What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says “vegan food”? Sadly steamed and bland vegetables? A mysterious vegan casserole full of gummy fake meat? A bleak and wilted salad bar?
How about burgers? Pizza? Tacos? How about all that AND more?!
In Vancouver, veggie food is definitely NOT just ‘rabbit food’; new plant-based eateries making veggie and vegan options the star of the show continue to sprout up all around town.
Whether or not you eat animal products, these 9 best vegan restaurants in Vancouver are slinging out some delish veggie grub that all lovers of tasty treats will enjoy!
9. Do Chay
Vietnamese street food gets a veggie upgrade. Taking classic Vietnamese soups, noodles and rice dishes, Do Chay goes incredibly hard with their vegetarian versions, while also creating new vegetarian Vietnamese dishes.
Fresh and full to the brim with flavour, each plate is modern and inventive, while still staying classically delicious. Gotta get the Bún Bò Huế (duh) and their spring rolls to really see how they do it UP at Do Chay!
Address: 1392 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5V 3E4
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8. MeeT
A veggie mainstay, with locations all over the city (Yaletown, Mount Pleasant, Gastown), MeeT is allllll about veggie comfort food. Bowls, salads, burgers, fries, poutines…the list goes on and on and on.
MeeT’s plant based mission is simple: transform more people into eating and LOVING plant based cuisine, and they do it all in a cool, fun and engaging venue. Deffs go for the Mac N’Cheeze bowl – it’s full on umami, and a must-get is the sweet chili cauliflower…Spicy sour n sticky…Meat who?!
MeeT on Main:
Address: 4288 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3P9
MeeT in Yaletown:
Address: 1165 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5P2
Meet in Gastown
Address: 1165 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5P2
7. Virtuous Pie
Plant-based pizza and ice cream…need we say more?
Believing in eating ‘virtuously,’ this pizza pie shop creates almost all ingredients in house, in small batches, all while still keeping Mother Earth in mind! With extremely inclusive options for all eaters, Virtuous Pie is always a YUM choice.
Keep it simple with a Margherita pizza, dolled up with their cashew mozzarella, and a pint of their daily flavour of ice cream. Pizza party!!
Address:
-Chinatown: 583 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2V1
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6. The Naam
Not including The Naam on a list of best vegan restaurants in Vancouver simply is not an option. With a longstanding history as a part of Vancouver’s hippie scene, The Naam has operated as a natural foods store and restaurant since 1968.
For any veggie food lovers, The Naam is an absolute MUST for veggie Vancouver tradition. Be sure to try their fries with miso gravy – not only is it their most famous dish, but the gravy is sold in grocery stores all over the city. Munch ‘em up at the resto, and then make them again and again at home!
Address: 2724 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6K 1R1
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5. The Burrow
Picture this: you’re staying at a desert horse ranch, being served a fab veggie burrito with goat cheese melted on top and a margarita in hand. Looking for the vegetarian rancher lifestyle? All day diner breakfasts, tacos and burritos make Commercial Drive’s Bandidas that exact spot.
Come on…veggie breakfast tacos all day? What more could you ask for?! Obviously go for their breakfast burrito (classic) or their Wolf and Goat burrito, and one of their cocktails – truly vegetarian Mexican breakfast heaven.
Address: 2781 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5N 4C5
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4. The Acorn/Arbor
One of the city’s only fine dining plant based spots, The Acorn is an incredible eating experience. Focussing on hyper local and in season produce, this is a destination for any eater who wants to worship at the altar of vegetables. Fresh, carefully crafted dishes will wow any diner, no matter their dietary restrictions. Try the tasting menu to really soak in how creative and delicious plants can be.
The Arbor is The Acorn’s more casual sister restaurant and bar, with burgers, salads, sandwiches and sharing plates. A southern fried artichoke sandwich, plus one of their house specialty cocktails, or an uber cool glass of natural wine is just the way to go.
The Acorn:
Address: 3995 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3P3
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The Arbor:
Address: 3941 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3P2
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3. Aleph Eatery
Middle Eastern food without the use of any animal products is the goal at Aleph Eatery, and boy oh boy do they ever pull it off.
Their menu reads like a classic Middle Eastern Shawarma spot, but if you look a little closer, everything is reinvented as vegetarian or vegan. Enoki mushrooms marinated and cooked become the texture and flavour of Shawarma, soy curls are dressed with all the trimmings and transformed into Shish Kabab, and obviously, Falafel is a menu mainstay.
Absolutely get their Aleppo Tahini Potatoes alongside any dish – roasted, crunchy, salty, soft, creamy and done up with tahini dressing, roast red peppers, aleppo and zaatar, these potatoes should NOT be missed!
Address: 1889 Powell St, Vancouver, BC V5L 1H8
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2. Hey Kokomo
Looking for a quick and easy plant-based lunch option? Kokomo is just the spot for you!
The name of their game is bowls and smoothies – think classic salad chain format, but with ingredients and combos that are plant-based and exciting! This is not that bleak, wilted salad bar earlier alluded to; Kokomo bowls mean biiiiiig things for your palate.
Try their Beet Poke Macro bowl, where marinated beetroot takes on a deeply earthy, complex taste, or their Hemp Caesar Salad, I mean, it’s a classic for a reason!
For veggie lovers on the go, Kokomo makes the often tired vegan and vegetarian bowl option super fun, with a flavour punch that you can enjoy anywhere.
Address: 611 Gore Ave, Vancouver, BC V6A 2Z8
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1. Chau Veggie Express
In rainy Vancouver, what’s better than a bowl of aromatic soup or noodles on a wet and grey day? Chau Veggie Express, a plant-based Vietnamese resto on Victoria Drive has perfect rainy-day fare.
Their crispy rolls and taro chips are oh-so snack worthy, and their Golden Temple soup, with a creamy turmeric coconut curry broth is a must-slurp! And when it’s sunny out, their noodle bowls and fresh rolls make for an ideal picnic. Honestly, any weather at all is just the Chau Veggie excuse you need!
Address: 5052 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, BC V5P 3T8
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Vancouver is seriously a veggie food lover’s paradise. Creative and mouth watering, these restaurants are for ALL eaters to enjoy.
Want a veggie friendly sweet treat after your meal? Here are the Best Places To Go For A Vegan Dessert.
How We Create Our “Best” Lists
All Noms Magazine’s “best” lists are created using multiple factors and signals to help readers find the best restaurants, things to do, and places to stay at. Some of these factors and signs include personal experiences, correspondence with locals, and compiling experiences from review sites.
Each list is also created to be balanced (in terms of price, cuisine type, ambiance, and more) as possible. This means that the lists are not specifically created in ranking order. You should be comfortable picking from any of the spots on the list and generally have a good time. But of course, YMMV (your mileage may vary) and everyone may have different experiences/palates.