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As someone who has issues with dairy, it’s extremely helpful to have such a great variety of vegan restaurants in Vancouver. Not having to question the ingredients being used in every dish is so comforting. After many years of having a plant-forward diet, I’ve done extensive research on the best vegan restaurants in Vancouver. Here’s my list of tried-and-true personal favourites that I keep coming back to (randomly ordered, not listed in order of preference 😉 )!
Note: all of the restaurants listed on this blog post are either fully vegan, vegetarian or mostly vegan. I will post another list soon with my favourite plant-based dishes at non-vegan restaurants, and another about my favourite baked goods in Vancouver… Stay tuned! For my favourite vegan ice cream in Vancouver, see my blog post here. If you’re looking for vegan birthday cakes in Vancouver, click here.
VIRTUOUS PIE
Virtuous Pie is one of my favourite vegan restaurants in Vancouver! I’ve been eating at their Chinatown location regularly for years. They have another location in UBC, but I’ve found the UBC restaurant to be inconsistent. However, the Chinatown location is solid! I personally love a thin crust pizza so these pizzas are perfect for me. My favourite pizzas from Virtuous Pie include the Forager with walnut/arugula pesto and wild mushrooms and the Superfunghi with truffle almond ricotta and wild mushrooms (what can I say, I love mushrooms). The pizzas are on the smaller side at 10 inches and range from $11-$16 depending on the toppings. The boyfriend and I love ordering their pizzas and sharing a Mac and Cheese skillet. Virtuous Pie also serves delicious plant-based ice cream!
CHI VEGAN
Chi is one of those restaurants where you almost forget that you’re eating a plant-based version of a meat dish. It is in my opinion one of the best vegan restaurants in Vancouver. The chef, Chi, was the runner-up on the show MasterChef Vietnam. Her MasterChef apron hangs on the wall in the entry way. They rebranded as a fully vegan restaurant in 2020 and when I tried their new menu for the first time, I was immediately hooked. I think I went four or five times the first month! On one occasion, I brought a group of Vietnamese friends who are all meat eaters and they were all so impressed with the food. The flavours are truly amazing. My personal favourites are the Cha Ca La Vong (turmeric “fish”), Chi Tofu Bowl and Pho Ga. My boyfriend loves their Impossible Banh Mi Burger and we’re OBSESSED with their truffle fries! We order takeout from Chi Vegan regularly and look forward to it every time.
MILA PLANT BASED
Mila Plant Based is a newer vegan restaurant in Vancouver that opened in 2020. Located in Chinatown near Virtuous Pie, the restaurant has an elevated but still casual feel. The dishes are on the pricier side, but I think it’s worth it! I personally love the flavours and the quality of food. Mila Plant Based is open for brunch, lunch and dinner. We love the dinner menu and order takeout from the restaurant semi-regularly. Our favourites are the Mushroom + Sausage Tagliatelle (not pictured) and the Coconut Curry Noodles.
THE ARBOR
The Arbor is a casual plant-based restaurant and bar in Vancouver that serves many comfort dishes, likes burgers and hearty sandwiches. I first ate there as part of the Dine Out Vancouver Festival. My boyfriend and I were blown away by the flavours. He loved the Southern Artichoke Sandwich and I was obsessed with the Fried Oyster Mushrooms. The Arbor also has a hidden garden patio in the back. It’s an amazing little spot on Main Street, but it’s small and gets busy quickly so I recommend going early to score a spot.
TURF
Not only is Turf a trendy fitness studio, it’s also a restaurant and café that serves mostly plant-based food, with locally and consciously sourced ingredients. I used to frequent their downtown location on West Georgia Street (now closed). It’s a great place to sit with a cup of coffee and get some work done. I enjoy eating there for lunch and brunch as they’re not open for dinner. Their location in Kits is open a bit later. They have a good selection of beverages and baked goods. I love their rotating salads and their Mushroom Ricotta Toast (pictured).
VEGAN CAVE
Vegan Cave is a plant-based and earth-friendly pizza joint, part of the same restaurant group as Caveman Café. I’ve been dining at Caveman Café since they opened in Chinatown several years ago (their Monster Burrito is such a good deal). They started with one location serving mostly keto and paleo food, and expanded to open Vegan Cave which focuses on pizza. Their pizzas are bigger than Virtuous Pie’s and have a thicker crust. Vegan Cave has several options for dough, but we especially love their Real Deal Organic Crust. Our favourite flavours are the Esposito with cashew cheese, the Freaky Greeky and the Samsara Sausage.
