Tucked into a quieter stretch of downtown Victoria’s northern edge, Rabbit Rabbit (658 Herald Street) is already turning heads. The new wine bar led by first-time restaurateur, Sydney Cooper, combines a thoughtful approach to wine — replacing pretence with approachability — and laid-back hospitality that feels like the best kind of dinner party. Add an exciting new food program from Chef Billy Nguyen (Top Chef Canada), and it’s clear this block of Herald Street won’t stay “less travelled” for long.

Although Cooper’s leap into the restaurant world has come with a steep learning curve, she has invested wisely in the help of experts to bring her vision of a wine bar to life: James Langford-Smith (Kissa Tanto, Pamplemousse Jus) came on board to consult on service and operations; Glasfurd & Walker nailed the branding; and Studio Roslyn brought together the comfortably stylish dining room. The result? A space where good wine, food, and hospitality collude for an unpretentious, great time.

SPACE + STORY

Rabbit Rabbit’s got more going on than apparent at first glance. For starters, it’s not just one building, it’s two – connected and loaded with history, originally built as temporary housing for Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century. For now, the 760-square-foot dining room is keeping things tight, with 35 seats on the floor and another dozen at the bar. In the future, this will be stretched out to include an all-season rear ‘hidden’ patio and a private dining room – but there’s no mad rush. Cooper’s playing the long game: first, get Rabbit Rabbit running smoothly; and then grow, when the timing’s right.

So far, this feels like a pretty solid plan. Just down the block, the City of Victoria is gearing up, with big plans for their new Industry, Arts and Innovation District, including a new home for the Victoria Art Gallery, residential towers, commercial spaces, and a walkway connecting the inner harbour to the Capital Iron district (right down the street). Meanwhile, next door, a four-storey rental building with retail space is in the works. In short, the neighbourhood is changing fast, and Rabbit Rabbit’s right in the thick of it, biding time until it’s ready to expand.

At the moment the focus is on building their team, and setting the style of hospitality that will define Rabbit Rabbit’s base. Inside, the dining room is pulling off a storybook palette of muted greens, purples, burgundy, and pink — colours that shouldn’t work together, but absolutely do. Marbled counters, patterned textiles, and eclectic art from what feels like a dozen different worlds tie it all together by creating a space that’s warm, playful, and a little bit magical — the kind of place that makes you want to stay for another glass (or maybe two).

The Wine

As for what’s going in the glass, Rabbit Rabbit offers a wine program that’s both carefully assembled and inviting. First and foremost, the list highlights terroir-driven wines from small producers (low-intervention and sustainable practices are named as a secondary consideration). Add to that, rotating options available by the glass, affordable pricing, and descriptions to help floundering guests make their decision based on “what flavours you want to taste in the moment”. And what about “natural” wine options? Yes, they’re there…but, says Cooper, “my focus here is on clean expressions – nothing too funky or faulted. You may find a “gateway” natural wine here but I’m saving truly funky expressions for others to represent!” For those in a celebratory mood, Champagne and premium bottles are also on hand as well as beer, cider, amaro and vermouth, with non-alcoholic options rounding out the offerings. Cooper’s goal is clear: to make wine — and the overall experience — welcoming for everyone, from casual drinkers to oenophiles.

On the process of building a wine list for the first time, Cooper reflects: “The list isn’t inventive or cutting-edge – I do know that! – but I’m very proud of how far I’ve come on my own – from not knowing how to build a list, to conceptualizing how to build a list that was accessible and approachable for even the newest wine-drinker – to building it and ordering wine (I’d never done that before!) and then writing a syllabus for my staff, and getting them trained up (with help from my lovely friend Shrawen of Marilena)… I refuse to list anything I haven’t personally tasted, as the descriptors for each wine are my own and I only want to list things that I objectively think are “good”, offer value to guests, and which I am passionate about.”

Whereas Cooper’s wine list reflects her thoughtfulness and self-admitted cautiousness, balanced by curiosity and a sense of fun, Chef Billy’s cooking brings boldness and a knack for using unexpectedly ingredients. What truly connects the food and wine is how deeply personal both approaches feel. After a strong run of pop-ups and standout stints at PiDGiN and Pizza Coming Soon, Rabbit Rabbit marks a significant first for Billy: stepping into the role of Executive Chef and fully embracing his creativity in a permanent kitchen – and having a blast doing it.

“I like to push people’s food boundaries,” he says. “I’m a very visual person, so my process often starts with a mental image, then I pull elements from different sources to bring it all together. It’s exciting to build layers of flavour in a way that makes the menu description only part of the story — each dish has an unexpected twist when it hits the table.”

Referencing Alice in Wonderland, the menu is divided into three sections: ‘While You’re Waiting for Someone Who’s Late, Late, Late…’ (i.e. the starters), ‘“Eat Your Vegetables!”, Says the White Rabbit’ (self-explanatory), and ‘The Queen of the Table!’ (mains/proteins).

At a Friends & Family event last week, highlights included Scallion Milk Buns ($11) with caramelized onion butter and aonori; Proper English Chips ($12), thick cut, triple cooked and tossed in beef tallow, and served with a side of garlic aioli; Billy’s Olives ($6), warm and smokey with a flavour profile unlike any I’ve had before thanks to a marinade of yuzu kosho, shallots, soy sauce and olive oil; Charred Romaine Salad ($16) with miso almond vinaigrette & almond gremolata; A sharp rectangular slab of mushroom Lo Bok Go ($17), pan-seared with shiitake mushroom, onion and rice flour cake inspired by a Chinese classic, served with black garlic aioli and mushroom conserva; and a satisfying serving of hand made Pappardelle pasta ($32) with pork & fermented mustard greens, sake cream and furikake. To finish, you can’t miss the Bread Pudding drenched in White Rabbit (yes, as in the popular Chinese candy) sauce.

Together, Cooper and Chef Billy are bringing Victoria the best of both worlds: a rookie with fresh ideas, and a chef ready to make his mark. The Alice in Wonderland concept? It’s there, sure, but it’s not “in your face”; it sneaks up on you in the little details, adding new discoveries to be found at every visit. And, like any great adventure, Rabbit Rabbit is all about giving into your curiosities, trusting the process, having fun, and being open to where it all goes.

Rabbit Rabbit is now in their Soft Opening phase…
Official Opening Day is set for Tuesday, December 10th.
Doors will be open 7 days per week:
Monday – Thursday: 4-11pm
Friday & Saturday: 4pm – 12am
Brunch kicks off right away:
Sundays 10am-5pm

Have a look inside:

Rabbit Rabbit

Region: Victoria

658 Herald St.

(Opening soon)

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