Last month I wrote an item on the of popular Esquimalt restaurant the Sunnyside Cafe. One of the two owners (Lisa and Lisa) suffered a health emergency, and so, after a many weeks of the restaurant sitting closed and vacant, they decided to sell.
New owner Mark Herring sent me a note earlier this month to say he'd bought the聽 place and was keeping the name and the menu. This is good news for Esquimalt, which will retain one of its few family-friendly restaurants. It was a popular meeting spot for the community.
I had a chance to visit the newly-reopened Sunnyside Cafe this past weekend. I'm no restaurant reviewer (I will defer to the excellent Pam Grant should she one day visit) but I was quite pleased with the service and food.
There's enough staff there to keep the tables clean and available, which is important because there's not a lot of space and seating is at a premium. The menu was unchanged, and I'm happy to report the eggs benedict (which I consider the best in Greater Victoria) had the same delicious hollandaise sauce that the restaurant is known for. The portions appear to be a bit smaller than they used to be (fewer potatoes, for example) but that's understandable as new owners find their feet and try to work a profit into start-up costs. There's still enough food on the plate to fill you up.
Overall, it's great for Esquimalt to have this restaurant back up and running. Until the township builds its new village square, it's perhaps the best place to get a coffee and brunch downtown.
The Sunnyside Cafe is located at 1234 Esquimalt Road.
