It has been almost two years since I’ve started eating vegan, and I think I now have enough experience to make food recommendations to you all. Thus, I bring you “Places to Go and Things to Eat,” the vegan edition! Below I list some of my favourite places to eat yummy vegan food in and around Vancouver, including some of my favourite dishes. Go on… work your way through the list!
1. Earnest Ice Cream
Oh. My. Goodness. The first time I went to Earnest Ice Cream was just last summer, but wow, I have been missing out since then! Of all the ice cream shops that I have tried (and I have tried a lot), Earnest is hands down my favourite place to go. My love for Earnest all started when I had my first taste of their vegan raspberry ice cream… creamy and fruity and definitely my favourite flavour. Vegan strawberry brownie from Earnest is also good, but not as good as the cult-classic raspberry flavour. Now, “go get you some.”
2. Bandidas Taqueria
This place. THIS. PLACE. I have only been here once, but it is amazing. Located just a five-minute walk from Commercial-Broadway Station, Bandidas has all the Mexican food your heart desires. My meal, in particular, had cornbread, vegan butter, pickled beets, potato and sweet potato hash browns, pinto beans with vegan cheese and cilantro, tofu and squash scramble, salsa, and of course, guacamole. I got hungry just typing that! Plus, this restaurant has many cool art pieces AND they have hibiscus lemonade. If you’ve never been here, you need to try it.
Please excuse the low-quality photo of my meal, as I did not focus on taking a nice picture, and only snapped it instead.
3. MeeT in Gastown
This place too. SO. GOOD. If you love yummy, healthy vegan food, and you love eating out with your friends in an open-space environment, you’ll love MeeT in Gastown! With locations on Main street, in Gastown, and now in Yaletown, this is one of my favourite restaurants. I don’t even live close to any of the locations, but I always suggest going here because I am slowly making my way down the menu, and the atmosphere is amazing. My recommendations? Their BC poutine and their sweet-chili cauliflower, but I can’t wait to try one of their burgers!
4. Virtuous Pie
Okay, now this is my favourite pizza place EVER. I discovered this place through Instagram, and I am so glad that I tried it. They have a variety of vegan pizzas that even my non-vegan friends love. Their pizzas are perfectly sized for one person, and, again, I am working my way down their menu. I don’t live close to Virtuous Pie either, but yes, I will go out of my way to eat a slice of their pie. They even have sriracha if you’re feeling spicy.
5. DALINA
This is another cafe that I discovered through Instagram, and yes, the rumours are true: it is very aesthetic. But what I didn’t realise before I stopped by to catch up with a friend was how many vegan options they would have. I had a vegan panini, which I loved, and a chocolate-peanut butter dessert bar that was a little too peanut-buttery for my taste, but still good. FYI: DALINA is Insta-friendly with big windows to help you get the perfect photo with natural lighting; heck, it would be weird if you didn’t take a picture of your food because it’s so beautiful here.
6. The Wallflower
I vaguely remember this restaurant being in a movie, but don’t hold me on that one. I knew I had to try this place after finding it through Google and looking at their vegan menu items. But that’s not the only reason why you should eat here… they also have wallflower wallpaper with REAL PEOPLE (or rather, pictures of real people) on the wallflowers! Oh, and a big photo of Sloth from The Goonies inside their washroom. If you need a recommendation from their giant menu, I loved their vegan carbonara!
7. Delish Gluten Free Bakery
If you’re looking for a cute bakery that offers vegan and gluten-free options, then Delish Gluten Free Bakery is one of the best places I know. Shoutout to my fellow PoCo residents, because this bakery resides in Port Coquitlam, but you can find their desserts at farmers’ markets across the Lower Mainland throughout Spring and Summer. They have everything from cupcakes, to banana bread, to garlic bread and pizza shells. I can attest that they are all amazing, including my giant rainbow oreo pictured below.
8. Cactus Club Cafe
Initially, I wasn’t going to add Cactus Club to this list since it’s such a large chain of restaurants, but I’m going to justifying adding them because they are headquartered in Vancouver. Also, there is one specific menu item that I’d like to share with all you vegan/health conscious/aspiring vegans out there. Cactus Club has a somewhat new dish called the “Modern Bowl” and you can make it vegan by opting for the grilled avocado option. This is one of my favourite meals EVER and I think I could eat it everyday (three days in a row is my current record). It’s both healthy, and delicious… everything you’d want in a meal!
That’s all for my list! Did I miss any of your favourite vegan places? And which place will you try first? Send us a message and let us know!