About Ferris' Upstairs

History

Ferris upstairs seafood & oyster bar opened in October of 2005. Initially designed to be a holding bar & lounge for the increasingly popular downstairs grill, the upstairs oyster bar soon took on a life of its own. Armed with just two burners and a small convection oven, the tiny upstairs kitchen continued to evolve, turning out Mediterranean inspired dishes featuring local fish & shellfish. In the spring of 2014 the restaurant underwent a major renovation, adding seating, exposing more windows and more importantly, the addition of a big shiny new kitchen! Today Ferris upstairs seafood & oyster bar continues to serve the freshest local seafood available as well as certified Angus beef from Alberta, in an atmosphere that is comfortable, relaxed & fun!

Chef Bio

Chef & owner Dave Craggs early memories of growing up on Vancouver Island center around food; digging for clams, roasting oysters on beach fires, picking shrimp from the docks at Peddar Bay & eating fresh fish from the waters of East Sooke. Dave began his career in Victoria as chef of the seafood focussed Grand Central Cafe, then after a 3 year stint cooking & writing in Montreal, came back to the west coast to work for a fishing resort on the sunshine coast. Dave returned to Victoria in 1998 to partner with friend Tom Ferris in what was then known as Ferris' oyster & burger bar. Dave’s culinary influences point heavily to the countries of the Mediterranean, in particular Spain, where he travels often. Dave is happiest when eating simply prepared, freshly caught seafood, preferably on a beach with his toes in the sand.