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About
We focus on exceptional customer experience through providing fresh fine food (international), a deep wine and spirits list, and exceptional cocktails. Knowledgeable service staff will impress and guide your experience. Often described as a 'hidden gem', look for the neon purple elephant on lower Fort St. near Wharf St. in Victoria's 'Old Town'. We are 'down the hall'. Open 7 days a week for safe socially distanced in-room dining and offering curbside takeout to assist with COVID-19.
PRICE RANGE
US$18 - US$37
Special Diets
Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Dinner, After-hours, Drinks
CUISINES
French, American, Contemporary, Canadian, International
FEATURES
Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Gift Cards Available, Reservations, Seating, Street Parking, Wine and Beer, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
Reviews (370)
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363 results
Traveller rating
229
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveller rating
229
80
32
15
7
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All reviews sablefish burger fries truffle halibut pasta great cocktails combo server foodie olives appies
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Reviewed 4 days ago

Four of us had dinner at Little Jumbo’s the other night and were hugely disappointed. As far as drinks go, it’s clearly a place for cocktails. But wine? No house wines or specials. I paid $26 for a 9 oz glass of Okanagan white—the least...expensive option. Good but overpriced. For our entrée, 3 of us ordered the Beef Short Ribs for $40 each. A classic short ribs meal is fall-off-the-bone delicious but not at Little Jumbo's. We had to ask for steak knives to cut through the tough meat, a far cry from fall-off-the-bone tender. Did I say “meat?” What passed as meat on my plate was largely gristle and chunks of oily fat. Yuck!! I’d be embarrassed to serve a meal like that to my family, let alone charge $40.00 to customers. And presentation? Ha! The chunk of brown meat sat in a pool of unappetizing greyish-beige polenta that covered a couple of bits of pickled kale. Unbelievable. Service? So-so. Atmosphere, dark. Never going back.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed August 4, 2023 via mobile

Went for anniversary dinner. Wine list heavy on Italian wines and over priced. Food was not great. When I asked about the 6 oz beef tenderloin I was told it would generally be medium to well done as it was sous vide. I ordered it...medium rare and the server took the order saying no problem, When the plate arrived the steak had been cut in half so there were two pieces that were put together with a sauce on top to make it look like one piece. Either they cut the meat and then put pieces together to make 6 oz or they were checking the doneness. Either way it’s weird. The veggies were a few pieces of potato and a small bouquet of asparagus. There was a greenish paste on the bottom which was the peas. As one of the most expensive items on the menu, it was disappointing. The Keg next door has better and more consistent steaks. My wife ordered the halibut…tasted very much like previously frozen. Nice size piece but chewy. Not good value. For an appetizer, we ordered the scallops to share. Two scallops arrived at $23 making it really over priced for what you got. Clearly the menu for food is geared to tourists who won’t be back anyway. We saw several couple who came in, had a drink and then left. Maybe it was price shock. I would neither return to dine or recommend to others. That is too bad.More

Date of visit: August 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 11, 2023

For our last donner in Victoria, we decided to go to Little Jumbo. That was obviously a good choice as it was one of our two best dinners out of the four evenings we spent there. We had the clams and mussels dish and the...halibut that were both fresh, tasty and well presented. We finished with the apple dessert and the chocolate pot de crème that were also excellent. Friendly service, prices in line with the quality.More

Date of visit: May 2023
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Reviewed December 29, 2022 via mobile

Service was the only high point of the evening. We were excited to try some of the items from their online menu, but when we arrived, we were given a different menu, and were told the online menu hasn’t been updated for several weeks. The...4 couples who came after us were equally disappointed to see significantly less imaginative menu. We got tuna tartare, which was ok. Halumi with pickled vegetables was overpowered by vinegar. My cod entree tasted fishy, and was the size of an appetizer. Our drinks were pretty average (avoid the truffle vodka drink). There are much better options in Victoria.More

Date of visit: December 2022
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 23, 2022

My sister and I ordered a series of appetizers. Some were very good, some were meh. Service was efficient, knowledgeable and friendly. Wine list is limited but reasonably sufficient, but quite inflated in price.

Date of visit: October 2022
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Reviewed October 19, 2022 via mobile

The service was excellent. Our server was an engaging, knowledgeable young man with a good sense of humour. All 3 stars are for him. My son had the steak, my wife and daughter-in-law had the tagliatelle, and I had the burger. Steak good, tagliatelles average,...and the burger was absolutely dreadful. At $32 for a burger, I was expecting something exceptional. Instead the bun might have been from a local grocery store, the lettuce was fresh and crisp, the sauce was thin and tasteless, the cheese was a very, very thin slice of white processed cheese (Costco?), the meat paddy was thin, over-cooked, dry, and hard to chew, and on the bottom bun resided 3 pathetic little slices of pickle out of a jar. A disaster!! My wife ordered coffee and was told they don't serve coffee. Our server was gracious enough to take the cost of the burger off the bill. Given the very limited menu and the high prices, one would expect the restaurant to do much better.More

Date of visit: October 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 7, 2022 via mobile

Hidden at the end of a tiled corridor is a lively and spirited place with a delicious menu and sexy bar. Buzzy and full of foodie good feels we fell in love with our kind waiter Matt!! We gobbled everything he pushed on us and...happily wattled out of the restaurant sated. Get anything sweet Matt suggests.. You’re welcome.More

