Friends of Dorothy - Victoria

Restaurant has a great atmosphere with quaint architecture and exquisite interior decor. Really enjoyed the drag show performance, happy birthday Mina! The Yellow Brick cocktail, slightly tangy, is fantastic

Don't do it, something is wrong in the kitchen. Takes over an hour for 2 people to receive their dishes. Nice staff, very unfortunate.

Hey Dad, bring cash here. You can stick it in the cleavage of a very pretty man. If yOu'Re InTo ThAt Of CoUrSe.

The service was incredible and the entire atmosphere was so fun. Seeing such a diverse range of humans was so nice and I especially loved the bathrooms. Single stalls with an open area to wash hands. The owners have done an excellent job of making this a welcoming place for everyone.

Such a beautiful place with great people. My bartender was lovely and we were playing music Bingo. Had a great time and met some awesome locals. I'll be back!

Amazing food, cocktails, staff, and ambience! Really a must see if you’re coming into the village

Loved my visit! Walked in, greeted and offered a seat at the bar or a table; chose the table.

Beautiful decor; stylish, comfy, and captures "Victoria-escene" (floral, green, history). Nice space.

Food offered, prices maybe $2-3 less than lower Yates eateries? I think so. Drinks are good.

Be nice when they open the extension with the water feature.
I would recommend a visit.

As a straight person, I have never been anywhere like this before. I was immediately welcomed and felt so at ease. The service was incredible and the entire atmosphere was so fun. Seeing such a diverse range of humans was so nice and I especially loved the bathrooms. Single stalls with an open area to wash hands. The owners have done an excellent job of making this a welcoming place for everyone.

The 9: 00pm Drag Show on a Friday night began with a woman with face paint on ranting on stage clumsily (clearly not comfortable with public speaking) on important topics of the land of which we are on as settlers - but the way she delivered this information as a “settler herself” was painfully awkward and basically shouting at patrons. The actual Drag performer visiting from Vancouver was hilarious, engaging and was so much fun! So many laughs smiles and claps! The woman with the face paint came back to start tap dancing to two more songs - literally the most downer tunes you could EVER choose for a drag show… the first was a early aughts frat-boy jock song - but alas not in the ironic/ funny way. Like she took it seriously!? Then, I wanted to slit my wrists for her second song choice Adele - triggering sorrow amidst my $18 cocktail, utterly destroying the energy that the prior Drag performer built with the room only moments before. After that, my guests and I (seasoned old queers) just had to go. My review is also a piece of advice - lose the face painted tap dancing downer.

Thank you for a wonderful cocktail experience.
Gary was amazing!
We'll be back.

I'm only giving such a low star due to the imposed tip of 20% for each one of us when I met 5 friends for lunch on March 25th. We only had 1 drink each as we were driving from further out. Also, my one glass of Henkell's was a lofty $14.50. So my half benny lunch and one drink turned out to be $57.50. Nice.

Lovely ambience, cool different. Disappointed by belly pork Benny. Tasty yes but the meat was 2 tiny pieces the size of my thumb nail. Hubby's bfst sandwich was great tho

It's always a pleasure to visit!

The atmosphere can not be beat, the best in Victoria by far!

Staff are always friendly and helpful, we've never had bad service here!

Menu and food are diverse, fresh, and delicious!

Highly recommend!

Well.after the worst birthday dinner and worst service I’ve ever had (below comment from Chelsea), it only got worse after the server from that night decided to track one of us down on our personal social media a few days later to make a passive aggressive comment on one of the posts. So inappropriate and frustrating. Never seen such unprofessionalism in a business, ever

I came in on the 17th and sat at the bar and had a great interaction with our bartender, Marielle. Fantastic drinks and service. Her sense of humor was fantastic.

I'd like to acknowledge a bad server/customer interaction I witnessed when a table of ladies gave the staff a hard time.

This table was nothing but problems from the beginning. On behalf of a fellow service industry worker, I felt for each member of staff. This table of Karens was unreasonable. Please take their reviews with a grain of salt.

