Vancouver has frequently ranked among the best in the world for plant-based or plant-forward eating and several restaurants in the city specialize in vegetarian or vegan food, opting to skip the meat and/or dairy entirely.
While decades ago adopting a vegetarian diet was perhaps considered atypical, more and more people are choosing to cut out animal products altogether or in some part. For many, the start of the new year offers an easy opportunity for the veg-curious in the form of "Veganuary," a popular global movement encouraging people to adopt a plant-based diet for the month of January.
Whether you're a lifelong vegan, a vegetarian, or simply looking to try something new, Vancouver has a range of restaurants that cater to every taste. From vibrant veg-loaded bowls to innovative takes on classic comfort food, decadent baked treats to high-end tasting menus, Vancouver’s vegan and vegetarian cafés, bakeries, and restaurants provide a flavourful way to explore the city's thriving plant-forward food culture.
Folke
One of the most captivating Vancouver restaurants to debut in 2022 continues to shine, and Folke has swiftly made fans of its creative, contemporary, and delicious fully plant-based fare out of omnivores and vegans alike. The cozy restaurant at 2585 W Broadway in Kitsilano was named one of Canada's Best New Restaurants in 2023 and one of the city's best new restaurants that same year by Vancouver Magazine, and, soon after, was added to the Michelin Guide as a Recommended Vancouver restaurant.
Using seasonal produce to showcase its versatility and flavours, Chef Colin Uyeda is behind an ever-changing menu - available a la carte or in five- or eight-course tastings - served in an unpretentious setting. Pastry Chef and business partner Priscilla Deo runs the room (and makes Folke's comforting plant-based desserts) and also heads up an exciting beverage program.
One highlight of Folke is the chef's counter, where there are a half dozen kitchen-facing seats that let guests watch as the culinary team builds dishes like tapioca dumplings filled with mushrooms served in a tangy ponzu broth, a beet "tartare" with house-made crackers, and a tangle of carrots prepped in multiple ways on a creamy base with fresh herbs.
The Acorn
Long considered Vancouver's premiere destination for upscale farm-to-table vegetarian food, award-winning restaurant The Acorn continues to shine after over a dozen years in business. The Acorn is no stranger to success in Vancouver among the vegetarian, vegan, and flexitarian. It's been lauded locally by publications and received several dining awards, as well as international coverage in Conde Nast Traveller and Bon Appetit.
In 2022, The Acorn was among the first generation of Vancouver restaurants honoured by the Michelin Guide as one of the city's "Recommended" restaurants and has maintained its standing in each successive year.
The menu is contemporary and thoughtful while being a beacon of supporting local and regional farmers and purveyors. Opt for the tasting menu or order a la carte, and expect to find dishes that shift with the season and deploy a bit of whimsy. It's a cozy, intimate room and makes a great spot for date night or a catch-up with friends.
Do Chay
A staple since its 2019 debut at 1392 Kingsway for elegant and delectable fully vegan Vietnamese dishes, Do Chay is beloved for its playful but thoughtful approach to classic fare with a modern (and meatless) touch. Once the veg-only sibling to a contemporary Vancouver Vietnamese spot (run by siblings) in Yaletown, Do Chay has been the sole focus of the family since 2022 and it consistently delivers on its menu of bright, bold, and creative dishes.
Look for excellent share-ables and starters like Do Chay's "Uncle Hing's Wings" (they're oyster mushroom), filled tapioca "Crystal" dumplings, and cast iron-seared Coconut Rice Cakes, as well as satisfying mains like a vegan Prawn Curry and their many noodle bowls. A standout selection is the Satay Noodles, with its rich, creamy, peanutty broth, earthy lotus root, tangy tomato, and sweet potato noodles.
Mila
Chinatown's Mila is the more upscale sibling to Vancouver-based Virtuous Pie, and has sought from day one to "fill the gap" between the city's many plant-based super-casual joints and its high-end vegan restaurants. Opened in mid-2020, Mila offers a globally-inspired menu of fully vegan dishes, and is known for its fish-free sushi, burger, pasta, and desserts.
To Live For Bakery & Café
Founded by Vancouver-based vegan blogger/influencer and baking entrepreneur Erin Ireland, To Live For opened in 2023 and serves as a significant expansion of her initial To Live For baked goods line. The daytime café is known for its sweet and savoury items, from plant-based sausage rolls and breakfast sandos to delectable sweet treats, including cakes, croissants, and soft-serve.
