32 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
1. Salmon n’ Bannock | $$
We highly recommend that you head to Salmon n’ Bannock to try indigenous cuisine. The restaurant is Vancouver’s only indigenous-owned and indigenous-operated restaurant. Their staff currently are members of the following First Nations groups: Long Plain, Maori, Muskoday, Musqueum, Nuxalk, Ojibway, Secwepmc, Squamish and Ts’msyen. Bannock is a traditional bread that is covered with delicious toppings. This restaurant also serves candied salmon, which is salmon candied with maple syrup.
2. Japadog | $
One of the places we made sure to visit during our last trip to Vancouver was Japadog. It’s a street hot dog stand that emphasizes Japanese flavors. It was even featured on Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservations.
We ordered two different hot dogs so we could try their flavors. We ordered the Kurobuta Terimayo, which is their most popular hot dog. The Kurobuta Terimayo is a hot dog made from Kurobuta pork and topped with teriyaki sauce, seaweed, fried onions, and their Japanese mayo. It was so delicious! We also ordered the Oroshi. The Oroshi is a pork bratwurst topped with daikon radish, green onions, and a special soy sauce. I really enjoyed that hot dog! When you visit Vancouver BC, we highly recommend that you try out this tasty fusion food! There are several Japadog stands throughout the city, so they are easily accessible.
3. Blue Water Cafe | $$$$
If you want to try some of Vancouver’s best seafood, make reservations at the Blue Water Cafe. The restaurant focuses on sustainable seafood. They have a raw bar menu which includes oysters, caviar, ceviche, and seafood towers. Their main dishes include things like scallops, lobster, and locally-sourced fish.
4. Fritz European Fry House | $
Whenever we visit Canada, we always order poutine (french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds). We’ve tried poutine at a lot of places, and we think that Fritz European Fry House has some of the best poutine in Canada. The shop is located near Yaletown, so it has a very convenient location. On the weekends they are open late. When we were on the way back to our hotel one evening, we stopped at Fritz, and it was the perfect place to go for a late-night snack before heading back to your hotel. The poutine gravy was rich and the cheese curds were gooey. The french fries were crisp, and we were super satisfied!
5. ¿Cómo? Taperia | $$
I have a soft spot for tapas because I lived in Spain for a semester in college. This restaurant has even incorporated some of the cultural elements of Spanish life by offering one free tapas with a drink purchase during happy hour.
6. Hawksworth Restaurant | $$$$
This restaurant is a must-try while you’re in Vancouver. It’s won numerous awards, includingBest Upscale Restaurantby Vancouver Magazine. At the time of this writing, their menu contains dishes likescallop & crispy pork belly (plum chutney, butternut squash, brussels) andhalibut (manila clam, snape peas, velouté).This restaurant is consistently featured in articles on best restaurants in Vancouver.
7. Medina Cafe | $$
This is the place to go for brunch. They serve Liège Style Waffles with unique toppings such as white chocolate pistachio rosewater, fig orange marmalade, or milk chocolate lavender. They also serve brunch dishes such as fricassée, frittata, and the Wolves Breakfast (poached egg, flatiron steak, bacon, sausages, and pickles).
8. Fortune Terrace Chinese Cuisine | $$$
Just south of downtown Vancouver is the suburb of Richmond, which has a high concentration of excellent Asian restaurants. The dim sum at Fortune Terrace Chinese Cuisine is highly recommended. At the time of this writing, some of their dim sum offerings includegold leaf poplar nectar parfaitandsteamed shrimp and lobster dumplings. It’s definitely worth getting out of the metro area to visit this restaurant.
9. PiDGiN Restaurant | $$$
This restaurant presents dishes that are a fusion of French and Asian flavors. The fun thing about this restaurant is that they have a prix-fixe tasting menu that is always changing. Currently their prix-fixe menu contains dishes such as an elk striploin (chanterelle mushrooms, rapini with pork braise reduction, hatcho miso, coffee celeriac puree, and red wine jus) and carrot cake (yuzu curd, hazelnut crumb, and candied carrot). The photo below is of a dish that contains Korean rice cakes, gochujang bolognese, and spiced hazelnut. We can’t wait to try it during our next visit!
10. Sashimiya | $$
Looking for a delicious meal on the go? Sashimiya is a sushi spot that exclusively sells grab-and-go sushi. They offer super fresh sushi and sashimi selections daily.
11. Yolks | $$
Yolks is famous for their egg benedicts. If this is one of your favorite breakfast dishes, you have to head to Yolks to try things like the buttermilk fried chicken eggs benedict or the grilled asparagus and double cream brie eggs benedict.
12. Miku Vancouver | $$$
This sushi restaurant has waterfront views. This restaurant specializes in gourmet Aburi cuisine. (Aburi means “flame seared.”) This restaurant consistently is receiving press for its excellent menu. If you love sushi, be sure to stop here. (We recommend that you dress up and make reservations.)
13. Chambar | $$$
With a warm environment and an excellent menu, Chambar is the perfect place to go for a nice meal. They have both a brunch and a dinner menu. (Their co*cktail menu is also quite impressive.) Currently on their menu they have three different mussels dishes (congolaise, coquotte, and vin blanc).
14. Camy’s Pizza | $
Another unique food item to try while in Vancouver is Indian-Pizza fusion. At Camy’s Pizza, you can try their Butter Chicken Pizza or their Shahi Paneer Pizza.
15. Jam Cafe | $$
This is another place you need to go for brunch. We even included it in our two-day Vancouver itinerary. Many of their recipes are inspired by the South, so expect to see fried chicken and cornbread on the menu. Their cinnamon bun pancakes look amazing.
