Spinnakers Pub

Beer flight with truffles

Good afternoon, pretty ponies!

On a weekend afternoon, there is nothing we enjoy more than sauntering along the Songhees, the picturesque walkway which extends from the west end of the Johnson Street Bridge, all the way down through to the municipality of Esquimalt. Along the way, we ogle the harbour views.  If we make it to the very end of the trail, we pop in to Spinnakers for a pint.

Nestled on Catherine Street, conveniently close to the popular Songhees Walkway, is Spinnakers Brewpub and Guesthouse. The restaurant, with its floor to ceiling windows and cozy interior, is the perfect vantage point for stellar sea views and people watching. In summertime, the patio is full of revellers enjoying plates of nachos and washing them down with an assortment of house made craft brews.

Pulled Pork Sammie and Seafood Chowder

Now, when it comes to the nosh, we’ll be upfront and say our experiences with the food at Spinnakers have been a little up and down. However, with repeat samplings, we have winnowed down the menu to a few items we can recommend with confidence. The seafood chowder is excellent, creamy, slightly smoky, with generous chunks of silky halibut. The beet and goat cheese salad is a nice accompaniment, and a half order of the salad with a cup of chowder makes for a lovely lunch. The moules frites yields a heaping portion of steamed mussels with a haystack of hand cut fries. Monty likes dunking his crispy-hot frites in to the tangy ale broth. Pulled pork has become ubiquitous on restaurant menus to the point of being tiresome, but Spinnakers’s version redeems the pulled pork sandwich thanks to a slathering of garlicky barbecue aioli partnered with a crunchy mound of peppery caraway coleslaw. Avoid the underwhelming desserts (the fruit crisp is sweetened to the point of inedibility and the hazelnut torte is dry and bland). Instead, go for the truffles. Made in house, they are dense and chocolatey and you can either order a truffle plate in house or choose a selection of your own from the Provisions Store located at the entrance to the pub (try the lavender or the white chocolate with lemon).

Beer aficionados would do themselves a favour by visiting Spinnakers.  Brewing since 1984, this brewpub began ahead of the craft beer renaissance, giving them time to perfect their pint.  We go rangy for the nut brown ale, a deep amber-coloured ale with a malty flavour and and a sweet, smooth finish.  Hop heads can try the Jolly Hopper IPA or the India Pale Ale.  Flights are available for sampling so be adventurous.  There are always interesting seasonal beers on the menu, and exciting up and comers!

Well pretty ponies, that is it for our pub pontifications for today. Are you a fan of Spinnakers? Which is your favourite brew? Come visit our Facebook and Twitter pages and let us know what you think. As always, Uncle Monty loves to hear from you. Happy imbibing!

Love Monty, Pete, and the entire gang at H.A. H.Q.

Assorted Truffles

Spinnakers Mussels