It’s always a delight to visit Vancouver! I’ve definitely left a little piece of my heart there, cause I spent the beginning of my television career working on the west coast! The weather is always milder than Toronto and going to the beach is a regular affair on that side of Canada. Jealous! Here’s a recap of all the vegan food in Vancouver that I ate throughout my recent visits. I’ve got the insider’s scoop on all the places you definitely need to hit up if you’re a true #hotforfoodie!
hot for food approved
Chau Veggie
One place that absolutely makes the hot for food approved list is Chau! They have a huge, beautiful menu that always makes it difficult for me to only pick one thing. On my first trip in this series I ended up settling for the tropical rainstorm bowl, which was a total flavor explosion of thick rice noodles, coconut cream, tofu, veggies and more! It knocked my socks off. My friend Christina and I also got some crispy spring rolls to share.
In my second vlog, I got down with the peanut butter chocolate squares, snickerdoodle cookies, and Vietnamese coffee ice cream… ALL. VEGAN. Chau strikes again!
And (surprise!), this one also made an appearance in my third vlog. Can you tell I seriously dig this place?! I got the nonla crispy rolls, rice fields bowl, and the tropical rainstorm bowl again. Try it for yourself and you’ll see why I’m always en route to it when I’m on the hunt for vegan food in Vancouver.
verdict: I can’t say enough good things about Chau. Go there now and bring a big appetite!
Note: Nice Vice as featured in the vlog is no longer in business.
The Wallflower
It happened! Finally a place that offers up a good ol’ caesar gone vegan, baby! Beside this sippin’ I tried the broccoli benny and mcnuffin breakfast sandwich!
verdict: this was a great brunch spot with chill vibes. That benedict was piled hella high, so I balanced it out with a bed of greens. Aren’t ya proud of me for eating a balanced meal?
Virtuous Pie
This joint had a fitting name ‘cause these pizza slices were virtuous to say the least. Obvi we had to try more than one type of za, so we had the super funghi, stranger wings (get it?), and kim-jack. Kim-jack was a spicy slice that I’d only recommend if you dig food that turns up the heat. If you’re into a simpler slice, the stranger wings was more like a flatbread and wasn’t overly saucy. It’s my current fave on the menu. We tied it all together with three types of vegan ice cream, because why the hell wouldn’t we?
verdict: uh, do I really need to convince you to try a vegan pizza and ice cream restaurant?! FYI, there’s also a new location in Toronto which I’m pleased about!
The Juice Truck
All I had in the vlog from here was the remedy green juice, but hear me out! The Juice Truck has an unreal menu of vegan food options, and wicked cold pressed juices that’ll have you feeling your best.
verdict: I guarantee you’ll love anything you get on the menu. Trust!
The Arbor
I really rolled my sleeves up to dig in at the Arbor! I had a wild loaded southern fried artichoke sandwich that was NOT your average sammie. On top of that, I dug into the mac & cheese, pulled jackfruit steamed buns, and fried oyster mushrooms. The mushrooms had a super crispy batter that reminded me of calamari!
verdict: if you wanna hanker down with some serious comfort food, plug this place into your GPS.
Baoguette
This is the most quaint lil’ hole in the wall. You’d barely notice it, let alone expect them to have such killer vegan eats. While looking for vegan food in Vancouver, keep in mind there’s hidden gems like this one! We had spring rolls, curry noodles, pho, and the veg baoguette which was nice n’ spicy the way I like it!
verdict: the baoguette is a really unique sandwich that I think you’ll love! If this gives you a hankering for bao ASAP, my recipe will tide you over until your next trip to Vancouver.
To Die For Fine Foods
I grabbed Erin Ireland’s well-known vegan banana bread, which I’ve always heard GREAT things about. Word on the street is totally correct, cause this stuff was insane. It was packed with cinnamon, walnuts, and vegan chocolate chips. I regret not buying more, cause I could probably inhale an entire loaf of this perfectly moist banana bread! Sorry for using the word “moist” if you’re one of those moist-haters, but you can’t escape the truth. Also Erin Ireland is a vegan goddess, so of course her baked goods would be heavenly.
verdict: this ish is bananas. Ya hear me?! Here’s an entire list of where you can buy it.
