Japadog
Japadog is a Japanese-Canadian street hot dog: a kurobuta sausage in a bun, topped with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and crisp dried seaweed. The Terimayo is the original.
Where: Japadog, Japadog Burrard cart
Vancouver eats off the Pacific and through the Pacific Rim. The Strait of Georgia delivers spot prawns through May, sockeye salmon through summer, Dungeness crab year-round and Fanny Bay oysters off Vancouver Island. Chinatown on Pender and Keefer holds the original Cantonese line; Richmond off-island runs the city's largest Cantonese dim sum belt around No 3 Road, ranked by Michelin since the inaugural BC guide. Vij's on Cambie has been the reference modern Indian kitchen since 1994. AnnaLena in Kits, Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, Hawksworth at the Rosewood and Boulevard at the Sutton Place run the high-cover tasting tier. Bao Bei, Maenam, Anh and Chi, Kissa Tanto and Published on Main set the modern Asian canon. The casual scene runs on Japadog street-cart hot dogs, Phnom Penh chicken wings and Save On Meats diner classics.
Eat your way through Vancouver
Browse by price
Map of Vancouver
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Vancouver, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Where to eat in Vancouver: editor-picked starting points
5 institutional venues to anchor a Vancouver food trip
- St Lawrence - French regional, chef J-C Poirier
- Published on Main - Pacific Northwest, chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson
- Masayoshi - Japanese sushi, chef Masayoshi Baba
- Sushi Masuda - Japanese sushi, chef Hirofumi Masuda
- AnnaLena - Pacific Northwest, chef Michael Robbins
Must-try Vancouver dishes
- Japadog - Japadog is a Japanese-Canadian street hot dog: a kurobuta sausage in a bun, topped with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and crisp dried seaweed
- BC roll - The BC roll is an inside-out sushi roll filled with grilled BC salmon skin, cucumber and sweet sauce, rolled with the rice on the outside
- Aburi salmon oshi sushi - Aburi salmon oshi sushi is flame-seared BC salmon pressed onto sushi rice in a rectangular box, topped with miso, then torched
- Vij's lamb popsicles - Vij's lamb popsicles are marinated lamb chops grilled and served in a fenugreek-cream curry
- Pacific oysters on the half shell - Vancouver's Pacific oysters come from Fanny Bay, Read Island, Kusshi, Royal Miyagi and a dozen other BC growers
Best Vancouver neighborhoods for food
- Chinatown - Pender and Keefer between Main and Carrall hold Vancouver's original Cantonese line
- Gastown - Cobblestone heritage district between Water Street and Hastings
- Yaletown - Converted warehouse district south of downtown
- West End - Dense residential grid west of downtown plus the Robson and Denman corridors
Must-try dishes in Vancouver
The plates that define eating in Vancouver.
BC roll
The BC roll is an inside-out sushi roll filled with grilled BC salmon skin, cucumber and sweet sauce, rolled with the rice on the outside. It is one of Vancouver's two Tojo-invented rolls, along with the California roll.
Where: Tojo's, Miku, Sushi Masuda
Aburi salmon oshi sushi
Aburi salmon oshi sushi is flame-seared BC salmon pressed onto sushi rice in a rectangular box, topped with miso, then torched. The dish is a Vancouver-invented sushi format, defining the Miku and Minami menus.
Where: Miku
Vij's lamb popsicles
Vij's lamb popsicles are marinated lamb chops grilled and served in a fenugreek-cream curry. The signature plate at Vij's Restaurant since 1994, the dish that defined modern Indian dining in Vancouver.
Where: Vij's
Pacific oysters on the half shell
Vancouver's Pacific oysters come from Fanny Bay, Read Island, Kusshi, Royal Miyagi and a dozen other BC growers. Served raw on the half shell, mignonette and lemon, the city's reference seafood plate.
Where: Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar, Blue Water Cafe
Where to eat Pacific oysters on the half shell in Vancouver →
Dungeness crab
BC Dungeness crab is the Pacific Northwest's well-known shellfish, with sweet white meat from the legs and claws. Served whole steamed at Granville Island, with butter, lemon and a cracker.
Where: Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar, Granville Island Public Market
Restaurants to know in Vancouver
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Vancouver.
Vij's
Vij's on Cambie Street has been Vancouver's reference modern Indian kitchen since 1994 under Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala, walk-in only and full-flavour.
Signature: Lamb popsicles in fenugreek cream curry, Marinated lamb popsicles, Jackfruit and bottle gourd curry
AnnaLena
AnnaLena in Kitsilano runs chef Michael Robbins's tasting menu on West 1st Avenue, named Canada's Best Restaurant in 2020 and Michelin recommended.
