Updated at: 18-10-2023 - By: John Lau

Victoria, British Columbia is a city known for its vibrant food and drink scene, with a wide range of options for locals and visitors alike.

Whether you’re looking for a cozy pub, a trendy cocktail bar, or a lively dance club, Victoria has something to offer.

In this article, we will focus on the best bars in Victoria, BC. We will explore the top cocktail bars, pubs, and breweries in the city, highlighting their unique features and what makes them stand out.

From classic British pubs to innovative craft breweries, Victoria has a lot to offer for those looking for a great night out.

Top 15 Best Bars In Victoria BC

Hermann’s Jazz Club

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Hermann’s Jazz Club is a music venue and restaurant located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

It has been providing the opportunity for local and visiting musicians to perform live jazz, folk, and blues since 1986, making it the longest continuous running jazz club in Canada.

– Location: 753 View Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

– Age Restrictions: Hermann’s Jazz Club has two venues: Hermann’s Jazz Club downstairs is an all-ages venue, while Hermann’s Upstairs is a 19+ venue.

– Livestreaming: Hermann’s Jazz Club offers live streaming of its shows for fans who are not able to attend in person.

– Donations: You can support Hermann’s Jazz Club and/or the artists by making donations.

– Contact: You can contact Hermann’s Jazz Club through their website.

Hermann’s Jazz Club has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on Google Maps, based on 541 reviews. On TripAdvisor, it has a rating of 4.5 out of 5, based on 184 reviews. On Yelp, it has a rating of 4.5 out of 5, based on 12 reviews.

Boyle’s Tap

Boyle’s Tap is a pub located in Victoria, British Columbia. It is a networking group of forward-thinking individuals who are committed to each other’s success.

The pub has a unique ambiance with classic art on display and is considered the best pub in Victoria. DJ Matt Shadow provides music entertainment.

Boyle’s Tap serves food and drinks, and you can view the menu, check prices, and book a table by calling them. You can also find other bars in the area using MapQuest.

Boyle’s Tap has an Instagram account where they post updates about their events and specials.

Swans Brewpub

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Swans Brewpub is a popular destination in Victoria, BC.

+ Swans Brewpub is located at 1601 Store St, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 1N6. The pub is known for its local craft beer made on-site.

+ The pub has a warm and friendly atmosphere, with character, heritage architecture, stunning original artwork, and First Nations’ carvings.

+ Swans Brewpub offers a new menu with items made from scratch in-house and with fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers.

+ Swans Hotel & Brewpub offers 30 unique and comfortable suites and is conveniently located in the heart of historic “Old Town” Victoria.

+ Swans Hotel & Brewpub has 50,000 square feet of amazing space for events such as weddings, family functions, or company Christmas parties.

+ To make a reservation for the pub, you can visit their website or call them at (250) 940-7513.

Bartholomew’s Pub

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Bartholomew’s Pub is a popular watering hole in Victoria, British Columbia. It has been an institution in the Victoria bar scene since 1975 and is known affectionately as Bart’s.

The pub offers great food, fantastic drinks, friendly service, and a lively, welcoming atmosphere. The kitchen team delivers authentic fresh pub classics as well as modern bar favorites.

The bar is currently running 27 taps of rotating craft draught beer as well as boasting the largest gin selection on Vancouver Island.

The bartenders are skilled and knowledgeable and are more than happy to create a bespoke cocktail designed to your tastes or serve one of their custom house creations.

Bartholomew’s Pub is located at 777 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC. The hours of operation are Sunday – Thursday 11:30AM-11PM (Kitchen closes at 10PM) and Friday – Saturday 11:30AM-12AM (Kitchen closes at 11PM) .

The pub offers daily specials, including Happy Hour from 3-6PM, where select pints are available for $7.00, 6oz glasses of wine for $6.75, and well brand highballs for $6.50, plus Happy Hour food specials.

On Mondays from 3-10PM, they offer “Taking Back Mondays,” where they have break-even bottles, classic cocktails for $11, select pints for $7.00, and Happy Hour snacks all night from 3 pm.

