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  • Butchart Gardens - The Dining Room

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Reserve at Butchart Gardens - The Dining Room

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Butchart Gardens - The Dining Room
Butchart Gardens - The Dining Room

Butchart Gardens - The Dining Room Details

  • Dining Style: Fine Dining
  • Website: http://www.butchartgardens.com/dining/dining-room
  • Phone: (250) 652-8222
  • Hours of Operation:
    Afternoon Tea: Monday - Sunday: 12:00pm - 3:00pm (served April 1 - September 30)

    High Tea: Monday -Sunday 12:00pm - 3:00pm (served October 1 - March 31)

    Lunch: Monday - Sunday: 11:30am - 3:00pm (served April 1 - September 30)

    Dinner service resumes June 15 - September 15 & December 1 - January 6
  • Payment Options: Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Northwest, Afternoon Tea, Canadian
  • Executive Chef: Travis Hansen
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Farm to Table, Fireplace, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, High Tea, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access
  • Entertainment: The Butchart Gardens Entertainment Calendar can be found at http://www.butchartgardens.com/activities/calendar/

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Wallace Drive
  • Public Transit: From downtown Victoria, you should take bus #30 or #31, then transfer to bus #75 (at the Royal Oak exchange) which comes right to The Gardens. For BC Transit schedules visit
    http://www.bctransit.com/regions/vic/?p=1.txt
  • Parking: Private Lot
  • Parking Details: The Dining Room Restaurant is located within The Butchart Gardens, so admission to The Gardens is required. You will be guided to your complimentary parking spot.
A word from Butchart Gardens - The Dining Room
Enjoy the stunning floral display gardens, plus the restaurant's historic surroundings and contemporary, fresh local foods. Located in the original Butchart family residence, you can experience spectacular views of the Private Garden, the Italian Garden and Tod Inlet. Indulge in Afternoon Tea in… our Spring and Summer seasons, or our High Tea which offers more warm savories from October through the winter months. Lunch and dinner are served seasonally with a strong presence of local sustainable ingredients. Choose from our award winning showcase of Vancouver Island wines. Enjoy adding to your awareness and appreciation of local grapes and vintners. Please note that admission to The Butchart Gardens is required in order to access The Dining Room Restaurant. Our current admission rates are at www.butchartgardens.comContinued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Ambiance
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Food
Diner Reviews
  • "We all enjoyed the afternoon tea! My husband and I were there celebrating our 14th anniversary with our daughters and my parents. The tea and all of the food was delicious. The difficult thing with tea is that even though it is expensive, everyone is enjoying it together... except the children didn't get the berry trifle at the beginning. Come on Butchart Gardens- Dining Room, this needs to be fixed and you serve the children a smaller version of the first course- they were excited and then splat (especially when my husband was already figuring out how much the finger sandwiches were going to cost for the 6 of us). Thankfully it picked up after that and we all had a wonderful tea experience!"
    Dined on 7/22/2014
  • "We both ordered the beef tenderloin - amazing, melt-in-your mouth goodness. The 'mac n cheese' fritter was an addictive, creative twist on a classic. Then there's dessert - best crème brulee either of us have had. Highly recommend this restaurant. We will definitely head back to that end of the island just to experience their food again."
    Dined on 7/21/2014
  • "Scored a lot if points taking the wife to an English Tea in the Butchart Gardens"
    Dined on 7/19/2014
  • "The setting is very romantic a step back in time to a slower more pleasant time Beautiful views of the most fabulous gardens in every direction The service was great and the food was perfectly prepared and beautifully presented"
    Dined on 7/18/2014
  • "Six of us enjoyed a wonderful delicious lunch celebrating a significant birthday! We chatted, enjoyed the beautiful window view of the gardens, while enjoying our great food! Service was great and very appropriate, allowing us our time, and knowing when to "service" us and when to let us be! Thanks for a wonderful time."
    Dined on 7/18/2014
  • "Fine Dining in the heart of the garden. After 6:00PM the crowds thin and the garden becomes intimate. The food fits the incredible scene. I highly recommend!"
    Dined on 7/17/2014
  • "I was entertaining a guest from out of town who wished to experience High Tea. We were unable to book at the customary 4:00 so had to go at 3:00. I thought they were booked but there were few people in at 4:00. Also I was unable to have any, as there were no gluten free options available. I had a chicken breast on salad but some of the greens were old and yellow. For the price I don't feel I should have to pick out yellow and brown lettuce leaves. The chicken however was delicious & the room is perfect."
    Dined on 7/17/2014
  • "Had afternoon tea on the veranda, with views of the rose garden & Italian garden--but all the serving rooms looked lovely. I would have been pleased with a table anywhere. Tea here is a better bargain than the famous Empress Hotel, with a more welcoming atmosphere. Service very cordial and prompt."
    Dined on 7/16/2014
