The Oaks Restaurant and Tearoom

First time here. The breakfast was amazing even comes with fresh jam. Service was fast and pleasant. We are looking forward to coming back for lunch or dinner.

Fun get together with a good friend in a fun and inviting atmosphere.
Food is yummy too

It was a private party of 50 people. Food and bar service was efficient. Staff were friendly.

We had full tea at The Oaks, it was amazing! Such a big portion of food is served with a pot of tea. Will go back again soon to try other menus as well.

Wait staff was not attentive, when we asked for refills only 2 people of the table of 4 got them, food was subpar, I had the Shepards pie, was more gravy meat then potatoes, the ratio between them was 4: 1, when the waitress would drop something off at the table she would already she turned to walk away before we could ask anything else of her (missing refills).

Dropped in on Friday after work for Haddock and chips special. We asked for half salad half chips. Very nice side salad with house dressing in separate container. Entertainment was starting at 6 pm so the place was almost full with reservations.

Was meeting friends and wanted a quieter place to meet with not so loud background music.
Went for the special and had the burger and beer which was really good.

I went mid-morning for a late breakfast, and found the service and food fantastic - excellent bacon and eggs and a home-made style marmalade that I really enjoyed.
Returning on the weekend with my family, we had the opposite experience. Food was OK, but not spectacular, and service was slow. Admittedly it was a very busy time but the slow service and food that had obviously been waiting to be delivered spoiled the experience. I'd go back again, but I'd definitely not go at a busy time.

Best daily specials in the city. Definitely will be on first name basis with live music on Fridays

The interior is warm but if you are coming here for good service or good food. GO ELSEWHERE!
We waited for over 10 minutes before a waitress came to our table. She was rude, not helpful and dismissive. When we finally got our meal she forgot the cream for my tea and although I reminded her she didn't bring it. I finally asked another woman if I could have some.
I also asked 3 times for the jam I had told her I wanted when I gave her my original order. Although she said yes twice, it never appeared. One of the worst breakfasts I've had and the Welsh rarebit that my partner had was not edible. After all this when we asked for the check she didn't bring it. We finally went to the bar to pay it. Needless to say with no tip, which rarely happens with us. We are 20% tippers.
I would never eat here again.nor should you

My wife had eggshell and two hairs in her food. My own food was delicious and had no problem.

Went there on a Sunday, just me. They took forever to seat me. I ordered a coffee and the shortrib eggs benny, the first mug she gave had a lipstick mark on which was replaced when asked. The eggs benny there was plenty of shortrib but lacking of flavor and salt! I don't usually add extra salt after food is served but I had to. The only tasty thing was their parmesan potatoes! I would try a dinner to give them another chance.

Built in 1912, this old architecture is something to be seen! First structure on Oak Bay Ave and was the first General store/ Post Office.

Very good breakfast for a very reasonable price. Also great selection. Even though it was a busy morning our server was very attentive

I had a wonderful half traditional brekkie this week. Egg done to perfection, perfectly cooked bacon, nice sourdough toast and the potato cubes! Oh my goodness.they were some of the best around. And I had forgotten they can offer you a serving of homemade strawberry jam! Staff were warm and welcoming. Why not pop down and enjoy a breakfast out like I did.

Great brunch with home made jam and full english breakfasts. They have lots of gluten sensitive options and half portions for most of the breakfast meals so you can scale down to match your appetite.

A classic restaurant and tea house with considerable local history. Relatively inexpensive with tasty daily specials, each of which has ample proportions. All tea pots are a good size and come with Royal Dalton bone china and a memorable tea spoon. Several wines and beers to match many tastes plus live music Friday evenings. Well worth the visit.

Ordered a beer with my brunch. Waited 10 minutes for my wife's drink and was assured that mine was on the way. Waited another 10 minutes and then walked to the counter. Waited another 5 mins for someone to notice me. Got my beer as my food arrived.

Food was sub par. Somehow my eggs Benny was. Dry? ! Hollandaise was several hours old. Ordered a eggs benedict with bacon instead of ham they suggested I sub out the tomatoes in a black stone Benny. Order the Blackstone Benny tomatoes came on it. There was three people working serving tables and probably only about 15 people in the restaurant.