To Live For's guests will also find all sorts of rotating specials at the East Van bakeshop (at 1508 Nanaimo St), from things like a Coconut Hibiscus Latte to a caramel and chocolate cupcake or a S'mores croissant cafe staff will warm up for you to ensure maximum gooey-ness. Additionally, To Live For likes to collaborate with or host other plant-based local businesses, as well as support causes, including animal rights and Indigenous organizations through several charitable initiatives.
Viet Family - The Vegan House
Known for its menu of approachable Vietnamese dishes all prepared using plant-based ingredients, Viet Family moved into its current home at 1414 Commercial Dr in 2024 (after launching two years prior in a nearby space on the same street). You'll find everything from veggie-filled summer rolls to pho and vermicelli platters, including options crafted using Viet Family's own house-made vegan "pork belly."
Cofu Sushi
The Cofu menu is centred on the pressed sushi experience, with a list of set combos being the most popular draw. Customers can also order pressed sushi as individual orders, and a menu of plant-based appetizers round out the food options - things like a fried mock fish or chicken made using a soy protein, served with a vegan dipping sauce.
Meanwhile, patrons can order mocktails from the "sober bar," featuring non-alcoholic spirits or beers. The small eatery, which is located at 1833 Anderson St, #103 and is steps from the entrance to Granville Island, offers dine-in seating (while popular anime films are projected on the wall) as well as take-out.
Cofu Vegan Ramen
Cofu Sushi's sibling is a food cart that serves vegan ramen. From the cart's tiny kitchen you can order steaming bowls of spicy ramen with chewy, snappy noodles, or go soup-less with a spicy mazeman-style ramen that finds you working in the umami (but totally vegan) sauce to coat your noodles. Additionally, Cofu's ramen cart does a rice bowl with "shortrib" (which, of course, is not beef, but a soy protein meat alternative).
Spice is prominent on the four-item menu, but for those leery of too much kick, as served, it is a mild spice. If you like to crank up the heat, you can help yourself to spoonfuls of the house-made chili oil to dial up the spice level to your liking. You'll find the food cart often on the Emily Carr campus (on Carolina Street) and at the Waldorf in East Van.
The Cider House
The Cider House, which opened in 2020 at 1602 Yew St, was Vancouver's first-ever cider-centric taphouse, and they're rocking 20 taps loaded with B.C. cider, along with beer, wine, and kombucha - and they also happen to be serving a fully plant-based menu of casual eats. The Cider House serves a house burger, mock fish and chips, bowls, share-ables (like a mushroom poutine and a warm kale and artichoke dip) and they also do brunch.
Virtuous Pie
Head to Virtuous Pie's og pizza shop in Vancouver's Chinatown, which kicked things off for the plant-based restaurant empire (with outposts in Portland and Victoria) back in September 2016. They build their pizzas on hand-stretched dough and with VP's house-made artisanal nut cheese; some of the restaurant's best sellers from day one endure, like the Stranger Wings (with Buffalo cauliflower) and the Ultraviolet (with walnut pesto, kale, and onion jam). They've got a couple of vegan pasta dishes, a kale Caesar salad, garlic knots, and their in-house plant-based ice cream for dessert.
Kokomo
Kokomo began in Vancouver's Chinatown in 2017 before the plant-based and health-focused casual cafe opened further locations - including one in East Van that ultimately replaced the original Gore Street shop. The Kokomo menu is as sunny and bright as its vacation-y name suggests, featuring smoothies, bowls, and even a signature burger packed with colourful veggies. You'll find Kokomo at 3435 Commercial St in Vancouver, as well as its locations in Kitsilano, North Vancouver, and Port Moody.
Vegan Cave
The Vegan Cave is a casual spot at 415 Abbott St in Gastown best known as the current iteration of the Caveman Café and for its plant-based pizzas. While "vegan" remains in the name and is the primary focal point of the menu, the restaurant, which does take-out, delivery, and dine-in, does have some non-vegan items.
MeeT
With three Vancouver locations, MeeT is one of the city's favourite spots for casual, plant-based comfort eats. The menu has tons of fun items like fried cauliflower in a sweet chili sauce and seriously stacked burgers and sandwiches.
MeeT's first restaurant opened in 2014 at 4288 Main St, growing two years later to welcome the Gastown branch at 12 Water St and then, not long after, the Yaletown outpost at 1165 Mainland St. Each of the locations has the same core menu but its own set of specials; you can also enjoy brunch at MeeT in Yaletown, which is the restaurant chain's biggest location.
