Vancouver is a city for foodies, that’s not up for debate. Just ask Food and Condé Nast Traveler magazines have called it one of the best cities to eat in the world.
Beyond the many awards and positive comments, as you walk through Vancouver, you’ll just feel how important good food is to locals. You’ll see it in the lines of food trucks and brunch places. You will smell it in the streets, when you pass through the kitchens full of beautiful aromas. You’ll feel it in the way locals talk about their favorite restaurants and chefs. And of course, you will taste it in each of the bites you take.
A trip to Vancouver is inevitably about eating well, so we’ve put together a brief guide to help you make the most of your stay.
Guide to Eating Delicious in Vancouver
When it comes to eating out in Vancouver, there are a few ground rules, a mix of fresh ingredients, cultural influences, and modern techniques, that you shouldn’t miss while in the city.
Being a city on the Pacific coast, you will know that seafood will be a big part of the local food. From salmon to sea urchins, the seafood you get in Vancouver is fresh, as it may have been caught in local waters not long before it was served to your table. A great example of this is the Spot Prawn Festival, a 10-year celebration of prized prawns, which are raised locally for just six to eight weeks each spring and cooked in a myriad of delicious ways.
Eating out in Vancouver also means exposing yourself to ethnic food from many cultures. Whether it’s eating a pork bun at New Town Bakery, tucking into a Japanese hotdog at celebrity favorite JapaDog, sampling modern Asian cuisine at Bao Bei or Bao Down, laughing with friends at Korean barbeque, or dim sum or eating in one of the many Indian, ramen or sushi restaurants that populate the city, a trip to eat well in Vancouver is a trip to cuisines around the world.
When it comes to enjoying local food, food trucks are a quick and cheap option. More than 100 trucks have created a food truck scene that is unmatched in Canada. Whether you want to enjoy fresh-squeezed juices, fantastic fish tacos, or scrumptious pork buns, use the Street Food App to find the food trucks closest to you.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a complete meal without some of the amazing craft beers in town. In recent years, Vancouver has emerged as a global player on the craft beer scene, with more than 50 breweries in the city and surrounding areas. Local ingredients, from hops and barley to raspberries and honey, go into every variety of beer you can imagine. Check out the BC Craft Brewers Guild and create your own must-try list.