PIZZERIA GRANO
Another great vegan pizza joint! Pizzeria Grano is a newer vegan restaurant in Vancouver that serves Neapolitan pizza with hand stretched dough. The pizzas are a decent size, really good for sharing. Our favourites are the Diavola with plant-based pepperoni and the Tartufo with a roasted garlic base. I do have to warn you though, the Tartufo does not travel well because of the greasy garlic base. It’s best eaten right after it’s out of the oven so I’d recommend ordering this one for dine-in only. In addition to the pizza, we also love the tiramisu, made with cashew mascarpone cream!
HEIRLOOM
Heirloom is a contemporary vegetarian restaurant, with consciously chosen ingredients. Because it’s vegetarian, not everything is vegan (some dishes contain dairy). Heirloom has two locations, one in South Granville and one in North Vancouver (or three locations if you count their juice bar!). We’ve found their South Granville restaurant is a great spot to have a date night or celebrate a special occasion. We’ve had birthday parties there and on one occasion a wedding party lunch. The service is always great and the servers are very knowledgeable about the food. I really enjoy their Kale Caesar and their vegetarian burgers.
KOKOMO
Kokomo is a plant-based café with delicious bowls and smoothies (I love that their menu says it’s “sun-inspired”!). They have three locations: Chinatown, Kitsilano and North Vancouver. On hot days, I like getting their salads, smoothies and acai bowls, but my favourite menu item is their Golden Laksa (pictured above). It’s super satisfying when I’m craving a hot noodle soup, but don’t want to feel too heavy. The coconut turmeric broth is delicious!
WORKSHOP VEGETARIAN CAFE
Workshop Vegetarian Café is one of my absolute favourite vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Vancouver. They have amazing vegetarian ramen and noodle bowls! My personal favourites are the Organic Spicy Tan Tan Ramen and the Organic “Nama” Shoyu Ramen with mushrooms and truffle shallot oil. I love their vegan baked goods too. I have a tendency to over eat whenever I come here! Their location in North Vancouver also stocks groceries, such as frozen ramen, gyoza and soup broths.
FOLKE
Folke is a more upscale vegan restaurant in Vancouver’s Kitsilano area. The menu features fresh, local ingredients with an emphasis on sharing plates. They have a great selection of local and organic wines. The first time I went to Folke, my coworker and I opted for the chef’s menu, which was a set price of $85 per person (note that this price may change due to rising costs as time passes). We were stuffed at the end of the meal and all of the food was delicious. This chef’s menu comes with an option of wine pairings for each dish, for a higher cost of course. I would highly recommend Folke for a special occasion or a date night.
LOTUS SEED VEGAN
Lotus Seed Vegan is an unassuming restaurant on West Broadway near Cambie Street. Their food is simple, but homey and comforting. I like ordering their vegan pho when I want a light and healthy broth. I also enjoy their bun cha ca inspired Hanoi Noodle Soup (it doesn’t actually taste like bun cha ca, but it’s good). My boyfriend loves their Vegan Benedict with baked tofu and Portobello mushroom. Lotus Seed Vegan has a huge menu with pasta bowls, salads, sandwiches and lots more! I’m still trying to eat my way through their menu.
KHOE
I love Vietnamese food (if you can’t tell 😉 )! It’s one of my favourite cuisines. On weekdays when I mostly eat plant-based, it’s nice to know that I have such a great selection of vegan Vietnamese food to choose from. Khoe has really delicious noodle dishes that satisfy my Bun Bo Hue and pho cravings. I love their Khoe Bowl, with vermicelli, salad, tofu and crispy spring rolls. Khoe Vietnamese isn’t officially a restaurant as they cook out of a commissary kitchen, but they do delivery and are available for takeout. I’ve found that their noodle soups can sometimes be quite salty, so if you’re looking for something lighter I’d recommend Lotus Seed Vegan.
I hope this list was helpful! I often get asked where the best vegan restaurants in Vancouver are. These are my personal favourites that I keep coming back to over the years. There are so many vegan restaurants in Vancouver, so it can definitely be overwhelming knowing where to start. Let me know your favourites!
