Whenever friends or relatives come to Vancouver for the first time, I have a handful of places where I must take them to eat. Over the years, I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails from readers asking for advice on what are restaurants they can’t miss when they visit Vancouver.
In collaboration with Expedia.ca, we present to you my top 10 restaurants you must visit when traveling to Vancouver. Locals love it and any visitor will love them as well. After being to 2,000+ restaurant visits over the past 5 years of food blogging, I can confidently share my top 10 list with you all.
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is located in Chinatown and serve Vietnamese-Cambodian cuisine. This modest looking restaurant attracts locals and they can’t seem to get enough. Celebrities like Anthony Bourdain have visited this restaurant before.
Must order:
- Butter Beef
- Luc Lac with Egg
- Chicken Wings
Reservations are recommended as Phnom Penh gets busy during peak hours. They only accept reservations for groups of 5 or more.
Miku
You can’t get anymore West Coast fresh than at Miku with their mouth watering aburi sushi. From their patio, you overlook the North Shore Mountains and the Vancouver waterfront. Once you eat their Aburi Salmon Oishi Sushi, no other sushi will compare.
Must order:
- Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi
- Aburi Chirashi Tart
- Nutrigreens Farm Tofu Salad
- Aburi Saba Oishi Sushi
Reservations can be made online or over the phone. Walk ins welcome, but lines during peak hours. Take out.
Purebread
Purebread started out as a Whistler-based family bakery and has slowly made their way to Vancouver by making appearances at local farmers markets. They opened up their latest location near Gastown to share their plethora of delicious pastries with Vancouverites.
Must order:
- Crack Bar
- Outrageous Brownies
- Cheddar Jalapeno Scone
Walk-in shop with limited seating. Grab and go.
Ask for Luigi
This little Italian joint at the corner of Alexander and Gore serves up freshly made pasta full of flavour and creativity.
Must order:
- Anchovies & eggs
- Risotto
- Pappardelle and Duck Ragu
Reservations can be made over the phone. Walk-ins welcome but there may be a wait. If there is a wait, put your name down and head to Alibi Room for a drink before returning to your reservation time.
Address: 305 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC
Santouka Ramen
This global chain of Japanese ramen is located on Robson Street near the unofficial Japanese town. It draws local and tourists everyday and people can’t seem to get enough of their delicious broth.
Must order:
- Kara Miso Chashu Ramen
- Toroniku Shoyu Ramen
No reservations. Walk-in only. Long waits during peak hours.
Address: 1690 Robson St, Vancouver, BC
Earnest Ice Cream
Earnest Ice Cream is a local gem. Once you have a bite, you can never go back to having your normal ol’ ice cream. They infuse a lot of favour into their ice cream and it’s seriously addictive.
Must order:
- London Fog
- Salted Caramel
- Whiskey Hazelnut
No reservations. Walk-in shop with limited seating.
Address: 1829 Quebec Street, Vancouver, BC
Phone: (778) 379-0697
Timbertrain Coffee Roasters
Take a stroll in Vancouver’s historic Gastown and wander into Timbertrain Coffee Roasters where you will find their staff committed to the science of brewing perfection into each cup of coffee they serve.
Must order:
- Any espresso based drink
- Nitro Cold Brew
No reservations. Walk-in shop with limited seating.
Wesbite: http://timbertraincoffeeroasters.com/
Address: 311 W Cordova St, Vancouver, BC
Pizzeria Farina
Thin crust pizza done right is so hard to find in Vancouver. Located right outside Chinatown is Pizzeria Farina where they open daily at 5pm until the dough runs out. If you’re thinking about late night pizza here, you will most definitely be out of luck. Stalk them on their social media to see if they have already run out for the day.
Must Order:
- Margherita Pizza
- Funghi Pizza
No reservations. Walk-in shop with limited seating. Take out.
Address: 915 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2V8
Beaucoup Bakery
Beaucoup Bakery creates exceptional French-inspired pastries and childhood favourites including sweet pastries, artistic cakes, seasonal tarts, nostalgic cookies and rich viennoiserie. Stop by for a coffee and a sweet treat with your friends.
Must order:
- Double Baked Almond Croissant
- Mini Chocolate Croissant
No reservations. Walk-in shop with limited seating. Take out.
Website:http://www.beaucoupbakery.com/
Address: 2150 Fir St, Vancouver, BC V6J 3B5
Phone:(604) 732-4222
Nero Belgian Waffle
Everyday, they are waffl’ing. Their brussels and liege waffles top with decadent toppings are fantastic and Instagram worthy. The perfect mid-day snack or a late night indulgence for your sweet-tooth.
Must order:
- Razz
- Fruity
- Mocha
No reservations. Walk-in shop with limited seating and busy during peak hours. Take out.
Address: 1703 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C8
That concludes my top 10 restaurants for locals and tourists in Vancouver. Make reservations where possible and enjoy your eats. If you have any other awesome places to add to the list, share it in the comments below.
Post created in collaboration with Expedia.ca.
3 Comments
A fab list!! Can’t wait to try a few on my trip next month.
Two bakeries, one coffee and pastry shop, one ice cream shop and one waffle place? What if they don’t like dessert?
I tried to be diverse as I could with this list so they weren’t all entree meals. I guess I have a little bit of a sweet tooth when I was putting this together.