Bar 500 Eatery

Bar 500 is a lounge on the ground floor of a hotel. They have a small dining area with a bar, and a small menu for food and drinks.

We came for dinner and had:
- Arugula Pear Salad - Yum, great pairing of flavors and refreshing.
- Scallop Pasta - This dish was AMAZING! We couldn't get enough.
- Lamb Rack - Was just ok; it was a bit dry.
- Beet It martini - The Empress gin they just was very present in the drink and went down smooth. I liked it.

Overall, delicious food. Apparently if you are staying at the hotel, you get a discount. The service was on the slow side though so don't be in a rush when you come.

If you're staying at the Oswego, you owe it to yourself to try the 500 Restaurant and Bar. They have a decent menu. While limited in choices, what they do make is top drawer across the board.

We first ordered room service for brunch. I had the gravlax on an Everything bagel. It was topped with fried capers and pickled red onions while, underneath, the bagel had dill cream cheese spread on it. The combinations worked beautifully! The bagel was so fresh and the gravlax was amazing! I'd order that anytime of the day.

Our second time, we are in the restaurant. I had the breakfast sandwich - a perfectly fried egg, two HUGE strips of bacon, lettuce, cheese and some kind of pesto mayo that was excellent. All this on a perfectly toasted brioche bun. Hands down as good as any burger out there.

We also got to enjoy some entertainment by Edie DaPonte on "Jazz Night." She's so colorful and talented, you can't help but sit back and enjoy the show. One caveat, reservations are needed if you want to dine while taking in the show (or probably any other night as well) because the dining area, itself is small. There were only a few extra lounge chairs you could use if you just wanted a drink.

Prices are somewhat higher than what you'd expect. But, the quality of the meals is well worth it. We'd come back anytime.

First place recommended to us once we arrived in Victoria and it didn't dissapoint. I had the breakfast sandwich and it was very good and had a pesto sauce inside that outed perfectly

Fantastic food, ambiance & service. Be sure to get the scallops appetizer (soooo good) and the desserts!

Two terrible experiences within one week. Bar 500 service & food is awful! The limited menu doesn't accommodate anyone who can't handle or doesn't want spices. After an evening of chaos and rudeness - an opinion shared by friends at my table and other people in the so-called restaurant - I phoned the manager. He assured me the bad experience didn't represent the restaurant's character. So I went back - and the only difference was the service & food was worse!

Great restaurant but amazing service! Our waitress, Dor, was extremely welcoming and attentive. The price was relatively high, but the live music and great service made up for it!

Would hit up again.

It was my last night in Victoria, searching hopelessly for a great meal that doesn't include 5 million tourists consuming my experience. Was I pleasantly surprised when I found this little hidden gem in Oswego Hotel.

In my experience, this is a great place to get away from the crowds to enjoy a great meal in a neighborhood setting. I enjoyed the cheese plate for starters, which was a great way to enjoy some of the local flavors. For dinner, the risoto was delicious. Since it was the last night, I endulged my inner glutton with a bit of dessert, which matched the quality and flavor of the rest of the meal.

I'm glad I got to find a great place for dinner in Victoria before I left, otherwise I think I would have been dreaming about old lady cruise wear for the rest of my life!

Great quiet little place, not huge sized portions, and the lemon tart was to die for!! So were the tortillini, hubby had the buffalo burger and said it was great!

We eat in restaurants all over Victoria. Our first time here was a pleasant surprise. There is a new chef and new menu and it's a winner. Very fresh, very well prepared. The service was very attentive and responsive. We were here on Wednesday, jazz evening and the atmosphere made for a very nice dinner. We highly recommend it and we'll be back.

- appealing, comfortable atmosphere, though lacked charm
- median age of the guests is well over 65
- bad food presented well - each plate looked terrific, but seriously lacked culinary expertise (steak undercooked)
- friendly service, but poorly trained staff (no refills on water or coffee, meal satisfaction check far too late into the dinner, plate clearing and bill payment took forever)
- ridiculous coffee cups (you need one tiny woman finger to get through the handle)