Victoria is well-known for its quaint, British-inflected downtown core. But across the Johnson Street Bridge, just west of the city centre, are the equally pretty Victoria West and the township of Esquimalt. The area’s sense of community, lush waterfront parks, charming old houses and thriving small businesses are all easily accessible from Rosemead House, a splashy boutique hotel owned by developer Lenny Moy.
For years, this property was known as the Old English Inn, a storied, time-worn institution that Moy bought in 2016. Since then, he has invested $25 million into a vibrant, maximalist refresh. Think reams of technicolour William Morris wallpaper, claw-foot tubs and thousands of antiques. Most have been purchased by Moy himself at auctions of goods from British hotels the Dorchester and the Savoy, including everything from minibars to writing desks to light fixtures. “We buy pieces, have them shipped here, and then do refurbishment,” says Moy, who maintains a nearby warehouse to stash his luxurious loot.
As the hotel’s entry gates make clear, there’s nothing West Coast Modern about the place. They’re Buckingham Palace replicas nabbed from the set of the Crown. “Purposefully, we wanted colours to pop, we didn’t want anything subtle,” he says of design elements like plush upholstery in red, pink and blue geometric motifs. Overall, the feeling is extravagance or bust, an ethos that extends to creature comforts like deluxe mattresses from the Swedish company Duxiana.
At Fry’s Bakery, fresh fragrant loaves of sourdough draw visitors inside.
From the hotel, it’s easy to access Esquimalt’s gourmet destinations. Grab a complimentary e-bike or your walking shoes and head to Fry’s Bakery. Owner Byron Fry comes from a Canadian baking legacy dating back to the late 1800s; today, the bakery uses historic methods to craft its many varieties of sourdough. Locally, Fry’s is known for its pretzels, sausage rolls and weekly specials. “We have a long-standing tradition of turning the bakery into a pizza shop every Sunday,” Fry says.
A five-minute walk from Fry’s is the Market Garden, which is best described as what it would look like if Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll opened a boutique grocer. A labyrinth of rooms is packed with whimsical products: imported, ladybug-shaped marzipans; a cabinet of glacé fruit; a non-alcoholic wine cellar. Stock up on truffle chips and candied orange peel while, on weekends, a live pianist serenades shoppers. The store’s owners recently opened Sabayons grocer in the former Bay Centre in downtown Victoria.
For lunch, try a home-cooked Syrian meal at Syriana, which founder Safaa Naeman opened in 2023 after moving to Esquimalt as a refugee and becoming a farmers’ market star with pastries like cheese fatayer. “This is such a warm, close, friendly community,” Naeman says of her decision to put down roots. This season, she will debut a second location focusing on coffees and desserts near the Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion.
Driftwood Brewery’s sunny patio is an excellent spot for an afternoon beer and a snack. Local business Dumpling Drop runs a kitchen out of the brewery, meaning crispy dumplings and steamed baos come at you hot and fresh. Rosemead House’s own restaurant, Janevca, offers a dinner menu of wood-fired meats, pizza and Pacific seafood in a dining room festooned with a seasonally changing artificial tree canopy. Complete your meal with pastry chef Brian Bradley’s trompe l’oeil Peach Melba, served on plates from the Savoy, where the dessert originated.
To caffeinate, stop by either of Esquimalt Roasting Company’s two locations on a Wednesday and breathe in the delicious smell of toasting coffee. Sampler packs of its single-origin beans make an energizing souvenir. Hide + Seek coffee, a little gem tucked right next to the Market Garden, has a hip and homey atmosphere, lovely for lingering with an espresso and accompanying glass of seltzer.
Grab a coffee at the nearby Marina Bay Cafe, a space built with the Deaf community in mind.
Or take a stroll down the West Bay Walkway to visit Marina Bay Cafe, where owner Maria Tanjaoui has intentionally “created a space without voices and without music,” for an environment that “respects visual communication and Deaf culture,” she writes in an email. The Turtle Latte, with caramel, hazelnut, chocolate and a pinch of salt is a customer favourite, and you can get a Birthday Matcha topped with rainbow sprinkles any day of the year.
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There are many scenic paths in Esquimalt and Vic West. Just a couple of blocks from Rosemead House, amble by the maritime meadows and abandoned navy barracks of Macaulay Point Park (Esquimalt is home to a Royal Canadian Navy base).
North America’s oldest Japanese garden can be found in Esquimalt Gorge Park. Learn about the Kishida and Takata families, who built this garden and a long-gone tea house near the turn of the 20th century and suffered its loss when they were forced to move to an internment camp in 1942.
Today, the township has restored the park with a serene ornamental stream, Japanese bridge, and traditional torii welcome gate. From June to late September, the Gorge Park Pavilion hosts Monday evening markets, a one-stop shop for feeling immersed in Esquimalt’s festive energy.
Stays from $399/night through rosemeadhouse.ca
The Globe and Mail Style Magazine travelled as a guest of Rosemead House and Tourism Victoria, which did not review or approve this article. Stories are based on merit; The Globe does not guarantee coverage.