Dog-Friendly Breweries and Restaurants in Victoria, BC
For the most part, we’ve found Canada to be way more chill than the US. Except when it comes to dogs. Unlike in the US where nearly every brewery and restaurant with a patio allows dogs, in Canada most don’t (this is due to licensing laws; most provinces have laws banning dogs from any place with a food license, including patios where food is served). If you’re traveling with your dog, or have a dog that has destructive separation anxiety and can’t be left alone (like us), this makes it super difficult to go anywhere. We spent a month in Victoria, and I struggled to find up-to-date, consolidated information on breweries and restaurants that allowed dogs, which is what prompted me to write this post. Hopefully it helps others with furry friends!
Fernwood Inn, Victoria
Food and/or Booze? Both! This is a cool restaurant and bar, so if you want to bring Fido and get food, this is your spot.
Type of Establishment: Restaurant in a cool neighborhood of Victoria, not too far of a drive or bike from downtown.
Dog-Friendly Area: Large, fun, and pretty outdoor patio.
Bonus Features: Fernwood has happy hour and daily specials nearly every day of the week, including a cheap craft beer special. Their food also is really good, and there are lots of options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Hours: Normal: 11:30am to 12am most nights, except Sundays and Mondays when it closes at 10pm.
Proximity to Downtown and Other Locations: I think this is roughly a 10ish minute drive from downtown, but it’s still a neighborhood within Victoria. It isn’t within close proximity of any other locations on this list.
Lido’s Waterfront, Victoria
Food and/or Booze? Both! This is a waterfront restaurant and bar, so if you want to bring Fido, get food, and be on the water, this is your spot.
Type of Establishment: Restaurant downtown, on the waterfront / harbor.
Dog-Friendly Area: There’s a small patio near the harbor walkway. Although dog laws are pretty strict in downtown Victoria, somehow dogs are allowed on the outer edge of Lido’s patio. So, if you have your dog, they’ll sit you on ‘the dog side.’
Bonus Features: Lido’s has good weekday happy hour specials, and is literally right on the harbor (you can even dock your boat near it, if you have a boat).
Hours: Pretty normal: Open until 9ish pm (often later) most days.
Proximity to Downtown and Other Locations: Right downtown. Your best and, from what we found, only spot to go with your dog while hanging in the main downtown area.
Fisherman’s Wharf, Victoria
Food and/or Booze? Both! You can buy booze and food from the wharf restaurants.
Type of Establishment: Large wharf / pier within a park in downtown Victoria that’s lined with shops and restaurants.
Dog-Friendly Area: The entire wharf is dog-friendly. However, each restaurant has its own patio area that I don’t believe dogs are allowed in. You need to buy food from your chosen spot, then head to the picnic tables lining the wharf to eat it.
Bonus Features: This is one of the main tourist attractions in Victoria, and some of the best views in the city. If you’re in the city, you should check it out.
Hours: It closes a bit early. 11am to 8pm Thursday through Sunday, then 11am to 6pm other days of the week.
Proximity to Downtown and Other Locations: Close to downtown Victoria. It’s a short drive or bike from the ‘main drag,’ and not too bad of a walk if you like exploring by foot and aren’t in a hurry.
TWA Dogs Brewery / Caledonian Distillery, Victoria
Food and/or Booze? Just booze, but since this is a brewery and distillery, you can have good beer AND good scotch!
Type of Establishment: Brewery, not just a tasting room. You can buy tastings, do tours, and drink as many pints as you can handle.
Dog-Friendly Area: The whole tasting room! Unfortunately there isn’t an outdoor area, which isn’t ideal on a nice day. However, if it’s cold or rainy, this is your spot since few establishments both allow dogs inside AND allow you to hang out for more than one tasting.
Bonus Features: It’s a brewery AND distillery AND dogs are allowed inside AND you can buy tastings plus pints. Also, the beer was good. I particularly liked a cocoa chili stout they had while we visited.
Hours: It closes early on weekdays. 11am to 6:30pm Sunday through Thursday. Closes at 10pm on Fridays, and 9pm on Saturdays.
Proximity to Downtown and Other Locations: TWA isn’t downtown, but it also isn’t a far drive or bike ride from the city. It was about 10 minutes away (driving) from our place on the west side of town.
Lighthouse Brewing, Victoria
Food and/or Booze? Just craft beer, however there is a food truck most days!
Type of Establishment: Tasting room, so all you can buy is one flight each. However, dogs are allowed inside the tasting room, and outside in the large outdoor space. Although the patio is just an area of a parking lot sectioned off, it’s very isolated from any roads and is quite pretty since Lighthouse has lined it with flowers.
Dog-Friendly Area: The whole tasting room and awesome outdoor patio space!
Bonus Features: Dogs are allowed inside and the patio area is set far back from roads. It’s also pretty easy to let your dog run around in the parking lots surrounding it.
Hours: This one closes early during the week… Closed Mondays. 3pm to 6pm Tuesday through Wednesday. 12pm to 6pm Thursdays. 12pm to 8pm Fridays and Saturdays.
Proximity to Downtown and Other Locations: This isn’t exactly in downtown, but it’s really close. Walking distance as long as you don’t mind walking a mile or more, and definitely biking distance.
Vancouver Island Brewing, Hoyne Brewing, and Driftwood Brewing
Food and/or Booze? Just craft beer, and I don’t think any have food trucks, but I’m not positive.
Type of Establishment: Tasting rooms, so all you can buy is one flight each. However, they’re all within walking distance of one another, so once you’re done tasting at one, you just walk to the next!
Dog-Friendly Area: All the tasting rooms!
Bonus Features: Proximity to downtown and one another. Also, dogs being allowed indoors is nice in inclement weather.
Hours: These all close early (by 6pm), so they’re best as weekend destinations.
Proximity to Downtown and Other Locations: These are all quite close to downtown and to Ile Sauvage (below). I listed them together because they’re all within walking distance of one another, so they’re a perfect bar hop!
Ile Sauvage Brewery, Victoria
Food and/or Booze? Mainly craft beer, but they do offer a few snacks and light food items.
Type of Establishment: Brewery, so you can buy flights and pints!
Dog-Friendly Area: Because they have a food license, they aren’t extremely dog-friendly. However, in nice weather, there is a massive garage door that they leave open, and a table near it. You can sit at the table by the door and leave your dog outside the door.
Bonus Features: Their sour beer is really unique, and it’s really close to the 3 tasting rooms discussed above, so you can hop between them all within a single day. Also, it’s open late(r), even on weekdays!
Hours: This one has the best hours. It’s open until 10pm each day.
Proximity to Downtown and Other Locations: This one is close to downtown, although not right downtown, and within walking or biking distance of the 3 tasting rooms above.
Symphony Vineyard, Saanichton
Food and/or Booze? Both! Excellent wine and you can buy / build your own picnic from the local items they have for sale in the winery.
Type of Establishment: Winery / Vineyard.
Dog-Friendly Area: Everywhere. The tasting room is dog-friendly, and the beautiful outdoor garden overlooking the vineyard, through which you can take your own self-guided tours, is dog-friendly.
Bonus Features: This place is stunningly beautiful, and it’s right beside some of the best local farms / markets in the region.
Hours: Rough. It’s open seasonally. In July and August, it’s open 11am to 5pm Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It’s open 11am to 5pm Saturdays and Sundays in May, June, and September. So it’s mainly a summer weekend destination.
Proximity to Downtown and Other Locations: This is a 30+ minute drive from downtown. I biked to it, which was awesome, but it was a 20ish mile bike ride, so you have to make a day of it.
