A stylish sophisticated urban lounge in the heart of downtown Victoria, Veneto is the ideal place to unwind with co-workers and friends. Adorned in exotic wood, leather and Italian marble, Veneto seduces patrons with its extensive cocktail menu and its savoury offerings from our chef. Every entrée is presented tapas style and comprised of three unique dishes within the entrée. Our executive chef Tod Bosence has designed flavours that are unique yet complimentary, and that provide an engaging taste experience, ideal for sharing.
Veneto's bartenders led by Simon Ogden, display their knowledge and passion with a classically inspired cocktail list. Fresh squeezed citrus, only top shelf spirits and exacting techniques.
Veneto offers its patrons a small but significant wine selection, both by bottle and by the glass. We specialize in North American Craft beer as well as boast the largest selection of bourbons in the city.
"Service was great and the food was delicious as always. We love to dine here as a couple or with friends for a never disappointing dinner. Atmosphere is great for either. This is one of our favourite restraints to come to. We've been many times and look forward to many more meals."
Dined on 6/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, vibrant bar scene, romantic, hot spot
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"The food menu was appealing to us and we would have liked to try most things. There was a huge liquor menu. We very much enjoyed our meal. The rock fish tacos were light and delicious as were the sweet potato and pork croquettes. The halibut was cooked perfectly and tasted great. We would go back again to try others things. The desserts were not as good as the other part of the meal (although the berry cheesecake was lovely.) Service was very good. Even the bartender came out from behind the bar to greet us when we first entered. Also, loved the music and modern atmosphere."
Dined on 6/02/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, hot spot, special occasion
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"Reserved online, mentioned the special occasion we were celebrating (birthday) + we were first time diners. Nothing was mentioned when we arrived, nor did our server know. The personal service we did recieve from our server was good, and food was delish, but was dissapointed on the lack of personal touches.
I even tried to call the direct number multiple times before arriving to ask if I could set up something special in advanced, but no answer. Very frustrating and they lost business in the end as we went somewhere else for dessert.
Recap - great place to go with the girls / date night for the drinks and food."
Dined on 5/31/2013
Special Features: late-night find, notable wine list, hot spot
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"Pleasantly charmed by this place. Looks like recent reno / reopening (its been a bit since I've been to Victoria). The plates are more appys and mains then they are tapas, but they portion and serve them to be readily shareable. The beef trio was good (bit more than medium, but still good) though the spicy beans need work. More crisp, more bite, less sauce. The rockfish + shrimp tacos (two to a plate) were quite good, interesting combination of textures in them. The best of the night though was the tuna poke, almost ordered another for dessert!! Wide wine selection, a good by-the-glass range, the Bellini's are real, and the cocktails are very tasty - especially the Bourbon + Campari one (a few odd ingredients ... trust the bartender !!)"
Dined on 5/26/2013
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"Great food that tastes amazing and is superbly presented! It's worth its price though I would save it for more special/splurge-worthy occasions to really take advantage of the food and drinks. Service was very good!"
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, special occasion
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"The food was great however the service was horrible. We got our food before our drinks came to the table. We ended up having to wait a few minutes while our food got cold waiting for our drinks. The waitress was not pleasant or helpful. She forgot to bring out one of our orders for dinner, we only had 6 people. And she never came back to the table to see how dinner or drinks were tasting we had to call the manager over to re-order our dinner that she forgot, and she never apologized for forgetting someone's dinner order. Good food but poor poor service, with that service very questionable if I would return."
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: romantic
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"Stopped in for happy hour cocktails and tapas with friends. It did not disappoint. Good food, top notch service and a great atmosphere. Look forward to returning."
Dined on 5/04/2013
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"Had a great experience. The waitress was great & made super recommendations. You must try the Brussels sprouts -OMG- they were like candy! Waffles & Chicken with corn pudding - amazing, crispy, tasty, moist. Every mouthful popped with flavor. The 3 for $10 desserts were different & good. We've already recommended the restaurant to a 2 others. The only problem was our arrival was confusing. I didn't know there was a dining room in the back and I was told the café was closed. I left and suggested to my friend that perhaps we should go elsewhere as we didn't want to be in the loud bar. She wanted to check it out & we came in the side door as that was where we stopped to talk & luckily we did as that was how we found the back dining room."
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, special occasion
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"Sean Ogden is an extremely accomplished bartender and had a tremendous amount of fun discovering the mutltitude of bespoke cocktails on the menu. The Desperado is my absolute favorite as it tastes like an Old Fashioned made from Tequila."