  • "Loved the Gardens, the tea was trying too hard. The teas themselves were fine, nice choice. The scones and jam were divine. The sandwiches were okay, some bread tasted stale, didn't like the cream cheese with the cucumbers not so good. The dessert were okay - the macaroons were okay, some of the cakes were too sweet. The treat in the box was good as was the poppy cake, though again some found it too sweet. Bottom line, if you want the scenery, sure come here, if you want traditional tea, go elsewhere were it will be a lot cheaper and just as good."
    Dined on 7/16/2014
  • "Surrounded by begonias and other beautiful flowers, my daughter and I had a lovely (and delicious) afternoon tea at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC. Make reservations early, Tea is always booked up ahead of time."
    Dined on 7/16/2014
  • "We decided that since we would be at the gardens we should also have dinner there. We actually showed up for our reservation about an hour early since we had finished our tour of the gardens, so the dining room was not busy. Our server was knowledgeable, attentive and so helpful. My husband had the pork loin and I had the roasted chicken. Both dishes were beautifully prepared with creative sides. This has been one of the best meals we have had while in Victoria. Also, if you love any of their dishes they will generously share the recipes! Definitely make time for a meal here while you are at the gardens"
    Dined on 7/14/2014
  • "Atmosphere was very peaceful and relaxing until we were bombarded with a family seated next to us with crying children. Totally ruined the experience. There should be adult only areas. Waiter was excellent. Food was good, we did find there were too many sweets and not enough sandwiches. Smaller pots of tea with more variety would be nice. Overall minus the screaming kids. Very well worth it."
    Dined on 7/13/2014
  • "Couldn't have been a better experience !!! Perfect !"
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "Chose to have tea here over the Empress and could not have been happier. Choice of teas--and other drinks or cocktails for adults as well (add'l cost) was perfect. Tasty mix of savory and sweet items followed the berry trifle. At first it doesn't look like a lot of food but our party of 3 could not possibly finish all that was offered. We used Open Table and had a reservation so we got right in---those without reservations were not able to dine or have tea on a busy Saturday. Service was a bit slow but we were in no hurry and were content to stare out the picture window overlooking the gardens and a peek of the sea and harbor. A life-long wish to have afternoon tea granted."
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "My wife, two sons and I had a great meal and really enjoyed the atmosphere. A real bonus when visiting the Gardens"
    Dined on 7/10/2014
  • "We had a 1:30 reservation, but were not seated until 2:00. Even after that the service was very slow. Our waitress served a number of tables and it seems that the food itself was coming out slowly from the kitchen. Once we were served the food was very good, but not outstanding. Also, given the amount of time it took, I would have appreciated some more tea being offered."
    Dined on 7/8/2014
  • "My mother moved to a seniors residence in Brentwood Bay almost a year ago, and we finally made it to Butchard Gardens for High Tea! I can't believe we waited so long. It was absolutely perfect for my British mother...great food and lots of it...and since we sat on the veranda, we had an outstanding view of gardens and water. It was later in "tea time", so it was lovely and quiet, and the service by Dominique was perfect. Thanks so much, and we'll be back soon!"
    Dined on 7/6/2014
  • "A great afternoon tea. Beautiful setting, with great service and food."
    Dined on 7/6/2014
  • "The afternoon tea - at lunchtime - was enjoyable with savories, sandwiches, scones and pots of tea. A very British kind of meal in western Canada. The food was good considering they must spend the morning making hundreds of sandwiches, but not exceptional, and when you factor in the price of admission to the gardens (you cannot visit the dining room without a ticket to the gardens) it is expensive. The service did seem rushed, presumably because they want to seat as many as they can in the time available, but not to the extent that you felt as though you were being pushed out the door. Overall, it is recommended if you are planning to visit the gardens anyway, but not really worth it if you just want afternoon tea."
    Dined on 7/4/2014
  • "The greatest ambience ever - with an eyeful of God's wonderful world of colour while you enjoy being pampered with great food and wine. We sat on the terrace and could survey the amazing scene before us. Our compliments to the chef who made everything on the menu sound exciting and I had my best sandwich ever - really a foodie's delight. The wine list was well chosen and we enjoyed our choice while we sipped, and just drank in the beauty before us The service was always there and yet quietly in the background. I will come again in a heartbeat and always do when I have overseas guests to show off my part of the world. The weather too was perfect and it all made up one of the most enjoyable days of our lives."
    Dined on 7/1/2014
  • "We chose to dine outside on the veranda, the staff were attentive and even offered us blankets. It is a little pricey, but the dinner/dessert was excellent and well worth it. Overall, a great experience!"
    Dined on 6/30/2014
  • "Very special addition to the garden... Really loved it. Atmosphere is calm and serene.. We had the tea."
    Dined on 6/30/2014
  • "My wife and I went to the Butchart Gardens for the very first time and had dinner at the Dining Room, prior to the Sat night fireworks. The food was okay, bit over priced but the location is fantastic. Would defiantly recommend for that special occasion. Did notice the gourmet picnic baskets looed pretty cool too,"
    Dined on 6/28/2014
