Bites of James Bay: A Food and History Tour of Victoria’s Oldest Neighborhood

(20 reviews)

Victoria, BC audio tour: Bites of James Bay: A Food and History Tour of Victoria’s Oldest Neighborhood

This is a 1.8mi walking tour

It takes an average of 120 mins to complete.

Victoria, BC

Canada

$9.99

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About the Tour

Victoria has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in Canada and was voted one of the best foodie cities in the world. And some of the city’s best restaurants can be found in its oldest neighborhood, James Bay. On this walking tour, you’ll get insider knowledge on where to eat, what to order and the history behind the establishments.

The tour starts outside Finest at Sea, a seafood market and food truck. From there you’ll trace part of the harbor before venturing into James Bay proper and ending outside For Good Measure, a grocery and coffee shop. Along the way, you’ll find hidden gardens and hear the stories behind this historical neighborhood.

You’ll also see some of the city’s iconic landmarks like the Royal BC Museum and Legislative Assembly of British Columbia building as well as some lesser-known ones including the Victoria Cenotaph and the Knowledge Totem. I’ll provide you with behind-the-scenes information on Pendray Inn and Tea House, the James Bay Inn Hotel, and local institution, Barbs Fish & Chips.

On this tour, you’ll have a chance to:

Stroll along Fisherman's Wharf and learn how it developed from mud flats to one of Victoria’s most visited free tourist attractions complete with floating restaurants
Find out why so many streets and buildings are called James Douglas, including James Bay
Discover which hotel is haunted by famous artist, Emily Carr
Get to know who designed the famous Legislature Building and why the locals despised the original one
Hear how the gold rush transformed Victoria from a small fur trading fort to a bustling city
Get local insider tips from a foodie expert on where to eat and what to order

Visiting James Bay is a must-do activity when in Victoria and we’re going to show you our favorite foodie haunts, tell you the stories behind some of the most popular destinations, and entertain you with stories about the beginnings of our beautiful city.

There’s a lot of ground to cover! We suggest wearing comfortable shoes, bringing along a water bottle, and allowing 2-3 hours to complete.

Tour Producer

Bonnie Todd

3 tours

Hello my fellow foodies and history buffs! I'm Bonnie Todd and I am the founder and owner of Off The Eaten Track, an award-winning tour company that creates exceptional culinary experiences in Victoria, BC. I have been a tour guide for over 20 years and I love showcasing the fascinating history and unique culinary culture of the city. I am also a foodie journalist and a restaurant judge so I know my stuff when it comes to food in our city. I hope you enjoy my tours, it's like having a local foodie in our pocket!

Preview Location

Location 1

Start: Between Imagine Studio Cafe and Finest At Sea

Hello and welcome to the James Bay Food & History Self-Guided Tour. My name is Bonnie Todd. I have been a tour guide in British Columbia since 2009 and I'm the owner of Off The Eaten Track Tours. I started the company back in 2012 with the goal of showcasing the culinary cultu... Hello and welcome to the James Bay Food & History Self-Guided Tour. My name is Bonnie Todd. I have been a tour guide in British Columbia since 2009 and I'm the owner of Off The Eaten Track Tours. I started the company back in 2012 with the goal of showcasing the culinary culture of the city and taking guests to some of my favourite places to eat, usually hard to find small businesses. I am also a foodie writer and restaurant judge and I love this beautiful city. On this tour you are going to learn a lot about James Bay and the early days of Fort Victoria. James Bay is one of the oldest suburbs in the city and it has beautiful gardens, historic houses, and lot's of great restaurants. On top of learning about the history, I am also going to give you suggestions on where to eat and what to order so that you can stop the tour and have some bites to eat along the way. Victoria has more restaurants per capita then anywhere else in Canada and we were recently voted one of the best foodie cities in the world. In the notes, you will find which restaurants offer a discount for guests that are on this tour!

I would like to acknowledge that this tour takes place on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen people, now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.

Before, we begin, let me briefly explain how VoiceMap works.

It uses your location to play audio automatically at the right time and place. This means that you can put your phone away now. Don’t worry if I'm silent in between locations, that's normal. There's a map on your screen if you ever feel lost, and if you do get way off track without noticing, VoiceMap will let you know.

You should be standing in front of two buildings with a courtyard in the middle. These are two fabulous restaurants and we highly suggest visiting both of them for a bite to eat.

