Terrible! I experienced first-hand that the service at this hotel and this restaurant was terrible. I will never go here again and I want to discourage people who want to go. There are really a lot of problems here!!!
Taniell Hamilton
While the drinks were great, we had a very uncomfortable encounter with the bartender. When we asked for our tab he misled us into thinking the other bartender wanted to buy us a round. We initially refused but he insisted. A friend joined us after and they ended up adding it to his tab. Was not expecting the deceptive sales tactic in this establishment and super disappointed in the experience as a result of it. Not a great for the brand’s reputation.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Meghan Tabor
Weird interaction with a bartender here where he told us he was buying us a round of drinks and then ended up putting them on some other dudes tab. Not a great experience overall and that was definitely not expected from somewhere like this.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Zhang Rena
Not a fan of the food, but the environment is nice.Parking: 5$ per hour
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak
Jeremy Cho
Pricey drinks at the iconic Empress are a must for any tourist, right!?Already had The Empress on my list of places to visit on my one day in Victoria, so I figured why not grab a drink since I assumed there had to be a bar, and thus I found myself at Q.I was already expecting some expensive drinks & the $399 cocktail I saw which I did not order met that expectation. I went with a local beer (Driftwood IPA) while the wife got something a little more fitting the environment, the Empress 75.The IPA was very hoppy, one of the most I've had in awhile so that just makes the beer seem strong, I'm not sure of the actual alcohol content. The cocktail, containing prosecco, was most of what I could taste, but the grapefruit pearls definitely looked (& tasted) nice atop the drink. They also served complimentary Charcoal Popcorn which I'm glad was not stale.The waiter was really nice & attentive. It's a sleek a hotel bar that is more open than a separate closed off room. If you come be sure to ask for a seat by the window so you can have the water view. When I went, what looked like an entrance directly to the bar actually was a sigh directing you on where non hotel guests should enter. So be sure to pay attention to the signs.I don't think I'd come here all the time for drinks if I was a local but it's a good spot for a celebratory drink or something like that.Cheers!
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Martine Bond
My husband & I dined here last night. The atmosphere was great ( except for the loud music that spills in from the bar) and the service by Andrew was nothing short of fantastic. Andrew was warm, friendly & payed attention to every detail however, the food far from met those standards. I ordered the "Tajine". I was very surprised when the dish arrived. It was comprised of a small portion of pearl couscous served with no protein or vegetables. It amounted to about one and a quarter cup of pasta balls the size of small peas topped with small toasted squares and a tbsp of crunchy cereal-like threads. For $38.00 , I expected more than an appetizer size serving with very little nutritional value. The proverbial "Silver Lining" was that the flavour was very nice but, sadly, a huge disappointment in all other aspects. In the interest of all future patrons who order this dish, I pray that the Chef reads this.My husband had the Prime Rib. That was a great deal more satisfactory as the quantity of meat was definitely generous but he said that he would not order it again because the quantity of mashed potatoes left him wanting more.For just short of $200.00, we definitely did not receive value for our dollars.I was trying this restaurant in the hope of treating my niece & her husband for their March anniversary. Sadly, I will be looking for a different establishment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Rachel Chapman
Went here as a night cap on an anniversary trip and felt more of an inconvenience than a guest. No warm welcome or recommendations just a nod and the dropping off drinks. Both my partner and I are or have been in fine dining and this did not remotely meet the standard. Everyone was very dismissive. The cocktails were fine but the martini was not chilled Enough. Not worth the price due to the lack of service. Would not recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 2
Krista Vass
Went with friends to the Q, was very excited to try this restaurant for the dine around Victoria. The food was very good but the service was a disappointment. From the start, we felt rushed and despite ordering the pairing wines, our waiter didn’t bring the second pairing with the main meal until we reminded him after having finished our entree (we hadn’t really seen him to ask while the food was on the table). After being served the second wine after the meal was finished, the third wine arrived within a few minutes so my friends now had two glasses with no food. The desert finally arrived but at this point, we all felt like the overall experience was very mediocre and decreased the value of the outing for all of us and the excitement of dining here. Everyone can have an off night, but overall a very unmemorable evening.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
omid Ghulam Rasool
Absolutely amazingI loved my stakeIt worths it every penny.
