Fodor's Expert Review OLO Restaurant

Victoria's foodies rave about this small Chinatown bistro that serves up some of the city's most innovative fare, simply yet superbly. Many items like the smoked salmon and pasta are crafted in-house, and the locally sourced menu changes often, often with a French flair. The tasting menus (C$68–C$78) are superb examples of Olo's creativity: starters might include lamb tartare, grass-fed beef carpaccio, or perhaps pea soup with cauliflower and an "egg" made from cheddar and carrot. Main tasters could be short-rib steak done "French-rare," from a local organic farm, or miso-sake lingcod. And the different pavlovas are to die for. The high-arched windows, brick walls, and sparse decor make the room feel airy yet warm, an ambience that emphasizes the restaurant's passionate foodie ethos.