Victoria’s Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions Named to
Prestigious 50 Best Discovery Guide
The expert-curated guide showcases exceptional restaurants, bars, hotels and vineyards recommended by the voting academy behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
Today, Victoria tasting menu restaurant Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions was named to 50 Best Discovery for the first time, joining a global collection of exceptional restaurants, bars, hotels and vineyards recognized by the voting academy behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
In Chef Corbin’s own words just this morning:
“We have some very exciting news to share: Ugly Duckling has been included in the 50 Best Discovery guide.
Created to spotlight exceptional dining destinations around the world, 50 Best Discovery brings together restaurants and bars recognized by the respected 50 Best Academy in its annual voting process to identify the best regional and global restaurants. To see our little dining room in Victoria’s Chinatown included among them is an extraordinary honour—and a milestone we’re incredibly proud to celebrate.
This recognition belongs to our remarkable team, past and present, whose talent, care, curiosity, and relentless commitment have shaped Ugly Duckling into what it is today. It also belongs to every guest who has joined us, supported us, told a friend, raised a glass, and allowed us to keep pursuing this slightly improbable dream.
We began with the ambition to create a little magic in a world that needs more of it. Today, that dream feels just a little bigger.
Thank you for helping this little duck find its wings.
We’re celebrating tonight. 🥂“
The 50 Best Discovery guide is curated by the same international voting academy responsible for the annual rankings and highlights exceptional hospitality destinations around the globe. Businesses cannot apply for inclusion.
Each year, more than 3,000 members of the 50 Best Academy submit their top dining experiences from the previous 12 months. Those votes determine The World’s 50 Best Restaurants rankings while also informing the 50 Best Discovery guide, recognizing establishments recommended through the Academy’s voting process.
Chef-owner Corbin Mathany opened Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions in 2023. The intimate tasting menu restaurant in the heart of Victoria’s historic Chinatown draws inspiration from its location at the intersection of Coastal BC’s breathtaking landscapes and the deep cultural heritage of Canada’s oldest Chinatown. Ugly Duckling’s menu showcases seasonal fare and an exclusively Canadian wine list, resulting in an inventive fine-dining experience spotlighting extraordinary and often overlooked ingredients, and the kind of hospitality that makes people feel genuinely cared for.
Since opening, the restaurant has earned recognition from Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants, Vancouver Magazine, OpenTable and Food Network Canada.
“Ugly Duckling is the expression of something deeply personal, and a restaurant rooted in a singular location,” says Mathany. “Historically, Vancouver Island has been overlooked as a culinary destination – we don’t benefit from Michelin Guide exposure like larger urban centres do, and Victoria is inherently out of the way by virtue of being on an island hanging off the side of the North American continent! Landing on the radar of such an influential global organization is an incredible honour and validates our team’s hard work and sacrifice to make Ugly Duckling a welcoming, travel-worthy dining destination. This island is a special place, and I hope this recognition helps a broader audience discover the magic that lives here.”
uglyducklingrestaurant.ca | @ugly.duckling.dining
About Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions
Ugly Duckling is among the most distinctive and celebrated restaurant openings on Vancouver Island in recent years. A sophisticated yet laid-back expression of chef-owner Corbin Mathany’s culinary vision, the ever-evolving tasting menu showcases a passionate devotion to seasonal Vancouver Island ingredients, classic French cooking techniques and Asian influences that are an increasingly prominent part of Pacific Northwest cuisine. Located at 543 Fisgard Street in Victoria’s historic Chinatown, Ugly Duckling offers dinner tasting menus Wednesday through Sunday from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m.
uglyducklingrestaurant.ca | @ugly.duckling.dining
Editor’s note: If you haven’t been to Ugly Duckling yet here is a link to our reviews