Tastes of Victoria: Spinnakers a Victoria treasure

Columns July 5, 2023

After the beautiful summer solstice, the moment to look for the ideal place to enjoy the summer has arrived. Burgers, cold beer, and the refreshing breeze of the ocean sounds like the perfect combination, right? There are a lot of places where you can get all that, but let me tell you about a stunning location with everything mentioned above and more.

Tastes of Victoria is a food column appearing in every issue of Nexus (photo by Pablo M. Romero/Nexus).

Spinnakers Brew Pub, located at 308 Catherine Street, was founded in 1984, making it the first brewpub in Canada. They were pioneers in the beer-crafting business in the west coast region. The infrastructure perfectly combines modern architecture with the essence of an authentic pub, and it’s close to breathtaking coastal scenery. 

My experience at Spinnakers was more than excellent. I decided to go for one of their specialties, the salmon burger. An exquisite grilled salmon accompanied by apple chutney, grainy mustard aioli, red onion, and leaf lettuce, in the middle of two slices of artisanal home-baked ciabatta. I ordered it with a light, refreshing cream ale and some handmade truffles for dessert. The burger was stunningly tasty, accompanied by a generous portion of hand-cut Kennebec fries; the cream ale was the perfect match for the grilled salmon, and the truffles were dangerously addictive. I have to give a distinction to Spinnakers for keeping the food price ratio coherent and favourable, offering generous portions at a fair rate.

In addition, it’s worth mentioning how impressed this establishment left me when I realized that many of the items are produced in-house. From the bread to the chocolates, vinegar and spirits (obviously), everything is made at their own outstanding bakery and brewery using local produce. It is a brewhouse pub made by and for Victoria.

The wide and inclusive variety of options on the menu, the friendly servers and staff, the vast number of beers, the provisions with a fine selection of chocolate, the ocean view from the coastal location, and the comfy guesthouses are more than enough reasons to make a visit to Spinnakers.

At least for the summer, it’s the perfect place to create unforgettable memories.

I left with a good feeling and a solid will to spend some dog days in this remarkable Victoria establishment.