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
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