Glo Restaurant and Lounge Blog

One mystery we haven’t unraveled in our town is this: despite the mild climate and ogle-worthy scenery in Victoria, there are few bars and restaurants within the city limits that feature patios. But don’t fret, if you are willing to tread just a short distance from the downtown core, you’ll find a lush outdoor oasis, and a bracing cocktail (or two, or three) waiting for you at Glo.

Casual, yet sophisticated dishes, an appealing appetizer menu and a killer cocktail list

Glo Restaurant and Lounge was off our radar for a while. When this restaurant first opened, it quickly became one of our favorites, so much so that H.A. staffers enjoyed a celebratory wedding supper here; so confident were we of the caliber of food, ambiance, and service. To our chagrin, shortly after, there was a period where Glo floundered. The menu changed, becoming fussier and frankly, a little pretentious. After a handful of disappointing meals, coupled with some seriously lackluster service, we stayed away, saddened by the denigration of one of our favorite hangouts.

The Glorious Glo Patio at Night

Happily, as things may get worse, they can also get better. Glo’s communications team is genuinely caring and responsive, eager to keep its customer base happy and receptive to constructive feedback. We noted some changes to the menu that were reminiscent of the original Glo. Casual, yet sophisticated dishes with a varied and appealing appetizer menu and a killer cocktail list. Missing those famous panoramic views (Glo has floor to ceiling windows and a sleek wraparound, 360 degree bar) we heeded the siren call of pizza, patio, and Prosecco. Boy, were we glad we did! It made us  believers in second chances.

Glo’s menu is large and diverse without being dizzyingly eclectic. While we haven’t sampled extensively from the current menu, we can vouch for a few of our regular staples. The bacon cheddar sliders satisfy our carnivore cravings without weighing us down, and leave us enough room to share a basket of crispy frites topped with parsley, shaved parmesan and truffle oil, served with scrumptiously garlicky lemony aioli for dipping. If you are exercising a bit of gustatory restraint, get your greens with the spinach and strawberry salad with goat cheese or, our favorite, the greens topped with sangria poached pear, creamy brie and candied pecans. This salad is so good; you might forget you are eating your vegetables.

The pizzas at Glo are actually thin crispy flatbread topped with cheese and some toothsome toppings. We love the margarita, a simple yet scrumptious combination of fresh mozzarella, juicy heirloom tomatoes, and basil. Or try the decadent funghi – roast mushrooms and leeks with hazelnuts, Parmesan cream and a drizzling of white truffle oil. We often have the “half pizza combo” with salad (or you can pair your pie with fries, a classic Caesar salad, or soup if you prefer). When we are jonesing for an entree, we order the smoked chicken gargenelli or the Buddha Bowl – crunchy sesame ginger bathed vegetables mounded atop fluffy coconut jasmine rice (served with your choice of protein).

The cocktail list at Glo could be a whole other article in itself. Suffice to say, there is an extensive selection of tipple, from girlie sippers – try the London Calling, a mixture of gin, tonic, cucumber, limejuice and mint or sip on an Orange Grove – Bulleit bourbon with muddled oranges, triple-sec and a hint of bitters. There is also sangria, wine, beer, and martinis. Non-imbibers won’t be left out, as there are some tempting tiki style mocktails on the menu.

If you linger on in to the evening, ward off the ocean breezes with a specialty coffee and a warm, saucy sticky toffee pudding. The servers offer blankets to customers and there are heaters to fend off ocean breezes.

We are inordinately pleased that the owners and the communications team at Glo took the time and energy to work out the kinks, improving customer service, jettisoning menu items that didn’t quite make it. Thanks to their efforts we can resume noshing, imbibing, and basking in the ambiance that make Glo live up to its namesake.

Eat This: spinach strawberry salad, salad with pear, brie, and candied pecans, funghi pizza, margarita pizza, beef sliders, truffle fries, sticky toffee pudding, Buddha bowl, smoked chicken garganelli, Thai curry satay

Imbibe This: London Calling, Ginger Dragon, Garden Fizz, Hoyne Pilsner