Off a corner of the lobby of The Inn At Laurel Point, Aura Waterfront Restaurant & Patio is a hidden gem on Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Surrounded by windows, diners are treated to a beautiful view of the grounds of The Inn as well as the Harbour. The modern but comfortable room is a good spot for a business lunch or a perfect date night, sitting next to the fireplace.
When the room and view is so fantastic the food needs to match, and Executive Chef Takashi Ito’s menu lives up to the bill. Of the items that our group tried they were all memorable. 
I went with the Smoked Albacore Tuna Sandwich; generous slices of cold smoked tuna with tomato, avocado on an inn-baked torpedo bun spread with a very tasty shiso mayonnaise. It was one of those sandwiches that made you say “oh my gosh, that’s so good” when you take the first bite. The tuna was perfectly fresh and well cut, the smoke and shiso mayonnaise were a great combination with the creamy avocado. Served with crispy long cut fries made it a modern take on fish and chips.
My companion went with the recommended 
Dungeness Crab Cake Moco, sumptuous crab cake served on Japanese short grain rice, topped with a soft poached egg with a shiso – soy mayonnaise dressing. The unlikely combination of egg with crab cake and rice made it a rich and well blended plate as the egg yoke mixed with all parts. 
The third dish at our table was a simple but fulfilling salad of fresh greens and fillet of BC Salmon. It is truly a dish that equaled the verdant surroundings of the restaurant, bringing the outside in, beautifully plated using some of the natural ingredients from the Inn’s own gardens.
While we loved everything brought to our table, watching other plates coming to different tables made us look forward to a return visit to Aura.
Aura Waterfront Restaurant & Patio is located within the Inn At Laurel Point at 680 Montreal Street, Victoria BC, V8V 1Z8 Phone: (250) 414-6739
Hours: Breakfast 7am – 11am All Day 11:30am – 10pm Dinner 5pm – 9pm Sunday Brunch 10am – 2pm