Son-in-Law Egg at Yaletown’s House Special
What should you eat in Vancouver? As in any major North American city, Vancouver restaurants span the globe, serving meals that take cues from Italy, France, Spain, China, Japan, and more. But here’s what Vancouver does best.
Vancouver is known for seafood, particularly salmon, halibut, oysters, and spot prawns, caught in regional waters. The city’s restaurants have embraced the “eat local” movement, so look for seasonal produce and locally raised meats. With a large Asian population, Vancouver has some of the best Chinese food in North America, as well as good Japanese and Korean fare. Vancouverites say, only half in jest, that the city has a sushi bar on every corner. Many non-Asian restaurants incorporate Pacific Rim influences in their dishes.
Son-in-Law Egg at Yaletown’s House Special
Vancouver’s most innovative restaurants are in Gastown, Chinatown, and along Main Street. In the West End, you’ll find a concentration of noodle shops, izakayas, and other Asian eateries. For the region’s top Chinese food, head to the suburb of Richmond, which has hundreds of Asian dining spots, both large and small.
British Columbia wines, from the Okanagan Valley or Vancouver Island, are good accompaniments to most Vancouver meals, as are regionally brewed craft beers. Plenty of bartenders have adopted an “eat local” philosophy, too, incorporating locally grown herbs, house-made bitters, and other fresh ingredients into creative cocktails and alcohol-free drinks.
| Downtown and the West End | Map 1 |
In a chandelier-bedecked space at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia downtown, sophisticated Hawksworth Restaurant attracts expense-account diners, couples celebrating occasions, and gourmets savoring a fine meal with solicitous service. From the foie gras to wagyu flank steak to lobster with Korean rice cakes, it’s all about the luxe ingredients in the regionally influenced contemporary fare. If the dinner prices are too rich, splurge on a leisurely lunch or a light bites at the bar.
MAP 1: 801 W. Georgia St., 604/673-7000, www.hawksworthrestaurant.com; 6:30am-10:30am, 11:30am-2pm, and 5pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 6:30am-10:30am, 11:30am-2pm, and 5pm-11pm Fri., 7am-2pm and 5pm-11pm Sat., 7am-2pm and 5pm-10pm Sun.
Owned by chef David Hawksworth of the high-end Hawksworth Restaurant, Nightingale sings a slightly less formal song, though you still get the chef’s trademark glamour in the buzzing two-level dining room downtown. The lengthy menu pairs sharing plates and pizzas, teaming up dishes like octopus with capers and fermented chili, maitake mushrooms tossed with pecorino-brown butter and hazelnuts, and fried chicken with preserved lemon yogurt, with straightforward (like cherry tomatoes, basil, and fior di latte) and wilder (like braised beef, kale, and gorgonzola) pies. To drink? Their own “Nighting-ale,” from a local craft brewery.
vibrant vegetables at Nightingale
MAP 1: 1017 W. Hastings St., 604/695-9500, https://hawknightingale.com; 11am-midnight daily
The kitchen team at Forage, the contemporary dining room at the Listel Hotel in the West End, sources ingredients from local farmers, fisherfolk, and, yes, foragers, and crafts them into locavore plates to share. Snack on bison jerky as you sip one of the B.C. craft beers or wines on tap. Then graze on kale salad with caramelized apples, corn risotto, or seared tuna with mushroom “soil.” Centered around a large U-shaped bar, and furnished with lots of natural wood, the restaurant is a good choice for breakfast or brunch, too.
MAP 1: 1300 Robson St., 604/661-1400, www.foragevancouver.com; 6:30am-10am and 5pm-late Mon.-Fri., 7am-2pm and 5pm-late Sat.-Sun.
Styled like a Parisian brasserie, Royal Dinette is a lively spot for inventive farm-to-table dining downtown. Start with a local craft beer or a fun cocktail, like the “Burning Man” (house-made kombucha spiked with your choice of vodka, gin, rum, pisco or cachaça). The kitchen makes its pasta fresh daily, creating dishes like squid ink bucatini with sea urchin butter or celeriac ravioli with Asian pears. With options that might include heirloom carrots with sprouted wheat and crème fraîche, or brussels sprouts with pickled garlic, vegetables get special treatment. And how do you choose from smoked salmon with kohlrabi and caramelized whey, or rhubarb-braised short ribs? Find some willing dining companions and share.
MAP 1: 905 Dunsmuir St., 604/974-8077, https://royaldinette.ca; 11:30am-2pm and 4:30pm-10pm pm Mon.-Fri., 5pm-10pm Sat.
Sink into a cream-colored banquette at elegant Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar, where the service is polished and dishes like citrus-cured hamachi, roasted sablefish with grilled mushrooms, or lingcod and clams with nori and dashi highlight local seafood in refined Asian-accented preparations. You could stop in for a glass of bubbly and fresh oysters at the long marble bar, too. Boulevard shares its space with the Sutton Place Hotel downtown.
MAP 1: 845 Burrard St., 604/642-2900, www.boulevardvancouver.ca; 6:30am-11pm daily
The menus change with the seasons at YEW Seafood & Bar, in the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver downtown, but you’ll always find a variety of options from the sea, perhaps wild salmon with watercress and leeks, a Niçoise salad with fresh albacore, or a traditional bouillabaisse. It’s a stylish setting for a business lunch, festive dinner, or drinks with seafood small plates. Surprisingly, YEW also offers an upscale vegan menu.
MAP 1: 791 W. Georgia St., 604/692-4939, www.yewseafood.com; 7am-2:30pm and 5pm-10pm daily
Watch the dumpling makers at work at Dinesty Dumpling House, and that’s what you should order, too: Shanghai-style soup dumplings, pan-fried pork buns, and steamed vegetable and egg dumplings. Handmade noodles, fresh greens with garlic, and the unusual omelet with pickles are also tasty choices in this bustling West End eatery, where the tables are packed in tightly. They also have several locations in Richmond.
MAP 1: 1719 Robson St., 604/669-7769, www.dinesty.ca; 11am-3pm and 5pm-10pm Mon.-Fri., 11am-10pm Sat.-Sun.
Visit this simple and friendly local chainlet for northern Chinese dishes, including hand-pulled noodles, lamb, and dumplings. Try the mustard seed salad (carrots, celery, and vermicelli in a mustardy dressing), the Xinjiang cumin lamb, or the “cat ear” stir-fried noodles, shaped like orecchiette and tossed with vegetables and pork. Peaceful Restaurant has several other locations across town.
MAP 1: 602 Seymour St., 604/313-1333, www.peacefulrestaurant.com; 11am-9:30pm Sun.-Thurs., 11am-10pm Fri.-Sat.
Part of a local minichain of izakayas, lively Guu Garden serves Japanese tapas designed to share, like grilled black cod cheeks, crispy cauliflower karaage, and sashimi-style tuna tataki, to pair with sake, shochu, or Japanese beer. Guu is on the top floor of a downtown complex with a similarly named eatery on the main level, so be sure to go upstairs.
sushi at Guu Garden
MAP 1: 888 Nelson St., 604/899-0855, www.guu-izakaya.com/garden; 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-midnight Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-12:30am Fri., noon-3pm and 5:30pm-12:30am Sat., noon-3pm and 5:30pm-midnight Sun.
In the West End, there are ramen shops on seemingly every corner. At Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, the local outpost of a Japan-based noodle shop chain, the signature dish is tokusen toroniku ramen, a rich, almost creamy soup made from pork cheek meat. This ramen revelation is worth the inevitable queue, but lingering in this cramped space is discouraged, so diners slurp and move on. There’s another location on Broadway near Cambie Street.
MAP 1: 1690 Robson St., 604/681-8121, www.santouka.co.jp; 11am-11pm daily
For sushi with a water view, visit Miku, an upscale Japanese dining room opposite Canada Place downtown. They’re known for aburi sushi, fresh fish seared with a blowtorch, but any of their raw fish options should please nigiri and maki lovers. The waterside location and the solicitous service make a meal here feel like a classy night out.
MAP 1: 200 Granville St., 604/568-3900, www.mikurestaurant.com; 11:30am-3pm and 5pm-10:30pm daily
A unique-to-Vancouver mash-up of hot dogs and Japanese flavors, fast-casual Japadog concocts their signature sausages, like the kurobuta pork terimayo, sauced with teriyaki, mayonnaise, and seaweed, at a diminutive downtown counter-service restaurant and at two downtown food trucks.
Vancouver’s growing fleet of food trucks park downtown, purveying a global gamut of meals to go. A cluster of trucks sets up shop around the Vancouver Art Gallery along Howe and Hornby Streets, some park near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Cambie and Georgia Streets, while others locate closer to the waterfront along Burrard and Thurlow Streets. Most operate 11am or 11:30am to 2:30pm or 3pm.