I’m writing this to call out the amazing service we received during our Sunday brunch last weekend - Kris is the best! He is so attentive, and helped us enjoy a leisurely time together (we were up for the weekend with good friends). We look forward to our annual trip next year and hope to see Kris again!Food is very good (brunch), and you can’t beat the atmosphere during the holiday season. It is pricey, but you are really paying for the full experience
We came on the 10th of December 2023 for a special occasion. We encountered very poor service upon entry when the waitress rudely moved our chair without asking, so not to overcrowd other guest, although it was already in that position when we got there. She acted as if other guests were more important than us which showedlack of friendliness and hospitality.This rude reprimand was uncalled for and showed inadequate training of hospitality staff and inability to treat their guests with equal respect and dignity. We did mentioned this incident to our waiter but no attempts were made to remedy this awkward and unpleasant situation.Even though we decided not to walk away and the food was decent, this encounter put a damper on our day.
Food: 4
Service: 1
Cory Contini
Really nice experience. Food was good and service by Will was top tier. The two red wines we ordered were the wrong vintage so the wine list needs updating in that regard but otherwise was the star of the show. Absolutely amazing cellar with world class wines (and priced right!). If you're big into wine then walk by the glass cellar (as some don't seem to be listed on the menu) and take your pick of the litter. Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut-Brion, etc.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Melina
My partner and I have been coming here since 2020 and have always had a wonderful experience at the Q bar as well as the restaurant. The service has always been very professional. This evening our experience at the bar was different. The service wasn't friendly as usual, and at one point we were interrupted and asked to move to a new seat. However, the server was not friendly about it. I'm not sure we'll be returning. Additionally, the food was extremely salty.Vegetarian options: Not many
Terrible! I experienced first-hand that the service at this hotel and this restaurant was terrible. I will never go here again and I want to discourage people who want to go. There are really a lot of problems here!!!
While the drinks were great, we had a very uncomfortable encounter with the bartender. When we asked for our tab he misled us into thinking the other bartender wanted to buy us a round. We initially refused but he insisted. A friend joined us after and they ended up adding it to his tab. Was not expecting the deceptive sales tactic in this establishment and super disappointed in the experience as a result of it. Not a great for the brand’s reputation.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Weird interaction with a bartender here where he told us he was buying us a round of drinks and then ended up putting them on some other dudes tab. Not a great experience overall and that was definitely not expected from somewhere like this.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Not a fan of the food, but the environment is nice.Parking: 5$ per hour
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak
Pricey drinks at the iconic Empress are a must for any tourist, right!?Already had The Empress on my list of places to visit on my one day in Victoria, so I figured why not grab a drink since I assumed there had to be a bar, and thus I found myself at Q.I was already expecting some expensive drinks & the $399 cocktail I saw which I did not order met that expectation. I went with a local beer (Driftwood IPA) while the wife got something a little more fitting the environment, the Empress 75.The IPA was very hoppy, one of the most I've had in awhile so that just makes the beer seem strong, I'm not sure of the actual alcohol content. The cocktail, containing prosecco, was most of what I could taste, but the grapefruit pearls definitely looked (& tasted) nice atop the drink. They also served complimentary Charcoal Popcorn which I'm glad was not stale.The waiter was really nice & attentive. It's a sleek a hotel bar that is more open than a separate closed off room. If you come be sure to ask for a seat by the window so you can have the water view. When I went, what looked like an entrance directly to the bar actually was a sigh directing you on where non hotel guests should enter. So be sure to pay attention to the signs.I don't think I'd come here all the time for drinks if I was a local but it's a good spot for a celebratory drink or something like that.Cheers!
