Address: 50 Bastion Square
Phone: (250) 361-9223
Website: rebarmodernfood.ca
Price: $15ish an entree
Notes: Very vegan & vegetarian friendly!
ReBar has been on my radar as good food in Victoria for longer than most restaurants I now visit. This is because most of my extended feminist crowd from high school and university has worked here at one time or another. I think it's just one of those places that attracts awesome people with strong opinions. It is certainly somewhere making a statement about food in a strong way - there is no meat on the menu (although there is fish) and lots of soy based things (which limits and already small menu for me but that's just me and my silly allergies...).
The space itself is bright and vibrant - lime green walls, bright mexican-esque tablecloths, mosaics everywhere. The tables are pretty crammed it, but it manages somehow not to be too loud. They collect a rather eclectic crowd - activists of all kinds, families, yuppies and hippies and yuppie-hippies. It's nice because you know everything is from scratch and quality ingredients before you even start. They seem to always be busy, but the line ups aren't too bad and you can make reservations.
The other nice thing which I always manage to forget when I'm downtown is that there is a full juice bar inside, where you can get fresh squeezed anything to go or to stay, including some wheatgrass which grows in the restaurant. I always loved that detail!
Service:
September 18, 2011
Our server was as attentive as he could be in a packed restaurant on a Saturday night! We were there with my aunt & uncle, and my uncle is allergic to onions. The server was very good about taking care of that - including discounting the dish when it was delayed because he caught the fact that the dish had hidden onions and they had to scramble re-make it. My uncle was very impressed, he said usually servers don't care that much...
Food:
September 18, 2011
These enchiladas were very good. The flavours were very fresh. I am going to have trouble describing them, we were being social and that's always harder to take notes while doing, but the one thing that really stood out was that the food was super flavourful without being super spicy or overpowering... the flavours were all very subtle. The rice was was a very good example of that - really savoury spices, but nothing that really stood out but it wasn't bland in the slightest. The crunchiness of the baked enchilada was nice, and I liked the pumpkin seeds on top, as well as the cheesiness. The coleslaw on the side was very nice - I am not always a fan, but it worked pretty well although I'm a little confused as to why it was in a bowl. I will never pretend to understand plating... I guess it's technically a side salad of sorts. Overall - a good meal, and pretty good value at $15 for a main course!
