olo restaurant

thank's ulla for setting the bar so high. you will give other restaurants something to aspire to.
excellent food and service.
great job.


-----22 dec, 2013-----

well we have found our new favourite restaurant.
we were there last night fordinnerand everything exceeded our expectations.from the moment we arrived until we left. service and food were exceptional. well done ulla !!!!!

always the best. ulla, you keep me coming back. the first time i went, by boyfriend asked if it would be one of those places with big price tags and small servings. we were both amazed by the quality of food. every time i have the short rib steak because i just can't get past how amazing it is. my man has gotten the pork and chicken and loved them both. he said the pork was the best he ever had. this is such a great place to have in town. the service is outstanding, the owners friendly and unpretentious. we always feel welcome whether dressed to the nines or wearing jeans. i just can't say enough great things about this place. thanks for making a birthdaydinnerso memorable!

great food with some regrets. it's no doubt the food at ulla is innovative, fresh & of great quality. i have to say however that my (many) lovely dining moments there were greatly overshadowed by adinnerthere a few months ago.

not only did the waitress break a glass over mydinnercompanion, spilling wine on him, what was worse was she only offered a small apology and continued on. it happened mostly due to the fact that she was serving from the wrong side which in a restaurant with a zagat rating of 29 you'd expect they'd have those things down pat. offering a credit on the cheque for the wine at least would have gone a long way.

ulla leaves nothing to be desired food wise, why not have your service & dress code of your waitresses match the caliber of your fare?

came here for my birthdaydinnerand was seriously impressed! there is a great casual, unpretentious vibe but with some delicious dishes. i had the endive/pickled strawberry salad and the halibut (with cabbage fennel and mussels) both of which were delicious. my husband had the steak with potatoes different ways and chimichurri which he said was awesome and rivaled another resto which is known for its steak frites ;) . their wine and beer list had a great selection of local interesting drinks. service was great (i really appreciated our server giving us lots of time to decide on our drinks/ meals - she was very patient. plus she brought out a little birthday candle in a small dish for me!) this place is a new favourite!

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 daydinnerspot.

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.

had a lovelydinnerat ulla last night. our server was knowledgable and friendly, the food was scrumptious and the wine paired perfectly. i had the basil crusted halibut and was very satisfied! beautifully prepared - a work of art! great modern, chic vibe. will definitely be back.

sodinnernumber two in victoria, could it top brasserie l'ecole? let's see...ulla on fisgard was our second stop of the night, after trying the buck a shuck at oysters . this was another highly recommended restaurant and we decided to give this place a shot. featuring dishes that use mostly local organic ingredients, and a wide selection of cocktails, this place looked promising.     we were a bit late for our reservation and ended up having to wait at the bar while another table was cleared for us. we took a seat at the bar and sipped a cocktail while we waited. they were raising money for a cocktail creator, murray stenson , who was diagnosed with a heart condition recently. without adequate medical coverage, the restaurant was donating a portion of the sale of every " last word " cocktail towards his surgery costs. given that this was such a good cause, it was a no brainer for us. the gin based cocktail was tangy and was a great appetizer!   i know, i know, you probably don't need

a winner. the décor is simple but pretty. the few times i’ve been, service has been very friendly though a bit slow. only real complaint is that the wine list could use just a few more options.

the polenta cubes with truffle mayo are delicious. the pork loin (with roasted potatoes) was a little tough when i had it but still tasty. the short-rib steakdinneris amazing!

a clear winner of a restaurant in victoria. i went to ulla in july to have a latedinnerwith my boyfriend, and (hopefully) experience something special before leaving the province for a work trip. i had read about ulla nearly a year before (in en route magazine on an air canada flight). i expected something good, but i was not prepared for how unique and amazing the experience was. it defeats all the general rules - the atmosphere is casual to upscale casual (very laid back, and the music is great)...usually that means lounge type food....but the food here is 5 star (more typical of an unusually good formal restaurant). i love the combination. the atmosphere is great, from the lighting to the books to the effortless/genuine service (no reciting lines or going through the montions here!) it kind of feels warm and intimate....more like a living room than a restaurant.

and the food...wow! i've been eating all my life :), so i never really imagined that i could eat at a restaurant that would teach me so much about food. the plates have so much going on (so many excellently executed components....which - shockingly - all seem to complement each other beautifully). i seriously don't know how they manage to balance all the foods/textures/flavors so well. (also, i thought i knew what polenta was....now i know i was wrong...do youself a favor, get the polenta - even if you feel like you're not big on it....its a totally different food the way they do it here). the octopus and polenta were standouts.

the plates and serving sizes are small, which i love. we ordered 2-3 appetizers, 2 mains, and 2 desserts and shared everything. normally you couldn't do that in a restaurant and not leave in pain from overeating. the food didn't come out too quickly, which gave us time to have a few cocktails (also good). i don't think i've ever seen my boyfriend enjoy a dessert so much - anywhere. (he had a chocolate cake type thing - my description really doesn't do it justice).

