The Mint
• 1414 Douglas Street | Victoria, BC | V8W 2G1
Average User Rating:
7.83/10
7.83/10
Recommended by:
83%
83%
Sort Reviews by:
"Best. Restaurant. Ever."
Melissa
September 2010 — "I love everything about this place. We went twice in two weeks; and we don't go out very often.
I love the romantic atmosphere you really only get by being in a downstairs restaurant, and the fabulous decor.
I love the eastern influences, but I love that they don't restrict themselves to a specific cuisine- they have naan pizzas, pastas, curry platters, and they all work together just fine. The food here is incredible; I just can't get over it.
I love how passionate the staff are. Our server truly came to life when we asked about the drink special; Phillip's Brewery's limited edition Gentleman Jim's Real Ginger Ale. We had it for dessert; but what could have possibly paired better with a curry than a beer made from crushed ginger?
I love this place."
User Rating
10/10
10/10
Ambience
••••••••••
Beverages
••••••••••
Cleanliness
••••••••••
Quality of Food
••••••••••
Staff Service
••••••••••
Value for Money
••••••••••
"Impressed"
Shane
June 2009 — "My partner and I met with another couple at The Mint, and it was my first time to the restaurant. The restaurant is in the basement, and it takes your eyes a minute to adjust, as it was very dimly lit and some tables seemed to be almost completely in the dark, maybe a good place to take the not-so-great looking first date! It was recommended to me by a friend and he couldn't explain the type of food they had and I saw why. It was a very interesting mix of Indian curries, Italian tapas plates, Asian mains and classic entrees. All of us were very happy with the Indian curry dinners we ordered, as it was the first thing you can smell upon entering the restaurant. We also shared a large tapas platter with olives, bread and cheese, so I don't think anyone was actually able to finish their meals. The curry was very authentic, and came with rice, Indian sides and yogurt. They also have a very impressive drink list including some great sounding cocktails, and I will definitely return for another visit. "
User Rating
7.33/10
7.33/10
Ambience
••••••••••
Beverages
••••••••••
Cleanliness
••••••••••
Quality of Food
••••••••••
Staff Service
••••••••••
Value for Money
••••••••••
"At the Mint"
Allison
June 2009 — "My date and I visited 'The Mint' this past June. We both highly recommend this restaurant to others. The atmosphere is comfortable, and somewhat trendy. Lighting is low however so be sure to bring your good eyes! We met another couple there who suggested the restaurant having heard good things from others.
We started with an antipasto plate, which was big enough to fill all 4 of us for a starter, and very fresh. Creamy cheeses, proscuito, humus and olives with different breads and crackers to try each flavour with. Everything was very good, good enough that 2 people could have easily filled up before the main course.
For the main course, i ordered the Butter Chicken Naan Bread Pizza. It was very thick, and full of flavour. The bread was fresh out of the oven and the chicken was very tender and juicy. It had an authentic sauce with it, and fresh herbs on top added a very seasonal taste. I could not finish my dish, however certainly took it home to enjoy later.
The others at our table all ordered different curries, all looking mouth watering good.
I will most certainly be back to try more of 'The Mint's ' food and to enjoy the good service and relaxing atmosphere."
User Rating
7.33/10
7.33/10
Ambience
••••••••••
Beverages
••••••••••
Cleanliness
••••••••••
Quality of Food
••••••••••
Staff Service
••••••••••
Value for Money
••••••••••
"Fantastic Ambience"Sara
November 2008 — "I'd been to The Mint once before and really enjoyed the ambience. It was my birthday and I thought we'd have it at this funky hidden restaurant. When a few of us arrived at 6pm, I was surprised at this side room they have for larger groups (about four tables that hold 8-10 people). I didn't notice it the first time probably because I was there at 10pm and the place was packed. It's a fairly dark setting with candles and low lighting, hardwood floors and brick walls. Unique art displayed on the walls and a live DJ in the evenings.
The food is excellent! Great mix of spices, nothing too bland or too hot. There were a few different dishes ordered at our table and everyone seemed to really enjoy their meal. I had a butter chicken dish that came with rice and a couple different kinds of vegetables. Delicious and more than enough food! The draw back to The Mint is all the waiting you do for your food and drinks. One guy at our table waited about 45 minutes for his drink. They claim they're Tibetan and Nepalese cuisine is authentic but we were starting to wonder if they were growing the wheat in the back room?! The drinks are also very expensive. The first time I checked this place out, we ordered appetizers and drinks and they took just as long. Our waiter was friendly and suited the place. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting to try some excellent food and don't mind waiting for it."