The Kaboom Box, one of downtown Vancouver’s food trucks
The best way to find what trucks are where is with the Vancouver Street Food app (http://streetfoodapp.com/vancouver), which also lists truck locations online. Some favorites include:
• Mom’s Grilled Cheese (Howe St. at Robson St. and W. Cordova St. at Hornby St., http://momsgrilledcheesetruck.com) for, as you’d expect, grilled cheese sandwiches
• Le Tigre Cuisine (check their Twitter feed @LeTigreTruck for locations, www.letigrecuisine.ca) for Asian-fusion fare, including kick-ass fried rice
• The Kaboom Box (Granville St. at W. Georgia St., www.thekaboombox.com) for hot smoked salmon sandwiches
• Yolk’s Breakfast Street Meet Truck (Burrard St. at W. Pender St., http://yolks.ca; generally 8am-2pm Mon.-Fri.) for free-range egg sandwiches and fresh beignets
• Aussie Pie Guy (check website for locations, www.aussiepieguy.com) for handheld Australian-style meat or vegetable pies
MAP 1: 530 Robson St., 604/569-1158, www.japadog.com; 10am-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 10am-midnight Fri.-Sat., 10am-9pm Sun.
Classic French cuisine never goes out of style at Le Crocodile, a long-standing downtown favorite, where standards from la belle France are updated with west coast ingredients. Grilled salmon sauced with a saffron velouté, locally raised duck breast served with foie gras in an apple cider reduction, and rack of lamb with a mustard sabayon are just some of the menu offerings. Expect white tablecloths and polished service, appropriate for a business lunch or a special night out.
MAP 1: 909 Burrard St., Ste. 100, 604/669-4298, http://lecrocodilerestaurant.com; 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm Fri., 5:30pm-10:30pm Sat.
At España Restaurant, a narrow storefront tapas bar in the West End, you could almost be in Spain, though here, some of the Spanish classics, like sautéed padron peppers, fried anchovies, or paella, might be made with Pacific Northwest ingredients. To drink, try a sherry flight or choose from the list of Spanish wines by the glass. The restaurant is tiny, and they don’t take reservations, so don’t be in a rush to sit down—just relax, you’re (almost) in Spain!
MAP 1: 1118 Denman St., 604/558-4040, www.espanarestaurant.ca; 5pm-late daily
Expect a queue at cheerful window-lined Medina Café, which is known for its sugar-studded Liège waffles (check out the waffle case on the dark wood counter) and for its North African-influenced brunch fare downtown. Try the tagine, a flavorful vegetable stew topped with poached eggs, merguez sausage, and preserved lemon.
MAP 1: 780 Richards St., 604/879-3114, www.medinacafe.com; 8am-3pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-3pm Sat.-Sun.
From the deep-fried cheese curds, ketchup chips, bison burgers, and mushroom poutine to the BeaverTail-like fried dough or the gooey butter tart, Timber, the all-Canadian gastropub at the West End’s Listel Hotel, serves fun updates on classic Canuck comfort food. The beer list trends toward local craft labels, or you can choose from several types of Caesars, Canada’s version of a Bloody Mary, made with Clamato juice. The TVs are tuned to hockey, of course.
smoked meat sandwich and fries at Timber
MAP 1: 300 Robson St., 604/661-2166, http://timbervancouver.com; noon-midnight Mon.-Wed., noon-1am Thurs.-Fri., 11am-1am Sat., 11am-midnight Sun.
Retro diner The Templeton, complete with tabletop jukeboxes and soda-fountain stools, has morphed into a cool purveyor of comfort foods among the downtown bars on the Granville strip. Dig into hearty plates of pancakes, creative omelets, or burgers, which you can pair with coffee or “big people drinks” (craft beer, local wines, and cocktails). Save room for an ice cream sundae or old-fashioned banana split.
MAP 1: 1087 Granville St., 604/685-4612, http://thetempleton.ca; 9am-11pm Mon.-Wed., 9am-1am Thurs.-Sun.
Pull up a stool at the communal table in this downtown sandwich shop catering to the weekday lunch crowd. The signature sandwich at Meat and Bread is the hearty porchetta topped with salsa verde and crackling, but the simple menu typically includes several other varieties, perhaps roast chicken with pickled daikon and lemongrass-ginger sauce or an Indian-seasoned veggie sandwich packed with roast cauliflower, yams, and crispy chickpeas. A soup and a salad, which change daily, are the only accompaniments. There’s a branch in Gastown, too.
MAP 1: 1033 W. Pender St., http://meatandbread.ca; 11am-4pm Mon.-Fri.
For a light and quick lunch of salads, soups, and sandwiches near Canada Place downtown, plow a path to cafeteria-style Tractor Foods. Salads come in small portions, so you can build your own salad plate; you can choose half or whole sandwiches, with options like grilled chicken, arugula, and pear or albacore tuna with pesto aioli. They have additional outlets in Kitsilano and the Olympic Village.
MAP 1: 335 Burrard St., 604/979-0500, www.tractorfoods.com; 7am-10:30am Mon.-Fri. and 11am-9pm daily
When a gelato maker is obsessive about fresh ingredients and traditional Italian techniques, naturally he and his team make Vancouver’s best gelato. Find it downtown at tiny Bella Gelateria, near the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel. Expect a line, particularly on warm summer nights.
MAP 1: 1001 W. Cordova St., 604/569-1010, http://bellagelateria.com; 11am-10pm Sun.-Thurs., 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat.
This West End dessert shop, a branch of an Asia-based chain, specializes in a creamy Korean shaved ice dessert called bingsoo. Order at the counter, where you top a melt-in-your-mouth mound of shaved ice with injeolmi (chewy sweet mochi-like rice cakes, piled with red beans and dusted with nutty soybean powder), green tea, Oreos, or fruit. Pull up a stool at one of the green tables to enjoy your treat; overflowing with toppings, they’re too large to eat on the go. Snowy Village also makes taiyaki, fish-shaped waffles filled with red beans, sweet potatoes, custard, or nutella. There’s another location in Richmond.
MAP 1: 1696 Robson St., 778/379-3884, http://snowyvillages.ca; 3pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 1pm-11:30pm Fri.-Sat., 1pm-10:30pm Sun.
The West End Farmers Market purveys produce, baked goods, and prepared foods on Saturday from late May through late October. There’s always a line for the sweets at Purebread, and local cheesemaker Little Qualicum Cheeseworks frequently offers samples. Eli’s Serious Sausage, Yolk’s Breakfast, and Feastro-The Rolling Bistro (which specializes in local seafood) are among the several food trucks that regularly park here, and there’s usually a musician or two performing during market hours. Local distillers or craft breweries, like 33 Acres, offer tastings and sell their brews as well.
MAP 1: Comox St. at Thurlow St., www.eatlocal.org; 9am-2pm Sat. late May-late Oct.
Local Italian-style coffee chain Caffé Artigiano has several downtown branches, including this convenient location just off Robson Street, opposite the Vancouver Art Gallery. Come for the carefully prepared coffee, which they source from small producers around the world. The baristas here frequently win local competitions for their latte art. To pair with your drinks, they offer a small selection of pastries and sandwiches. There are three other center-city locations, as well as a branch in Yaletown.
MAP 1: 763 Hornby St., 604/694-7737, www.caffeartigiano.com; 5:30am-9pm Mon.-Fri., 6am-9pm Sat., 6am-8pm Sun.
| Gastown and Chinatown | Map 2 |
Combining tastes of North Africa and Belgium with local ingredients, Chambar pleases patrons all day in a window-lined rehabbed warehouse. Kick off your morning with a waffle studded with pearl sugar or breakfast paella topped with spicy sausage and a fried egg. Later, you might sup on Haida Gwaii halibut with sea asparagus or venison with fresh pasta and blue cheese. Moules frites (mussels with french fries) are a specialty.
MAP 2: 568 Beatty St., 604/879-7119, www.chambar.com; 8am-3pm and 5pm-late daily
On the site of Vancouver’s first jail, transformed into a multilevel space with exposed brick and polished woods, Gastown’s L’Abbatoir detains diners with creative cocktails (how about an avocado gimlet with herb-infused gin, schnapps, avocado, and lime?) and a changing menu of west coast plates. Meat eaters might bite into pan-fried sweetbreads or roast lamb with marinated eggplant, while fish fans might favor baked oysters or charcoal-grilled rockfish with peas, potatoes, and clams. At brunch, order the oversize scone mounded with house-made jam and clotted cream.
MAP 2: 217 Carrall St., 604/568-1701, www.labattoir.ca; 5:30pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 5:30pm-10:30pm Fri., 10am-2pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm Sat., 10am-2pm and 5:30pm-10pm Sun.