Dined on 05/04/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, late-night find, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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"Fun downtown location. Great for dates or larger groups. The bar is bright and funky and the back of the restaurant has a darker, swankier feel. The sharing plates are a great option. Lots to choose from and a beautiful spread. The rest of the menu has options for any taste. The cocktails are one of a kind and the option to 'spin the drink wheel' is a great way to try something new."
Dined on 26/03/2013
2013
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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"We had a fantastic dining experience. From the moment we walked in the door until we left, the staff went above and beyond to make our evening enjoyable. The food was unbelievable; and with the sharing plates we got to try many different dishes. We LOVE the mystery cocktail feature!! We dine out a lot, and Veneto is one of our top choices in Victoria."
Dined on 23/03/2013
2008
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, good for groups, special occasion
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"Went to Venetos on a date last week - not my first time there. The cocktails were good as ever and the bartender/host was very warm and friendly. The service was fair but not as good as it could have been. The server whilst professional and polite seemed very busy and I felt she could have given better service with a smaller section or support. Will definitely visit again."
Dined on 19/03/2013
2011
Special Features: romantic
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"Excellent Dine-Around-Victoria menu! The food had great flavour. The bar was outstanding -very expansive drink list! I like the atmosphere of the room, but the service felt borderline slow and a bit uncaring - the waiters/waitresses seemed overly stressed and were visibly trying to interact with the customers as little as possible. Possible outbreak in the kitchen?
Overall, outstanding food, great drinks, and a cool place. Would recommend."
Dined on 07/03/2013
2013
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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"Veneto was perfect for my birthday celebration. The service was exceptional. We were greeted with smiles and promptly sat. Our waitressJacqueline was brilliant, recommending cocktails and having fun. The drinks at Veneto are the best in town. We didn't eat, but will go back for dinner soon."
Dined on 08/03/2013
2013
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, good for groups, hot spot
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"It's really refreshing to find a big-city cocktail bar in a small place like Victoria. Veneto is a real gem. The effort and time put into every drink is impressive to say the least, and it certainly shows in the variety and flavour of their extensive menu."
Dined on 07/03/2013
2013
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, good for groups, late-night find, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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"We discovered the Veneto during the Dine Around Victoria promotion, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Both the food and the service were excellent, but the wines were on the pricey side."
Dined on 28/02/2013
2010
Special Features: good for groups, late-night find, notable wine list
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"What makes this place work is the attentive manager. She was quick to catch that a drink had been made with the wrong rum, replacing it immediately and responsive to our comments about the food. Generally, the food was excellent, but one dish came with a side of inedible isuper salty cornbread that clearly hadn't been tasted in the kitchen prior to serving. It was promptly replaced with an extra side of the delicious slaw. The other disappointment was the apple crumble desert which arrived at room temperature and which had a very soggy texture. We noticed that after our comment others received a steaming dish, so it was nice to know that our comment had been heard, but there was no offer to replace ours. A good experience nonetheless!"
Dined on 23/02/2013
2009
Special Features: vibrant bar scene
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"My big problem was the noise. It got louder and louder. Of course our reservation was for 8:30 PM so you got a kind of expect that in that sort of place.
I will say the sharing board was a very pleasant surprise. High-quality, interesting choices available. I will come back for that and drinks with friends. It was lovely.
Was concerned about getting some Vegetables into myself so ordered the tempura. It was perfect – hot, Lightly battered, not overcooked at all. That was the only vegetable option I saw, Would've been nice to have something more.
However, I was very pleased to have such a nice discovery for my birthday Night out. Will definitely recommend."
Dined on 23/02/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, late-night find, notable wine list, special occasion, hot spot
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"Veneto is an amazing place to go and hang out with friends . The ambience is very lounge like. The aroma of food is inviting as one walks in. The chatter and laughter of people gathering exudes an invitation of open arms! The bar welcomes you as you walk in decorated with its enormity of different spirits. The massive lighting fixtures spray the room with soft rays of light thus creating a more romantic environment . The drinks are absolutely delicious as one sips them slowly allowing the body to relax and await the aromatic food with excitement . Once the food arrives you are in awe of the artistic display of it. Not only inviting to the eye but the palate goes in to a fit of glorious flavours dancing in your mouth. Will return!"
Dined on 16/02/2013
2008
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, good for groups, great for outdoor dining
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Veneto Tapa Lounge - Hotel Rialto