I have no idea how everything got messed up so badly that I probably won't ever be back.

I had the beef dip today. It was lacking flavour and just seemed as though no effort went into it. Disappointed.

Great old restaurant, great service from the server, the scone from the afternoon tea was amazing. Not probably comparable to the tea at the Empress but for $28 it's good value.

Nice old restaurant. Huge menu. Kind attentive staff. Lots of older local clientelle who seem loyal because they seem well cared for. A pleasant experience and a great meal.

My friend and I went here for lunch and we really enjoyed it. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff as well. My Eggs Benedict Blackstone were done perfectly and my friends Lasagna was very good as well.

Place was recommended for the food but we overheard a server making rude comments about us so we left before ordering. Tables hadn't been cleaned either.

Prices are reasonable with generous portions. This was for 3 people. We did take a while to be seated, because the fridge obscures a bit of the waiting area, and the workers didn't regularly check on the waiting area to see if any customers were there. But once we were seated, the food arrived quickly and service was good.

The best breakfast spot ever! Try it and you all won't be disappointed, trust me. The service is also excellent and so friendly.

Such a great experience and dinner at this restaurant. The kids loved their burgers and my salmon was delicious. Can't wait to come again and try something else.
The staff was so friendly and the service was excellent.
Love the live entertainment too

I have been to The Oaks many times and I plan to be there many more. They have such friendly staff and a very comfortable environment. I would highly recommend going to The Oaks for a tea and chat with friends or family.

Excellent restaurant. Very clean and lots of COVID protocols so we felt safe. Friendly and efficient server. Food came out in a nice pace, not to fast not too slow.
Saturday had a roast beef dinner for $18 that is amazing! Best deal in Victoria and so yummy. The brownie is excellent as well. Drink prices and food prices very reasonable compared with similar places in the area.
We will definitely come again.

There is a photo on the wall saying best brownie in Victoria. Honestly, I think they’re right. Amazing.

Fish and chips is great.

5.25 pints of Guinness on fridays. Can’t beat that. Love it.

I called on Oct 10 asking about thanksgiving dinner take out I was told to call 1 hour before wanting the meal, I called at noon on Oct 11 I was told to order at 4pm since they were not taking orders before that.
At 4pm I was told they were no longer doing take out for thanksgiving dinner.
If I had been told earlier I could have arranged a meal from another place, not at all acceptable and really sad that someone who might not be able to go in for medical or personal reasons will not get thanksgiving dinner.
One customer might not make a difference but I will support another restaurant going forward.
Thank you for nothing.

Edit - it is true I can come to the location and confirm that and also point out the server that told me in person to call at 4pm to order.
Instead of calling me a liar look at the mistake made and just apologie. Shame on whoever replied for now owning up if it was just an error

We had the Full Tea with some nice tea choices, a nice presentation, unique table ware, the finger sandwiches were very good, and the scones were large and excellent. Down side was no clotted cream or strawberry jam, store bought sweet dessert and the same jam ingredients were used in the parfait. Would have paid a little more for authentic English (knowing the difference). This restaurant probably would be a better Burger Tap Room experience.

Don't hesitate to go in for a pint & a bite!
Menu has something for everyone.
I will definitely go back! Love the English pub feel.

Went for dinner at The Oaks with my older sister and had the seafood quesadilla, I would very much recommend this place.
Me and my sisters waitress was quick to greet us at the door with a smile and was very patient with me when I couldn't decide on what to get for dinner, we all even made a few jokes when I asked what the fishless fish was (It’s a soy protein product!) I learn something new everyday.
Restaurant was quite busy as it was 5: 30 during dinner hours but we were very pleased with service and the kind hospitality, as well as how quickly the food came to our table.
Will be returning to try out all their different kinds of desserts, Ive heard only amazing things about their brownie's and icecream dish

Great place. Finally found a place that made me my wife and kids all happy. My wife got her full high tea for a third of the price of empress, with more food. I had a delicious curry and they had Good selection of kids meals. All at a regular restaurant price. Extremely friendly service. I was surprised it was not full. The only reason I could see is they did not have a big sign outside drawing people in. Even if you know the name you could easily walk by with out seeing it. I would rate it as the best restaurant I went to in my time in Victoria.

