Mary and I pondered the logic of naming a place the Office if you expect people to visit voluntarily. Inside, we observed the same layout as in the last few places to occupy this space, with some black leather and an intriguing violet couch.
The result? A very 20-something lounge vibe, or perhaps the kind of place you might find someone having a drink from a list of themed cocktails with someone other than their spouse.
Once our server confirmed it was our first visit, he provided a quick rundown of the menu, which offers thoughtfully constructed dishes and the opportunity to create your own in several categories. He then advised us of the one item they were out of and the specials, which included a few drinkable wines by the glass at $6 or less, including the tax.
We ordered a plate of spring rolls stuffed with tender beef brisket and shitake mushrooms, with kimchi coleslaw and a rich dip made predominantly with hoisin sauce, which lasted about two minutes, despite the ample portion.
Fortunately, the salad we composed -- baby gem romaine, spinach, chick peas and bacon, glistening with miso vinaigrette -- was also generous.
Main courses arrived promptly and were every bit as good. Mary had a lamb (sorry, had to say it) burger garnished with brie, crispy onions and beet compote, and a mess of absurdly good fries.
My custom main course featured a grilled New York steak with green beans, red wine sauce and macaroni smothered with a sauce crafted with five cheeses.
Every element of both of these dishes was better than expected, and after our appetizers, our expectations were fairly high.
We ended with vanilla bean gelato, Lavazza coffee and a sticky toffee pudding so authentic that it would transform a British banker back into a crying public schoolboy in a single bite.
Notably, daily specials here are accurately titled. Options for a three-course dinner and a movie (including a ticket voucher for a nearby cinema) on Monday nights have recently included squash pur脙聢e, mixed field greens or braised lamb cheeks with quail egg, shitake mushrooms and corn emulsion to begin. Follow this with pan-roasted wild salmon with cauliflower risotto and arugula salad, or lamb sirloin drizzled with arugula pesto and served with Yukon gold potatoes, and coffee and dessert.
Ten-dollar pizza, pasta and gourmet burger nights will get you through the rest of the week and, if you should find yourself peckish after 10 p.m., all appetizers are offered for $8.
We were impressed by the fact that the service was genuinely friendly and that the supervisor was hands-on, not simply standing behind the bar with an air of misguided superiority, which seems to happen all too often in downtown Victoria.
Product knowledge was superior and delivery was enthusiastic, which is infectious. Other venues take note: If you aren't excited about what you are doing, no one else will be, either.
The Office will soon open for lunch and is expanding to include a dining room. Ownership has apparently already changed since they opened a few months ago, so I want to offer some advice. I love the idea of being able to eat something good with a glass of decent wine for $20, including tax and tip. Chef Will Willgress, late of Vancouver's Circolo and his own venue, Drift, in Nanaimo, has both a judicious hand and palate (I finally ate something made with truffle essence outside of a French restaurant in Victoria that didn't reek of the stuff) and understands fusion means more than switching up the odd ingredient here and there.
Food here is made with care using quality ingredients, and they aren't cutting corners.
Leave the floor in the hands of the capable and charming Sebastian Silva.
We wondered why only the male servers were wearing "office" attire, which seems like a missed opportunity to expand what could be an interesting theme.
My only other gripe is that during all three visits, no one was keeping an eye on the door. Twice, as I waited to be seated, I watched staff at the bar chatting and texting on their cellphones, unloading shopping bags, applying makeup and so forth. That shouldn't happen once the doors are open to the public. But if they fix that, things here are pretty close to perfect.
RATINGS
Rating 1 Below bad
Rating 2 Below average
Rating 3 Average
Rating 4 Above average
Rating 5 Excellent