Every time I come in, the staff always make me feel welcome.

Haters gonna hate, aint'res gonna ain't.

This space is aesthetically cute, it’s just too bad that the service isn’t up to par more often than not and the food / drinks are way overpriced. However, last night was an especially horrible experience dining at this establishment for my friends birthday party. It seemed like mistake after mistake was made and there was no true accountability. One friend found a live beetle in her lettuce cup and when informing the server their response was “don’t kill the bug” nor offered to replace the meal entirely. Two other friends never received their food that they ordered even though we were there for well over two hours. Another friend had wilted brown lettuce so asked to have new lettuce, however when they brought it out it was also brown and wilted and was in small bite size pieces when it was meant to be for a lettuce cup. And finally, another friend had a plate dropped on her shoulder which left aioli all over her $400 wool coat. The server was apologetic but came back with dry napkins and didn’t really attempt to clean her coat. Finally when asked to speak with a manager we were met with argumentative defensiveness and no accountability. When speaking to the server about meals that should be comped due to the circumstances we were met with literal eye rolls and talking about our table to other servers and customers at the bar right in front of us. Eventually they offered to have my friends coat dry cleaned and comped / discounted a couple bills after we had insisted there needed to be some sort of compensation. Then the rest of the table, including those who still experienced mistakes, were brought bills with an automatic 20% gratuity due to our large table size and the offered statement that this is “industry standard”. Yes, some establishments do have auto gratuity that is no problem, but to still expect customers to pay that after a night full of mistakes and bad service? I understand stuff happens and people are humans and make mistakes but as many of us at the table also work within the service industry or have in the past know how easy it is to correct wrongdoings, take accountability, and appropriately comp bills for mistakes made. It is all how you handle yourself and last night was extremely disappointing and has resulted in none of us 12 people wanting to return. I hope they make some serious changes and reconsider how they want to treat customers after a series of serious mistakes like this. Disappointing evening and birthday celebration meal.

Truly have never felt so unvalued as a customer than I did at this establishment. I had made a reservation in advance and upon arriving our table was given to another couple who had just come in (behind us) without a reservation. Stuff like that happens so we moved on and got seated elsewhere. We sat at that table for 20 mins before being talked to/asked if we wanted anything including water. Just as we received our drinks an employee asked us if we could move again so the drag queens friends who had come from Vancouver to see them could sit close. The restaurant was full and the show was starting in 10 mins at this point. It was clear if we did not give up our seats they would not be able to view the show. When we expressed how its a little unprofessional the waiter just kept saying “I’m not pressuring you! ” Our drinks were comped and we ended up leaving as the whole situation had just put a sour taste in my mouth. It was also clear as we sat that older patrons were being taken care of much better and with a sense of priority that is not extended young queer people. Respect all customers equally regardless of their assumed financial standing and reserve tables for performers in future. I will not be returning to FOD

Definitely the worst dining experience I’ve ever encountered. There were several major mistakes with no accountability taken and mistreated from the server who would roll their eyes at us (group of 13 for a birthday dinner) extremely disappointing and will not be back.

I love going here! The vibe is always a 10! Fun staff, great service. Sammy has always been good to us. Drinks and food are yummy! Try the vegan charcuterie board! I’m not even a vegan but I heard good things and it was delicious! I love that they really support local talent and there is always something fun going on, no matter the day of the week. Evan/Chaz puts on a real great Talent Tuesday every week and creates an amazing atmosphere. Would definitely recommend!

Just saw their very exclusionary all white passing pride cast. I will not be supporting this business until I see major major changes. It’s 2022 and this choice of pride line up is clearly deliberate

Ambience was great, service was so welcoming and lovely, and the food was both presented beautifully, and tasted amazing. Now that I’ve gone here, I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’ve never had such an attentive server in my life.

Marielle and Magnus were the best at the bar! ️ Louie was the best!
Enrico was the best!
Jon was the best!
Terran was the best!
Geneveive was wnderful!
Sammy was the best!

