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Brunch is the new breakfast! How to eat your way through your Victoria Zedcation
Apr 5, 2018 at 04:20 pm
Let’s all agree that brunch has officially overtaken breakfast as the most important meal of the day – especially when you’re on vacation and enjoying a well-deserved lazy lie-in. Victoria is known as a brunch-loving locale (in fact, the Food Network’s popular show You Gotta Eat Here designated the city as the Brunch Capital of Canada) and the multitude of options ensure you’ll easily find a brunch to please your palate. Here are our fave spots!
The Ruby Luckily, you don’t need to walk far to reach our favourite Victoria brunch destination (not that we’re biased). Located right in our lobby, The Ruby dishes up rustic brunch staples like duck confit and waffles; an assortment of flavour-packed bennies; and “gym rat” favourites, including housemade oatmeal packed with candied berries, pecans and bananas. Retro diner vibes + a deliciously decadent morning = #bestbrunchever.
Once you have one meal at the Ruby, you probably won't wanna eat anywhere else. But the next day it's time to explore! After an amazing night’s sleep in your cloud-like Hotel Zed bed, start your day by hopping aboard one of the hotel’s free bikes – locals love commuting by cycle almost as much as they love brunch. (Tip: if you need a little extra kick to get going, stop for awesome (and free!) coffee in the Zed’s retro-chic lobby.) Now let’s get to brunch!
Jam Café This cozy nook in Old Town Victoria is renowned for dishing up generous portions of rustic comfort food. Brunchers with a sweet tooth will drool over the sinfully sweet Red Velvet Pancakes or Pan Fried Oatmeal while those who prefer a savoury starter will motor through the Huevos Rancheros or Green Eggs and Ham. Top off the meal with an old-fashioned milkshake and you’re all set for a day of exploring.
Mo:Lé Each dish at this lovely café caters to all types of palate: vegans, meat-lovers and everyone in-between. Ingredients are sourced seasonally and from nearby farms wherever possible. Our top choices are the Chinatown Ciabatta (sweet Chinese sausage, avocado, spicy chili bean sauce and cream cheese scrambled eggs), the Yam Omelette (roasted yams, red peppers, fresh basil and goat cheese) and the Life of Rhiely Griddle Cakes (spelt pancakes with whipped cream and pure maple syrup).
be love For those who prefer to start their days with nourishing, plant-based cuisine (all of which is wheat- gluten- dairy- and sugar-free), be love will leave you loving your brunch. The heart-healthy, flavour-packed menu includes Apple Butter Pancakes (with coconut whipped cream and toasted pecans), a raw ZLT (zucchini bacon, lettuce and tomato with avocado and sprouts on almond pumpernickel) and the Green Bowl (dark greens, broccoli and zucchini with Thai coconut green curry atop steamed brown rice). All that goodness is amplified by a comprehensive list of tonics and spirits, including Superfood Cocktails like the Kombucha Whiskey Sour, Beekeepers’ Mojito and the intriguingly named Love Shaft.
Shine Café Serving up contemporary twists on classic brunch favourites, Shine Café is a laidback diner that encourages long, lingering meals. Start off with a Jumpstarter Smoothie, then take your pick from a wide selection of morning favourites like pancakes, scrambled hash, lemon berry French toast and even a full Vegan Brunch.
For suggestions on how to cap off your Hotel Zed Victoria vacation, check out our city suggestions here. See you at the Zed!