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Shine Cafe
Category: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
1548 Fort StVictoria, BC V8S 5J2
(250) 595-2133
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 3 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
17 reviews for Shine Cafe
17 reviews in English
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Review from Bruce C.
Victoria, BC
3/27/2012
Had some very good Eggs Benny here today. The first question the waitress asked was "How do you like the eggs poached: soft, medium or hard?" Some places just assume you want them runny and gross....
Good coffee with plenty of refills. Staff were attentive but non-intrusive. Nice atmosphere and free Wi-Fi. Prices were about average for Victoria. -
Review from Nessa K.
Victoria, BC
2/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pretty average breakfast place. Nothing too special, and certainly nothing to write home about. Coffee was delicious, atmosphere was alright, service was ok (forgetful with orders), food was meh. I'm certain that my omelet was made with premixed eggs from a box - they just tasted plastic-y.
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Review from Katie F.
10/22/2011
Average breakfast/brunch place. Unfortunately weekend brunch seems to be a big thing in Victoria so almost every place has a 30 min wait.
Shine Cafe very brightly colored so it'll help wake you up quickly even if their coffee is terrible! Standard breakfast items with bennies, omelets, scrambles, etc... Portions are big and include your choice of sides.
My omelet was A-OK and my hashbrowns were good. Still haven't found my perfect brunch spot yet in this city so I will keep searching... -
Review from Mark H.
Victoria, BC
7/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good breakfast with some great daily specials. The location sucks though and be prepared to wait on Sundays if you are not there right when they open.
The only thing I don't really like is their coffee. How hard is it to make a good cup of coffee these days?
Their potato scones are great with a bit of butter... -
Review from Pam S.
7/8/2010 1 Check-in Here
I think it's interesting that as you get older (and less likely to sleep your day away), breakfast becomes more and more important. I'm not talking about your average Wheaties- I'm talking about delicious brunch involving poached eggs, bacon and an IV of coffee.
The BF and I arrived to meet some of his friends, who thankfully had put their name in...because it seemed a bit of a wait. One bonus is that you can get coffee as you are waiting, which helps. The wait wasn't too bad, and we were sat fairly quickly at a table outside. I could only imagine the wait when the weather isn't cooperating, however.
I was craving eggs, so of course I got the Cali Bennie, and the others got various egg dishes, which were all delicious, or so I heard.
Service was okay, nothing spectacular. I wouldn't NOT recommend this place, but it wouldn't be top on my list for places to go.Listed in: Oh Canada...
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Review from Andrew W.
Victoria, BC
5/9/2009
Sounds like the guy above let waiting in line taint his experience. While Shine doesn't exactly reinvent breakfast, it's a nice, relaxed place, the portions are perfect, and they do breakfast well. It's much more paired down than The Blue Fox - they don't overload you with globs of pan fries and the portions will buckle your belt, not your chair.
Don't let the location throw you. It's really quite pleasant inside. -
Review from Beth C.
Victoria, BC
6/10/2010
I took my boyfriend out for breakfast last weekend before we hit the Oak Bay Tea Party for some fun, sun and nostalgia (for me anyway), all set to the soothing soundtrack of children screaming and barfing their lungs out on various rides.
But I digress.
At 9:45 a.m. we were still firmly entrenched in the breakfast hour and not yet the dreaded brunch hour, so we lucked out and got a table immediately (by the time we left 45-60 minutes later, people were waiting).
I love this place. Lauren, the owner, is a woman I went to high school with, but don't worry - we weren't super tight or anything, so this remains unbiased. ;-)
Anyway, I love what she (or whomever decorated) has done with the place. It's a bit "sunken", so could have been in danger of having a basement feel, but it lives up to its name, and is the brightest, sunshiniest little space, with bright, cheerful paint and complementary art, and an impressive selection of teas on the wall behind the register.
The menu is a thing of beauty for the serious breakfaster. It is definitely not an inexpensive breakfast (our breakfasts and two drip coffees came to $32 before tip), so not somewhere I'd come every weekend, but both the quality and quantity of food support the price. It's almost overwhelming to have that many choices, so I first decided I wanted a benny, so I could skip the other sections (omelettes, sweet breakfasts, plain egg breakfasts, hashes, etcetera) and focus. But there must have been at least a dozen benedicts to choose from.
And after all that, I ended up having Huevos a la Marisol (because my boyfriend's sister-in-law is named Marisol, and just had a baby and named it after my boyfriend), which was a giant whole wheat tortilla, folded over and grilled until just crisped at the edges, with poached (my choice) eggs, beans, cheese and other goodies inside, and topped with a few slices of avocado. Unbelievably tasty. I was very happy with my choice. As a side, I opted for the Scottish potato scone, which are...how to describe...flat, and delicious, and in no way like any scone I've ever had. They're more like a potato pancake or latke, to me, but what do I know? Technically I'm Scottish, but....not so's I'd notice.
Whoops. Digressed again.
It came with two pieces of toast, as well, one of which I gave to my boyfriend, because MAN that was a lot of food.
He had the special of the day, which was a crab cake benny, and it was fantastic. An english muffin with two crab cakes (generous portions, real crab, well made), and poached eggs, with some of the best hollandaise ever as a complement. The citrus in the hollandaise was really perfect with the crab. He had the potato scone, too, and the same reaction as me ("Hey, weird! Mmm, good.").