Henrietta was my Queen️
DJ Naomi Nice! Was wonderful! ️

I literally had the best time ever at Friends of Dorthy to celebrate my 40th bday! Food was awesome and the environment was amazing! Drag show was fabulous and Mina is always loved! Ruffin Durdy (Priscilla) was amazing as always

Such good vibes. Whoever designed the interior is someone special cuz damn. Also the food was mmmmmmm

I have been really excited to try this place. The atmosphere was wonderful and the staff were all very friendly (although 2 mentioned they were tired from working the night before - fair enough, lot’s of places are short staffed). We had 3 in our group - I ordered the chicken sandwhich and fries. Someone came to our table and said they had no more regular brioche buns, but could make up sliders that would be the same. Okay cool no problem. They asked again if I wanted the fries or hashbrowns, and I told them I wanted fries. When our food arrived, my dish was something different than I ordered, some kind of breakfast hash. I told the server it was not what I ordered - they confirmed what I ordered and again asked if I wanted fries or hashbrowns, I told them fries. My 2 friends were just about finished their meals and my food arrived …. With hashbrowns. I asked for some fries please - and they did bring them but my group was done their food and needed to get going. I asked 3 times for a box - and the staff kept returning without one. Mistakes happen and I get that this was probably a one off experience. I think it may have been nice to offer a bit of a discount since I ended up just taking my food with me after my friends had eaten and it was not cheap. I probably won’t go back a second time - but my 2 friends really did enjoy their food.

My first time at Friends of Dorothy was for dinner and drag night. Absolutely great food, service and entertainment. And the chandelier.

The dinner and drag was great. The only thing is that the whole thing is an hour and half which is kind of short.

Visited with my wife- we frequent the Kelowna location so loved to see this one!
Really lovely atmosphere and friendly staff.
Would be awesome if they had a Milk & Honey night here too! Having a night and space dedicated to our femmes&thems part of the community is sorely needed in a lot of places and can really create much needed impact in local queer community - can't wait to visit again, next time we're here!

The place is great for brunch, loved the vibe and the friendly service. The chicken and waffles are not good though, go for the hash breakfast options.

Perhaps a tad harsh with my 1 star review but I’ll never know if truly deserving of more as I could not step thru the door today. One star is for poor communication. I had called the day prior to, to inquire about reservations for Friday evening. The lad I spoke to said they were only accepting 50% reservations and the rest were walk-in only and that they were fully reserved. He did say however that if I came by at 6pm that it would be no problem to be seated. I arrive promptly at 6pm only to be told that they were preparing for a show and kicking everybody out in preparation and that I’d have to stand in line outside until 6: 30 to be admitted. Standing in line for 30 mins when given instructions otherwise the day before is not the idea I had in mind for dinner on a Friday evening. Perhaps a line-up outside an establishment is their way of giving the illusion of a busy restaurant. In this case it only makes for a disgruntled customer who’s likely never to return.

Had a great time last night. Delicious food and Drag Queens is a win in my books. Will def return.

I’ve been twice now: today and back in February. I love the vibe with the art, decor, and music. I wish the food lived up to the expectations set up by this setting and prices. Today I had the community bowl priced at $21. The cedar plank salmon was good - not exceptional but good. The slaw and hash browns did not meet my quality expectations; very much lacking in taste. Great vibe but average/good food.

Such a cute place and amazing drinks (we asked for something virgin but to surprise us and they were incredible!) The food was definitely not worth the price, though. The service was also not great. Everyone was super cheerful and fun but our server became rude half way through and only became nice again when it was time to pay.

We just had a really fun evening at “Friends of Dorothy “. There were several negatives unfortunately. We had a reservation for 5 people. At the last minute one person was unable to come. They told us we would have to pay an additional 50$ if we wanted to keep the reserved table minus one. The alternative was a cramped space on bar seats. I have never heard of such a policy! We didn’t want to be uncomfortable…. We don’t get out much…. We are in our 60’s…. We wanted the original table. Beyond that my burger was way overdone and overpriced with a plain flat white bread bun. The fries were good. The show was great! The atmosphere on pride weekend was great. Not sure I will be back due to the 50$ overcharge along with some very mediocre food.

