The 15 Best Vegan and Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Vancouver
Vancouver has quickly become a force to be reckoned with when it comes to fine dining. Now, we don’t mean fine dining as in lit candles, fancy waiters, and white linens (we have that, too). We’re simply referring to food that is just undeniably good: well made and absolutely delicious.
Though the vegan dining scene took a little while to get to where it is now, Vancouver has some of the best vegan-friendly restaurants that will have even the biggest, most enthusiastic carnivore not having a second thought about the fact that there isn’t a single animal product on the plate.
At Planted Meals, we like to think of ourselves as foodies. Not only does our team love to cook, but our team loves to eat. Sampling what the city of Vancouver has to offer is something we enjoy, and can be considered as market research. It’s a win-win, right?
After a lot of wining and dining around town, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best vegan restaurants in Vancouver. Trust us when we say that you’ll want to bookmark this page so you can refer back to it!
MILA Plant Based
185 Keefer Street
604–844–8040
MILA Plant Based may be the new(er) kid on the block, but what the restaurant lacks in age, its dishes make up for in flavour and ingenuity. Paying homage to Asian flavours, MILA takes beloved favourites like okonomiyaki, oshi sushi, dan dan noodles, and baos, and their chefs create delectable vegan versions of them. MILA offers indoor and patio dining, takeout, and delivery, and is located centrally in the heart of Chinatown.
This is one of those places where you could take an omnivorous friend and not tell them it’s vegan, and they would be none the wiser.
Hours:
Sunday through Thursday: 11:30am — 10:00pm
Friday and Saturday: 11:30am — 12:00am
Saturday and Sunday Brunch: 10:30am — 2:30pm
Holiday Hours: 5:00pm — 10:00pm
CHI Vegan
1935 W 4th Avenue
604–336–3010
Don’t overlook this unassuming Kitsilano favourite — CHI Vegan has creative and high-end twists on Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese cuisine on their menu. Taking beloved dishes that are usually meat-centric — like beef bourguignon and butter chicken — and substituting animal products with vegan-friendly ingredients like soy curls and seitan, CHI is an impressive spot that’s a must-visit for local and visiting vegans alike.
CHI Vegan also recently set up a new online store, through which you can pick up wine, chocolates, nut spreads, candles, and more.
Hours:
Delivery Tuesday through Sunday: 12pm — 9pm
Dine-in Tuesday through Thursday: 5pm — 9pm
Friday Through Sunday: 12pm — 9pm
Closed Mondays
The Arbor
3941 Main Street
604–620–3256
The perfect spot for a low-key hangout with close friends or a chill first-date spot, The Arbor offers a tight menu of casual dining favourites like caesar salad and mushroom ragu. Our favourite dishes are the oyster calamari and fried artichoke sandwich — two things we have to order anytime we visit!
Hours:
Monday through Sunday: 12pm — 10pm
The Acorn
3995 Main Street
604–566–9001
Just up the street from The Arbor is its sophisticated, more refined sister restaurant, The Acorn, the first on the list when it comes to vegan fine dining in Vancouver. For dinner, patrons can select to dine a la carte or take advantage of The Acorn’s chef’s menu, a customized multi-course tasting menu experience that features special dishes, which aims to highlight local and seasonal ingredients at their peak. The Acorn also offers brunch on weekends.
Hours:
Dinner Nightly from 5:30pm-10:00pm
Bar Service until 12am
Weekend Brunch from 10:00am — 2:00pm
BeetBox Veg
1074 Davie Street
604–233–8269
Boasting “conscious comfort food,” BeetBox Veg is the place to be for those who love something quick, filling, and expertly made. From mushroom birria tacos to crispy gorditas, BeetBox’s menu maximizes and enhances plant-based ingredients that will have you craving it time and again. The must-eat at BeetBox is, hands down, the Nashville Fried Chick-Un Sandwich. We daydream about this dish often.
Hours:
Monday through Sunday: 11am — 9:30pm
Do Chay
1392 Kingsway
604–225–8349
1269 Hamilton Street
778–379 2939
Vancouver is full of hidden gems that offer incredible Vietnamese dishes, and although some spots may offer dishes that are coincidentally vegan-friendly, none do vegan quite like Do Chay. Do Chay offers elevated vegan Vietnamese street food as well as shared plates, all chock full of flavour, and delicious cocktails perfect for a friends’ night out, too.
We strongly recommend getting the Coconut Rice Cakes. Though it’s a starter that’s meant to be shared, we recommend getting your own plate because we’d be willing to be that you won’t want to share.
Kingsway hours:
Monday through Sunday: 11:30am — 10pm
Yaletown hours:
Monday through Saturday: 11:30am — 10pm
Sunday: 4pm to 10pm
Po Kong
1334 Kingsway Avenue
604–876–3088
Finding good Chinese food that is also vegan-friendly can be hard, but Po Kong is a wonderful option for those looking for nostalgic Chinese classics. Just like most classic Chinese restaurants, Po Kong’s menu is extensive, but our standout favourites include the fried oyster mushrooms, the chef’s special fried rice, and the beancurd in black bean sauce.