16. The Farmer’s Apprentice | $$
The Farmer’s Apprentice focuses on consciously sourced ingredients. Because of this, their menu is constantly changing. (So it’s fun to visit there many times!) As an example, currently on their menu is a 21-day dry aged duck breast with olive chickpea panisse.
17. Botanist | $$$
Pacific Northwest ingredients are the star of the show at Botanist. For example, currently on the menu is a pan seared sablefish with foraged mushrooms, legumes, shish*to peppers, and aragosta. .
18. Downlow Chicken Shack | $$
Fried chicken is probably one of our favorite foods ever, and the staff at Downlow Chicken Shack know what they are doing. They only use fresh chicken (never frozen) and they use all natural ingredients. We visited Downlow Chicken Shack during our last trip to Vancouver BC. This was the one restaurant we drove to because we specifically wanted to try their chicken sandwiches. We were super impressed with their food. The fried chicken sandwich was crispy and delicious. We’ve been craving Downlow Chicken Shack ever since we left Vancouver!
19. Chancho Tortilleria | $
This Mexican restaurant in the Yaletown neighborhood features tacos, tortillas, and bebidas. They make homemade tortillas daily from nixtamal masa. They import corn from small, independent Mexican farmers.
20. Fat Mao Noodles | $$
Noodles always sound good. At Fat Mao Noodles, they have Shanghai Wide Noodles, Wonton Noodles, Pho Rice Noodles, Clear Rice Sheet Noodles, and Vermicelli Noodles.
21. Vij’s | $$$
A little south of downtown Vancouver you will find Vij’s. This is one of the best Indian restaurants in Vancouver. Their menu currently features dishes like coconut chicken curry and tamarind chicken.
22. Teahouse in Stanley Park | $$
Every time we visit Vancouver, we love to spend an afternoon in Stanley Park. While you’re there, check out the Teahouse. Their elegant dining room is the perfect place to unwind after an active day in the park. Currently they are offering dishes like lobster bisque and crab & shrimp crusted halibut.
23. The Flying Pig | $$
The Flying Pig is a restaurant in the Yaletown neighborhood of Vancouver. We’ve been to The Flying Pig twice, and each time were were super satisfied with the food. We think it’s the perfect place for a date night! The restaurant has a good selection of appetizers, entrees, and side dishes. During our last visit, we ordered several sides for our meal. The Lobster and Prawn Risotto and the Truffle Mac & Cheese were our two favorite side dishes! They were so delicious.
24. Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio | $$$$
Another excellent option for a seafood meal is Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio. You can order fresh oysters on ice with spicy ponzu, scallop and lime shooters, and lobster and shrimp risotto. (Just to name a few tasty items from their menu.) In 2020, they received the bronze award from Vancouver Magazine for Best Seafood.
25. Forage | $$
This restaurant focuses on local farmers, fishers, and foragers. If you want to try local ingredients, this is the place you should go. On Wednesdays and Thursdays they offer a four-course tasting menu for $45 CAD per person. (Must be reserved in advance.) They offer breakfast, brunch, and dinner menus. Their bar also offers beer and wine flights. What’s not to love?
26. Bao Bei | $$$
Bao Bei is a Chinese Brasserie located in Vancouver’s Chinatown. The name Bao Bei means “precious.” In 2017, Vancouver Magazine awarded it as the Best of Chinatown. For larger parties (between 5 to 8 people), they book the family table for a customized tasting menu.
27. The Acorn | $$$
The Acorn is a vegan-friendly restaurant. Their chef’s menu is a multi-course tasting, and they also offer entrees a-la-carte.
28. Savio Volpe | $$$
This is one of Vancouver’s nicest Italian restaurants. They accept online reservations for up to 6 guests per table. Their “Alla Famiglia” menu allows you to customize a dinner menu for your party. Their dinner menu consists of antipasti, insalata, and pasta, along with some mouthwatering entrees. Their acquerello risotto with wild chanterelle and lobster mushrooms with pecorino sounds delicious.
29. Dynasty Seafood Restaurant | $$$
Another excellent restaurant for seafood! They recommend that you book reservations early. In 2018 they were voted “Best Dim Sum” by Vancouver Magazine. For dinner, they have items like deep fried crab claw stuffed with shrimp paste and braised whole Australian abalone.
30. New Town Bakery and Restaurant | $
After visiting the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden one afternoon, we walked a short distance to try out the steamed buns at New Town Bakery and Restaurant. We ordered several different flavors, and they were all mouth-watering!
31. Kissa Tanto | $$$
The cool thing about this restaurant is that it is a fusion between Italian and Japanese cuisine. At this restaurant, you can find items such as whole fried fish with daikon soy dipping sauce and tajarin with butter, roasted mushrooms, and miso cured yolk.
32. Gyu-Kaku Japaenese BBQ | $$
This is an under-the-radar Japanese BBQ restaurant that we visited several years ago and we are still raving about it. We stumbled upon it completely by accident. We smelled something delicious, and we just followed our noses to their restaurant. Their beef garlic noodles were my favorite!
33. Ramen DANBO | $
This place is popular! Ramen DANBO serves up mouthwatering ramen noodles that are perfect for a rainy, blustery day in Vancouver. They also offer both a regular menu and a vegan menu, so there’s no excuse not to run over there and try their ramen.
34. Granville Island Public Market
We wrote a whole article about what we loved about Granville Island Public Market. But, this list would not be complete without mentioning the market! Take the Aquabus to Granville Island for a memorable trip to the market. The market contains over 50 vendors. We recommend that you arrive hungry and sample items as you browse through the market. One of our favorite vendors was Lee’s Donuts.