  • "The service was outstanding, but the size of the servings for the food was not adequate. We had the scallop appetizer (which had 3 very small scallops) and the halibut dinner. The halibut was only 3 oz. I have never seen such a small piece of halibut for $34! The chef should have been embarrassed sending that size entrée to the table. However, the taste was excellent....just too small for the price. The view was wonderful!"
    Dined on 6/27/2014
  • "My sister & husband arrived from Toronto and we insisted on visiting Butchart Gardens and the dinning room (balcony). The wine/food/service was exceptional. We sat outside and viewed the gardens as we eat, so beautiful.........A very memorable experience by the 4 of us."
    Dined on 6/25/2014
  • "Every time we come to Victoria, we eat at Butchart gardens dining room for high tea. Food is excellent in taste and variety. We love to eat outside or in the glassed in area. The experience always makes us smile, at the time and when discussing it later."
    Dined on 6/24/2014
  • "The gardens are spectacular. We enjoyed afternoon tea. The food was delicious and the service first class. We will return every time we are in the area!"
    Dined on 6/24/2014
  • "There were beautiful views from each dining room overlooking the rose garden and the Italian garden. I requested the rose garden. It was more girly. We each had plenty of delectables on our plates..we were stuffed. We thought we were going to get to taste all of the teas and were told typically you choose one tea. The waitress let us choose a 3rd flavor when we asked though. The service doesn't compare to the emprice but it was still a great time"
    Dined on 6/23/2014
  • "My husband and I enjoyed High Tea at the Dining Room. I had pre-ordered a gluten-free version, and it FAR surpassed my expectations. Truly, for someone who is gluten-sensitive, this high tea is amazing! The quantity of food served is HUGE, so go hungry and be ready to down a large quantity of delicious tea sandwiches and cakes. What a treat! (My husband loved his "regular" high tea, as well.)"
    Dined on 6/23/2014
  • "Early dinner at the garden, perfect service, quiet atmosphere. Overpriced food even for the high quality it was - very good, but nothing particularly memorable either."
    Dined on 6/21/2014
  • "Went to "High Tea" at Butchart Gardens after touring the magnificent floral display in full bloom in the gardens. A bit disappointed at being placed at the back of the room with no view, and barely enough light to see what we were eating, especially with the beautiful view outside the windows, of which we had none. The tea begins with a berry trifle, which almost fills one up before receiving the rest. After that a triple tiered platter arrives full of typical tea sandwiches and desserts and it was lovely. We didn't feel rushed, and the service was good. Probably would never plan to repeat again."
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "We had afternoon tea at the Gardens. It was a wonderfully fun experience to have in Mrs. Butchart's home. The food was very good and the atmosphere one to experience. We passed up tea at the Empress on local advice. We weren't sorry. Don't miss out."
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "Really enjoyed the experience of tea at Butchart Gardens. Our server was very knowledgable and had good suggestions of what to eat first, etc. He had the chef prepare special sandwiches which accommodated my food sensitivities which was very much appreciated. Highly recommend making reservations."
    Dined on 6/18/2014
  • "The food was variable. Asparagus and Mushroom Quiche with Boursin Cheese, was all egg, one small piece of asparagus, very few mushrooms and no hint of boursin! The mussels were great. The chicken salad was tasty, but two small boneless chicken thighs made the value questionable. The service from the hostess through, was very poor. The hostess was not welcoming, might as well have had a robot, you would have felt more welcomed! The hostess was cold and brusque. The server was friendly but paid no attention to us. A very poor impression for such a place with a international reputation for my cousin's first visit from Japan!"
    Dined on 6/17/2014
  • "I would choose this restaurant in a heartbeat if I am in the neighborhood again. What a difference from the Empress Hotel's afternoon tea experience. The difference between heaven and hell (Hell is Empress)."
    Dined on 6/17/2014
  • "We were sitting by the window having High Tea, the flowers were in full bloom and the smell from them was wonderful. The lady that served our table was gracious, friendly and excited we were there. The flowers and gardens on the outside of the window were fantastic. I couldn't have had a better experience anywhere. This is a place that needs to be experienced by everyone."
    Dined on 6/14/2014
  • "Don't change a thing - a part of our English Heritage."
    Dined on 6/12/2014
  • "High tea at Butchart Gardens is an experience not to be missed. The service was exceptional, the food exquisite, and the view of the gardens from the dining room was magnificent. This is a must do if you are visiting the Victoria, Vancouver Island, B.C. Area."
    Dined on 6/11/2014
  • "There were many empty tables but they were turning people away."
    Dined on 6/9/2014
  • "The Gardens make the location of the Dining Room picture perfect. The staff were attentive and friendly without being intrusive and helped to make a special occasion perfect. The food was excellent. We visited the Butchart Garden on the recommendation of a friend and I would have no hesitation in recommending both the garden and Dining Room to others."
    Dined on 6/6/2014
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Vancouver / British Columbia Winners
  • Best Ambiance
  • Victoria Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Best Ambiance
  • Best Food
  • Best Service
  • Romantic
  • Scenic View
  • Special Occasion
  • Most Booked
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