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Wharfside
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for Wharfside
12 reviews in English
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Review from Laurie S.
Updated - 6/27/2011
We went here August '10 and had a great meal. We went back this weekend and our meal was so so. We were seated outside (which was fine) at a very small bistro table (not fine). We barely had room for our water glasses and drinks. My husband ordered the full lobster and asked if he could not have the mushroom risotto cakes. Our server asked if he would like something different and he said sure the mashed potatoes. Well when our meal came out there were no mashed potatoes, instead he got the risotto cakes. Someone brought out mashed potatoes a little bit later and they were cold.
The portions for the side dishes seemed a lot smaller then a few months back. I don't know what has happened since then but we probably won't be back. For the money we spent on dinner ($45 a meal!) we weren't all that impressed.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/6/2010
My husband & I went here to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. It is a little pricey but we… Read more »
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Review from Justinne R.
Richmond, BC
8/10/2011
The service was quite disappointing for a popular restaurant. The server rarely checked up on us and was in a rush most of the time. My friend's garlic bread did not arrive until the end of her meal. A refill of my iced tea took 15 minutes.
The food itself was not bad. I had the salmon cone and yam fries and it filled me up. My friend had the mussels and she said they were too small and not satisfying for almost $30. My other friend had seafood pasta and she liked it.
We were seated in the indoor patio and it was okay. I bet the outdoor patio would've been better. It's a popular restaurant so they had a steady flow of customers. We came in on a Sunday lunch hour but it wasn't that busy compared to a Vancouver restaurant.
I would not recommend this place. No wonder Tourism Victoria did not mention it when we asked for great lunch time restaurants around the harbour. -
Review from Danika L.
Vancouver, BC
3/1/2011
I came here in the summer with my friends and the service was great. Even though it was a holiday (July 1), our large group was seated quickly. Drinks and appys were cheap. This is why I am so confused with the current reviews (ie. $$$). However, I double checked and looked at the restaurant's website for pictures to make sure this was the right restaurant. Indeed, it seems to be so.
Anyhow, came back for another visit just last weekend. We were again in a large group. The front portion of the restaurant was empty, and we were seated quickly. However after that, we never saw any staff around. We sat for 20 mins contemplating what to do (it freezing cold outside and I rather sit inside hashing out plans B and C). Finally we just got up and left. I didn't think it was possible to ignore a group of customers, but apparently it is. Yes, we look young (early 20s), but that's no excuse. I did notice some older customers (who arrived at the same time) at least had water brought to their table during that time.
Needless to say, I won't be back. -
Review from Jessica L.
Edmonton, AB
9/18/2009
Two stars is being generous and they are primarily for the great draft beer.
We went here for a birthday dinner. The stairs up from the pay parking lot smelt like garbage and the restaurant itself is in need of some serious love....or just a good cleaning agent. We were seating on the deck and our server was very friendly, but unfortunatly not friendly enough to mask the less than fresh food! My friend ordered the Halibut, which was in season and actually pretty good. However the menu he ordered it off was totally soiled and I have never seen Halibut for over 30 dollars before!
I ordered the Cajun chicken salad which came oddly deconstructed with the chicken on one part of the plate, the wilted spinach in another bowl, the "candied" almonds just almonds with a thick sugar coat on them, and the goat cheese in an over-handled ball on top of what I think was roasted pepper. I wasn't sure if I was suppossed to put it together or eat it as it, so I kind of picked a bit and put it together to take out. The chicken was actually really good, however I was afraid to eat my over-touched goat cheese for fear of various gastric diseases and I honestly wasn't sure what some of the other components of the salad were.
It is now sitting in my hotel room fridge and I am afraid to touch it as I write this review and realize just how dirty the place was. I am crossing this one off my list of Victoria Eateries to Visit!! -
Review from Jfo L.
9/19/2010 2 photos
After seeing several ads for this place and also hearing about it, my bf and i gave it a shot as the main restaurant of our overnight stay in Victoria.
We got a waitress that was funny and easy to talk to. Also, as we watched her deal with other customers, she was amazing with kids! As for the food, we loved it. I got a steak, while my bf got a steak and lobster dish. The food was absolutely delicious!
I didn't have any problems for this restaurant besides the fact that it was heavy on the wallet. For just 2 dishes and a soda, we costs us $100 and that's including a coupon we had for 15% percent off. Overall, if you have the money to spend, I would definitely recommend hitting this place up.
Oh! and as a helpful tip, if you plan to try this place, grab one of the local-tourist maps they have everywhere and use the coupon it has on it to get a better deal! -
Review from Graham S.
Victoria, BC
2/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
First time in last night. We had a reservation, we were seated fairly quick. I dislike being seated next to tables with children. Places like this should stick people with kids in the back so they don't disturb the rest of us trying to have a quiet meal with a loved one.
