The Blue Crab Bar & Grill finds itself nestled in the Coast Harbourside Hotel, situated in Victoria’s perfectly scenic inner harbour. The lights are low, the view is gorgeous, and the mood is set for a relaxing evening out. Our evening commenced around eight o’clock, the restaurant half full and several people seated at the bar. The lounge feels like a great place to meet someone and have a few martinis and just forget about the rest of the world. Nice and dark, casual and unobvious, everything a hotel lounge should be. We were seated at a great table right at the window, but all tables do seem to have a decent view, thanks to the sunken section at the front. Something to be said for a coat check though; the whereabouts remained a mystery to us as we piled our winter coats onto the empty fourth seat at our table (luckily we were only a 3top that night).
The $25 Dine Around menu offered two salads to start, a choice of three mains, then followed by either one of two desserts. Two of us tried the Caesar Salad, which was uncut romaine, topped with an extra creamy dressing, not bursting with any particular flavor, but enjoyable none the less. The Organic Greens were crisp and served with a very smoky tomato dressing. The herbed bread, instead of coming to the table with the usual whipped butter accompaniment, was joined by an olive tapenade, slightly oily, but a welcome surprise. The suggested wine pairing for the salads was a delightful Mission Hill Dry Riesling.
We each had one of the mains. I enjoyed my 6oz Black Angus Striploin, with the standard caramelized shallot demi-glace and deliciously creamy buttermilk potatoes. The Roasted Free Range Chicken Breast to my right, was curiously absent of any sauce, and slightly over-cooked, but the breast itself was decent in size. The Pan Fried Spring Salmon was enjoyed by the third diner; the cashews were a lovely touch and the pickled ginger vinaigrette added punch. The rice had a grapefruit beurre-blanc, quite heavy on the ‘beurre’; however the plate went back to the kitchen wiped clean of any evidence there once was food on it! Each dish came with the same medley of carrot, yellow pepper, red cabbage and bok choy. The wine pairing for all 3 dishes was a Mission Hill Reserve Shiraz, which, had the menu consisted of 3 red meats, would have been smashing! Maybe a lighter Pinot would have made a better partner!
The Classic Crème Caramel was done to perfection and the twist on another classic, White Chocolate Croissant Pudding (instead of bread) was smothered in a delicious bourbon caramel sauce. All in all, we had an enjoyable evening, the well thought-out menu complemented by the tremendous view and friendly service.
—Secret Diner
Blue Crab Bar & Grill
Ph: 250-480-1999
146 Kingston Street
Victoria, B.C. V8W 1V4