Friendly staff carry you back to a time when hospitality wasn’t a corporate line item on a spreadsheet. That said, spread your wings, be yourself and relax. Great cocktails in the historic patio site of the oldest bakery in British Columbia. Menu delivery something for everyone.

Last night was a disappointment, I had gone on Wednesday with a friend to have dinner and watch a drag show, a lot of fun. So I told another friend let’s go, so off we went on Sunday. I had tried for a couple hours to call to find out all the details but I kept getting a recording. I checked the website no details so I checked Facebook could not find details there. Went at 8 pm and were told everyone would be out at 9 pm, 40 or 50 % were reservation and rest would line up first come first serve, a suggestion was made for us to grab a drink across street and watch the line. When there was about 20 people in line so we left and were in line (8.30) we got in line behind two women that arrived at 7.30, they too were told to go across street. Well at 10 we all found out we did not make it in. Many of the people ahead of us and around the corner had let there friends in.we were no longer number 20 or so.when I talked to the man out front in charge he acted like too bad.he had not noticed all the people coming to be with friends expanding the line. Needless to say I was very disappointed, pride was going to be fun.the fun part.great people we met in line, plus we when to Vicious Poodle.different reception, very friendly.waited 10 and they found us a sit out side for a drink.bit long winded but you get the drift. I don’t know if I will bother going back to friends of Dorothy’s. I don’t want to wait 2.30 in line again.not to get in.poor communication.

Gave a second star only for the decor, because it is absolutely fabulous! I just wish the place lived up to the style. The food is not worth even half the price you pay. My friend and I both went with the intention to get an appy, a meal and a few drinks. After the appies, we decided to move on to somewhere else. It's unfortunate because we both really wanted to like it there. I'm hoping the atmosphere is better on event nights because other than the decor, the atmosphere was bland. The cocktails looked like they would have been alright, though again I have seen better prices and selection at other places in the city. I'll probably still check out the drag events, but otherwise I wouldn't choose this place again.

Great food and cocktails, excellent service, and fun entertainment! My new favorite place in Victoria!

Brunch would have been much more pleasant if they didn't loudly blast nightclub music at 10am on a Sunday. When I asked if they would change it or at least turn it down they said they weren't allowed to because the owner lives upstairs and doesn't care if people like his music or not. Would have been great Saturday night, not so much Sunday morning.

Amazing vibe and interior design! Felt safe there and staff were really nice. Food was a little overpriced and I found the “Birds Nest Rösti” kind of bland, like they didn’t use salt and pepper or something. Glad I asked for hot sauce because they didn’t even have salt and pepper at the table. I would go back though and try another dish!

My friend and I were in search of a place to grab a cocktail one night and were tired of the same old places to go downtown that lacked originality, a mixed crowd and quality drinks & service. We were thrilled when we walked into friends of Dorothy. We hadn’t heard of it before and I honestly thought it was a brunch spot when I had walked by a few days prior. If someone had explained this place to me
I would probably think it were cheesy or over the top but it’s actually quite great!

I really want to give this place the benefit of the doubt that we had a one-off bad experience since the other reviews are so good. However, our brunch experience didn't live up to the hype. Our server was attentive enough, but the food took almost an hour with no real explanation for the delay. When the food did finally arrive, it wasn't worth the wait at all. The chicken and waffles which ran us $22 had an over-salted super stingy piece of chicken on it, and I felt completely ripped off. To the server's credit, I did mention this and she brought us out some more chicken at no cost.

However, what wasn't quite as forgiving was the salad that we ordered. The feta cheese on top had completely turned making a sour smelly feet odour envelop our table. I'm going to assume because the chef was masked, perhaps the smell wasn't apparent to him, but I thought it was very careless to be serving rotten cheese.

