Q at The Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, is a culinary gem that embodies the perfect blend of elegance, tradition, and contemporary dining. Nestled within the Fairmont Empress Hotel, an iconic symbol of luxury and refinement since its inception in 1908, Q Restaurant offers guests an exceptional dining experience. Q Restaurant is committed to showing to showcasing the region’s finest ingredients and the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. The menu at Q focuses on using locally sourced, sustainable, and seasonal ingredients. In addition to the culinary delights, the impeccable service at Q Restaurant is another reason I always come back. The staff are always attentive and knowledgeable and provide such a great dining experience. Whenever I am in Victoria, this restaurant is a must visit spot for me. Check out my full review of Q at the Empress below!
Q at The Empress – Dinner Menu (Attract)
The dinner menu for Q at the Empress is available daily from 5:30PM – 9:30PM. The menu is divided into three parts – Attract, Engage and Delight. The menu changes seasonally at Q, but on my visit I had the following starters from the ‘Attract’ portion of the menu:
- Chilled Dungeness Crab Salad ($32.00)
- Poached Side Stripe Prawns ($28.00)
- Leek Ash Crusted Brant Lake Wagyu ($32.00)
The Chilled Dungeness Crab Salad features English pea nage, preserved lemon, breakfast radish and almond crumble. This dish was absolutely delightful and the perfect end of Summer appetizer. There was plenty of sweet crab that pairs so well with the peas and the citrus of the lemon. A table favourite.
The Poached Side Stripe Prawns features charred cucumber, preserved rhubarb, tarragon emulsion and nasturtium. The dish was artfully plated with lovely sweet prawns. The rhubarb was quite crisp as if it had been dehydrated and texturally it was a great contrast to the rest of the dish.
The Leek Ash Crusted Brant Lake Wagyu features chili-mushroom vinaigrette, miso aioli, shaved daikon, smoked shoyu and puffed rice. Of all our appetizers, this one definitely had the strongest flavours. The chili mushroom vinaigrette packs a great punch and goes really well with the fattiness of the wagyu. Overall, a very strong start to our meal.
Q at The Empress – Dinner Menu (Engage)
Moving onto our mains we got the following:
- Pan Seared Haida Gwaii Halibut ($55.00)
- Alder Smoked Sockeye Salmon ($49.00)
- Chargrilled Canadian Beef 6oz Sterling Silver Tenderloin ($62.00)
The Pan Seared Haida Gwaii Halibut features halibut brandade, leek emulsion, BC chanterelle mushrooms and asparagus. The halibut was well cooked with a crispy skin. The fish itself was moist and delicate and the mushrooms and asparagus pairs beautifully with the delicate flavours of the halibut.
The Alder Smoked Sockeye Salmon features potato gnocchi, pan roasted zucchini, pickled fennel, buttermilk & dill. The salmon was very moist and melt in your mouth soft (in the best way!). The dill and buttermilk topping was akin to a very fancy tartar sauce and went very well with the salmon and crisp gnocchi. There was also a lovely garnish of ikura which gave the dish lovely pops of saltiness to balance out the overall richness of the dish.
The Chargrilled Canadian Beef 6oz Sterling Silver Tenderloin features kennebec rosti, honey-glazed cipollini, maitake mushroom, and smoked bone marrow butter. The tenderloin was a perfect medium rare as requested. And while the tenderloin was delicious, the star for me was the Kennebec rosti. It was so light and crispy with a delicious soft potato interior. I could eat a plate of these and be so incredibly happy!
Worth a Try?
Absolutely. Q at The Empress is an absolute must visit for me every time that I am in Victoria. It’s such a luxurious dining experience that I cannot recommend enough. The dishes are always spectactular and the service is always on point. It’s a great restaurant for intimate dinners, celebrations and birthdays.
Q at The Empress
Address: 721 Government St, Victoria, BC V8W 1W5
Website: http://www.qattheempress.com