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
My husband & I dined here last night. The atmosphere was great ( except for the loud music that spills in from the bar) and the service by Andrew was nothing short of fantastic. Andrew was warm, friendly & payed attention to every detail however, the food far from met those standards. I ordered the "Tajine". I was very surprised when the dish arrived. It was comprised of a small portion of pearl couscous served with no protein or vegetables. It amounted to about one and a quarter cup of pasta balls the size of small peas topped with small toasted squares and a tbsp of crunchy cereal-like threads. For $38.00 , I expected more than an appetizer size serving with very little nutritional value. The proverbial "Silver Lining" was that the flavour was very nice but, sadly, a huge disappointment in all other aspects. In the interest of all future patrons who order this dish, I pray that the Chef reads this.My husband had the Prime Rib. That was a great deal more satisfactory as the quantity of meat was definitely generous but he said that he would not order it again because the quantity of mashed potatoes left him wanting more.For just short of $200.00, we definitely did not receive value for our dollars.I was trying this restaurant in the hope of treating my niece & her husband for their March anniversary. Sadly, I will be looking for a different establishment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Went here as a night cap on an anniversary trip and felt more of an inconvenience than a guest. No warm welcome or recommendations just a nod and the dropping off drinks. Both my partner and I are or have been in fine dining and this did not remotely meet the standard. Everyone was very dismissive. The cocktails were fine but the martini was not chilled Enough. Not worth the price due to the lack of service. Would not recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 2
Went with friends to the Q, was very excited to try this restaurant for the dine around Victoria. The food was very good but the service was a disappointment. From the start, we felt rushed and despite ordering the pairing wines, our waiter didn’t bring the second pairing with the main meal until we reminded him after having finished our entree (we hadn’t really seen him to ask while the food was on the table). After being served the second wine after the meal was finished, the third wine arrived within a few minutes so my friends now had two glasses with no food. The desert finally arrived but at this point, we all felt like the overall experience was very mediocre and decreased the value of the outing for all of us and the excitement of dining here. Everyone can have an off night, but overall a very unmemorable evening.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Absolutely amazingI loved my stakeIt worths it every penny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
cool place, nice views. Drink and food were
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Friendly, courteous staff and always a good time.
I’m writing this to call out the amazing service we received during our Sunday brunch last weekend - Kris is the best! He is so attentive, and helped us enjoy a leisurely time together (we were up for the weekend with good friends). We look forward to our annual trip next year and hope to see Kris again!Food is very good (brunch), and you can’t beat the atmosphere during the holiday season. It is pricey, but you are really paying for the full experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smashed Avocado Toast, Classic Eggs Benedict
We came on the 10th of December 2023 for a special occasion. We encountered very poor service upon entry when the waitress rudely moved our chair without asking, so not to overcrowd other guest, although it was already in that position when we got there. She acted as if other guests were more important than us which showedlack of friendliness and hospitality.This rude reprimand was uncalled for and showed inadequate training of hospitality staff and inability to treat their guests with equal respect and dignity. We did mentioned this incident to our waiter but no attempts were made to remedy this awkward and unpleasant situation.Even though we decided not to walk away and the food was decent, this encounter put a damper on our day.
Food: 4
Service: 1
Really nice experience. Food was good and service by Will was top tier. The two red wines we ordered were the wrong vintage so the wine list needs updating in that regard but otherwise was the star of the show. Absolutely amazing cellar with world class wines (and priced right!). If you're big into wine then walk by the glass cellar (as some don't seem to be listed on the menu) and take your pick of the litter. Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut-Brion, etc.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
My partner and I have been coming here since 2020 and have always had a wonderful experience at the Q bar as well as the restaurant. The service has always been very professional. This evening our experience at the bar was different. The service wasn't friendly as usual, and at one point we were interrupted and asked to move to a new seat. However, the server was not friendly about it. I'm not sure we'll be returning. Additionally, the food was extremely salty.Vegetarian options: Not many