Kokomo
I had the most delicious and nutritious laksa curry noodle soup at this cute spot just around Main and Kerr. Definitely drop into Kokomo. The owner Katie Ruddell is a doll!
Obviously something sweet is always on my must-eat list while travelling, but dairy-free ice cream is hit or miss depending on what it’s made of. Lucky for me, Kokomo was a win for vegan soft serve ice cream lovers like myself! They make coconut soft serve that’s to friggin die for, and it has probiotics in it – bonus! It’s from Austrailia, and honestly I need them to open a location in Toronto like… right now.
verdict: you might actually scream for ice cream at Kokomo. I recommend the banana cream flavor! I wish I could fit this ice cream into my daily diet, to be honest with ya. It’s healthy after all!
Nuba
Now, listen up. Moving on from sweet treats, Nuba is where it’s at and you need to go there now if you want vegan food in Vancouver. I used to visit this place all the damn time when I lived in Vancouver from 2005 to 2009! In this vlog, I had Najib’s Special, aka crispy cauliflower with tahini that’s hair-raisingly good. If you’re from the city you’ve probably heard of (and likely eaten) this dish!
verdict: cozy up with Najib’s Special to be dreamin’ about cauliflower for the rest of your life. Seriously!
ARC
ARC is located in the Fairmont Waterfront hotel I stayed at during this trip. The amazing chef there made specific vegan dishes for me, but not everything featured is available on their regular menu. It was basically one of the best meals I’ve ever had because everything was so mindfully and impressively created. I had a garden in a jar, which was a fresh selection of greens hand picked from their garden. It was topped with coconut bacon, parsnip chips, and tofu aioli. A second salad I indulged in featured roasted and charred vegetables that were also fresh from their garden.
Next up was an incredible vegan quinoa burger that, lucky for y’all, is available on the menu to anyone! The patty was amazing with dried pomegranate, mungbeans and quinoa. It was topped with vegan cheese and sprouts, and overall deserves a gold medal in the vegan burger games in my professional opinion. My sides were zucchini fries and avocado fritters that were perfectly crisp and dippable. To tie it all together, dessert was shaved almond milk ice, tapioca with mango and grapefruit, and a peanut butter chocolate square. The square is totally vegan, and also always available on the menu! Check out the link in the title to see the entire menu that they offer to all customers.
verdict: everything I ate here was I N C R E D I B L E. I can’t say enough good things. Although a lot of what I ate isn’t available on the menu, their regular offerings, like the burger and peanut butter square, are amazing and totally worth trying. Vegan food in Vancouver is officially gold star worthy!
The Acorn
If you have yet to be WOW’d by a vegan restaurant, this is the one. Everything here is so beautifully crafted and serves flavor combos to the max. I had the kale salad with tempeh bacon, an amazing pasta dish with spring peas, and the braised cabbage with dijon mustard and an edible cauliflower potato nest. Check out the vlog to see what they looked like!
verdict: if I haven’t convinced you of its magic yet, The Acorn was also named the #1 vegan restaurant IN THE WORLD! Read about it here.
JJ Bean
Oh frig, do I ever love this place! Every time I’m in Vancouver it’s no question that I’ll be stopping by. If you arrive first thing in the morning, their muffins are so warm and fresh! I got the pumpkin apple muffin in the vlog, but all of their vegan baked options are top notch.
verdict: one of my absolute faves in Vancouver. A definite must-try for a morning muffin and coffee!
other notable cafes
Caffe Artigiano
I also wanted to mention this spot because they serve up some of my FAVORITE coffee. Specifically, I highly praise their soy lattes! As a heads up, they don’t have any vegan food options, but the drinks are a 10/10.
Prado Cafe
Another notable cafe! This one had a gigantic, dreamy vegan apricot cookie that went perfectly with my americano.
Hopefully this gives you a taste of the incredible vegan options available in Vancouver! It’s one of the many reasons why I love going back. If you’re in the city, make sure to stop by at least one of the spots on my hot for food approved list and thank me later! The graphic below is available on Pinterest, so make sure sure to pin it to your travel board.
noted, not notable
- Cartem’s
- Heritage Asian Kitchen
- Melu Juice Bar
- Tap & Barrel
- Tractor Foods
- Cafe Deux Soleil
- Portland Craft
- Heirloom
- Tacofino
- Legendary Noodle
- Nomad