On Tuesdays from 7-10PM, they have “Pub Quiz Tuesday,” where they offer plenty of prizes to be won.

Bartholomew’s Pub has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 on Google Maps, with a total of 1257 ratings. On Yelp, it has a rating of 4 out of 5, with 123 reviews. On TripAdvisor, it has a rating of 4 out of 5, with 238 reviews.

Irish Times Pub

The Irish Times Pub is a traditional Irish bar located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It has two levels, live music, classic pub fare, and many draft beers.

The pub has won the Best Irish Pub in North America award. It is open from 8 am to 1 am, seven days a week.

The pub offers classic Irish fare and pub food made with the freshest local ingredients, including their famous Shepherd’s pie.

Visitors can enjoy a perfectly poured pint of Guinness or other local beers.

The pub has a charming and historic atmosphere, and it is located in downtown Victoria, surrounded by gift shops.

Garricks Head Pub

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Garrick’s Head Pub is a historic pub located in Bastion Square in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

The pub has been a local fixture since 1867 and was named number 1 pub in BC by the northwest brewing news in 2008.

The pub offers a wide selection of craft beer and traditional English pub fare in a bright and relaxing atmosphere.

The pub is known for its wood-burning fireplace and elevated pub grub. The pub has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 on Google Maps with a total of 1644 ratings.

Lucky Bar

Lucky Bar is a hopping club located at 517 Yates Street in Victoria, British Columbia. It features varied live bands, DJ nights, and dance parties in an intimate space.

Lucky Bar has a rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars on Google Maps, with a total of 126 ratings. The bar’s website, luckybar.ca, provides information on upcoming events, such as DJ nights and live music performances.

Lucky Bar is active on Instagram, where they post photos and videos of events and promotions.

Visitors can also check out Lucky Bar’s page on TripAdvisor for more information and reviews from other customers.

Little Jumbo

Little Jumbo is a restaurant and bar located in Victoria, British Columbia.

Little Jumbo is located at 506 Fort St ‘Down the Hall’, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 1E6, Canada. You can find a useful map to the place on Google Maps.

Little Jumbo is described as a cozy, urban speakeasy providing a chill atmosphere, an imaginative, elevated menu, and craft cocktails. The restaurant has an updated historic setting and offers exceptional service.

Little Jumbo’s menu features fresh local food with a focus on continental and contemporary cuisine.

Some of the items on the menu include the Little Jumbo Burger, Mushroom Risotto, Quadra Island Clams, Halibut, and Beef Tenderloin.

Little Jumbo has a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 on Google with a total of 1244 ratings. On Yelp, it has a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 with 282 reviews.

On TripAdvisor, it has a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 with 1,031 reviews.

Tora Tiki

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Tora Tiki is a restaurant and cocktail bar located in Victoria, British Columbia.

– Location: Tora Tiki is located at 714 Cormorant Street in Victoria, British Columbia.

– Website: Tora Tiki has a website at www.toratiki.ca.

– Menu: Tora Tiki serves food and cocktails. Their menu can be found on their website.

– Happy Hour: Tora Tiki has a happy hour. Information about their happy hour can be found on their website.

– Karaoke: Tora Tiki has a karaoke room that can be booked. Information about booking the karaoke room can be found on their website.

Tora Tiki has a rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 on Google based on 228 reviews. They also have 15 reviews on Yelp with an overall rating of 4 stars out of 5.

Bard and Banker

Bard and Banker is a pub located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The pub is known for its rich history and beautiful room.

The Executive Chef has created a full-service menu using the finest ingredients that Vancouver Island has to offer, combined with the Chef’s unique style of cooking.

The menu is full of comforting flavors from around the world. Bard and Banker is open seven days a week and offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night options.

The pub is also known for its live music, which is performed daily. The pub offers a great happy hour with a variety of drinks, including well spirits, draught beer, wine, and cocktails.

The pub is known for its exceptional service and is a great place to meet up with friends and family for any occasion.