Signature: Tasting menu, BC seafood plates, Seasonal Pacific Northwest
Botanist
Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim runs chef Hector Laguna's contemporary kitchen, Michelin recommended and World's 50 Best Discovery 2024.
Signature: Tasting menu, Pacific Northwest plates, Sustainable seafood
Hawksworth Restaurant
Hawksworth at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia under chef David Hawksworth has run as Vancouver's high-cover contemporary kitchen since 2011, Michelin recommended.
Signature: Hawksworth burger, Tasting menu, BC sablefish
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar at the Sutton Place Hotel under executive chef Roger Ma runs Vancouver's reference oyster bar plus a wood-fired Pacific menu.
Signature: Seafood tower, Pacific oysters, Wood-fired plates
St Lawrence
St Lawrence on Powell Street is chef J-C Poirier's Quebecois bistro since 2017, Michelin-starred from the inaugural 2022 BC guide and EnRoute Best New.
Signature: Tourtiere, Cretons, Onion soup gratinee
Where to eat by neighborhood
Chinatown (chinatown)
Pender and Keefer between Main and Carrall hold Vancouver's original Cantonese line. Phnom Penh's chicken wings, Bao Bei modern Chinese, The Keefer Bar cocktails and Sai Woo on Pender.
Best for: Cantonese, Modern Chinese, Cocktails, Late night
Gastown (gastown)
Cobblestone heritage district between Water Street and Hastings. L'Abattoir, St Lawrence Quebecois, Pourhouse cocktails, MeeT vegetarian and Save On Meats diner all in walking distance of the steam clock.
Best for: Modern Canadian, Cocktails, Brunch, Late night
Yaletown (yaletown)
Converted warehouse district south of downtown. Blue Water Cafe seafood, The Flying Pig, Provence Marinaside, Glowbal and the False Creek seawall patios.
Best for: Seafood, Patios, Hotel dining, Cocktails
West End (west-end/robson)
Dense residential grid west of downtown plus the Robson and Denman corridors. Vancouver's Japanese izakaya and ramen belt: Kingyo, Kintaro Ramen, Guu, Suika and Joe Fortes seafood on Thurlow.
Best for: Japanese izakaya, Ramen, Sushi, Patios
Mount Pleasant (mount-pleasant/main-street)
Main Street between Broadway and 33rd is Vancouver's craft beer and modern-casual strip. Burdock & Co, Anh and Chi, Sushi Hil, Brassneck and 33 Acres anchor the neighbourhood food line.
Best for: Modern Canadian, Craft beer, Vietnamese, Cafes
Kitsilano (kitsilano/kits)
West Side beach neighbourhood between Burrard and Alma south of 4th Avenue. AnnaLena's tasting room on West 1st, Maenam Thai on 4th, The Naam vegetarian since 1968 and Tojo's sushi on West Broadway.
Best for: Modern Canadian, Thai, Sushi, Brunch
When to come hungry in Vancouver
Peak food season: May through September for spot prawns, sockeye salmon, halibut and the patio season; spot prawn season runs about six weeks from mid-May. Dungeness crab year-round. Dine Out Vancouver runs late January to early February with set menus citywide. Vancouver International Wine Festival runs late February. Richmond Night Market opens May through September. BC Shellfish Festival runs June on Vancouver Island.
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30-14:30. Dinner 17:30-22:00; tasting rooms last seat 20:30. Bars close 02:00 by BC liquor regulation. Cantonese dim sum runs 09:30-15:00 in Chinatown and Richmond. Late-night kitchens close 23:00 Tuesday to Thursday, 01:00 Friday and Saturday. Sunday brunch peaks 09:30-14:00 across Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano and Gastown.
Tipping: Tip 18 to 20 percent on the pre-tax total at sit-down restaurants. Counter and bar service take $1 to $2 per drink or 15 percent. Tasting menus at Botanist and Hawksworth do not include service; check the bill before adding. Food trucks and Japadog stalls don't expect tips. Hotels add a 1 to 3 percent destination marketing fee on top of the bill.
Vancouver food, FAQ
What food is Vancouver known for?
Vancouver's signature dishes include Japadog, BC roll, Aburi salmon oshi sushi, Vij's lamb popsicles, Pacific oysters on the half shell. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
What are the best food neighborhoods in Vancouver?
TableJourney editors map Vancouver by district. Chinatown, Gastown, Yaletown, West End are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Where should I eat fine dining in Vancouver?
Editor picks in Vancouver include St Lawrence, Published on Main, Burdock & Co, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
Are there food tours in Vancouver?
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Vancouver, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
Does Vancouver have good vegetarian or vegan food?
TableJourney's Vancouver dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.