Hours:
Monday through Thursday: 11am — 8pm
Friday through Sunday: 11am — 8:30pm
Vegan Cave Cafe
415 Abbott Street
604–423–4211
Located at the corner of Abbott and West Hastings is Vegan Cave Cafe, a spot that has food fit for any diet, from paleo, to gluten-free, to vegan. In addition to providing generous servings, Vegan Cave Cafe’s offerings are nutritious and highly affordable. Though their burritos, bowls, and salads are terrific, we recommend the pizzas.
Hours:
Monday: 11am — 10pm
Tuesday through Thursday: 11am — 1am
Friday: 11am — 3am
Saturday: 12pm — 3am
Sunday:12pm — 9:30pm
Chickpea
4298 Main Street
604–620–0602
Chickpea’s main focus was once hummus, but they’ve proven that they’re capable of a lot more than just that. They started as a food truck, and as the love for their tapas, pitas, and hummus plates grew, Chickpea opened up a brick-and-mortar. Their chickpea fries, in particular, which comes with an addicting tangy sauce, are life-changing.
Hours:
Monday through Thursday: 10am — 10pm
Friday through Sunday: 9am — 11pm
Grano Pizzeria
3240 Main Street
604–876–5408
For an omnivore, it can be hard to find a meatless pizza that really sings, but that’s where Grano Pizzeria comes in. Originally home to pizzerias past, Grano Pizzeria snuck in there and made unsuspecting diners believe that they were in any ol’ pizza joint. Instead, what they found were 100 percent vegan pizzas that highlight sustainable local produce, key imported ingredients, and traditional southern Italian flavours. It’s Vancouver’s first plant-based Vera Pizza Napoletana, and it’s a must-visit.
Hours:
Monday: closed
Tuesday through Thursday: 4pm — 9pm
Friday and Saturday: 11:30am — 10pm
Sunday: 11:30am — 9pm
MeeT
4288 Main Street
604–696–1010
12 Water Street
604–696–1111
1165 Mainland Street
604–696–1165
We can’t have a best-of-vegan-dining list without including MeeT. One of the first on the scene, MeeT has truly established itself as a Vancouver vegan institution — all three locations, really. Offering an enormous menu of honest-to-goodness comfort food, MeeT will have something for even your pickiest friend. Our favourite? The Angry Burg is one of the best burgers in town.
Main Street hours:
Sunday through Thursday: 11am — 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 11am — 11pm
Gastown hours:
Monday through Friday: 11am — 11pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10am — 11pm
Yaletown hours:
Monday through Thursday: 11am — 11pm
Friday: 11am — 12am
Saturday: 10am — 12am
Sunday: 10am — 11pm
Torn Restaurant
200 Granville St #10
778–222–1107
French food doesn’t necessarily boast “vegan-friendly”; after all, butter seems to be omnipresent. But at Torn Restaurant, they manage to highlight the best parts of French cuisine without relying on animal products. Their sandwiches are made with authentic baguettes, and packed with ingredients that are sustainable. We recommend ending your meal with one of their Apple Crumbles!
Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 11:30am to 2pm and 6:30pm to 11pm
Saturday and Sunday: 1pm to 8pm
Closed Monday and Thursday
Aleph Eatery
1889 Powell Street
604–428–7975
Aleph Eatery offers some of our favourite vegan Middle Eastern bites. In its strikingly beautiful minimalist space, Aleph offers up bowls, wraps, and breakfast-inspired dishes for lunch, and cold and hot mezze in the evenings. To get your meal started, we recommend the Aleppo Tahini Potatoes to share!
Hours:
Monday through Sunday: 9am to 10pm
Ramen Jinya
541 Robson Street
604–699–9377
Okay, okay, you caught us: Ramen Jinya isn’t a vegan restaurant, but their vegan ramen is our favourite in the city. Their spicy creamy vegan ramen starts with a creamy vegetable broth, and the chewy ramen noodles are paired with tofu, green onion, onion, spinach, crispy onion, garlic chips, garlic oil, chili oil, and sesame seeds. It’s umami in a bowl.
Hours:
Sunday through Thursday: 11am — 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 11am to 11pm
Boba Run
102 West Hastings Street
604–423–5890
As true Vancouverites, we adore boba tea, and Boba Run’s exceptional drinks can be made with plant-based milks. Yes, yes, we know — this isn’t a restaurant, per se, but you’re going to need a drink to wash all that delicious vegan food down. Why not a vegan boba tea?
Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10am — 5pm
Saturday: 10am — 7pm
Sunday: 12pm — 5pm