From the sleek back-lit gray bar to the distillery-inspired copper light fixtures, this high-ceilinged Chinatown room emphasizes cocktails along with its modern Canadian fare. As the “juniper” name suggests, there’s a long list of gin and tonics, although local breweries and cideries are also well-represented. Share one of the charcuterie boards—they offer a changing selection of house-made seafood and meat options—or sample lamb and nettle pierogi, cider-braised mussels, or grilled arctic char with purple potatoes.
MAP 2: 185 Keefer St., 604/681-1695, www.junipervancouver.com; 4pm-late daily
At Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, many of the menu items, from mantou (steamed buns) to fried rice, would be at home in a traditional Chinatown kitchen, but this modern lounge and eatery isn’t your grandmother’s Chinese restaurant. The buns are stuffed with pork belly and sweet peanuts, the fried rice is amped up with clams and salted halibut, and other dishes, like wok-charred octopus with mustard-root gnocchi, start in Asia but wander the world. To drink? Clever cocktails, like Cheung Po the Kid, which blends rum, Dubonnet, pomegranate molasses, and house-made Chinese plum bitters.
MAP 2: 163 Keefer St., 604/688-0876, www.bao-bei.ca; 5:30pm-midnight Mon.-Sat., 5:30pm-11pm Sun.
Dan dan “noodles” (made with kohlrabi instead of pasta), octopus glazed with miso and tamarind, or steak with wakame caponata are just a few of the Asian-inspired dishes that might grace your light wood table at this Gastown dining and drinking spot. Order a few plates to share and pair with drinks like the Tiki Tiki Tom Tom, a blend of cognac, carrot orange curaçao, maraschino, lemon, and bitters.
MAP 2: 350 Carrall St., 604/620-9400, www.pidginvancouver.com; 5pm-midnight Mon.-Sat., 6pm-midnight Sun.
The owners of Tsuki Sushi Bar run a busy Japanese noodle shop next door, Taishoken Ramen, where the specialty, in addition to bowls of hot noodle soup, is tsukemen, noodles served with a separate dipping broth.
MAP 2: 515 Abbott St., 778/737-3805; 11:30am-4pm and 5pm-9:30pm daily
Located opposite the International Village mall, casual Tsuki Sushi Bar does one thing and does it well: preparing fresh sushi and sashimi. See what’s on special, or try their chirashi bowl, an assortment of raw fish on rice.
MAP 2: 509 Abbott St., 604/558-3805, http://tsukisushibar.ca; 11:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-9:30pm Mon.-Fri., noon-3pm and 4:30pm-9pm Sat.
This intriguing mash-up of Japanese and Italian flavors, run by the same team that operates nearby Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, is set in a classy second-floor Chinatown space that draws its design style from 1960s Tokyo jazz cafés. What’s Italian-Japanese food, you ask? The fun, adventurous menu might include pasta with pork and sake kasu ragu or albacore crudo with shiso vinaigrette, olives, and mustard greens. They serve plenty of eclectic cocktails, too.
MAP 2: 263 E. Pender St., 778/379-8078, www.kissatanto.com; 5:30pm-midnight Tues.-Sat.
Why should you Ask for Luigi? Because this highly regarded trattoria serves first-rate handmade pastas along with modern Italian small plates that might include crispy polenta with escargot and watercress or baccala (salt cod) fritters. They’ll open any bottle of wine on their list if you order two glasses. This small spot doesn’t take reservations, so expect a line. To find the restaurant, follow Alexander Street east from Gastown; Luigi is at the corner of Gore Avenue, one block east of Main.
MAP 2: 305 Alexander St., 604/428-2544, www.askforluigi.com; 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm Tues.-Thurs., 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-11pm Fri., 9:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-11pm Sat., 9:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-9:30pm Sun.
This smart-casual Chinatown eatery has a single specialty: crisp and juicy fried chicken that will have you licking your fingers. The kitchen starts with locally raised birds, coats the pieces in a gluten-free batter, and fries them till the skin crackles and the meat is meltingly tender. Add a side or two, like fried brussels sprouts or nutty pork and peanut slaw. The joint is laid-back enough to bring the kids (during the day, you order at the counter), but with local microbrews and a full bar, it’s cool enough for the grown-ups.
fried chicken at Juke in Chinatown
MAP 2: 182 Keefer St., 604/336-5853, www.jukefriedchicken.com; 11am-11pm daily
Lines are common at Jam Café, a relaxed no-reservations import from Victoria, as hungry diners queue for overflowing plates of hearty breakfast and brunch fare. The red velvet pancakes are as big as a cake, while savory options include the Charlie Bowl (hash brown potatoes, crumbled biscuit, ham, and cheddar cheese topped with gravy and sunny-side eggs) and the Gravy Coupe (a biscuit piled with fried chicken and eggs slathered with sausage gravy).
MAP 2: 556 Beatty St., 778/379-1992, http://jamcafes.com; 8am-3pm daily
A popular destination for Gastown’s coffee drinkers, Nelson the Seagull, with classic schoolhouse-style wooden chairs on a historic tile floor, serves light breakfasts (poached eggs, avocado toasts), sandwiches, and salads to pair with your caffeine. They’re known for their bread as much as for their coffee.
MAP 2: 315 Carrall St., 604/681-5776, www.nelsontheseagull.com; 8am-5pm Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm Sat.-Sun.
Vancouverites used to have to drive to Whistler for the decadent pastries and wholesome breads at Purebread. But now Gastown has a Purebread of its own, with drool-inducing treats like freshly baked scones, lemon chèvre brownies, and giant meringues. Enjoy your snack with coffee inside this friendly café, or take your goodies to go.
MAP 2: 159 W. Hastings St., 604/563-8060, www.purebread.ca; 8:30am-5:30pm daily
A café that specializes in crème brûlée? Why, yes, please. Chinatown’s Crackle Crème concocts custards in flavors from salted caramel to Asian-inspired matcha. They serve Belgian-style Liège waffles and ice cream, too.
MAP 2: 245 Union St., 778/847-8533, www.cracklecreme.com; noon-10pm Wed.-Sat., noon-9pm Sun.
Gastown is Vancouver’s coffee central, where hip coffee shops abound. Sip your java among the designers, techies, and laptop-toting cool kids at Revolver, which offers a changing menu of beans from roasters across North America.
MAP 2: 325 Cambie St., 604/558-4444, www.revolvercoffee.ca; 7:30am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-6pm Sat.
| Yaletown and False Creek | Map 3 |
Savory rotisserie chicken and other upscale comfort foods draw hearty appetites to Yaletown’s Homer Street Café and Bar. Choose from starters like grilled tuna with sweet pepper salsa or bison terrine with pickled cherries. Then, go for the chicken (available in quarter, half, or whole birds), or peruse the daily “fresh sheet” for other seafood, pasta, and meat options. Save room for the peanut butter cookies with Nutella cream, and note the unique architecture; the dining room encompasses space in both a heritage building and a contemporary tower, with ornate tile work, lots of marble, and a shady sidewalk patio.
MAP 3: 898 Homer St., 604/428-4299, http://homerstreetcafebar.com; 11:30am-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-11pm Fri., 10:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-11pm Sat., 10:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-10pm Sun.
Does chic Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio have the loveliest outdoor dining space in the city? Its sunny terrace overlooking False Creek in Yaletown is certainly among Vancouver’s most scenic waterside dining destinations. Come at sunset or on a sunny day for the best views. On your plate, expect an innovative hybrid of Japanese and Peruvian flavors, crafted from west coast ingredients. Ceviche and sashimi are highlights.
MAP 3: 1600 Howe St., 604/681-1164, www.ancoradining.com; noon-2:30pm and 3:30pm-late Mon.-Fri., 5pm-late Sat., 11am-2:30pm and 5pm-late Sun.
Busy with business diners and couples celebrating occasions, this long-standing high-end seafood spot in a rehabbed Yaletown warehouse does an excellent job with fresh fish. At Blue Water Café, the chef often spotlights underutilized species—the restaurant hosts an annual “Unsung Heroes” festival, featuring less common sea creatures—so look for seafood that you might not find elsewhere alongside more familiar varieties. A lengthy wine list and well-trained staff make your evening more special.
MAP 3: 1095 Hamilton St., 604/688-8078, www.bluewatercafe.net; 5pm-11pm daily
Fresh seafood, simply prepared, is the lure at WildTale Coastal Grill. Start with something from the raw bar, maybe oysters or ceviche, then order the day’s fresh catch, with most of the fish options swimming in from Pacific waters. Brunch is a good choice, too, where poached eggs might be stacked with smoked salmon and piled on a potato cake or served atop crisp crab cakes. Inside, where the furnishings are sturdy wood and leather, the well-spaced tables encourage comfortable conversation. On a sunny day, nab a patio seat to watch all of Yaletown go by.