Date of visit: August 2022
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Reviewed July 27, 2022

This was our second visit to Little Jumbo (first time was a few years ago). Conclusion: It's just not worth the price and we will not go back. For example, wild Sablefish at $37. This was a tiny little piece (about four bites). Potato Gnocchi...($25) was tasty, but nothing offered on the side (just pasta). Albacore Tuna Tartare ($18) was good. Drinks were very good, but too expensive. I liked the limited menu (seven entrees to choose from), but there were no specials. So a packed, overpriced, and trendy looking restaurant with average food -- characteristics that I'm going to strive harder to avoid.More

Date of visit: July 2022
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 27, 2022

While in town for meetings, our company organized a dinner here. We were treated to a set menu and feature cocktails..... Amazing how well the staff handled our group, and the cocktails were incredible. I want to go back to try the regular menu, because...the set menu was so good, I can only imagine how great the daily menu isMore

Date of visit: April 2022
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Reviewed May 31, 2022

Wow! From the drinks to the food to the atmosphere it was an elevated experience. Lauren, our sever made excellent food and drink recommendations. Matthew our bar tender crafted the best riff on a prohibition cocktail ever! It was an amazing evening and we look...forward to next time.More

Date of visit: May 2022
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Reviewed May 25, 2022 via mobile

My husband and I went to Victoria for the long weekend a were looking for a restaurant with a romantic atmosphere. Little jumbo was perfect! The staff was great and the food was even better! Highly recommend if you’re in the area!

Date of visit: May 2022
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Reviewed May 25, 2022 via mobile

This place is amazing. Of all the restaurants in Victoria, this may be the best. The cocktails area incredible. The atmosphere is sophisticated and urbane. Literally the best place in Victoria to eat.

Date of visit: May 2022
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Reviewed March 23, 2022 via mobile

The deep fried brie appetizer that came on a bed of blueberry compote with pickled beets was absolutely DELICIOUS! The cocktails were strong and tasty, each drink came in a different glass. The main was so-so.

Date of visit: March 2022
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Reviewed February 27, 2022 via mobile

My partner and I decided to try this place due to the great reviews. I'm baffled as to how anyone gave this more than 1 or 2 stars. I would give this 0 stars if I could. Cocktails: mine was $25, hers was $20. Why?...They were just ok, but overly sweet. Mine was supposed to have mint and numerous other things in it, but it just tasted like a whiskey sour. Way overpriced. The steak and frites: more like frites with a 4 oz steak.. for $45. The steak was presliced.. why? Probably to make it look larger than it was on the plate. It still looked laughably small. Oh, and it tasted horribly overwhelmed by pepper. It was then drenched in a very acrid reduction and some white sauce that literally tasted like nothing. Oh, and it came with a bunch of frites.. Pork chop: her plate looked ridiculous too, all the food was on one side of the plate, such a tiny portion. The pork was just ok, but nothing special enough to warrant $38! It came with a scoop of mash that tasted like a salt puck and three olives, which made literally no sense on the plate.. For a place that supposedly prides itself on fresh local ingredients, I was surprised not to find a single vegetable on our plate. When asking the server, they said it was $6 extra for vegetables. Sorry, I didn't realize the $40 entree wouldn't cover vegetables as well. There is no way this food is prepared by professional chefs. I am so frustrated that a place like this gets great reviews after ripping so many people off. Do yourself a favour and eat at Brassiere L'ecole or The Palms instead. The food is a billion times better, it comes with vegetables and more than 2 components on your plate, and is far more reasonably priced. I don't know how little jumbo can justify charging more than those places... Even though this came to well over $100, we were still hungry afterwards because of the ridiculous portion sizes. We eneded up going home and cooking ourselves another meal which, I know, is kind of pathetic.More

Date of visit: February 2022
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed February 6, 2022

Booked for 5 for dine around. Table was set for 4 requested another chair told to squeeze up on the bench. Eventually they did supply a chair! Arrived a reservation time approx 30mins after seating asked the server if we could get drinks and order....Food arrived 1 hour after placing order. The dine around menu was not available only if the whole table ordered. Food was not hot and not very good. We were also informed we had to leave at 8.15 we had only received our meal less than half and hour before that time. Asked for coffee said they didn't have any. Not offered desert menu. Whole experience from beginning to end was disappointing to say the least.More

Date of visit: February 2022
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
OttawaMcG
April 16, 2019|
AnswerShow all 5 answers
Response from mesachie | Reviewed this property |
Many restaurants will adapt, so it is good to ask. Great drinks and food!
0
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Kristely K
September 6, 2018|
AnswerShow all 5 answers
Response from MrFX | Reviewed this property |
Hi, my wife is gluten free, we have eaten at Little Jumbo twice without a problem. We know someone who works in the kitchen and can confirm that it is not only one of the cleanest commercial kitchens around but the Chef and... More
1
Vote
Kfv6
April 12, 2017|
AnswerShow all 8 answers
Response from Intrepid2010 | Property representative |
Certainly children are welcome. I would suggest on nights other than Friday and Saturday. We are a delight for children with an adventurous palate. 10 and 12 year-olds would like the room, vibe and service. Younger... More
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LITTLE JUMBO RESTAURANT AND BAR, Victoria - Updated 2023 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Little Jumbo Restaurant and Bar

Little Jumbo Restaurant and Bar is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5