So we ate and shared and made happy noises, and I would like to go back again soon. I'm always happy when I see someone nice from my past is doing well, and this is a shining (ha! get it? SHINE?) example - this is a good thing here. -
Review from Eric B.
Victoria, BC
7/29/2010
The coffee is substandard and that's about the only thing I could complain about.
Shine is diner breakfast food done well - I've gone twice and walked away very happy both times. The cheddar hash is excellent - who knew a breakfast joint would actually spend the money to put rosemary on their roasted hashbrowns such that they taste delicious?
Good stuff all around with friendly, casual service. I'd happily stop by anytime for a bite. -
Review from Caro W.
Victoria, BC
5/17/2010
Despite the popularity, we didn't have to wait long and had coffee in our cups within minutes. We ordered 2 different eggs bennies (The Yodeler and the special) and the Eiffel Tower.
The Yodeler was good and definitely a good choice for any morning and any occasion. A safe and tasty bet!
The special of the day was eggs bennies with goat cheese. A choice we don't regret. I'm a goat cheese fan (don't judge) and I thought it tasted very good! The cheese did take away from the eggs and the Hollandaise sauce, but as I mentioned previously, I'm a goat cheese fan, so I personally didn't mind.
The Eiffel Tower was sweet sweet! Bread in batter stacked on top with yogourt and granola in between topped with fruit - can't go wrong. It tasted a little plain, but there was maple syrup to pour.
I'd definitely go again, but I think there are more brunch places that my my palate awaits! -
Review from Sara W.
Victoria, BC
6/24/2009
While I was definitely put off by Shine's location (think small, highly dated strip mall with absolutely no other redeeming qualities), my boyfriend and I decided to give it a try for breakfast after hearing a few good things about it.
The wait for a table was definitely long, but I didn't mind so much once they put a steaming mug of coffee into my hands. Besides, good things come to those who wait, and my french toast was well worth the wait. They call it the "Eiffel Tower", and with good reason - it came loaded down with an epic pile of fruit, yogurt, and granola. It actually tasted healthy, and I didn't leave feeling like I had just ingested a pile of lead.
And as for that strip mall location? Well, once you're inside it's actually pretty nice - lots of bright colours, and an overall cheerful feeling. I'll definitely be back here for a second helping of that french toast. -
Review from Ryan G.
Richmond, BC
1/6/2012
Great Benny. Probably the best I've had in a long time. Ridiculous line and prices were a little bit high. If you love eggs benny this is the place.
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Review from Matthew L.
Edmonton, AB
12/24/2008
The Shine Cafe is often mentioned in the same breath as the Blue Fox, when discussing breakfast joints. And Victorians take their breakfast places very seriously as it seems as if it's the only time people actually seem to hang out in the city. Naturally, one must wait at least 30 minutes to brunch at the Shine Cafe.
Shine offers many different variations on the Benedict. I found mine to be tasty, but not one worth waiting 30 minutes for. Sure it had goat cheese, but the goat cheese was lost in the hollandaise.
And my wife found herself disappointed with her omelette and its accompaniments.
We also found ourselves a bit disconcerted by a busboy who brought the trash outside through the front door of the restaurant, rather than the back door.
The Shine Cafe would be a fine breakfast place in a number of towns without upscale breakfast places. But the competition is stiff in Victoria and this place just doesn't rank with John's Place or the Blue Fox. They don't even home make their bread (or at least it doesn't taste that way) :) -
Review from christine c.
Victoria, BC
12/10/2009
Sadly I compare every breakfast spot to the Village and every single one seems to quiver in the corner. I'd wish I could stop, but my opinions are clouded with the flavours of the best Victoria offers before noon.
What I'm trying to say is.... well Shine would normally be a 4 star joint. They offer really solid food. I've truly enjoyed my bennies here and the sandwiches look incredible. I'd recommend it to anybody.
Service is great and they've been super accommodating in their tiny space when my brother had his crutches.
Alas this whole judgement business has a lot to do with comparison and as much as I'd enjoy a meal at Shine I'll just keep driving past. -
Review from Ashley W.
Victoria, BC
2/12/2011
Good food, good service but too long a wait. This breakfast joint is a block from my house yet I never eat here because I believe you can eat a good breaky in Victoria without lining up for 45 minutes.
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Review from Miss Mary R.
9/29/2011
Situated in a strip mall, this eatery has a pretty average menu for breakfast - Benedicts, eggs, French Toast....Service was also average, coffee was average, food was average....it was, well, average. Not a place I would recommend, or return.....
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Review from Weirdie B.
Victoria, BC
10/22/2009
I went with a friend for my first visit to Shine the other day for a mid-afternoon, hang-over breakfast. About half of the tables were taken and I found the service to be really fast and super friendly. I had the breakfast hash: scrambled eggs, sauteed onions, peppers, mushrooms, and bacon (hold the melted cheese) over pan fries with multigrain toast. The eggs were good, though they were a little bland compared to the tasty pan fries. The portion size was perfect, which was a nice change from some of the other breakfast places in town where you leave feeling like you need to have a nap. The only thing close to a negative for me would be the price. I'm used to getting a full breakfast at QV's for $4, and I don't think that our two breakfasts were worth $30+ including tip. I'll definitely be back to Shine, but they're going on my "once in a while" breakfast list with Floyd's.
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Review from Darrell S.
7/5/2011
The Shine Cafe was excellent. All of our dishes were delicious, well presented and served in a timely manner. All of the breakfast dishes we tried were delightful, both to the palate and the eyes.
