If you were asked what Victoria’s most famous street was, you would most likely answer Government Street. The iconic street is packed with delicious restaurants, touristy souvenir shops and unforgettable city landmarks. Government Street runs from the Inner Harbour, through the core of the city to the older part of town. It’s a must see, with so much to be explored. Here are our top 8 shops on Government Street.
Merchant Quarters General Store
Location: 801 Government Street
Merchant Quarters General Store is a spin on a classic, inspired by the early general merchant stores of the 1800’s. The modern general store is located in the Belmont Building and sells women’s clothing, men’s clothing, accessories, house and home furnishings, blacksmith shoes and beauty options, focusing on products created in BC by local artisans.
Chocolats Favoris
Location: 1010 Government Street
Chocolats Favoris is an undeniably fun experience. Whether you’re looking to quickly pick up some chocolate or fondue to go or you want to get creative, you’ll find what you’re looking for here. Take the steps through Chocolats Favoris’ dipped ice cream process and choose from an assortment of ice cream flavours, dip flavours and toppings. Chocolats Favoris is a proud partner of The Cocoa Horizons Program, as it continues to choose sustainable and fair-trade cocoa that helps contribute to improving the living conditions of the cocoa farmers, protect the environment and abolish child labour.
Munro Books
Location: 1108 Government Street
Munro Books is a dog friendly bookstore founded by famous author Alice Munro and her husband in 1963. The store offers a wide variety of books and is often included in lists of the world’s most beautiful bookstores, with 24 ft. ceilings inspired by the ceiling of the porch of the great library of Ephesus built by the Romans in the 2nd century A.D.
Murchies Tea & Coffee
Location: 1110 Government Street
Murchies Tea & Coffee operates in eight retail stores within Greater Victoria and Vancouver, but their historic Government Street location is where it all began. Murchies prides itself on offering the highest quality teas and 100% Arabica coffees sourced from the world’s best coffee regions.
Roberta’s Hats
Location: 1318 Government Street
If you are looking for funky hats to add to your collection, visit Roberta’s Hats! The store was established in 1992 and has styles for men, women and children. They offer well-known brands such as BC’s own Lillie & Cohoe, Magill, Canadian Hat, Kangol, Parkhurst, Outback Trading, Dorfman Milano, Brixton, Bailey of Hollywood, Goorin Brothers and more!
Puzzle Lab Wood Jigsaw Puzzles
Location: 1322 Government Street
During the coronavirus pandemic, Tinka Robev and Andrew Azzopardi, owners of Studio Robazzo, a local multidisciplinary design & branding agency, made a subtle shift in their business. They decided to launch a puzzle company. The couple, who met while studying architecture at the University of Waterloo in 2012, aimed to inspire people to disconnect from their devices. Their games are eco-friendly, locally crafted in BC, and built to last.
Roger’s Chocolates
Location: 913 Government Street
Have you ever wanted to visit the oldest chocolate shop in Victoria? Rogers’ Chocolate’s Heritage store, situated on Government Street, opened in 1903, 8 years after Charles “Candy” Rogers moved to Victoria and set up his chocolate shop across the street from the current location. The Heritage store is famous for its delicious chocolates and cozy interior and always brings in the crowd around the holidays with its extensive decorations. Rogers Chocolate is also deeply involved with Cultivate Better™ Cocoa, a movement to be more directly invested in the farming communities that grow the cocoa used to make the company’s chocolate.
Quazar’s Arcade
Location: 1215 Government Street If you take the stairwell at the base of historic Trounce Alley, across from Bastion Square, you will find yourself in an incredible retro arcade. Quasar’s Arcade has a rotating selection of 50 arcade games and 16 pinball machines to enjoy, all of which will take you back in time.
