Canoe Brewpub, Victoria, BC, Canada

It was a long weekend a couple of weeks ago and three of us made the most of the 1st August on the patio of "Canoe Club", Brad was already there and advised against the chicken breast sandwich... but even with that off the list, there was still plenty to choose from...

I started with a Caesar (I was on a mission to only drink Caesars when I was out during my entire Canadian holiday....) - they garnish their Caesars with a mini pepper and cocktail olive...

Gareth & I shared the Ploughman's Platter ($16.50) - Oyama York Prosciutto, Dry Cured Salami, Duck & Pork Rillettes, Hilary's Cheese, Pale Ale Cheddar, House Pickled Veg, Onion Jam and Toasted Bread .. we were originally going to order just the Pork & Duck Rillettes ($6.50) (what you see in the ramekin) but our server suggested the Ploughman's instead and we were stoked to have gone with his suggestion... the soft cheddar was super yummy.. we needed an extra side of bread ($1) to go with all the yumminess on offer!

I had to switch to Mojitos after two Caesars as the salt content in the Caesars was just too much on a hot sunny day... their house Mojito is made with Havana Club and hibiscus syrup and on Mondays is on special for $6 (2oz pour)... I had absolutely no trouble downing a couple of these!!

At about the 4 hour mark, we decided we were all still a bit peckish so decided to get the Flatbread to share among the three of us...  we went for the Galloping Goose Italian Sausage & Cherry Bomb Peppers option ($15) and it was the perfect amount to nibble...

As the sun started to dip below the horizon I wanted a sweet treat to wrap up our fabulous 6 or 7 hours spent in the sun, we had seen plate after plate of the Ice Cream Sandwiches go by but they were huge and I wasn't in the mood for that much sugar after a couple of Mojitos, the server gave their Creme Brulee ($7.50) the thumbs up and that was all the encouragement I needed.. the sugar top was toasted to perfection, crunchy with a bit of caramalisation without being burnt..  I wrangled Gareth into sharing and it was the perfect amount to satisfy the sweet tooth!

I think the fact we were there for about 7 hours is testament to how enjoyable it was to spend a sunny day on their patio! Add my 4 cocktails and Gareth's 5 or 6 pints and our final bill came to just over $100 after tax.. throw in 10% tip, $55 each for 7 glorious hours of great service and fantastic food = well worth it in my mind!

If you find yourself in Victoria on a hot sunny day, definitely check out Canoe Brewpub!! Even on a not so sunny day, drop by and dine in the "designated heritage building that underwent a $6,000,000 renovation in the late 90′s. The soaring timber frame and rustic brick architecture create a vibrant atmosphere and provides a setting just as beautiful, albeit different, than the patio outside." - extract taken from Victoria Explorer's review on Canoe.