Chickpea
Riley Park's Chickpea has been serving up their Middle Eastern fare from their 4298 Main St restaurant for several years now, but the biz began as a food truck - which is still up and running. They have a menu that is vegan, peanut-free, and almost entirely gluten-free, with dishes like salads, dips, and fries, as well as wraps, pitas, rice bowls, and combo platters. Or, guests at the restaurant can experience Chickpea's "hafla" which is a meal served family-style. All-day breakfast is also an option, with items like waffles, latkes, or combo plates.
From the truck, Chickpea serves up its core items like burritos and loaded pitas as well as burgers and sides.
Chi Plant-Based
Vancouver's Chi Le has made a lot of bold moves in her culinary career, but in 2020 made the biggest leap yet when she flipped her then-four-year-old namesake restaurant, Chi, to offer a 100 per cent plant-based menu of modern Vietnamese eats. Chi is open for dinner, with two menu options, a la carte or tasting. Look for dishes like Spicy Truffle Wontons, Papaya Salad, and Banh Cuon Chay (filled rice rolls) on the a la carte side, while the tasting menu changes based on seasonality and availability. Chi is located at 1935 W 4th Ave in Kitsilano.
The Hestia Veggie
The Hestia Veggie opened its restaurant in January 2024 at 1161 Davie St in the West End. On the menu are familiar Vietnamese classics done entirely animal-free. The restaurant serves dishes like wok-fried green beans with plant-based meat, lemongrass crispy tofu, summer rolls, a saffron curry, and vegan takes on noodle soups.
The Burrow
East Van's The Burrow (formerly Bandidas Taqueria) is cherished for its casual meatless Mexican fare. The vegetarian spot at 2781 Commercial Dr has several vegan options and is also gluten-free-friendly. The Burrow does lunch, happy hour, dinner, and weekend brunch, with sandwiches, burritos, salads, wings, tacos, nachos, and more.
Odd Burger
The first Vancouver franchise of Ontario-based vegan burger, fries, and shakes chain Odd Burger opened at 2821 Main St in Mount Pleasant in November 2024.
The Odd Burger menu offers several kinds of burgers, including riffs on high-profile fast food classics (the Famous burger with its double meat and cheese, secret sauce, and shredded lettuce looks like something from the "Golden Arches," while the Vopper's name immediately calls to mind a royally popular burger).
Launched in 2014 as a produce delivery service, which morphed into a plant-based meal kit business, Odd Burger has grown from its grassroots start to a staple in vegan fast food in its native Ontario and is enjoying a Canadian expansion.
AM Cafe
Currently Vancouver's newest plant-based spot, AM Café at 2528 Guelph St opened near the end of 2024. The indie venture does breakfast and lunch, featuring a menu of all-vegan eats, like sandwiches and burritos alongside a beverage menu of coffee, tea, and cold drinks like kombucha.
The Naam
It's safe to say Vancouver's oldest vegetarian restaurant is an institution; the Kitsilano haunt at 2724 W 4th Ave has been open since 1968. For over half a century, The Naam has been a mainstay for vegetarians and the veg-curious. The restaurant's famous line of sauces and dressings is now commercially packaged and widely available. In fact, The Naam began as a vegetarian boutique grocer and café and swiftly established itself as a community hub, particular for those Vancouverites and visitors who were part of the "hippie" movement. You can still grab a seat there to enjoy fries with The Naam's signature miso gravy, salads, soups, sandwiches, and snacks, all meatless and made with fresh ingredients.
Po Kong
The Po Kong legacy goes back to the early 1990s, when the business ostensibly began as Bo Kong and was a local chain of vegetarian Chinese restaurants. Po Kong, at 1334 Kingsway, opened in 2011 as a rebirth of sorts of the brand. You'll find an array of Chinese dishes at Po Kong, from spring rolls to rice and noodle dishes, veggie platters, soups, and more, all meatless. Midday, Po Kong offers its dim sum menu, with fried, baked, and steamed options along with some chef's special dishes, congee, and dessert. Po Kong is across the street from Sun Bo Kong, which does share some heritage, though they are separate restaurant businesses.
Sun Bo Kong
Guess what? Sun Bo Kong is also a new iteration of Bo Kong, run by the first chain's founder, Ken Chan, who has been a long-time advocate of meat-free Chinese dining here in Metro Vancouver and in Hong Kong. Sun Bo Kong (also) has an extensive menu of classic dishes, all vegetarian, ranging from hot pots and noodle dishes to veggie mains and congee. They have several set menu dinner options for groups and also serve a robust daytime dim sum menu. The restaurant is located at 1363 Kingsway (across from Po Kong).
Vegan Pudding Co.
