ordered three of what they call 'smaller plates & sharing' -- w/descriptions from menu - the flash fried humboldt squid (w/shaved fennel, roasted shishito peppers, parsley), wings (w/chili-shallot glaze, burnt scallions, slaw), and the margherita flatbread (mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, arugula, basil, olive oil, parmesan).  when the plates and board were brought to our table, there was a rather loud 'wow' from each of us! it all looked sogood- the presentations so bright, colourful, and nicely-arranged.  then the tastings - we thought the preparations were as 'perfect' as they could possibly be - the food fresh, very distinctively spicy (but not overly), so flavourful, and tasty.  the squid and wings were almost unbelievably tender, and major taste treats.  this was our first taste of flatbread 'pizza', and it turned out to be such great dish to accompany the others.  there was nothing was left on the plates to go back to the kitchen, except a few small streaks of sauces, and the like!

we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience at canoe.  it was such a pretty and welcoming spot, offering such well-prepared and presented food, drink, and fine, friendly service.  canoe will definitely be near the top of my 'must return to' list when we get to victoria next.

nice patio on a sunny day! small portions of food,gooddrinks though. you’re paying for atmosphere. one of vic’s only oceanside patios ... i hear the dancing is fun with the live music on the weekends. service is usually fine. :)

live music hot spot on the water. large venue, with indoor and outdoor spaces away from the stage if you need a quiet table. multiple bars, ample seating,gooddrinks.

the location and stunning water views of this place are unlike anywhere else in victoria i've been. it's a great idea to have heat lamps and blankets on every chair, being on the water it can get a little chilly.

the wait staff are friendly and helpful in making suggestions as to what isgoodon the menu.

my dad got their aussie burger when it was still a part of the menu and ranted and raved about howgoodit was. i've had their steak frites and short rib tacos, both of which were incredibly well done. we really enjoy coming here when we're in victoria.

canoe is hit or miss for me. i typically enjoy the food here - they have a pickled fennel salad here as a side that i could eat up as a main dish - but the beer is sometimes excellent and sometimes it just misses the mark. despite the prejudice of some of the locals, when the beer at canoe is on it is quitegood— but i have found the quality to be inconsistent. sometimes their choices baffle me as well. they have two esb recipes, apparently. one is quite bitter and the other is well balanced, the key characteristic of agoodesb in my opinion. but someone at canoe favours the bitter recipe and i have to wonder why bother with the esb at all since they may as well put out another style of ipa instead?

i think it could be argued that canoe probably has the best patios in town and it can be tough to get a spot in the summer. the interior is a matter of choice. some people love it, some detest it. i like the side part of the pub best, but it is seldom open.

nice location at the edge of chinatown. the bar/restaurant is located just outside of chinatown and is agoodplace to go to for a waterfront view of their private marina and to grab a quick bite and beer. venue is spacious with the bar on the ground floor and the restaurant up a flight of wooden stairs. however, the tables were too close together and we felt really cramped with the our chairs hitting the back of others. the chef that night could have been lighter on the black pepper. all our entrees were heavily doused in black pepper (garganelli carbonara, steak frites) and took the other potential flavours of the dishes away. despite the food not tasting the way we hoped, it's a nice place to go to for a change in scenery.

nice patio, ok food, bad beer, way overpriced. been to the canoe brewpub several times with friends. last round i ordered the overpriced cod and chips at $19. small pieces of fish and skimped on the fries. i'll give them that their in house ketchup was quite tasty.

i'm not a big guy and i left hungry. my poor wife had to deal with me starving and hangry just 3 hours later. the venue itself is great but i have nothinggoodto say about the food, portions, or beer. many many many better restaurants to eat at around time for 2/3 the price. gave them quite a few chances, won't be returning.

good pub food, don't go if you dislike loud open spaces. i have eaten at canoe 3 times and have not been disappointed yet. the food is well-prepared, fresh, and tasty. the menu isn't amazingly innovative but it has something for everyone and isgoodpub food. the restaurant building is neat, however if you are looking for a quiet/private/romantic night out i wouldn't recommend it, simply because it is an open-concept layout and the high ceilings mean the whole place can get noisy. i didn't mind it though. also, their patio is awesome!

good beer; poor service. disclaimer: this review does not reflect on the beer (which was pretty good), but the service (which was rather poor).

we waited at our table for 10 minutes and after no service from any server i made my way to the bar. at the bar i was once again ignored by a bartender who was much more interested in getting a woman's number than taking my order.

after finally getting the bartender's attention, i ordered the sangria which was on special that night. if you're going to advertise sangria specials, do your customers a favour and serve sangria. red mix with bar fruit and club soda does not constitute sangria.

at the end of the night i went to settle my tab and was handed the card terminal with the options "tap, insert, or swipe". when i went to "tap" my card i had both the terminal and my card yanked from my hand. let me be clear on something - if i wanted you to handle my credit card, i would have given it to you. i understand the "tap" option may not present me with the possibility to tip, yet you were so presumptuous i was going to tip you for your spectacularly poor service it warranted jerking my credit card out of my hand to make sure i did.

to the brewers:goodjob, the beer we had was great.

to the management: there are plenty of places to havegoodbeer in this city. the poor service i received mean s canoe is no longer one of them.

the food seems very formal for such a laid back space and it feels a little incongruous (and the flavors are underwhelming). that being said, canoe is still a great watering hole. the house made beers are verygood(try the beaver brown ale) and the cocktails expertly made. the patio is sublime in the summer months and you can often get a table without much of a wait.

first time eating here, the service was terrible. took waitress 20 mins before taking our drink order, 10 mins later she came back and asked drink order again, she'd forgotten she'd already asked us. 10 mins later they finally arrived. took 15 mins until she came back and asked for our food order. food took 50 mins to arrive (i understand not waitress fault). she never came back to our table to ask how food was or if we wanted anything else. after our plates were empty, took her 20 mind, until finally we had to ask for our bill ourselves otherwise she probably never would have come back. onlygoodthing about the experience was the grilled chicken sarni that i ordered, it was unbelievably good.

enjoyable dining. really great harbour side location - fun to take a short stroll after the meal. quick, friendly service. had the deluxe burger with fries (crisp and verygoodwith the homemade ketchup). tasty and more than enough for a big appitite. tried a pint of the house pale ale, then had a second one.
this was my third visit. service and food quality has been consistently good. i'll be back.