MAP 3: 1079 Mainland St., 604/428-9211, www.wildtale.ca; 11am-midnight Mon.-Sat., 11am-11pm Sun.
West coast shellfish producer Taylor Shellfish Farms runs Fanny Bay Oyster Bar, which bills itself as the city’s first “tide to table” oyster bar. Sit at the long marble counter and watch the shuckers at work while you dig into platters of whatever bivalves are freshest that day; the servers can help you choose from the regularly changing list. Besides oysters, the menu at this smart-casual spot with industrial-style lighting, exposed pipes, and a polished wood floor includes crab cakes, ceviche, fish-and-chips, and other seafood preparations. Near B.C. Place in Yaletown, it’s handy for pre- or post-game drinks and snacks.
an oyster platter at Fanny Bay Oyster Bar
MAP 3: 762 Cambie St., 778/379-9510, www.fannybayoysters.com; 11am-late Mon.-Fri., 10:30am-late Sat.-Sun.
Bring the gang, raise a glass, and start slurping—oysters, that is—at lively Rodney’s Oyster House. This nautical-themed pub-style fish house in Yaletown, outfitted with buoys, model ships, and a pile of fresh oysters on ice at the bar, specializes in simple seafood dishes, from chowders and steamers to the namesake bivalve. To drink, choose from several beers on tap or wines from B.C. and farther afield. There’s a second Rodney’s in Gastown.
MAP 3: 1228 Hamilton St., 604/609-0080, http://rohvan.com; 11:30am-11pm daily
Tiny Juno Sushi Bistro would be right at home in Tokyo, from the friendly greeting (in Japanese) that you get from the staff to the extensive menu of maki and nigiri. Besides the excellent sushi and sashimi (ask about daily specials), you can order izakaya-style small plates like wild salmon gyoza, chicken karaage, or tempura, along with innovations like yam poutine with teriyaki gravy. The sake list includes several varieties from Vancouver’s Artisan Sake Maker on Granville Island. This diminutive dining destination is easy to walk right by; look for it opposite Yaletown’s Emery Barnes Park.
MAP 3: 572 Davie St., 604/568-8805, www.junobistro.ca; 4:30pm-10:30pm Mon.-Sat., 4:30pm-9:30pm Sun.
A brother-and-sister team runs this modern Vietnamese eatery in a refurbished Yaletown warehouse. House Special, named for the house special pho (noodle soup), serves a mix of traditional and more innovative Asian plates that pair well with cocktails and craft beers. Try the spicy-sweet chicken wings, the soft-boiled Son-in-Law Egg in a crispy panko crust, or the fry bread, a sesame bun filled with pork cracklings, duck confit, or sautéed mushrooms.
MAP 3: 1269 Hamilton St., 778/379-2939, www.housespecial.ca; 11:30am-3pm and 5pm-10pm daily
After longtime Vancouver restaurateur Umberto Menghi closed Il Giardino, his classic Italian dining room, many mourned its passing. But never fear: Menghi is back near Yaletown with elegant Tuscan-inspired Giardino, pairing old-world service with updated plates like horseradish-crusted sablefish with lamb ragout or seared venison sauced with a chianti reduction. Don’t miss the sweets, like chocolate fonduta, a baked chocolate soufflé with chestnut crème anglaise, or almond cannoli served with blood orange sorbet. The dining room could be a refined restaurant in Florence, with its vaulted wood-beamed ceilings, Italian tile work, and European paintings; in summer, sit on the garden patio, hidden behind the restaurant.
MAP 3: 1328 Hornby St., 604/669-2422, www.umberto.com; 11:30am-2pm and 5:30pm-11pm Mon.-Fri., 5:30pm-11pm Sat.
The best way to dine at La Pentola, the fashionable dining room at Yaletown’s Opus Hotel, is family-style ($60-75 pp), when the kitchen sends out a procession of contemporary Italian dishes. Even if you opt for a less opulent feast, you can choose from antipasti like braised octopus with fried eggplant, house-made pastas (perhaps tagliatelle bolognese or agnolotti stuffed with duck confit), and mains that might include branzano with swiss chard or veal osso buco. Their signature dessert is a sweet-tart lemon cream. With street-level windows bringing in light from two sides and tables well laid out for conversation, La Pentola is also a pleasant spot for brunch or a business meeting.
MAP 3: 350 Davie St., 604/642-0557, www.lapentola.ca; 7am-10pm daily
Though you wouldn’t guess it from the name, the waterside branch of Vancouver’s best gelato shop is also a full-fledged Neapolitan-style pizzeria, cooking up creative and traditional pies in their wood-burning oven. Request a seat on the patio overlooking False Creek if you’re sitting down for pizza; you can take your gelato or nondairy sorbet for a stroll along the Seawall.
MAP 3: 1089 Marinaside Crescent, 778/737-7890, http://bellagelateria.com; 9am-11pm daily
Part art gallery and part coffee shop, The Buzz Café and Espresso Bar sits on a sunny Yaletown corner, inside Harrison Galleries (www.harrisongalleries.com), Vancouver’s oldest retail art gallery. Settle into one of the comfy couches or cozy nooks beneath the artworks for baked goods and a cup of coffee or tea. With widely spaced seating, it’s a well laid-out place to chat or check your e-mail (there’s free Wi-Fi).
MAP 3: 901 Homer St., 604/732-9029, http://thebuzzcafe.net; 7am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 8am-5pm Sat., 9am-5pm Sun.
At times, it can seem like a small victory to get a seat at this Yaletown café that’s filled with blond wood tables and lots of enticing aromas. At Small Victory Bakery, the coffee is excellent, and the short menu includes pastries, breads, and a few sandwiches. The almond croissants are a special treat.
MAP 3: 1088 Homer St., 604/899-8892, http://smallvictory.ca; 7:30am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 8am-6pm Sat.-Sun.
With floor-to-ceiling windows and seats inside and out, cheery Terra Breads Bakery Café in the Olympic Village makes a handy rest stop for coffee and muffins while you’re strolling the False Creek Seawall or as a treat for the kids after visiting Science World. Sandwiches, salads, soups, and a range of sweet and savory pastries are available, along with hot and cold drinks, beer, wine, and cider. Terra Breads has other sit-down locations in Kitsilano and off Main Street.
MAP 3: 1605 Manitoba St., 604/877-1183, www.terrabreads.com; 7am-7pm daily
| Granville Island | Map 4 |
Opposite the Public Market, Edible Canada Bistro creates contemporary dishes with ingredients from around British Columbia and across Canada. Though it’s always busy with tourists, locals appreciate the Canadian menu, too. At midday, you might try a duck confit sandwich with cherry-onion relish or root vegetable hash with boar bacon and poached eggs. For supper, find plates like maple-glazed pork chops, wild salmon with braised lentils, or bison short ribs. The restaurant regularly partners with Canadian chefs to host special dinners; check the website for upcoming events. Adjacent to the window-lined restaurant, which has an open kitchen and seasonal patio seating, their retail outlet sells Canadian-made gourmet products.
MAP 4: 1596 Johnston St., 604/682-6681, www.ediblecanada.com; 11am-9pm Mon.-Thurs., 11am-10pm Fri., 9am-10pm Sat., 9am-9pm Sun.
Like seafood? Then go fish—at Go Fish, an always busy waterfront takeout shack. Choose fish-and-chips made from cod, salmon, or halibut, or go a little wild with a wild salmon sandwich, an oyster po’ boy, or fish tacos. Expect long lines on sunny days. It’s a five-minute walk along the seawall from Granville Island; look for the dockside sign that says “Public Fish Sales,” and you’ll find Go Fish opposite the docks.
MAP 4: 1505 W. 1st Ave., 604/730-5040; 11:30am-6:30pm Tues.-Fri., noon-6:30pm Sat.-Sun.
Chau Veggie Express serves Vietnamese-inspired vegetarian and vegan dishes. The short menu at this to-go counter inside the Granville Island Public Market features several soups, fresh spring rolls, and noodle or rice bowls layered with different combinations of vegetables, tofu, and sauces, from vegan “fish” sauce to spicy peanut satay.
MAP 4: Granville Island Public Market, 1689 Johnston St., 778/379-9508, www.chowatchau.ca; 9am-7pm Tues.-Sun.
A takeout stall facing the water at the back of the Granville Island Public Market, the friendly Market Grill cooks up burgers, with beef, chicken, and veggie options. The local favorite is the salmon burgers, with sockeye piled high on a homemade bun. Simple but good, the burgers all come with either thick-cut fries or Caesar salad. Market Grill also serves hot dogs and breakfast options (bacon and eggs, breakfast sandwiches).