the only bad thing is that, now that the bar has been raised so high, everything else will inevitably seem crappier. i feel that we have always lagged behind vancouver in terms of dining experiences here...ulla goes a long way towards singlehandedly evening the score :)

felt pretentious . we haddinnerat another place and just wanted to have an appy, and felt we were under enormous pressure to get more food.
great music though.

the food was very good and so were the cocktails! unfortunately the ambiance was a bit stiff....not sure if it was due to the holiday season and that a lot of people were "all dressed up for a specialdinnerout" i would go back...but i'm really hoping for some energy in that dinning room!!! our server wasn't the most charistmatic either

fantastic. probably the finestdinneri have eaten. serves was excellent. everything was incredible from the app to the dessert. definitely will return for many more fine dinners.

one year and still going strong.. happy one year ulla. you never fail to deliver on all levels.
dinner was spot on. pea soup. spring salmon. polenta cubes. shortrib. cherries. chocolate. lisa's service was as usual the best. we love seeing all of you in action. you will see us often over the next year because we're looking forward to tasting your new dishes.


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

ulla you really are the best!. we cannot stop talking about your english pea soup. how is it possible for something so simple to taste so amazing? and be so memorable. the vouvray lisa suggested with it took the experience over the top. i almost wanted to cancel my halibut cheeks and have more soup. glad i didn't because they were luscious and sweet. (octopus, shortrib, chocolate cake and apple genoise were devoured too).
congrats on the boulevard piece. you deserve all the attention you are getting!


-----13 feb, 2011-----

ulla is our go to spot. ulla. we love you.dinnerlast week was better than our first visit. we have been in so many times in the last 6 months we have lost count.
your food is stellar. clean, bright, interesting, perfectly prepared.
your room is modern, warm, inviting.
lisa knows your food and wine, professional yet fun. to be reconized and warmly greeted, steered in the right direction is appreciated. that our server remembers what we had before and where we sat is something that is not experienced in many restaurants.
thank you.
thank you.
thank you.
we love spending money at ulla because we get more than our moneys worth. it is the only place we know we can order anything on the menu and love it.
we are looking forward to your new seasonal offerings.


-----26 oct, 2010-----

love this place. we picked the right night to book into ulla last week. we asked 'what should we eat?'
quail with bacon, cauliflower mushrooms and a pomegranate vinagrette. are you kidding? every element on the plate worked. (chef brad has a sense of humour...we loved the surprise!) arancini on truffled mayo. and there was more!
actually every element of the place works. people having fun and sharing their love of food. lisa we love you, but you already know that! brilliant food served in a room that 2 young owners thought long and hard about. they deserve everything that is happening to them.


-----28 aug, 2010-----

ulla's food is unbelievable! lisa steered us in the right direction again.
heirloom tomatoes with beans and watercress in a roasted lemon vinagrette.
momofuku style chicken wings. outstanding!!!!!! (an homage to a restaurant in nyc).
lamb. so tender. so perfectly cooked sous-vide with handmade gnocchi, chanterelles and peas.
not only is the food unbelievable, we learn about ingredients and cooking methods. truly a great experience.
we're thinking next time we let lisa order for us so what we get is a surprise. you cannot go wrong with any food decision you make in ulla!


-----09 aug, 2010-----

we stumbled on ulla last week and what a nice surprise it was! it was a quiet night for them but not for long. if you love food, you will be visiting regularly. (we've already been back!) the menu is small which means everything is fresh. the entire wine list is available by the glass which means it was created to work with the food. the cocktail list is small and only local beer. i believe someone knows who they are. the whole concept is refreshing.
pea soup. fresh. clean. morels add add organic layer.
salad. local greens with beets. red. candy cane. yellow. perfectly dressed with a red wine vinaigrette (hint of rhubarb).
octopus. local. tender. tasty. bright. fresh. warm with the peppery flavour of arugula.
salmon. bright pink. perfectly prepared. celery. who know celery could be so tender? quite possibly one of the best dishes we've ever had.
the best surprise was the service. our server was someone we've come to enjoy over the years and had wondered where she had gone. thank you lisa. you will be seeing us regularly.

haddinnerhere last night for the first time and was blown away with the quality of the food and service. i work in the industry and will tell many people about this restaurant.

wonderful!. i celebrated my birthdaydinnerat ulla last night and it was a wonderful and memorable meal. the restaurant is small, but it's nicely decorated and comfortable. it didn't feel too crowded. the staff were very welcoming and pleasant, and gave stellar service. i really enjoyed my meal. i ordered the tuna for a starter, the steak for my main, and the chocolate cake for dessert. it was all to die for. the meals everyone ordered were absolutely amazing. everybody at our table was happy. will definitely be back again!