Rebar Modern Food has quietly closed down permanently after 37 years of service in downtown Victoria.
The vegetarian-focused eatery opened in 1988, and closed sometime in the last couple weeks, but no announcement of the closure was made.
Instead, the fact that Rebar is now closed came from a local Redditor discovering that in the last week, their website has expired and Google maps indicates that they are permanently closed.
Many in the comments section were grateful for the years of service and for the massive strides Rebar took in normalizing vegetarian and vegan cuisines.
“So long, Rebar, thanks for many years of great meals,” wrote one person in the comments.
“I think it’s fair to say you inspired this city to see vegetarian food in a new way, and a new generation of restaurants has taken up that torch and carry it forward.”
This individual also pointed out that for those who never got to try Rebar in its glory days, can look for and buy Rebar’s cookbook, which was released in 2001.
The Rebar Modern Food Cookbook was written by the restaurant’s former chef Wanda Urbanowicz and owner Audrey Alsterburg, who say the book can be used by everyone, including strict vegans, vegetarians and omnivores.
It includes salads to pastas, entrees, lunch and brunch ideas, soups, sandwiches, side dishes, sweets and juices, all of which were at one time served in the restaurant.
Rebar was around for a long while, and made themselves known as trailblazers of what the culinary landscape of the city has become today.
What was your favourite experience/dish at Rebar? Are there other vegetarian-focussed eateries you would recommend now that they are gone?
Let us know in the comments.