MAP 4: Granville Island Public Market, 1689 Johnston St., 604/689-1918; 8am-7pm daily
Inside the Granville Island Public Market, the Stock Market prepares three kinds of homemade soup daily. On the rotating menu, one soup is fish-based (like the tasty wild salmon chowder), one is meat-based, and the third is vegetarian. Each bowl is served with a slab of bread and makes for a quick market lunch. Although the stall itself has no seating, you can sit at tables nearby or take your food to a bench outdoors.
MAP 4: Granville Island Public Market, 1689 Johnston St., 604/687-2433, http://thestockmarket.ca; 8am-7pm daily
| Kitsilano | Map 5 |
Though it’s named for the chef’s grandmothers, there’s nothing old-fashioned about AnnaLena, a smart Kitsilano bistro with white walls, black banquettes, and west coast wood trimmings. The modern menu, designed to share, might include kale salad with raw and confit radishes, buttermilk fried chicken with charred shishito peppers, and lamb neck with spaetzle, asparagus, and egg yolk gel. To sip? Local microbrews, B.C. wines, and fun cocktails.
MAP 5: 1809 W. 1st Ave., 778/379-4052, www.annalena.ca; 5pm-late Tues.-Sun.
Chef-owner John Bishop helped pioneer Vancouver’s farm-to-table movement long before the 100-mile diet was on the lips of every locavore. At Bishop’s namesake classy, white-tablecloth restaurant, adorned with works by local artists, the polished staff can guide you to seasonal suppers that might start with tuna tartare served with pickled garlic scapes or a duck and quail terrine, before continuing with Haida Gwaii halibut paired with roasted cauliflower or heritage pork with clams, corn, and grilled peaches. Finish with a summer berry oat crumble or the Valhrona chocolate terrine topped with espresso ice cream.
MAP 5: 2183 W. 4th Ave., 604/738-2025, www.bishopsonline.com; 5:30pm-11pm Tues.-Sun.
While the name Fable—“from farm to table”—may be a bit earnest, the kitchen at this Kitsilano eatery has a sense of humor, with starters like an oversize duck meatball that bursts open to sauce the tagliatelle it’s served on, and sweets like “Oops, I Dropped the Dessert,” a mash-up of rhubarb, vanilla custard, and ice cream. In between are hearty unpretentious plates featuring local seafood, meats, and fresh veggies. Sit at the long counter to watch the chefs at work, or sink into a banquette beneath the exposed brick wall in the dining room.
MAP 5: 1944 W. 4th Ave., 604/732-1322, www.fablekitchen.ca, 11:30am-2pm and 5pm-10pm Mon.-Fri., 10:30am-2pm and 5pm-10pm Sat.-Sun.
At the front of this sophisticated Kitsilano restaurant, you can settle into the lounge for cocktails and casual plates to share, but to experience what chef-owner Curtis Luk is known for, make a reservation in the narrow, white-walled main dining room. There, you’ll indulge in a locally focused multicourse meal, offered in either vegetarian or “omnivore” versions, with optional wine pairings. Your most difficult mission may be to choose between four ($45) or six ($65) courses, where the changing parade of dishes might include squash blossoms with fromage frais and saffron potatoes, pork with compressed watermelon, or humpback shrimp paired with tomatoes and almond cream.
MAP 5: 2042 W. 4th Ave., 604/739-2042, http://missionkits.ca; 5:30pm-10:30pm Mon.-Fri., 10:30am-2pm and 5:30pm-midnight Sat., 10:30am-2pm and 5:30pm-11pm Sun.
Serving modern Thai cuisine in a minimalist Kitsilano space, Maenam brightens Vancouver’s dark nights with banana blossom salad, grilled fermented sausage with crispy rice, and flavorful curries. If you can’t decide, go for the six-course chef’s menu ($45 pp). Asian-inspired cocktails, like the tang kwa luck (cucumber-infused gin, lime, lemongrass, ginger, and Balinese long pepper), or the alcohol-free house-made ginger beer pair well with the brightly flavored dishes.
MAP 5: 1938 W. 4th Ave., 604/730-5579, www.maenam.ca, 5pm-10pm Sun.-Mon., noon-2pm and 5pm-10pm Tues.-Sat.
This family-run eatery in Kitsilano, decked out with bamboo paneling and a tropical feel, specializes in dishes from Hanoi and northern Vietnam. Recommended choices include the turmeric fish with dill, mango salad with shrimp, and pho ga (chicken noodle soup). To drink, try a traditional sweet Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. The restaurant’s original location is a smaller storefront on the East Side.
MAP 5: 2680 W. Broadway, 604/559-6878; 11am-9pm daily
With its copper bar and copper-rimmed tables, the setting at classic French bistro Au Comptoir declares “Paris.” From croissants and omelets in the morning to croque-monsieur and house-smoked salmon at midday, continuing with steak frites, bacon-wrapped rabbit with chanterelles, or duck breast paired with an endive tarte tatin in the evenings, the menu would be right at home in La Belle France, too. On a warm day, the windows open to the outdoors, as they might in a traditional Parisian café, to take in the surrounding Kitsilano streetscape.
MAP 5: 2278 W. 4th Ave., 604/569-2278, www.aucomptoir.ca; 8am-10pm Mon. and Wed.-Sat., 8am-9:30pm Sun.
Popular with local families, old-favorite Café Zen fuels you up with breakfast classics, like plate-size pancakes or more than a dozen varieties of eggs Benedict, from spinach and mushroom to shrimp and avocado, before you flop down in the sand at nearby Kits Beach. Behind the sunny yellow facade, the hardworking staff keeps your coffee hot, and the long menu also features omelets, crepes, waffles, burgers, and a few sandwiches.
MAP 5: 1631 Yew St., 604/731-4018, www.cafezenonyew.com; 7am-2:30pm Mon.-Thurs., 7am-4pm Fri.-Sun.
If you like your chocolate rich, dark, and homemade, add Chocolate Arts, near Granville Island, to your itinerary. Along one wall, and in the glass display cases, are handcrafted chocolates in a variety of flavors, where you can assemble a box of bonbons. The chocolate medallions with First Nations motifs make a unique gift.
The other side of the shop is a café, with bright white tables and red chairs. There, try a shot of drinking chocolate, which is very rich and similar to espresso. For a treat, come for Haute Chocolat, a version of afternoon tea, with cocoa, house-made chocolates, petit fours, and other chocolaty pastries.
MAP 5: 1620 W. 3rd Ave., 604/739-0475, www.chocolatearts.com, 10am-6pm Mon.-Sat.
With classic French pastries like croissants or buttery kouign-amann, and other baked treats like the kid-pleasing peanut butter sandwich cookies, petite Beaucoup Bakery & Café makes a sweet stop for Kitsilano or South Granville shoppers. It’s a short walk from Granville Island, too.
MAP 5: 2150 Fir St., 604/732-4222, www.beaucoupbakery.com; 7am-5pm Tues.-Fri., 8am-5pm Sat.-Sun.
With a fitting name for a sweet shop in a city with changeable weather, Rain or Shine Ice Cream produces ice cream made primarily from locally sourced ingredients, free of chemical additives. Certain flavors, including chocolate, salted caramel, and “cracked mint” (peppermint chocolate chip), are the “keepers,” which appear on their regular menu, and you’ll also find seasonal varieties like buttered sweet corn and black pepper ice cream or peach bellini sorbet. In addition to this location, with just a couple of tables, they have a second outlet in Cambie Village that keeps the same hours.
MAP 5: 1926 W. 4th Ave., 604/428-7246, http://rainorshineicecream.com; noon-10pm daily
Operating on Sunday from spring through fall, the Kitsilano Farmers Market sets up behind the Kitsilano Community Centre with more than 50 vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, and other local treats. The highlights are freshly made crepes from Creperie La Boheme, croissants from Batard Boulangerie, and locally produced ginger beer from Dickie’s Ginger.
MAP 5: Kitsilano Community Centre, 2690 Larch St., 604/879-3276, www.eatlocal.org; 10am-2pm Sun. early May-late Oct.
Take a break from shopping along West 4th Avenue with a cup of coffee and gluten-free baked goods from Culprit Coffee, a cozy neighborhood café. Look for its bright yellow facade and its sunny sidewalk tables.
MAP 5: 2028 Vine St., 604/730-0133, www.culpritcoffee.com; 7:30am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 8:30am-6pm Sat.-Sun.
When you step into this serene Asian-style tea salon, you leave the bustle of West 4th Avenue far behind and enter the space of the tea masters. O5 Tea Bar specializes in rare, single origin teas from around the world, the majority of which they purchase directly from the growers. Take a seat at the long bar, made of reclaimed Douglas fir, and linger over a cup of tea, or do a traditional tea tasting. They also have house-brewed kombucha on tap, which you can sip in the shop or take to go.
