The claim
A snug pub on Victoria's cobbled Bastion Square, the heart of the old Hudson's Bay fort town, which claims to have poured drinks since 1867, the year of Confederation. It is usually counted as British Columbia's second-oldest pub. Twenty craft beers on tap and hearty pub food keep it busy from late morning.
What the records show
The pub advertises itself as Victoria's oldest, trading since 1867, and no founding record or building date has been traced; the house occupies the ground floor of the Bedford Regency on Government Street, with its entrance on Bastion Square. British Columbia's register of liquor-licensed establishments carries a Liquor Primary licence, number 115527, for the premises at 1140 Government Street under the establishment name Bedford Regency, held by Garricks Pub Ltd. and running to 30 June 2027, with a second Liquor Primary licence at the same address for the Churchill. A liquor-primary licence is the province's drink-led class, so nobody here has to order food to be served.
What to look for inside
- Claims BC's second-oldest pub
- 20 craft beers on tap
Visiting
Garrick's Head Pub is in Victoria, Canada, at 1140 Government Street at Bastion Square, Victoria, BC V8W 1Y2. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- www.garrickshead.com/
- www.ontariopubs.ca/PDF/pubMagazine/pubmagazine_2014_13_web.pdf
- www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/liquor-regulation-licensing/liquor-licence-and-permits/licensed-establishments-in-bc
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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