olo restaurant

amazing - such a variety of flavours / if u r curious about a smoked pear liqueur in a cocktail and wtf are semolina cubes eat here xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

very good! loved every bit of my visit here. great food and nice, genuine staff. would recommend to my friends in victoria. i'll be back next time i'm in town :)

the food here is quite inspired and creative without being pretentious.

my partner had the baguette with herb butter. i wasn't going to eat it but the butter was so flavourful i had two pieces.

next we had the semolina cubes that they also had on the ulla menu. these are spectacular. they are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. you know the aoli it comes with is housemade because the incredible flavour and texture.

i'm impressed that they have fresh made pasta for $14-$15. the portion is more like a large side or a course to share (keep in mind, i'm a pretty hungry girl). there is a generous layer of padano cheese on top. the sauce was the perfect consistency to support the fresh pasta as the star of the show.

the service was very good. my partner's pet peeve's are:
1) when his glass is empty and it takes forever to get a refill
2) we're done and it takes forever to wait for the cheque
i found our server anticipated our needs and i always had what i needed.

the ambiance is funky, fun and a bit fancy. with some meals at $28 this is not your quick, every day dinner spot.

in the soft buzz of the restaurant with inaudible conversations, the ting of cultery hitting the porcelain plates and hip music that most people young and old would recognize and enjoy, the sound of crying or whining children pierced over.

on my left was a table with two loud, young children.

on my right there was a single parent with a toddler who was whiny and sometimes crying. the child was rolling on the floor while people had to step over it to get to the bathroom. it became obvious that the man was there because he has some sort of relationship with one of the servers.

if a place doesn't have supplies like colouring papers and high chairs, you may consider going somewhere else if those are the things you need.

overall, i loved the food and the service was great.

best restaurant in victoria hands down, just go here that's it. best steak best cocktails, the ambiance is very cool and french style with awesome farm to table cuisine

here for the second night in a row. had the late night menu both nights .... ramen last night; it was perfect. the pork belly was beautiful, and the broth and noodles and everything else were delicious and well-balanced. it was a little on the rich side, but that's to be expected with a hearty ramen bowl! it was filling and comforting, and just fantastic. i had the burger tonight, and it might just be one of the best burgers i've ever had in my life. even their house-made ketchup is phenomenal! i ordered a negroni, and it was perfectly made. i wasn't at all surprised by this; their bar manager is a force to be reckoned with! wonderful experiences all around. incredibly warm and friendly staff, lovely ambiance. olo is a huge win! keep it up :) i can't wait to try the regular evening menu!

accomodating. the staff was super friendly and didn't even make a fuss about making adjustments to one of the dishes to fit my dietary restrictions (pescatarian, lactose-intolerant ), so i was super appreciative.

went here last night for a friends birthday. they offered us a family style meal, where all 8 of us shared a number of delicious courses with wine parings. it was fabulous! we had a couple of dietary restrictions, but the kitchen took it in stride with delicious creations that everyone could enjoy. apparently we where the first to try the family style, and it was a complete success. ask for it, it's well worth it!!! 5 stars :)

best restaurant in canada! .... best restaurant in canada!
ate here twice this week, i am blown away, the food is outstanding.

the octopus is superb, as our every single one of the small bites offered (i've had them all :)
the soup bites are delightful, is tremendous variety as well.

is most impressive is the quality of execution in every single dish. the kitchens technical competence is evident throughout the menu. it is also the most exciting menu in the city, imnsho. i also love what uchida does-- and he gets my vote for best lunch spot in the country!

bravo!!!


-----18 jan, 2013-----

snooty servers...wearing pajamas? dried-out pasta.
pretentious plating served by pajama-clad ingredient-listers. really. and so it feels less than clean when a sloppily-dressed server brings the plates to the table.

filled pasta had texture of leather/very dried out from sitting too long.

seems it's all "boilin' bag" sous vide cooking, and kid-sized portions to keep prices down. with foam.

foam and pajamas yet.


-----19 jun, 2011-----

short menu that doesn't change much. ulla's food is top-quality but the menu gets pretty short in a hurry. if you're a regular or live nearby, it doesn't take long to eat your way thru the menu. perhaps i am not their target audience, but it can get boring.

and then where else are you gonna go?


-----08 may, 2011-----

exciting food, professional service. 10 out of 10 on the sous vide beef, halibut, octopus and tuna. desserts are also excellent. seriously great restaurant. quite likely the best in victoria at present.

twice in a week. open for four years and we just finally made it in! twice in the same week! sat at the bar, had some wonderful cocktails, delicious food, and chatted with the friendly staff. well worth the wait.

whipped albacore tuna belly ($6) with sriracha and squid ink crisps. it only comes with 3 pieces on the plate but the different texture really worked well. the crispiness of the squid ink crisps and the soft and fluffy albacore tuna belly. it’s one of my favourite items.

excellent food and service overall i had three dishes

1. octopus starter. the octopus was cooked perfectly and tasted great with the herb purée. the squid ink crackers while they tasted well distracted from the visual appeal of the octopus. i would recommend the chef looks at replacing that component of the dish

2. trillium farm chicken, carrot & marscapone tortellini, carrots, pea shoots, sherry chicken sauce

dish presentation, colors, favors -- everything was perfect to me

3. chocolate desert was fantastic everything in the plate tasted amazing

other feedback

presentation please look at investing in some alternative plate shapes sizes and colors. all dishes were served on the same plates and the starter and deserts would have looked much better on different plates. the main dish was ok on its plate but the starter and dessert would look better on other types of plates

wow!. if you are looking for a great meal in victoria, you won't be disappointed with ulla. it's a nice little restaurant just off of chinatown. we started with the sweetbreads and whipped tuna belly. the whipped tuna belly was quite nice! the squid ink cracker gave it a nice crunch, and the flavors really worked well together. i had the short rib, and my mom had the sablefish. both were really well cooked, and tasted wonderful. our server was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. glad we made it to this gem!

excellent dinner. if you want to enjoy fine dining at its best go to ulla. amazing flavours in their creations.

ulla turned out to be a pleasant surprise and their food was quite delicious! displayed like pieces of art.

a lovely, intimate, fine dining restaurant in the heart of downtown victoria.