Superflux Just Opened a Very Cool Restaurant in Victoria and We’re Considering it a Betrayal

I am not in the best place right now, physically or mentally. 

Physically, I am sitting in the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, where I have been for an hour and will continue to be for another 3 hours. The noon ferry was cancelled. The 1:00 p.m. ferry is full.

Mentally, I am feeling the way you would expect a person who has to sit in an unmoving car for four hours to feel. But on top of that, I am coming to terms with the fact that I’m going to have to deal with BC Ferries every time I want to visit the very awesome Superflux Cabana.

Why did Superflux Beer Company founders Matt Kohlen and Adam Henderson decide to open up a restaurant in Victoria? According to Henderson, it was a no-brainer—they were presented with the opportunity to expand to a commercial building on the Eastern edge of downtown Vic, alongside a butcher, coffee shop, and three other restaurants (the block has your Middle Eastern, vegetarian, and Mexican cuisine covered). It’s a cool neighbourhood, and the new 1800 square foot space fits right in.

Blah, blah, blah. Hey, Matt and Adam, if you love Victoria so much, why don’t you marry it?

Yes, we know that Superflux already has an industrial-cool restaurant in Vancouver. But we’re greedy. We want more. 

Much like Superflux’s beer, the menu in the new restaurant isn’t too flashy or complicated. It’s just food that Kohlen and Henderson want to eat with a beer. There’s burgers and sandwiches, curly fries topped with bacon, and a very delicious crab roll served in a smashed potato bun. “When people think of IPAs, they think of Superflux,” says Henderson, “and we want people to think of this place when they think of burgers.”

The pair smartly switched a paper beer list for a QR code on the menu to suit their always-rotating taps. Besides beer, there’s margaritas, wine and cider, and a few zero-proof drinks. 

And to make matters worse (or better, if you live in Victoria—don’t brag), the space is gorgeous. Designed by the crew at Studio Roslyn, it’s tropical-oasis-meets-Renaissance, and the contrasting themes don’t lack a sense of humour.

Above the bar, for example, is the classic Birth of Venus… but Venus is modestly sporting a Superflux shirt. “There’s a lot of conversations about toxic masculinity in the beer industry right now, and we didn’t want to just have a painting of a naked woman behind the bar,” says Kohlen. Studio Roslyn’s Courtney Hundseth magicked on the branded T-shirt, and the result is both pretty and hilarious—it’s a double-take moment, for sure.

The restaurant is cloaked in a gorgeous dark blue-green, with rattan textured details and the aforementioned funky art. A working cuckoo clock rings on the hour. There’s a little fountain for a touch of serenity. But the space doesn’t feel overly precious—hardy surfaces ensure you don’t feel guilty putting your glass down. A patio that seats 60-plus will be open when the weather gets less miserable. 

Victoria, you lucky son of a gun. 

READ MORE: How Doing it Differently Paid off for Superflux Beer Company