Our server took her time coming to our table, we had to ask for a drink menu. It was about 20 minutes before we got our drinks. My blended margarita was a mistake, it was lumpy and hard to drink. Not to mention mostly ice and tasted like strawberry kool-aid. I ordered a vodka martini, dirty. It came watered down. Certainly do not order drinks here. Our food was alright. For the price you pay the portions are way too small. Maple glazed salmon was good but heavy on the maple. It was almost like eating breakfast.
The salmon was cooked right though and the veggies that came with it were tender but not soggy, though I wish I had gotten a bit more. 3 pieces of peppers and a few stalks of broccoli.
So if you got money to burn and don't drink go here. Otherwise head to Milestones :D -
Review from Jeff M.
5/30/2010
Way overpriced for the quality of the establishment.
Views do not make the restaurant and they certainly can't be the sole reason to justify such lofty prices. We arrived at the Wharfside on a Saturday evening in May, it was cool and breezy so not a lot of folks were out and about.
We were seated promptly, though in the apparent basement. Down a dingy and dark stairwell, through an odd vestibule of a room, then out into a room that appeared to (at one point) to have been a porch or open room the staff were very casually dressed. Particularly so considering the prices on the menu. Be still my beating heart! And we weren't the only ones with qualms about what we found, at least two tables mulled over the menu and were soon on their way. Things filled up quickly (quicker than folks were leaving) and were were finally able to place our order. Nearly all dishes were right around $30, which I found too be excessive.
We ordered the Seafood for 2 platter and some bread (we were famished and no bread was included). The wait seemed longer than it should have been. Our waiter was friendly but seemingly too busy. We were set up with butter warmers (tea lights with stands) only to find out the butter holders were too small to fit (a surpass to our waiter).
While we waited for our food, a drama was unfolding at a nearby table. Our waiter had gotten relieved of serving them and soon the food and service was too much for the shrill patrons to overlook. Repeated manager visits and gushing apologies from another waiter grew to bee too much of a distraction. In the end, those patrons left, having been relived of paying their bill. Seems like there may have been a better way to handle that.
Our food arrived and the presentation was decent, certainly a reasonable attempt at a something higher end. The food was okay, but the servings were fairly modest. The long rectangular plates were nice but the dipping butter was still insufficient and requesting another proved difficult. Other servers, in lieu of our own, passed quickly without so much as a glance in our direction. The crab legs were good and a nice sized portion, the salmon was okay but a bit dry (not uncommon). The breaded shrimp were quite good, as were the scampi, but the oysters were dreadful. Deep fried, my partner usually likes oysters, but even he could not stomach them. The clams and mussels were also good. So on the whole the food was good, but the rest of the experience just didn't stand up.
Next time I am in Victoria, I will probably bypass the Wharfside, there are just too many other places to visit in this great town! -
Review from Erik H.
Victoria, BC
2/25/2010
Big portions on the locals menu three course dinner. Good attentive service.
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Review from Nancy R.
Vancouver, BC
10/3/2010
For the world's best Pacific Rim Chowder, I recommend the Wharfside! The flavours of fresh Vancouver Island seafood put its New England counterpart to shame! :D
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Review from Erik R.
4/24/2010 1 photo
There have been quite a few of these restaurants diatribes from me focusing on victoria, so i'll make this one short and sweet. Great location, overlooking the inner harbor - Good Food, especially the fish and chips - Good Service and a Great beer selection (have the Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale, it rocks).
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Review from Megan S.
2/24/2009
My husband, son and I were looking for a place to get fish and chips for lunch and stumbled on this place. I thought it was a mistake when we sat down and I saw the prices, but we ordered anyway. The menu listed the fish and chips in three different places and there was a little table topper promoting the fish and chips as well. When the waiter finally came around, 20 minutes or more after we had been seated, he pitched the fish and chips and offered to upgrade the fish and chips to halibut for $2.95 more. We ordered drinks and when the waiter returned with them we ordered the fish and chips and a bowl of clam chowder and the kid's fish and chips. It took 45 minutes or more for the food to arrive at our table. When it arrived the clam chowder was watery and warm at best. The full portion of fish and chips was two measly portions of fish and a few fries with overly sweet coleslaw. The kid's portion was one piece of fish, which was larger than the two pieces of fish in the full order and twice as many fries. The chowder left much to be desired but the fish wasn't bad just overpriced for the portion size. The service was terrible. The waiter paid us very little attention and waited for 30 minutes to inform us that the kitchen had run out of the beer batter for the fish and chips. While waiting we observed other tables seated after us getting fish and chips. When the bill arrived we had been charged for the upgrade to halibut that was not ordered but was what was brought out. Overall a bad experience would not recommend this place to anyone.
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Review from Amy K.
10/16/2009
Well the beer was great (lots of choices) and my fish and chips were great. It's a bit pricey, as with anything in Victoria. My friend and I were in Victoria during their Thanksgiving (10/11/2009), so there wasn't much else open. I didn't find it to be all that bad, just pricey.