All this being said, the decor and vibe of the place is wonderful. I don't think I'll be going back for food, but perhaps I'll give a cocktails a try.

My boyfriend and I came here for brunch. Excellently executed quirky decore, and super friendly and efficient staff! Brunch was really good too. We missed our bus to the ferry which was only every two hours, but the bus stop was really close so we went back and waited it out there with some drinks. Noticed off shift staff sticking around together which because I work at a bar with a similar vibe I know it shows they feel appreciated and get along with each other, which I'm sure contributes to the great atmosphere and teamwork! You'd never guess they'd only been open a few months.
We'd be regulars if we lived in Victoria for sure, thanks for a great afternoon Friends of Dorothy!

Don’t usually write reviews but. Went there a few days ago for brunch. The server was pushy, way too hyper, and she wouldn’t leave us alone. Then got snarky when we asked kindly to enjoy our brunch in peace. Although we didn’t, the food was what ever and the cocktails we got were laughable. Honestly not worth the hype to just sit in a overly tacky room. Not going back.

Such a great place! Cozy, inviting, quirky atmosphere. Tastefully and eccentrically decorated making for an inviting, cozy lounge. Great service. Fantastic cocktails at totally reasonable prices for the quality. It's so great to see an LGBT2Q+ lounge open during these tough times and provide a wonderful, warm, welcoming atmosphere. Will be back!

We recently stopped by for a snack. We were greeted by Boston who took great care of us. The food is amazing fresh and well thought out. Click your heels there no where like "Friends of Dorothy "!

Went in here with my boyfriend and his daughter. We had the Vancouver Island omelet and grilled cheese sandwich. The real hit was the Mimosa kit. We enjoyed 3 yummy juices, fresh fruit and yummy champagne. It was so affordable and we all got several mimosas.

Friends of Dorothy's is a friend of mine ️
Edit: One thing.paint the bathroom bricks yellow pleeeease!:)

Food is quite mediocre, but the atmosphere is lovely. The service was also a bit slow, but it was a Monday afternoon and there was only one waitress

Sadly had a very poor experience and will not be going back. Service was extremely lacking. We paid for our drinks and left after one sip. The tables were concerning close together even with the plexiglass between them. Even if the service and beverages were better I would not feel comfortable going back during COVID-19

Great Brunch
What a colourful creative decor in vintage old building downtown Victoria. The fire roared on royal purple and pink colours, comfortable seating, friendly staff and creative food for brunch

What a truly lovely place. It's visually a delight. The food is quite good. The staff are delightful. The cocktail menu is comprehensive and charming. And Il Sauvage is featured on tap. We were very pleased with our evening out.
(I'm Covid times there was a solid adherence to protocols and we felt very safe.)

We thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere from the moment we stepped through the door. Every where you looked there was an artistic touch of class. Sitting areas are all around, COVID safe and comfortable. The bar has a neat plex glass with a window to receive lounge drinks. The servers were plenty and knowledgeable. Two of the dishes, the fondue and crispy chicken were shared between my friend and I. There was enough that my husband was able to finish it off. I can't do this place enough justice in words, so I have added some pictures. When ready.go visit them and please dress nice.

Recently had dinner at Friends of Dorthy for a birthday and I have to say I just love this place. The atmosphere is to die for and the service is deserving of royalty! We were greeted by the entire staff as we entered and quickly seated. And after a few minutes were asked if we’d like to move to the table in front of the fire place, as that table had just left. It was wonderful! The food was delicious and the drinks were phenomenal! The bartender even came over and introduced herself with a tray of shots from the owner who wasn’t far behind to come and make sure we were all enjoying our evening in style! Highly recommend this place!

My new favorite place! Such good atmosphere, decoration is beautiful. Prices are great! Food quality is amazing. Service is excellent! Really happy Victoria has place like this. Enjoyed both the afternoon happy hour and the brunch! Definitely recommend

Lovely humans, lovely food, lovely atmosphere and great music selection! Happy to have more LGBTQ establishments in town