7 must-try vegetarian restaurants in Vancouver
In a city known for its yoga-mat-toting, bicycle-riding populace, vegetarian restaurants can be found on nearly every corner, and deciding where to chow down on kale chips after your relaxing Reiki session can feel overwhelming. If you’re looking for a veggie-friendly meal in Vancouver, here are the best West Coast-style restaurants for meat-free cuisine. [Image of Heirloom Restaurant by Jessica Napier]
The Naam Office
2724 4th Ave W, Vancouver BC V6K 1R1No list about vegetarian fare in Vancouver would be complete without mentioning this award-winning Kitsilano institution. The Naam has filled the bellies of UBC bohemians, tourists and families for decades. In an eclectic, plant-covered restaurant evocative of the grassroots cafés of 1970’s California, chefs here are celebrated for modern twists on traditional hippy fare including miso gravy dragon bowls, sesame fries, Mexican salads, and crunchy granola – all equally groovy (and tasty).
The Acorn Restaurant
3995 Main St, Vancouver BC V5V 3P3For meat-free food that doesn’t skimp on style and presentation, visit The Acorn, an intimate and casual fine-dining restaurant where cutting edge, West Coast foodie trends are modified to remove the meat (and often the wheat and dairy, too) and paired with impeccable service, artful cocktails and a gorgeous, refined setting to provide a relaxed evening that’s ideal for date night. Rotating menus based on the seasons ensure you’ll never have the same experience twice.
Heirloom Restaurant
1509 12th Ave W, Vancouver BC V6J 2E2Contemporary, spacious and filled with natural light, Heirloom’s impeccably designed space is as good for your psyche as its food is for your body. South Granville’s only dedicated vegetarian restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner (and one incredible vegan kale salad with cornbread croutons), we recommend you arrive in time for the happy hour, when reduced-price specialty cocktails with ingredients like lavender, cucumber and mint are paired with healthy snacks like homemade hummus and veggies, which won’t hurt your wallet (or your physique).
Meet on Main
4288 Main St, Vancouver BC V5V 3P9The first thing you’ll see when you enter this hip Mount Pleasant establishment is people –lots and lots of them, seated at long, communal tables or packed-in at singles, an arrangement that facilitates chance meetings and lively discussions. Warm, gluten-free comfort plates such as vegan mac n’ cheese and meat-free burgers with hand-cut fries are best enjoyed with craft beers and local wines. And don’t forget to glance around Meet’s cheeky décor as you do; you may catch the last scene from The Wedding Singer on the old TV above the bar.
The Rumpus Room
2301 Main St, Vancouver BC V5T 3C9For delicious, towering nachos with all the toppings, and a laidback ambience that lends itself to party debriefing, head to The Foundation. Open long after the sun goes down, this Main Street haunt is an ideal location for late-night noshing on peanut and tofu stir-fries, veggie chilli, and chickpea curries, all to the sweet sounds of post-club conversations and incredibly loud rap music (tip: asking the waiter to turn down the tunes is definitely a faux pas).
Budgies Burritos
44 Kingsway, Vancouver BC V5T 3H9The only counter-service restaurant on this list certainly deserves the spot. This quirky takeout bar brings disparate groups together – from tech office workers to tourists, artists and skateboarders – with its robust and hearty vegetarian-only tacos, quesadillas, nachos and burritos the size of babies. Moody staff and cheeky menu items like “the Poser” provide food for thought as you much your tofurky sausage, veggie ground round or beans, beans, and more beans.
