In search of Victoria’s most satisfying salads
Salad; you’ve come a long way, baby! Formerly the domain of dieters and killjoys, this bland and basic starter has become a fresh and filling meal in the hands of today’s creative chefs. With vibrant and inventive ingredients, both raw and cooked, salad can be a delicious and nutritious main course. Check out the satisfying salads available at these Victoria restaurants.
Rebar
50 Bastion Sq, Victoria, BC V8W 1J2Kale and quinoa salad; warm roasted beet salad; Szechuan soba noodle salad – hungry yet? These are some of the excellent salads you'll find at the creative and delicious Rebar Modern Food. This hip downtown eatery cooks with care and conscience, bringing exotic flavours and fresh, quality ingredients to the plates of satisfied diners since 1988. A classic Caesar salad and an artisan greens house salad are also on the menu here.
Be Love
1019 Blanshard St, Victoria, BC V8W 2H4What's not to love at Be Love? This family-run restaurant operates with a focus on organic, local, plant-based foods and thoughtfully sourced ingredients. Treat your body to a healthy Green Goddess salad loaded with kale, seaweed, avocado, spinach, sprouts, hemp hearts and spirulina dressing. Or, find comfort in a warm Waldorf salad of caramelized apple, coconut-date dressing, grapes, toasted walnuts and grilled greens.
Pagliaccis Restaurant
1011 Broad St, Victoria, BC V8W 2A1A Victoria institution since 1979, Pagliacci's is often heralded for their scrumptious soups and perfect pasta. But don't overlook their salads. From the cleverly named Salmon Chanted Evening, featuring wild sockeye salmon with a host of veggies and a creamy lemon-basil dressing to the savoury goat cheese, pear, walnut, spinach and sun-dried cranberry concoction known as Das Goat, there are some real winners here.
Green Cuisine Vegetarian Restaurant
5-560 Johnson St, Victoria, BC V8W 3C6An ever-changing menu reflects the freshness and seasonality of the ingredients at this downtown vegetarian restaurant. From the tangy vinaigrette-based German potato salad to the flavourful Moroccan couscous salad, you can enjoy satisfying salads from around the world without ever leaving home. A tempting selection of 10 dressings and a variety of fresh toppings are also available if you prefer a custom-built salad.
Salad Loop
1012 Government St, Victoria, BC V8W 1X7The holy grail of salad lovers and fussy eaters alike, Salad Loop lets you create your own salad masterpiece from a wide variety of tasty and healthy ingredients. This isn't an old-school salad bar with wilted romaine on ice flanked by rock-hard croutons and bacon bits —we're talking about a dizzying array of fresh salad greens, fruits, veggies, cheeses, olives and more.
Shine Cafe
1320 Blanshard St, Victoria, BC V8W 2J1Breakfast comes to mind when you first think of this popular family-owned restaurant but they serve up a mean salad as well. The Texican features sautéed house-roasted chicken breast served with home-made cornbread. Or there’s the Pacific Sunset salad with maple-sautéed wild Pacific salmon, toasted pecans, avocado and feta cheese. Sure, you can still come for the great breakfasts, but with salads like these you may want to stick around for lunch as well.
Part and Parcel
2656 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC V8T 4E4Heartfelt, handcrafted cooking and the finest local ingredients are all part and parcel at Part and Parcel. The menu revolves and evolves with the seasons so be sure to check back often to catch the latest salad offerings. If you're lucky, you'll get to sample their roasted squash, carrot, root vegetable and winter greens salad with carrot-miso dressing. Yum.