The white building on your left is the Imagine Studio Cafe. It is a coffee shop, restaurant, event space, and an experimental training program for people with barriers to employment. The building itself was built in 1960 and started it's life as a machine shop that manufactured metals for boats. The cafe opened in 2015 and the food is a fusion of Italian cuisine and indigenous dishes. They are known for their wood-fired pizzas, homemade bagels, Italian coffee, and baked goods.

We highly suggest trying the Bannock that they make. This is a traditional indigenous dish, it is very similar to a scone. They typically serve it with fresh cream and berries when in season. Traditional Bannock was made with ground fern roots mixed with lard to create a very dense bread. With the introduction of wheat, the dish has been updated for modern times. It can be fried or baked. The recipe that owner Dorothy uses was gifted to her by an indigenous family in the town of Esquimalt. Be warned they often sell out of their Bannock so go early if you want to try this dish!

The blue building to your right is Finest At Sea. The house dates back to 1903, it was built by the captain of a schooner so his wife could watch him come into harbor. It is now owned by Bob Fraumeni, the owner of Finest at Sea and a lifelong fisherman. If you've tried seafood at some of our fine dining restaurants chances are it was caught by the team at Finest at Sea. They are the largest private fishing fleet on Vancouver Island with 10 off-shore vessels sustainably fishing the BC coast. The food truck out front serves classic dishes such as fish & chips and tacos but where they really shine is at the back of the house in their fish shop. They have an industrial smoker out back and they smoke of all of their own fish. You MUST try the candied salmon, the smoked sablefish, or even the smoked oysters if you are feeling adventurous. You can also pick up some local crabs, oysters, clams or mussels if you are a shellfish lover like me. They also can their own fish so it's a great place to pick up some local tinned fish like salmon or tuna. If you are a seafood lover this place is by far the best seafood shop in town.

The courtyard between the two restaurants has some pretty exotic plants including olive trees, persimmons, kiwi, quince, figs and even almond trees. Did you know Vancouver Island and the neighbouring Gulf Islands are the only places in Canada that can grow olives and kiwis? In fact Vancouver Island grows more diverse crops than anywhere else in Canada, which is another reason why our culinary scene is so vibrant.

Feel free to pop in to either spot.

When you're done, with your back to the cafe, use the crosswalk on your right to cross the street over, into the park. We'll then head across the park and towards Fisherman's Wharf. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Finest At Sea Seafood Market and Food Truck
Imagine Studio Café
Fisherman's Wharf Park
Fisherman's Wharf Victoria
Barb's Fish & Chips
David Foster Harbour Pathway
Pendray Inn and Tea House
FRS Clipper
Quadra Park
Knowledge Totem
Provincial Christmas Tree
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Victoria Cenotaph
Netherlands Centennial Carillon
B.C. Archives
Royal BC Museum
Birdcage Confectionary
James Bay Inn Hotel
Carr House National Historic Site
For Good Measure Grocery & Coffee Shop

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
31 Erie St, Victoria, BC V8V 1P8, Canada
Total distance

3km
Final location
579 Niagara St, Victoria, BC V8V 1H8, Canada
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

Start: 31 Erie St, Victoria, BC V8V 1P8, Canada

The starting location is close to Fisherman's Wharf. There are a few ways to get here. You can either walk, it is about a 15-20 minute walk from The Empress Hotel. You could also take one of our harbor ferry taxi's. Ask them to take you to Fisherman's Wharf and from there it is a 5 minute walk to the start. The cost for the ferry is $15 CAD. The Hop-on-Hop-off bus has a stop right in front of the meeting location or you could take public transit. The #2 Bus runs along Douglas Street and has a bus stop right in front of the meeting location. Please note if you plan to drive there is limited free parking. Most free street parking has a 2-hour limit.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There are many places on the tour worth stopping and exploring more. We suggest returning and spending some time at Fisherman's Wharf, The Legislature Building, The Royal BC Museum, and the Emily Carr House. We also suggest returning to all of the foodie stops we recommend.

Enjoy exclusive discounts at the following locations:
A complimentary Americano at Imagine Studio Cafe (STOP 1)
10% off any pizza slices at Pirate Pizza (STOP 6)
A complimentary tasting at Off The Eaten Track (STOP 18)
10% off any Terrible Truffle Chocolates (STOP 28)
10% off all shop items at For Good Measure (STOP 40)
To receive the discount just show the staff your cell phone! Some restrictions apply.

Best time of day

Best time to do this tour is in the late morning 11am-1pm. Please note the restaurants at Fisherman's Wharf close in the winter (NOV-MAR).

Precautions

Please note there is a significant amount of walking so please dress accordingly. We highly suggest bringing some water with you on the tour as well as sunblock during the summer.

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