An Oak Bay Classic and thank goodness it’s still open. Refreshingly normal restaurant serving comfort food and tea options. The decor is kwirky, atmosphere casual, service friendly, portions large and prices reasonable.

Excellent brunch menu at reasonable prices. We have been twice and love it. Our family will continue to frequent Oaks. The server is friendly, portions are huge. We brought our baby twice and were served beautifully. We love it.

Friendly service. Good prices for breakfast / lunch. Has a unique old time tea room charm. I liked my English breakfast but wasn't it supposed to come with a grilled tomato? Oh well, still good!

What happened? Terrible service, mediocre food at best used to be good, old waitress complaining on a sunday morning about lack of staff was the last thing i wanted to hear.

Nice cafe in a quiet neighbourhood. Had a pleasant Sunday brunch there. Kids menu had food that my picky eaters actually ate. My pancakes were on the crispy side but the eggs, soup, hash and fries were done well

When we vacation on the island we always make a point to stop in and have lunch here. Always tasty food in a nice atmosphere with some inviting traditional English pub style decor. The servers are superb and seem genuinely happy to be there. Prices are great too and best of all it's nestled within beautiful Oak Bay about an 8 minute walk from the beach.

Service was good. Cute older English pub style building. Went for high tea and had the full high tea. The scone was the only good part, which was flaky yet soft and had plump raisins. Cucumber sandwiches had huge slices of cucumber and they just used prepackaged cream cheese slathered on. The tarts and Nanaimo bar looked like it was purchased from Costco or a grocery store. They only had regular teas like orange pekoe and no specialty teas to choose from. Date bar was so sweet I could only eat a bite. For $24.95, extremely overpriced and low quality. Had it been $15, that would have been more in line with the quality and would have rated it higher. However, for $24.95, definitely not worth it. The regular menu looked much better. I would go for brunch/lunch and skip the high tea.

On a cold winter Monday night this place fit the bill.good service, excellent fries, nice house wine, and they did NOT skip on the lobster and shrimp in my seafood quesadilla! We'll be back.

We had a very nice afternoon tea here. House made scones were lovely and our server was attentive and friendly. We had an unhurried visit and will return again for a meal.

Serve wonderful breakfast omelettes (can be custom made). Help the local economy, the restaurants, bookstores, coffee places, hair salons and barbershops during these uncertain times.

While following COVID rules, they were quick, efficient, friendly and the portions were large and fast on the top up of coffee. Will continue to enjoy this restaurant!

Great place to gave breakfast or lunch. They have every other table occupied and the servers are wearing masks. Our meals arrived quickly and were delicious.

How did we not know about this place? We have now been there for supper several times. The quality of the food is so good and the staff is always very friendly.

Had takeout.the halibut sandwich was amazing but the fries not so much.soggy.fries shouldn't be soggy. Covid friendly though!

My family and I went there for a last minute afternoon tea today and it was lovely. The scones are literally out of this world and are utterly massive! The preserves they serve them with are also delectable. The trifle is delicious and authentic, and the atmosphere is very old school English tea house without being too grandma like.

I 've been turned off of the Oaks Restaurant!
Their New cook likes very greasy grilled cheese sandwiches & their blue cheese burger was so much over cooked, that it wasnt only dry as a bone, my partner needed a steak knife to partake of it. The burger meat was actually charred black in places. Somehow he managed to eat it! Clearly, I would have sent it back to the kitchen!

My favorite Squash soup was thin & didnt taste anything like it used too. I just moved it to one side.and ended up eating the very greasy & slender amount of cheese sandwich.
Unfortunately, I had an upset stomach for the remainder of the evening.
That's the second and last time I plan on frequenting the Oaks; sadly because of the poor choice of a reasonably new main cook in their kitchen. I will not be back to try their food for a Very Long Time. (Unless I hear through the grapevine they've returned to their good Victorian homestyle cooking.
With great waitresses!)

I used to frequent The Oaks more than once a week.
Not any more.its not even worth dealing with the traffic or pedistrians in Oak Bay

"Oaks" resturant is very good. Many items to choose from. Reasonable prices. Good service. Everyone's meal was delicious. Didnt feel hurried. Good atmosphere. Highly recommend this place.