MAP 5: 2208 W. 4th Ave., 604/558-0500, http://o5tea.com; 10am-10pm daily
| UBC and Point Grey | Map 5 |
One of the more upscale dining options on the UBC Campus, overlooking the gardens with views of the North Shore mountains beyond, Sage Bistro serves weekday lunches in the Leon and Thea Koerner University Centre, a short walk from the Museum of Anthropology. The menu draws on local ingredients whenever possible, in dishes like kale salad with radishes, feta, and sunflower seeds, grilled king oyster mushrooms with warm farro salad, broccolini, and rainbow carrots, or pan-seared halibut paired with warm potato salad. Don’t worry, though; while the bistro is popular with university faculty, you won’t be graded on whether you finish your meal.
MAP 5: 6331 Crescent Rd., UBC, 604/822-0968, http://sage.ubc.ca; 11:30am-2pm Mon.-Fri.
Overlooking the sea from the second floor of the Jericho Sailing Centre at Jericho Beach, The Galley Patio and Grill cooks up simple, beach-friendly bites, including burgers, grilled salmon, and sweet potato fries, served on a deck with killer ocean views. Local beer is on tap. If you can’t find a seat, take your food outside and picnic. Tip for morning beachcombers: The Galley also serves breakfast.
MAP 5: 1300 Discovery St., 604/222-1331, www.thegalley.ca; 10am-10pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-10pm Sat.-Sun. June-Sept., hours vary Oct.-May
On your way to or from UBC, stop at Mix the Bakery, a homey Point Grey neighborhood café, for coffee, baked goods, or sandwiches. For breakfast, there’s always a selection of muffins, scones, and toast with homemade jam. Among the sandwich choices, look for the Granny Gobbler (smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, spinach, and apple) or a vegetarian option, with grilled zucchini, pan-fried onions, roasted tomatoes, and swiss cheese. Staff set up enticing displays of fruit tarts, cakes, and other pastries along the counter that will perk up your afternoon.
MAP 5: 4430 W. 10th Ave., 604/221-4145, www.mixthebakery.com; 7am-5pm Mon.-Sat., 8am-4pm Sun.
| Cambie Corridor | Map 6 |
A wall of wine sets the sumptuous scene at South Granville’s West, where the gracious service and just-inventive-enough cuisine make any meal feel like an occasion. Wild salmon with a morel mushroom crumble, a pork duo of braised cheek and crispy belly, or smoked duck with kale and roasted corn are just some of the locally sourced plates you might encounter. Sweets are special, too, with choices like a raspberry tart with sorrel ice cream or a chocolate tasting plate.
MAP 6: 2881 Granville St., 604/738-8938, www.westrestaurant.com; 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-11pm Fri., 10:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-11pm Sat., 10:30am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm Sun.
Chef-owner Andrea Carlson runs this relaxed neighborhood bistro, delivering a creative, hyper-local menu to customers seated at Burdock & Co’s rustic wooden tables. Dishes like heirloom tomato and melon salad, sea bream crudo with purslane and garlic-shio puree, or salt cod fritters with pickled sea asparagus change with the harvest; the house-made kimchi and the crispy fried chicken with buttermilk mashed potatoes are well-loved staples. The short but distinctive wine list includes bottles from B.C., Oregon, France, Italy, and even Lebanon. Weekend brunch, which might bring mushrooms on toast, tomato baked eggs with feta, and more of that fried chicken, will put you in the mood for some Main Street shopping.
MAP 6: 2702 Main St., 604/879-0077, www.burdockandco.com; 5pm-10pm Mon.-Fri., 10:30am-2pm and 5pm-10pm Sat.-Sun.
Imaginative multicourse tasting menus inspired by local products bring adventurous diners to Farmer’s Apprentice, a petite South Granville dining room. Lingcod with epazote and radishes? Dry-aged duck with emmer and sea buckthorn? You won’t find these creations on any other tables around town. The same team runs the more casual wine and tapas bar, Grapes and Soda (1541 W. 6th Ave., 604/336-2456, www.grapesandsoda.ca) next door.
MAP 6: 1535 W. 6th Ave., 604/620-2070, www.farmersapprentice.ca; 5:30pm-10pm Mon.-Fri., 11am-2pm and 5:30pm-10pm Sat.-Sun.
If you’re keen to explore First Nations cuisine, visit Salmon n’ Bannock. This modern aboriginal bistro uses traditional ingredients in its elk burgers, game sausages, and bison tenderloin—and yes, there’s plenty of salmon and bannock, a native bread, on the menu, too. Wines come from Nk’Mip Cellars, Canada’s first aboriginal-owned winery, based in B.C.’s Okanagan region. Desserts include bannock bread pudding and homemade fruit pies.
MAP 6: 1128 W. Broadway, 604/568-8971, www.salmonandbannock.net; 11:30am-3pm and 5pm-9pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-3pm and 5pm-10pm Fri., 5pm-10pm Sat.
Dynasty Seafood serves some of Vancouver’s best dim sum, a sophisticated mix of traditional and creative dumplings, buns, and other small bites. Highlights include lemony baked barbecue pork buns, steamed black truffle dumplings, and sweet sago pudding, a tapioca dessert. The busy second-floor dining room, with views of the downtown skyline and North Shore mountains, is a short walk west of the Broadway/City Hall Canada Line station. Reservations are recommended for dim sum, especially on Saturday and Sunday.
MAP 6: 777 W. Broadway, 604/876-8388, www.dynasty-restaurant.ca; 10am-3pm and 5pm-10:30pm daily
Watch the noodle makers stretch, pull, and toss their lumps of dough at the Shao Lin Noodle House, a casual eatery near the Broadway/City Hall Canada Line station that specializes in dishes from northern China. Order a bowl of the handmade noodles, of course, choosing from different shapes and adding your choice of meat or vegetable toppings, but don’t neglect the steamed or pan-fried dumplings or the side dishes, like diced cucumbers in sesame sauce or the spicy fried green beans.
MAP 6: 656 W. Broadway, 604/873-1618, www.shalinnoodlehouse.com; 11am-9:30pm Sun.-Thurs., 11am-10pm Fri.-Sat.
Long considered Vancouver’s top Japanese dining room, Tojo’s, which takes its name from chef-owner Hidekazu Tojo, is known for the high quality of its sushi and sashimi. Chef Tojo first arrived in Vancouver in the early 1970s, when North Americans were not very familiar with Japanese food. Tojo reportedly created a roll made from cooked crabmeat and fresh avocado—widely known today as the California roll. For a special evening, sit at the sushi bar and order omakase (chef’s choice, $80-150 pp), a parade of traditional and creative dishes. Sip rice wines and order small plates at The Sake Bar, adjacent to the main restaurant, when you don’t want a full meal.
MAP 6: 1133 W. Broadway, 604/872-8050, www.tojos.com; 5pm-late Mon.-Sat.
Celebrated for its innovative riffs on Indian cuisine, Vij’s, which became equally famous for its no-reservations waiting lines, relocated in 2015 to a larger space, six blocks from the Broadway/City Hall Canada Line station. The no-bookings policy, and the modern Indian fare, from chickpeas in black cardamom curry to grilled venison atop tamarind-date puree to the signature lamb “Popsicles,” remain largely unchanged; a cocktail or a cup of chai makes the wait go more smoothly. In summer, you can dig into basmati rice bowls or snacks like papri (spiced potatoes and sprouted lentils served with chutneys and wheat crisps) up on the rooftop patio.
MAP 6: 3106 Cambie St., 604/736-6664, www.vijsrestaurant.ca; 5:30pm-10:30pm daily
Under the same ownership as Vij’s, the more casual Rangoli serves interesting Indian dishes in a South Granville café. Many of the choices are vegetarian, like the kale, jackfruit, cauliflower, and potato curry or the chickpeas in fenugreek curry with grilled eggplant, while meat lovers might opt for the spicy pulled pork with sautéed greens or the beef short ribs with pickled vegetables. To drink, try a salty or sweet lassi (yogurt drink), which is also available in a dairy-free coconut-mango version.
MAP 6: 1480 W. 11th Ave., 604/736-5711, www.vijsrangoli.ca; 11am-2:30pm and 5pm-11pm Mon., 11am-2:30pm and 5pm-midnight Tues.-Fri., 11am-midnight Sat.-Sun.
