On our trip to Vancouver Island recently, I visited Rudi in Downtown Victoria. The restaurant serves European-inspired food through a West Coast perspective using ingredients from Vancouver Island farms, fishers, brewers and winemakers. Many of the dishes are made for sharing.
Rudi is part of Cottage Hospitality Group, which also owns Wind Cries Mary and Birdman in Victoria.
The interior design is inspired by an old railway car. The dining room has dark teal panelling and brass details. The dining space is accented by a long marble bar with red leather stools and small pictures hanging above.
I went to try the new $22 Girl Dinner menu. Bar snacks are normally $8 each, or you can choose three for $22. You need to sit at the bar to order this feature menu.
Here’s what I tried.
The Bacon-Wrapped Dates were soft and quite sweet. The bacon was dark around the edges and gave them a salty, smoky taste.
There were two Arancini on the spread. They were crisp on the outside with soft rice and melted cheese in the middle.
The Chicken Drumsticks came covered in hot honey with ranch sauce on the side. The sauce was sweet with a bit of heat. The meat was nicely tender inside and I dipped the chicken into the ranch, which cooled down the spice.
It was enough food for a light meal, especially with a drink.
I tried the house Daiquiri della Casa, made with house amaro, rum, lime and sugar. It had a tart lime flavour with some bitterness from the amaro.
Overall, I had a relaxed time at Rudi for a drink and a few snacks.
Rudi
710 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
