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The Old Vic Fish & Chips
Category: Restaurants Fish & Chips Fish & Chips [Edit]
1316 Broad StVictoria, BC V8W 2A9
(250) 383-4536
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
11 reviews for The Old Vic Fish & Chips
11 reviews in English
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Review from Ed U.
I'm sure Victoria has all sorts of culinary choices for a land-loving Yankee in search of good eats, but by a strange coincidence, I've set anchor at the Old Vic yet a second time. My first visit was a decade ago, a recollection I didn't have until I set foot again in this 80-year-old establishment. I have little memory of that visit because I remember being preoccupied with getting back to the Grayline tour bus.
This time, Jamie W. and I had a hankering for some fish and chips since we just got off the BC Ferry and felt rather briny. The high-back wooden booths and seafaring decor came back to me in an instant, and the menu had that familiar simplicity to it. Of course, we both ordered the C$10.50 One-Piece Cod and Chips, which is their signature dish (see photo). The breading was a bit overdone, but it hit the spot. We also shared a C$5.95 bowl of the Seafood Chowder, which had clams and bits of halibut in a thick, milky broth (see photo).
Where we weathered stormy seas was our order of the Poutine for C$6.50 (see photo). I'm still not sure what motivated me to order it except I was curious what poutine was since it's on almost every fast-food menu in Vancouver. Sure enough, it's a platter of fries covered in brown gravy and melted cheese. It was not the most optimal time to order it since we already had our chips, so we were on the verge of a French fry coma. By the way, I didn't like it much. Just very bland Canuck food.
FOOD - 3 stars...ye olde fish and chips but skip the poutine
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...ye olde fish and chips shoppe
SERVICE - 2.5 stars...ye olde...oh, you get the picture
TOTAL - 3 stars...a bit of jolly ole in Victoria, 'mateListed in: Vancouver, Victoria, Veni,…
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Review from Alice A.
6/20/2011
It was kind of a letdown really. With the old school decor, one would expect traditional style fish and chips i.e. good, but no. There was a lot of talk, not a lot of delivery.
Fish was good but not great. Chips which we 'upgraded' to poutine was basically frozen fries with packet gravy and cheddar cheese. That's not poutine, seriously. Clam chowder was more like a thin soup with not a lot of flavour.
We ate it anyway, we were too hungry to walk out. -
Review from Jeff S.
4/30/2011
Old Vic's is an 80+ year old restaurant with a high-ceiling turquoise-painted dining area. Decor is many years out of date, which adds to the charm. The dining booths are nearly upright with straight backs and flat bottoms that aren't very comfy. A decent selection of current newspapers are available to peruse. Server was friendly and prompt.
Old Vic's brags about being voted the best fish & chips. Indeed, the fish is very good. The chips (fries) are average, and the rest of the food is meh: very white-bread buns, plastic cheese, food-coloring condiments, etc. -
Review from Kyle W.
9/30/2009 1 photo
Best fish and chips....ever! Yes, ever!
We found Vic's by recommendation of the hotel manager where we were staying. Not far off the bus route and much closer to our hotel than the oft-touted Barb's in the Wharf area, we were wiling to take a chance on a reco from a local.
We arrived at 3pm and the place was a bit dank and completely empty, so we weren't encouraged about our decision. After taking our seats and committing to drop a steep $36 on two, two-piece orders of halibut, my wife and I crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. A few minutes after, the cook came out and explained that the halibut was so fresh "it was literally falling apart." He just wanted to assure us that we'd get the amount of fish ordered but it may come in smaller fillets. Hey, as long as it tastes good, right? we joked with the cook. "Oh, you'll love it" was his reply. Talk about confidence!
Boy did he know what he was talking about - we were in heaven. Okay, we ARE talking about fish and chips, not a Cassoulet, but the fish was perfectly cooked, with a great tasting batter that had enough flavor to enhance, but not overpower the halibut, and was fried to a golden brown. The hand cut fries were a nice touch too, and not soggy at all. Even the cole slaw was decent - not that you should ever consider cole slaw part of the fish and chips rating equation.
Give Vic's a try, if it's anywhere near as good as the food we had, you'll be glad you did! -
Review from Maui H.
6/3/2011
Just got back. Place was empty around 1:30pm on Memorial Day. My group of five was hungry and we came upon this place walking aimlessly through the streets of Victoria. We split a couple halibut and cod fish and chips. It was good. Fish was fresh and the batter was golden brown. I would eat their again. This is a fish and chip joint that is doing it right.
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Review from George T.
12/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
Awesome fish and chips although a bit greasy (even for fried food). Service was average.
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Review from Andrew P.
8/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
Just OK. I was hoping for something better.
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Review from Kevyn J.
10/12/2009 1 photo
My friend and I went in for lunch, and had an excellent meal of fish and chips! The food was hot, fresh, and very tasty, and the service was great! Highly recommended.
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Review from C W.
1/18/2010
Food was tasty, but service was slow. We visited in the off-season, but there was only one waitress serving all of the tables in the place. Business was brisk, and she probably could have benefited from having one other person waiting tables.
The Cod fish and chips were breaded in a nice, thick batter with a lot of flavor, and perfectly fried, and the fish was moist. The fries had good flavor, with some skin still on. One drawback was that it was a bit on the pricey side. Another drawback was that they didn't have highchairs -- just booster chairs, which didn't work very well on the bench seats of the booth (too far away from the tables).
All in all, it was a good place to stop and get lunch. -
Review from jim m.
Victoria, BC
12/9/2009
I must admit, I haven't eaten here since last winter. "I was disappointed" - that's my general recollection and, with me, that always centres around the food. I can take crappy atmosphere and even less than stellar service (none of which I recall) however, when the food is not up to par....
That's all I can remember other than I had ordered Fish & Chips. In all fairness, now that I have migrated here from Ottawa/Outaouais I will try it again - just perhaps not in the"off" season which, for some establishments in this burgh, means they really should be in Mexico or Hawaii or wherever the locals escape to here. -
Review from john h.
7/21/2009
Stay away. It is obviously nothing but a tourist trap, but I was willing to put up with that. However, the halibut and chips were terrible. The fish was dry and the batter was oily. The cole slaw was too sweet. And it's not really that clean. Ewww. And to boot, it is terribly expensive.