This lively storefront just west of Main Street takes you to Peru by way of the Pacific Northwest, incorporating local ingredients into classic Peruvian dishes. Start your sipping with a traditional pisco sour or with the restaurant’s nonalcoholic namesake, chicha morada, a sweet beverage made from purple corn. Among the sharing-style plates, order one of the ceviches, or opt for a ceviche trio to sample several varieties. Other good choices include the addictive palitas de yuca (cassava root fries); empanadas filled with butternut squash, corn, kale, and cheese; and any of the causas, whipped potatoes topped with seafood or vegetables. For a sweet finish, try the picarones, sweet potato and pumpkin doughnuts.
colorful Peruvian fare at Chicha
MAP 6: 136 E. Broadway, 604/620-3963, www.chicharestaurant.com; 5pm-11pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-midnight Fri., 10:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-midnight Sat., 10:30am-2:30pm and 5pm-11pm Sun.
At Vancouver’s most innovative vegetarian restaurant, plant-based food shakes off its crunchy-granola reputation with ambitious plates that would enhance any upscale table: kale salad with tempeh and smoked paprika croutons, beer-battered halloumi cheese with zucchini-potato pancakes, or orecchiette with fresh peas and almonds. The dining space isn’t much larger than the restaurant’s namesake, and they don’t take reservations, so you might chill at the bar with a Cock-A-Tail (coconut-infused rum, amaro, lime, and apricot riesling syrup) or a local craft beer.
MAP 6: 3995 Main St., 604/566-9001, www.theacornrestaurant.ca; 5:30pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 5:30pm-11pm Fri., 10am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-11pm Sat., 10am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-10pm Sun.
The homey Liberty Bakery draws its inspiration from Scandinavia, from the white wood walls to the baked goods, like cardamom-scented cinnamon rolls or pulla, a Finnish sweet bread, which you can pair with your morning coffee. At lunchtime, choose from open-faced sandwiches, classic grilled cheese, black bean soup, or several salads. This Main Street café is popular with neighborhood families who often pop in for an after-school or weekend treat.
MAP 6: 3699 Main St., 604/709-9999, www.liberty-bakery.com; 8am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-6pm Sat.-Sun.
This airy coffeehouse is perpetually packed with friends catching up over an espresso or freelancers tapping away at their laptops. The shop’s popularity is partly because they make Lucky’s Donuts fresh throughout the day, in flavors like classic old-fashioned, salted caramel, and white chocolate-matcha. The team at Vancouver-based 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters is serious about their coffee, too, sourcing beans from small producers and brewing top-notch cups. In addition to this Main Street location, they have a branch in Kitsilano.
MAP 6: 2902 Main St., 604/420-4900, http://49thcoffee.com; 7am-10pm Mon.-Sat., 7:30am-10pm Sun.
Notable for its unusual triangular-shaped space as much as for its brews, Gene Coffee Bar is a narrow wedge of a café with two walls of windows where Main Street and Kingsway intersect. Park at one of the long communal tables and soak up the neighborhood scene while you sip your drip coffee, latte, or macchiato.
MAP 6: 2404 Main St., 604/568-5501, http://genecoffeebar.com; 7:30am-7pm Mon.-Fri., 8:30am-7pm Sat.-Sun.
| Commercial Drive | Map 7 |
This compact corner storefront with seats indoors at their dark wood tables or out on a narrow sidewalk patio is the spot for seafood and other light bites on Commercial Drive. Merchant’s Oyster Bar shucks a changing selection of bivalves (ask the obliging staff for the day’s features), along with inventive sharing plates like pork terrine with peach mostarda, tuna crudo with sea asparagus, or local crab with tarragon aioli, that you can pair with creative cocktails and craft beer. For something more substantial, you might find tagliatelle with prawns and uni butter or duck with five-spice barbecue sauce.
MAP 7: 1590 Commercial Dr., 604/258-0005, www.merchantsoysterbar.ca; 2pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 2pm-11pm Fri., 11am-11pm Sat., 11am-10pm Sun.
Casual Jamjar serves traditional Lebanese dishes, updated with local ingredients, in a space that mixes pendant lights, white subway tiles, and other industrial elements, with homey wooden tables and jars of their own hummus, dips, and sauces on display. From fattoush salad to makdous (pickled eggplant stuffed with chili and walnuts) to makali (fried cauliflower with pomegranate molasses), plates are designed to share, with lots of vegetarian options. There’s a second location in South Granville.
MAP 7: 2280 Commercial Dr., 604/252-3957, www.jam-jar.ca; 11:30am-10pm daily
Convenient for a bite before a show at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre or the York Theatre, Kin Kao Thai Kitchen serves Thai dishes with contemporary twists in a modern minimalist space, where you can perch at the counter or line up for seats at one of the light wood tables (it’s a small spot). Don’t miss the tangy, sour cured pork ribs. Other recommended dishes include papaya salad, steak salad, or any of the curry dishes. Craft beers from neighborhood breweries are on tap.
pork ribs and salad at Kin Kao Thai Kitchen
MAP 7: 903 Commercial Dr., 604/558-1125, www.kinkao.ca; 5pm-10pm Mon., 11:30am-3pm and 5pm-10pm Tues.-Sat.
What brings the all-day breakfast crowds of families, East Side hipsters, and other neighborhood denizens to The Red Wagon, a homey diner in the heart of the East Village? First of all, there are pulled pork pancakes—buttermilk pancakes layered with tender pork and Jack Daniels-laced maple syrup. Beyond this indulgent specialty, the menu starts with eggs, bacon, and other morning classics, but gets creative with Vietnamese-influenced “breakfast bánh mì,” a vegetarian tofu scramble, and a goat cheese and basil frittata. If you’re in more of a lunch mood, opt for a burger, soups, salads, or sandwiches.
MAP 7: 2296 E. Hastings St., 604/568-4565, www.redwagoncafe.com; 8am-3pm Mon.-Tues., 8am-midnight Wed.-Fri., 9am-midnight Sat.-Sun.
A delicious reason to visit Italian grocer La Grotta Del Formaggio is for the Italian sandwiches that this Commercial Drive shop makes to order. Load up your fresh bread or focaccia with salami, prosciutto, or other cured meats, along with cheeses, peppers, olives, and various condiments. The shop has a couple of seats out on the sidewalk, but a better plan is to take your meal to a nearby park. The shop also sells imported pastas, anchovies, and a large selection of cheeses.
MAP 7: 1791 Commercial Dr., 604/255-3911, www.lgdf.ca; 9am-6pm Mon.-Thurs. and Sat., 9am-7pm Fri., 10am-6pm Sun.
The Pie Shoppe turns out a seasonally changing array of sweet things in a crust. The proprietors of this cheerful East Side bakery with a common table and handcrafted pine counter, located down the street from several craft breweries, also run Panoramic Roasting Company, a small batch coffee roaster, and pair their blueberry, nectarine-cardamom, chocolate pecan, or other slices with pour-overs, espressos, and cappuccinos from their own beans. They sell whole pies and savory options, too, but beware: They close early if they run out of pie.
MAP 7: 1875 Powell St., 604/338-6646, http://thepieshoppe.ca; 11am-6pm Wed.-Sun.
A hip Commercial Drive coffee spot that’s expanded to several locations across the city, window-lined Prado Café serves its brews in turquoise mugs to clients who settle at the wooden tables to chat or get some work done. Staff use locally roasted 49th Parallel beans and bake their pastries in-house.
MAP 7: 1938 Commercial Dr., 604/255-5537, http://pradocafevancouver.com; 7am-8pm Mon.-Fri., 7am-7pm Sat., 8am-7pm Sun.
As the first independent coffee bar on Commercial Drive, this coffee shop may claim that they’ve been “non-conforming since 1992,” but Turks Coffee House conforms to seriously high coffee standards, serving Italian-style brews sourced primarily from small, fair trade, and organic producers. Sip your drip-, pour over-, or espresso-style java at the long communal counter, a sunny window table, or out on the pocket-size sidewalk patio.
MAP 7: 1276 Commercial Dr., 604/255-5805, 6:30am-11pm daily
| Richmond | Map 8 |
From the front, Bamboo Grove looks like a nearly abandoned, old-time Asian eatery. But go around back, enter through the parking lot, and you’ll find a high-end Cantonese restaurant, with white tablecloths, black-suited waiters, and an elaborate menu. Any fresh fish dish would be a good option, as would the eggplant with tiger prawns, the fried rice with cod roe, and the unusual pork stomach with ginkgo soup, a pale, creamy, and rich broth. If you have a big budget and adventurous tastes, try the succulent geoduck clam sautéed with velvety scrambled eggs; check the current price before ordering, as geoduck can often run $50 a pound. Reservations are recommended.
MAP 8: 6920 No. 3 Rd., 604/278-9585; 4:30pm-10:30pm daily; subway: Richmond-Brighouse
Like spice? Richmond’s Bushuair Restaurant prepares the blistering hot cuisine of China’s Hunan province. A portrait of Mao, who hailed from Hunan, welcomes patrons to this nondescript strip-mall storefront, where it’s all about the food. From the thick menu, which is filled with photos, choose any preparation with smoked bacon or pickled chilies, which give dishes their distinctive Hunan flavors. The whole fish buried in chili peppers is a showstopper.
