olo restaurant

fine dining experience of gastronomic proportions! when ulla joined the victoria restaurant scene several years ago i heard exquisite details from locavores and food lovers about the tender loving care with which their food was prepared. although a fancy restaurant by victoria standards, ulla still has a comfortable feel. the space issmalland intimate, with high ceilings and lots of light. bright, whimsical artwork and a bookshelf chock full of cookbooks (including the star trek cookbook!) line the walls. the food here certainly is prepared with a monumental amount of effort. plates come adorned with gastriques and flourishes carefully executed to accentuate the other flavours on the plate. they are one of the only restaurants in victoria who uses molecular gastronomy in their food, which creates a finished product that is very precise and technical.

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 andsmallservings. 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 birthday dinner so 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 a dinner there a few months ago.

not only did the waitress break a glass over my dinner companion, spilling wine on him, what was worse was she only offered asmallapology 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 birthday dinner and 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 asmalldish for me!) this place is a new favourite!

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 thesmallbites 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.

visually stunning food!. the food in this restaurant is visually stunning. most dishes involve beautifully arranged combinations of ingredients and complex cooking techniques. the desserts were amazing! highly sophisticated use and variety of chocolate (characterizing the chocolate dessert), amazing yoghurt panna cotta accompanying their poached pear dessert...unusual ingredients are used (e.g., lamb bacon); everything was absolutely delicious. modernsmallrestaurant atmosphere. service was very good. overall, this was an unforgettable meal.

glad we tried it. ulla is a great little place in victoria. creative menu and good friendly service. the bourbon sour cocktail was delicious. we tried the octopus and quail dishes to start, both good. i had short rib for my entree, my husband ordered the pork. in general, both were good. a couple of the "purees" in both appetizer and entrees tasted a little odd but they are such asmallpart of the meal it did not have an impact on the overall experience. a couple sitting at the table next to us were complaining about the noise level and lack of privacy. well, it's asmallroom, meant for a great dining experience. i suggest if you want privacy, call ahead and ask if there are appropriate tables in the restaurant. we will definitely be back on our next trip to victoria.

fantastic.smallportions but very classy, great service, and amazing food. really good experience here. best steak i have ever had.

good wine.

this resturant does not disappointed.smalland cozy with unbelievable service and the plating of food is unpeckable. the food is amazing- fresh and flavorful every time! my only compliant is that they aren't open for lunch!

good food, butsmallportions and ridiculously overpriced!. good food, interesting combinations, but i'm sorry, when a restaurant serves ridiculouslysmallportions for ridiculously high prices, it's just pompous and i'm not going to walk away oohing and ahhhing.

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. dinner last 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 issmallwhich 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 issmalland 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.

nice presentation. not enough to eat!. well. my friend and i had heard so many good things about this place, we had to give it a try. we went this past new years eve.

he had beef steak. i had medallions of pork. both were presented nicely. the taste was about average. not bad, but not fantastic either. the portion's were very small. you would need to have a couple of cocktails and an appetizer before hand for this meal to satisfy your appetite, in my opinion ( and i'm a skinny guy, with asmallappetite to begin with!).

price wise- for $13.95 a dish, our dinners were what you would expect. unfortunately, they were $25 each. oh, well.

the service was ... ok.

i went with great expectations. i will give this place a second chance sometime in the future.

up there with the best of victoria. thissmallrestaurant with it's understated decor is one of the best places i have eaten in a long time. service was attentive yet unobtrusive. the food was fabulous. beef tartar was delicately seasoned and tasty. lamb was tender and perfectly cooked, with a delicious accompaniment of gnocci. my partner in crime had balls of fried mushroom risotto as a starter, which was the dish of the night. her ling cod was also perfectly cooked, but less interesting than the other dishes. homemade icecream and cookies, and a decadent chocolate cake rounded out the evening nicely. we will definitely be back!

not just a meal but an experience. wow, i went to ulla last night with one of my friends, and was very impressed. i ordered the peaches and cream corn soup, how can you go wrong with bacon, cream, corn and mushrooms, it was delicious!! my friend ordered the salad on special which she loved. i then had the short rib steak, which was so tender i cut it with a fork, accompanied by tortellini filled with cauliflower puree, which i thought was cheese, also a king oyster mushroom, again delicious. my friend ordered the lamb with pea puree and salsa verde with mint, i tried a bit and it was very good, none of the gamey taste lamb can have. we split a bottle of spanish wine which was excellent, they have a very good wine and drink list. we then finished off with the dessert, we order both, one was a flourless chocolate cake with cherries and chocolate mousse, delicious it melted in my mouth, also the strawberry rhubarb sous-vide, on a cake like vessel with strawberry puree and yogurt mousse (you'd swear was cheese cake). we ordered an amazing dessert wine which was perfect accompaniment. atmosphere is great, decor is awesome and so is the building itself, nothing pretentious, you could dress up or down. i would have to give it 5 out of 5. i can't wait to come back, the place issmallso you may have to wait without a reservation but it's worth it, i haven't had a meal like this before.
erin