They definitely have good food and it is a comfortable and relaxed environment. The only real complaint would be that the breakfast menu says "waffles" when it is actually only one waffle and I feel like that should be fixed as it is misleading. Other than that they have good coffee and tea and it is a nice to go when in Oak Bay.

Nice selection of foods, good service and entertainment as well.
Stephanie Greaves performs monthly and all together, it's a GREAT reason to head out with a group of friends,

My partner was excited to go here, since the restaurant that was in the space previously was quite good. We came in at 2: 45. The server first ignored us for 15 minutes. Then when she finally came to greet us and brought menus, she pointed out that they close at 3: 30, which we were aware of but thought would be fine since we had 45 minutes when we came in. She then proceeded to go in the back and complain about us being there, since they were closing in 30 mins. She then came up to our table 3 times at an interval of about 1-2 mins to see if we were ready to order. After we told her that we're not ready for the 3rd time and she rolled her eyes, we decided to leave, as we didn't want her breathing down our necks as we were eating and did not appreciate the terrible service. This restaurant clearly did not want our business and now will never get it.

Visited for the first time since it was another establishment. Fairly disappointed. First they didn't have enough menus for our table, and then they were out of one of their standard menu items, so one of our party had to pick something else-there was no other solution offered. Service was generally friendly but slow. When food arrived, portions were on the small side for the price, but the food was ok. Nothing that would bring us back, unfortunately.

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with parmesan hash browns was amazing.

The fresh whipped butter with High Tea my wife got was amazing. The jam was just okay, and the tea was a huge disappointment.

My Japanese family and in-laws wanted to experience a real "High-Tea" and bagged tea was not what they expected.

Sehr nette und familiäre Atmosphäre. Sehr freundliches und aufmerksames Personal, dass sich auch auf einen kleinen Schwatz mit uns Touristen einliess. Gutes Preis-Leistungsverhältnis.

Great place to eat. Very much a classic family style restaurant. Have gone quite a bit and have never been disappointed. Very friendly staff. Highly Recommend.

Nice family oriented place, service is great, you feel very welcome in there, also some nights they have music live and theatre!

We stopped here on a whim. Our group got the full tea, the open faced turkey sandwich, grilled chicken burger and the kids chicken strips. Everything was so yummy and the tea was delicious. The French fries were so good we finished those before our other food. The service was also very good.

A delightful old style tea room. I really could not figure out what I wanted from the menus at the end. I had butternut squash soup to start and a chicken pot pie with a salad at the end. And I certainly was not disappointed. I will definitely be back soon

We had a wonderful evening. Brandy, our server was great, and Stephanie Greave's entertainment in song was fabulous. A very fun time!

Very decent food and good service. You get consistent, good quality meals. It's not a fancy place and they make no pretense about it.

We've eaten here twice now and both times have been life experiences! The first dinner we had here I talked about for 2 years. So when we decided to have our 40th anniversary dinner here I was a little worried that we might be disappointed. I'm very happy to say we had a spectacular experience as good or even better that before! You should add this to your bucket list.

Went there on the past Monday, tried their lunch special and the afternoon tea set. Inexpensive and delicious

Went here for the high noon tea. We received very nice service at the beginning and our food came very fast. Unfortunately I was a little disappointed by the selection of food that comes with the full tea. The restaurant had signs that say ‘Best Brownie in Victoria’ but the tea came with date squares and raisin scones. I would not recommend the full tea for younger people because it may not be your cup of tea (haha). Before we finished eating, the bill was quickly dropped off on our table without us asking for it. But otherwise it was decent.

Carnations on every table, and truly the best brownies in Victoria, The Oaks became a family favourite long ago. Great menu, great service and prices. Kid friendly.

We usually head over to the Oaks for the Bastion Jazz band music night, and the staff is always super friendly and the food is great.

Amazing food in one of the oldest coolest buildings in the neighborhood. Great atmosphere. The price can be steep but the quality is there.

We are so relieved to see that the Oaks has brought good character back to Oak Bay. And it's character is compatible with how the Blethering Place was. The Oaks has friendly staff; and also gorgeous carved wood tables throughout. It has become a favourite for both my daughter and me.