MAP 8: Empire Centre, 4540 No. 3 Rd., #121, 604/285-3668; 11am-midnight daily; subway: Aberdeen
Su Hang Restaurant, in a Richmond strip mall, specializes in dishes from Shanghai and the surrounding regions, from delicate xiao long bao (pork-filled soup dumplings) to fresh fish or crab to meaty pork ribs. To sample their signature dish, Hangzhou beggar chicken, order a day in advance. At lunchtime, they serve Shanghai-style dim sum. Make a reservation; the restaurant is small.
MAP 8: 8291 Ackroyd Rd., #100, 604/278-7787, www.suhang.ca; 11am-3pm and 5pm-10pm daily; subway: Lansdowne
Many dishes at Richmond’s Sichuan-style New Spicy Chili Restaurant incorporate the delectably mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns that balance out hot peppers’ chili heat. The staff at this relaxed little storefront, tucked into the corner of a minimall, do their best to assist with recommendations, but if you like spicy fare, you can’t go wrong with dishes like the “water-boiled fish” (known here as “tilapia fish with spicy sauce”), kung pao chicken, or the smoked bacon with bamboo shoots (the meat is cured in-house). They do interesting vegetable dishes here as well, including sautéed cauliflower or stir-fried lotus root.
MAP 8: 4200 No. 3 Rd., #160, 604/273-3388; 11:30am-9:30pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-10pm Fri.-Sun.; subway: Aberdeen
Sesame flatbread stuffed with sliced lamb, steamed lamb dumplings, creamy lamb soup with hand-pulled noodles, cumin-spiced lamb stir-fry—if you enjoy lamb dishes of many varieties, make tracks to Hao’s Lamb Restaurant, which specializes in dishes from western China’s Xi’an region. The kitchen uses every part of the sheep (yes, you can even order lamb penis). Accompany your meat with refreshing cold plates, including pickled radishes or garlicky cucumbers, from the display case at the counter or with vegetable options like the crisp and creamy fried eggplant.
rack of lamb at Hao’s Lamb Restaurant
MAP 8: 8788 McKim Way, #1180, 604/270-6632; 11am-9:30pm Fri.-Wed.; subway: Aberdeen
In an ordinary Richmond strip mall, Golden Paramount Seafood Restaurant is a first-rate spot for Hong Kong-style dim sum. Try the pan-fried oysters, congee (rice porridge), and steamed dumplings filled with pork and crab, or survey what other tables are eating and politely point. Reservations are recommended, particularly on weekends.
MAP 8: 8071 Park Rd., 604/278-0873; 5pm-10pm Wed.-Mon. (dim sum 10:30am-3pm); subway: Richmond-Brighouse
More than 40 percent of the population in metropolitan Vancouver is of Asian descent. These strong Asian influences permeate the city, from business culture to food. In particular, the Vancouver region has hundreds of Chinese restaurants, many serving high-end cuisine that rivals the fare in Hong Kong, Taipei, and Beijing.
Chinatown, near the city center, was once a vibrant immigrant community. While it still has Chinese markets, bakeries, and restaurants, the best place for traditional Asian meals is Richmond, the region’s new Chinatown, where dozens of restaurants serve cuisines from across China.
Whether you’re looking for spicy Sichuan or Hunan fare, handmade noodles and dumplings like you’d see in Shanghai, delicately seasoned Cantonese seafood, or the hearty lamb dishes of China’s western provinces, you’ll find it in Richmond. Cafés serving bubble tea and Taiwanese shaved ice desserts draw a young crowd, while families pack the round tables of countless dim sum houses. Richmond’s Alexandra Road, which runs for several blocks east from No. 3 Road, has so many restaurants that it’s known locally as “Food Street.”
jumbo prawns with eggplant at Richmond’s Bamboo Grove
The center of Richmond’s Asian food scene is the Golden Village, along No. 3 Road from Cambie Road south toward Granville Avenue. Most restaurants are located in shopping centers or minimalls, so don’t hesitate to explore.
The city even has a Dumpling Trail (www.visitrichmondbc.com), which highlights where to eat pot stickers, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), and other delectable stuffed dough dishes.
For dim sum classics, like har gow (delicate steamed shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings topped with fish roe), and barbecue pork buns, Empire Seafood Restaurant is a good choice. Other items to sample include scallop and shrimp dumplings, pan-fried turnip cakes, and steamed egg yolk buns. To find the entrance, head for the second floor of the Richmond complex that also houses a London Drugs store. Arrive before 11am or book ahead for dim sum.
MAP 8: London Plaza, 5951 No. 3 Rd., #200, 604/249-0080, www.empirerestaurant.ca; 5:30pm-10:30pm daily (dim sum 9am-3pm); subway: Richmond-Brighouse
Hidden in the parking garage underneath a Richmond grocery superstore, The BBT Shop not only makes tasty bubble tea, but is also known for its eggy bubble waffles, which you can sample plain or with a variety of sweet toppings, including fresh strawberries with whipped cream or matcha ice cream with red beans. One seasonal specialty is the “super mango” version, piled high with mango ice cream, fresh mango, and mango sauce; bring a friend and share. There’s another location in the West End.
MAP 8: 4651 No. 3 Rd., 604/285-8833; noon-9:30pm Sun.-Thurs., noon-11:30pm Fri.-Sat.; subway: Aberdeen
Modern Pearl Castle Café has long been a favored destination for young Richmond residents to meet up over bubble tea, from classic milk tea to fresh fruit slush to their own creations. Accompany your drinks with Taiwanese snacks like spiced fried chicken, pork and kimchi fried rice, or thick toast slathered with condensed milk. You’ll find a second smaller branch inside the Richmond Centre Mall.
MAP 8: Continental Centre, 3779 Sexsmith Rd., #1128, 604/270-3939, www.pearlcastle.com; 11:30am-1am daily; subway: Aberdeen
When you need a quick lunch or early supper, wander past the vegetable sellers and other stalls on the main level of the Richmond Public Market and find your way to the second-floor food court. At Xi’an Cuisine, which serves dishes from western China, try a lamb dish with hand-pulled noodles or the pan-fried pot stickers. To drink, get a bubble tea from Peanuts, which also makes a sweet, round waffle-like pastry known as a “car wheel cake,” filled with your choice of coconut, peanuts, sweet red beans, even radish. Although not every vendor is open every day, you’ll always have several options during the market’s regular hours.
MAP 8: 8260 Westminster Hwy., no phone; 10am-8pm daily; subway: Richmond-Brighouse
| The North Shore | Map 9 |
Near Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, Pier 7 Restaurant & Bar perches over the water with views across Burrard Inlet to the downtown skyline. While the menu emphasizes simple fresh seafood and casual pub fare, the waterfront setting makes the room feel more special. It’s a nice spot for sunset drinks, too. The restaurant is a five-minute walk from the SeaBus terminal, so you can start and end your evening with a 12-minute cruise between Waterfront Station and the North Shore.
seafood plate at Pier 7 Restaurant & Bar
MAP 9: 25 Wallace Mews, North Vancouver, 604/929-7437, http://pierseven.ca; 11:30am-10pm Mon.-Fri., 10:30am-10pm Sat.-Sun.
Vancouver’s North Shore has a large Persian community, and one of the best places to sample the food of this region is at Yaas Grill House. This cafeteria-style eatery is not especially atmospheric, but order at the counter, find a seat in the cramped storefront, and the staff will pile your table high with platters of kebabs, stews, and freshly grilled breads that are nearly as large as the tabletops. You’ll particularly appreciate the hearty portions if you’ve been adventuring in the nearby mountains. For dessert, have a piece of classic baklava.
MAP 9: 1629 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, 604/990-9099, http://yaasgrill.com; 11am-10pm daily
For many Vancouverites, a day kayaking at Deep Cove isn’t complete without a stop for an old-fashioned, freshly made doughnut at North Shore institution Honey Donuts. Besides the doughnuts—honey is the classic flavor—you can fuel up with eggs and bacon, hot soup, or a selection of sandwiches.
MAP 9: 4373 Gallant Ave., Deep Cove, North Vancouver, 604/929-4988, http://honeydoughnuts.com; 6am-5pm daily
This West Vancouver café is known for its pies, particularly seasonal fruit varieties, and you can recover from your North Shore outdoor adventures over a cup of coffee and a slice or two. A relaxed neighborhood gathering place, Savary Island Pie Company also serves savory varieties, including chicken potpie and a Quebec-style tourtière (meat pie), along with sandwiches, soups, and other pastries.
MAP 9: 1533 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 604/926-4021, http://savaryislandpiecompany.com; 6am-7pm daily