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
Ambience
••••••••••
Beverages
••••••••••
Cleanliness
••••••••••
Quality of Food
••••••••••
Staff Service
••••••••••
Value for Money
••••••••••
"Good Food, Good time...Good God ya'll!"Tiemen
November 2008 — "After living a year and a half in Victoria, and having numerous people recommend The Mint, we finally had an excuse to try it out this past weekend. A friend of ours was having a small Birthday get together, and had made reservations at the popular downtown eatery. We headed downtown to make our 6PM reservation only to realize that the Santa Clause parade was also happening that evening. Sure, parking downtown at 6PM on most Saturdays shouldn’t pose much of a problem…but that evening, it was an adventure. Whatever, it was a nice evening and a few blocks walk just helped us work up a healthy appetite for our supper. The first thing that impressed me about The Mint, it’s unpretentious location. It’s located in the basement of an unassuming building along Douglas. Not a very inviting place (at least on first inspection) for the tourist crowd, but local 20/30 somethings seem to flock to the place. The restaurant was doing brisk business when we arrived at the supper hour…and it was absolutely packed when we left around 10PM. I’ve got to say, despite it’s dingy subterranean entrance, The Mint is a really comfortable and hip room. It’s got atmospheric lighting, art on the walls, exposed brick walls, and plenty of seating. It’s open late, until 2am, 7 days a week, and they have a DJ spinning background music after 10pm (on weekends for sure). Like I said, the crowd was made up of mostly people in their 20’s and 30’s…I saw a lot of people that looked like they were on dates, plenty of parties of 6 to 8 people, and a lot of young hipsters making the scene. So, I guess it was a cool enough room…but we were there to eat…so I guess I should talk about food. We started with drinks. I took a tip from one of the people at our table and ordered a large bottle of one of Unibroue’s latest, while other people at the table enjoyed cocktails and mixed drinks from The Mint’s extensive liquor list. W enjoyed our drinks while trying to decide what to order from the menu. The Mint specializes in Nepalese and Tibetan cuisine, so there is no shortage of amazing sounding dishes. In fact, pretty much everything on the menu looked like something I’d enjoy. I settled on the Curry Plate, which featured three of their popular curries, Butter Chicken, Spicy Curried Lamb and a Veggie curry. I came with plenty of rice, a side of vegetables, and was absolutely delicious. Great presentation, and interesting mix of flavors, and large portions…even as thrifty as I am, $18 was more than a fair price for what I was served. Now, the $12 for the beer I ordered before supper, was a little ridiculous….but we’ll let that slide. We finished the meal off with a piece of Flourless Chocolate cake, which although it didn’t have the texture of a cake at all, was rich and delicious. The service was pretty bad. We waited for pretty much everything, but the quality and selection of the food and liquor made up for it. It’s a hip restaurant for young people that delivers in atmosphere and has a great menu. It’s not cheap, but on most menu items, the prices are pretty reasonable. If you’re looking for a quick, cheap bite, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a place to take a date for a night out with great food and drink…or want to hit a place for the whole evening with group of friends…there’s probably no better place to be in Victoria. It’s also one of the only decent restaurants open past 1am, downtown.
"
User Rating
8.33/10
8.33/10
Ambience
••••••••••
Beverages
••••••••••
Cleanliness
••••••••••
Quality of Food
••••••••••
Staff Service
••••••••••
Value for Money
••••••••••
"Victoria's Cool"Jessica
May 2007 — "The Mint is a basement evening bar/lounge offering cocktails and appetizers to the after hours business culture and twenty-something crowd. Its appeal is mostly in the motif it provides – dimly lit candles create a cozy, intimate setting along with the brick walls and dark wooden tables. The artwork of The Mint’s long, narrow space ranges bizarrely from welded images of Canadian wildlife on one wall to tribal warrior masks on the opposite wall. The two forms of art are not obviously cohesive and the jarring difference makes for interesting conversation. The wait staff have funky individual character and are definitely personality sellers without being overbearing. The cocktails weren’t all that great, however. Victoria’s a small town and may not offer the cosmopolitan excellence available in larger cities with which I’m more familiar. The appetizers were simple and ended up being what they said they were: I had “The Mint Salad,” a simple salad of greens, Mediterranean anti-pasta, and goat’s cheese. My friend had a small butter-chicken pizza and Tibetan momos (dumplings), both of which were cute unconventional creations satisfying her curiosity for something a little different. The Mint offers dj sessions certain nights where the atmosphere turns into more of a “scene:” being seen and seeing the “locally cool” of Victoria. "
User Rating
6.17/10
6.17/10
Ambience
••••••••••
Beverages
••••••••••
Cleanliness
••••••••••
Quality of Food
••••••••••
Staff Service
••••••••••
Value for Money
••••••••••
DescriptionThe Mint is a relaxed lounge and restaurant that offers nightly live music. The menu features Tibetan and Nepalese cuisine.
Location Information1414 Douglas Street
Victoria
BC
V8W 2G1