Vegan Pudding Co. is the result of one small step launching a whole journey, with roots as a small one-off operation evolving into catering, its current Vancouver take-out window (at 422 Richards St) and a wholesale line of products. You'll find flavours like Matcha Green Tea pudding with Roasted Black Sesame Sauce or a soy-based Mango Vanilla, along with Vegan Pudding Co's excellent creme brulee.
Eternal Abundance
With a menu that's all organic and vegan, Eternal Abundance is a café, restaurant and grocery store combo offering raw and cooked meals, smoothies, and desserts. Though Eternal Abundance began in Toronto, it's been a Vancouver staple for over 20 years. The shop/café is located at 1025 Commercial Dr.
The Juice Truck
While The Juice Truck is at heart a spot for pressed juices and smoothies, it's also evolved to be a staple for plant-based snacks and grab-and-go eats. The in-store menu also includes concoctions like parfaits made with vegan yogurt and sweet treats like their signature Almond Butter Cup. In addition to running the juice counter at Whole Foods in Vancouver on Cambie and the one on Lougheed in Burnaby, there are Juice Truck locations in Yaletown, Riley Park (Main St), Mount Pleasant, and Steveston (Richmond).
Bonus Bakery
Launched at the end of 2018, Bonus Bakery is fully plant-based, with a menu of cookies, croissants, and other baked treats. They also took over Dipped Donuts and all their recipes, so as a bonus, Bonus Bakery has the circular treats in all sorts of flavours, like Stuffed Ube, jelly-filled, or classic vanilla glaze. The bakeshop is located at 401 Burrard St in downtown Vancouver.
Vegan Pizza House
Since 2011, Vegan Pizza House has been dedicated to serving up plant-based pizzas, salads, and baked pasta in Vancouver. The chef/owner also has several Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-style items available; the menu has a full section of donair and souvlaki dishes, for example. The restaurant, at 2119 Kingsway, is open for dine-in but also does take-out and delivery.
Planted Love (food truck)
With its fully plant-powered menu, Planted Love is a food truck that regularly parks on West 8th at Cambie in Vancouver. Hungry customers can find take-out friendly items like pitas and bowls loaded with falafel and hummus and lots of fresh veggies, sauces, pickled veg, and more.
Vegan Shoku
This all-vegan sushi spot at 2260 W 41st Ave in Kerrisdale opened in early 2023. The Vegan Shoku menu includes standard sushi restaurant fare, including starters like agedashi tofu, tempura, and gomae, as well as poke bowls, sashimi, nigiri, and rolls.
The menu also includes terms that may give those who follow a plant-based diet pause, as you'll see ingredients like chicken, cream cheese, and tobiko among others. However, V.I.A. confirmed with the restaurant that Vegan Shoku offers only vegan dishes.
Feast & Fallow
Kerrisdale's Feast & Fallow is a plant-based café with a "make good," "do good," and "be good" philosophy. To that end, they make bread and serve coffee, have ways to connect the community to help others, and share what they know when it comes to things like baking and gardening. On Saturdays, the café (which is at 305 W 41st Ave, offers brunch service.
Level V Bakery
This boutique Mount Pleasant bakery is known for its fully vegan cookies and cakes, including gorgeous custom cakes ideal for special occasions. The small operation prides itself on its egg- and dairy-free baked goods as well as many gluten- and nut-free options that allow folks on all sorts of diets to enjoy sweet treats. Level V is located at 39 Kingsway; customers can check the bakery's website to see what's in stock at the shop that day (and place a pre-order) but cakes and custom orders must be placed three days in advance for pick-up.
Budgies Burritos
Budgies, at 44 Kingsway, has been a popular fave for Tex-Mex vegetarian food for nearly 20 years. Of course, their burrito line-up is the core of the menu, but Budgies also has quesadillas, tacos, and nachos. As a fantastic bonus, everything at Budgies Burritos can be made vegan, at no extra charge.
Aleph
A cozy little Middle Eastern restaurant with a fully vegan menu - though it did not start out that way. Aleph offers brunch, lunch, dinner, and cocktails. In the morning, enjoy plant-based bennys and scrambles, while at night, guests can choose among numerous cold or hot mezze dishes, like slow-roasted egglant, oyster mushroom kebab, shawarma potstickers, falafel, and more. The intimate restaurant is located in East Vancouver at 1889 Powell St.
Khoe
Operating out of East Van's Coho Commissary (1370 E Georgia St), Khoe is a plant-based Vietnamese business serving rice noodle bowls, banh mi, and dishes like crispy rice cake salad for pick-up and delivery only.
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