The historic Bengal has reopened in the Fairmont Empress in downtown Victoria. The room is serving breakfast for now. (Photo courtesy of Fairmont Empress Hotel)
Ten years after last call at The Bengal Lounge in Victoria, the legendary Indian-themed cocktail bar at the Fairmont Empress Hotel is back with a shorter name and a contemporary makeover.
Now called The Bengal, the 1,700-square-foot space opened in December as a breakfast room.
A dinner service is added while Q at the Fairmont Empress bar and restaurant undergoes a makeover. When the renovation is completed this spring, The Bengal will continue as a breakfast venue. In the evening it will be Victoria’s largest private dining room, as well as a space for special events and pop-ups.
Ironically, it was the birth of Q, part of the $60-million Return of the Queen renovation of the hotel, guest rooms and lobby in 2017, that led to The Bengal Lounge closing.
It was opened occasionally for private functions, but otherwise not accessible. Still, it remained an iconic part of the hotel’s history. The Bengal Lounge was inspired by the British Raj and Queen Victoria’s 19th-century title of Empress of India.
“It was quite popular and part of the social fabric of Victoria,” said Empress public relations director Lisa McPhail.
The theme wasn’t a hit with everyone. When The Bengal Room closure was announced, letters to the editor in the Victoria Times Colonist were split between nostalgia for the loss of its famed martinis and curry buffet, and expressions that it was about time the legacy of colonialism be put to bed.
In a media statement, the Fairmont Empress says the lounge’s aesthetic “paid tribute to the region’s enduring traditions and craftsmanship rather than the political realities of the era.”
“Now we pause. We have breathing room and we are reimaging the space so it’s current with the times and reflective of our brand and who we are and what we value,” said McPhail.
The Bengal features breakfast options that are classic and contemporaty. During Dine Out Victoria, it will offer dinner service, too. (Photo courtesy of Fairmont Empress Hotel)
Patrons who sunk into the lounge’s tufted leather sofas and wingback chairs decades ago will find the menu and décor changed. But many of the room’s signature features endure, including dark wooden panelling, potted palms and slow-moving vertical and punkah fans.
The jade fireplace surround remains but the tiger skin mounted above it is gone. Given to the hotel by the king and queen of Siam (now Thailand) when they visited the Empress in the late 1940s, it was stolen in 2016 and has never been found.
The space has undergone big changes since it opened in 1912, four years after the Empress debuted. It started as a reading and writing room in the south wing addition. By 1954, the provincial capital was ready for less-staid pursuits. The room was transformed into Victoria’s first cocktail bar, The Coronet Lounge. The Bengal Lounge replaced it in 1969.
MORE VICTORIA DINING: Ugly Duckling Shines
McPhail said The Bengal is drawing a mix of locals and hotel guests. It will be serving a $35 three-course breakfast, with choices including Bengal Scrambled Eggs with garam masala and Chai Cake and $75 three-course dinner as part of Dine Around Victoria, which runs from January 23 to February 8.
In addition to classics like Eggs Benedict and pancakes, sous chef Ian MacGregor has added some South Asian-inspired dishes to the breakfast menu. Bengal Tartine is seven-grain toast topped with whipped tofu, spiced lentil puree ,and pistachio dukkha. Bengal-spiced Potato Patty is a turnover encased in flaky pastry served with house-made mango chutney. Fruit-topped Mango Lassi Chia Pudding has layers of coconut cream and mango chia pudding.
The excellent cardamom-rich masala chai is made from the secret recipe perfected by the hotel’s resident scone master, Joga Kaler. He’s been baking the hotel’s buttery raisin scones for more than 40 years but his first task when he gets to work each morning at 3 a.m. is to make his special chai. Early riser staff often enjoy a cup. Now, breakfast guests can have a sip of Empress history in the reborn Bengal room.
MORE ABOUT THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS HOTEL
Location: 721 Government Street, Victoria, British Columbia (see map below)
Reservations: Check the hotel’s website for room rates and dining reservations.
