For all you foodies out there, this one is for you! I’ve heard from so many folks that Vancouver, Canada has an outstanding food scene, and I can tell you it definitely is!
Restaurants, food trucks, and cafes with an international flair
So naturally when heading to Vancouver on holiday this summer I was looking forward to trying out some great food places in this Pacific Northwest Canadian city.
We got recommendations from many people familiar with Vancouver; from friends, from Hitesh’s office colleague who vacations in Vancouver often, from Hitesh’s friend John who lives in Vancouver, from our hotel concierge, and even our shuttle-bus driver.
When you mix them all together what we ended up with was a smorgasbord of food places that were all awesome. Here is a look at where we ate and highly recommend for any of you planning on visiting Vancouver, Canada.
Nero Belgiun Waffle Bar
Not just waffles but hot-chocolate in a variety of flavors and an espresso bar make this joint a popular night spot as the cafe stays open till midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.
This brunch, lunch and light dinner place came highly recommended by everyone who lives or visits Vancouver. With fluffy crisp waffles made in-house and topped with sweet or savory toppings, we have never had waffles this good!
Working the waffle dough right in front of us at the cafe.
Sweet waffles.
Savory waffles were our favorite! They were outstanding!!
Miku Vancouver
Situated on the waterfront in Canada Place this restaurant is extremely popular. And rightfully so! Their sushi is famous in Vancouver. They even had a vegetarian sushi platter, which I got that was out of this world delicious.
We ordered a lemon tart at Miku that was the most beautiful dessert I have ever tasted and seen!
Because a lot of seating in this happening restaurant is outside with views of the harbor, a very neat feature is their gorgeous red throws that they provide all their guests sitting in the outdoor dining area. The ocean breeze is cool here in Vancouver just like back home in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Miku Vancouver is a must go-to restaurant for awesome decor, great atmosphere, beautiful waterfront views, and outstanding cuisine.
Nourish Kitchen and Cafe in Victoria, Canada
Nourish Kitchen and Cafe was recommended to us by our cab driver who gave us a ride from the Victoria Harbor Airport into town.
We were heading to Butchart Gardens and wanted to grab brunch before, we were considering a place based off some Yelp reviews but the cab driver steered us in the direction of Nourish. He described as farm to table fresh food that “Moms like ” as he looked right at me 😀.
The food at Nourish was outstanding! We ordered eggs and whole grain pancakes and they both looked sooooo pretty that it was hard to dig in and eat the food.
If you are touring Victoria and looking for farm to table style food that tastes as beautiful as it looks then head to this off the beaten path restaurant Nourish Kitchen and Cafe.
Heirloom Vegetarian
Heirloom Vegetarian restaurant was a recommendation we got from our hotel concierge. An all-vegetarian restaurant that had some amazingly delicious vegetarian dishes.
This was a popular restaurant and lucky for us we were able to get reservations. The ambiance was inviting and a happy restaurant to be in.
The food was positively outstanding! The cauliflower steak was mouthwatering delicious Tacos with fried artichokes and cauliflower delectable, and the Brussels sprouts and kale quinoa bowl with kimchi was outstanding!
If you are looking for a great vegetarian restaurant with awesome flavors and textures, Heirloom Vegetarian is a must visit restaurant.
Bella Gelateria Old-World Handcrafted Gelato
We have never seen a line this big for gelato ever in any city. The entire time we were in Vancouver, right outside our hotel at Bella Gelateria we saw a line out the door and around the street no matter what time of day it was.
We finally asked the hotel what all the hype was about this gelato place and found out that they had won a gelato competition in Italy a few years back and have been popular ever since.
Finally, the day before we left we decided to wait in line and try this line-creating gelato place. It was worth the wait! Creamy, sweet and delicious. This is one gelato that is worth waiting in line for 30 minutes.
The flavor that I got that I am going to try and make at home is called Akbar Mashti. First of all I love the name Akbar Mashti – it sounds like something out of the Arabian Nights!
Well the flavor was as exotic as the name itself – saffron, rose water and pistachios! How exotic is that? It tasted amazing! I did some research on Akbar Mashti and it turns out that it’s a very popular Persian ice cream.
The cool thing about this gelato parlor? They stay open till 10:30pm every night and open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Definitely worth the wait folks. Give Bella Gelateria a try if you are in downtown Vancouver!
The Acorn
The presentation, the flavors, the ingredients, the flowers, the fruits and vegetables all so beautifully presented, pickled, and cooked together – the dishes were like a symphony in the mouth at The Acorn restaurant.
The Acorn is an outstanding vegetarian restaurant that was recommended by our concierge. An all-vegetarian restaurant that many at the hotel we spoke to including had eaten at and raved about.
We headed out to this restaurant with high hopes and I saved the best for last folks! This is the best all-vegetarian restaurant I have been to ever!
The Acorn is a tiny restaurant with ten tables and a small bar area. The ambiance is lovely and romantic, while at the same time being noisy and fun.
The Acorn restaurant is situated in a rather eclectic neighborhood where the shops close by 5pm and the only handful of restaurants on this street are the establishments open late.
The Acorn does not take reservations and the wait can be long as it is an extremely popular restaurant. But I encourage you to put your name down and wait in the car if you must with some music until your text arrives with the “Your table is ready”. The wait will be worth it!
I can’t even describe the dishes at Acorn, as each one was so complex in flavor with so many ingredients and so much attention to detail that the only way to share the beauty of these dishes is to share the photos I took. The flavors I leave up to your imaginations.
Our Main course: How many ways can I photograph these beauties?
Desserts that are eye candy.
Acorn is one restaurant that deserves a Michelin star in my book!!!
Between the restaurants, sushi bars, cafes, coffee shops, and food trucks, one can find an amazing array of delicious food options in Vancouver!
From farm-to-table, fusion, to international cuisine, and old-fashioned waffles kicked up a notch. An added bonus of this foodie experience is how affordable eating out it in Vancouver is. A win-win in my book.