The Churchill

The Churchill is a pub located at 1140 Government St. in Victoria, BC.

It is a casual spot with classic pub decor that offers regionally inspired Canadian fare, craft beer, and whiskey. The pub is open daily at 11 am.

The Churchill takes pride in offering a select variety of nature’s finest friends. They offer delicious West Coast pub fare and quality beverages.

The pub has a cozy space that provides an opportunity to connect with friends over food and drinks.

The Churchill offers a variety of drinks, including craft beer and whiskey. They also offer food, which can be viewed on their website.

The pub can be contacted at 250 384 6835 or [email protected]. According to Yelp, The Churchill is known for taking reservations.

Citrus & Cane

Citrus & Cane is a tropical cocktail bar located in Victoria, British Columbia. The bar has a mid-century modern decor and offers a menu that ranges from classic to exotic cocktails.

The bar is known for its extensive rum list. The bar is located at 1900 Douglas St, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 1N7.

The bar has been recognized as one of Canada’s 100 best restaurants, bars, and chefs.

Friends of Dorothy Lounge

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Friends of Dorothy Lounge is an LGBT2Q+ bar and nightclub located in Victoria, British Columbia. It was voted Tasting Victoria’s Best New Restaurant in 2022.

The lounge features gourmet food, cocktails, and a fun atmosphere.

They are open Wednesday to Sunday until 12 am and offer happy hour from 3 pm to 5 pm. They also serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 3 pm.

Friends of Dorothy Lounge is located at 537 Johnson St, Victoria, British Columbia V8W1M2. They can be contacted at [email protected] or by phone at 778-432-4565.

The lounge has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 on Google Maps based on 304 reviews. They also have a Yelp page with 21 reviews and a 4.5-star rating.

Friends of Dorothy Lounge is currently hiring dedicated and experienced individuals to join their team.

Block Kitchen and Bar[ 2]

Block Kitchen and Bar is a restaurant located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

It serves a global menu with Asian flair, clever cocktails, vegan options, seafood options, and tapas sharing plates with speedy service.

The restaurant is known for its creative cocktails and eclectic cuisine. It is located at 538 Yates Street, Victoria, BC V8W1K8 and can be reached at 250-590-6744.

The restaurant has a warm, urban-rustic setting with birdcages and is a small, intimate, and convivial space. The hours of operation are 11:30 am to 11:00 pm daily.

Artemis Whiskey Bar

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Artemis Whiskey Bar is a speakeasy-style bar located in downtown Victoria, British Columbia.

The bar is owned by engineer, educator, and entrepreneur Vaibhav Patel, who opened it as a passion project.

The bar is designed to be unlike any other watering hole in the city, with a magical book that unlocks the speakeasy place.

The bar is hidden in a secret locale in the city’s downtown core, and the entrance is restricted to groups of six or fewer. Large groups can make reservations.

Artemis Whiskey Bar boasts a collection of 200 different whiskeys, but Patel’s goal is to stock 1,000 varieties. The bar also serves cocktails, and the bartenders are known as Taskmasters.

The cocktails are infused with nods to sci-fi and cocktail culture. The bar’s signature drink is the Peanut Bourbon, Syrup & Bitters.

Other drinks include Bourbon, Syrup, Lemon Juice & Bitters, Gin, Menthol, White Chocolate, Syrup & Lemon, Vodka,…

Artemis Whiskey Bar is open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday, and until “late” from Friday to Saturday.

The bar is closed on Sundays and Mondays. The bar is a popular spot in Victoria, and Patel aims to create a super-crazy experience that customers will talk about for months.

Big Bad John’s

Big Bad John’s is a cash-only hillbilly bar located at the Strathcona Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia.

It is a world-famous authentic hillbilly bar where you can relax and let your hair down. The bar is known for its peanut shells on the floor and hanging bras.

Customers are encouraged to add their own mementos to the walls. Big Bad John’s is open for lunch and dinner and serves a variety of pub food.

The bar has received positive reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp. It is also active on Instagram.