As far as food goes, I’m tough to please. But let me tell you: Vancouver’s food scene is next-level…mixing epic coastal vibes with flavors from around the world. Think fresh Pacific seafood, fusion dishes inspired by the city’s multicultural roots, and super creative menus you won’t find anywhere else. You could be sipping cocktails in a secret speakeasy one night and munching on gourmet tacos from a food truck the next. Here are 18 insanely unique restaurants in Vancouver you’ve got to try in 2027.
👉 Pro Tip: Don’t miss the Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour for a perfect mix of history and flavors! Stroll through Gastown’s cobblestone streets, sampling six delicious dishes and three drink pairings while uncovering stories of its Wild West roots. Iconic stops like the Steam Clock and Maple Tree Square make this tour a must for foodies and history buffs alike.
18 Most Unique Restaurants in Vancouver at a Glance
Vancouver’s food scene lives up to the hype, blending fresh coastal ingredients with flavors from all over the world. If you’re trying to narrow it down, these spots are a great place to start, each one offering something memorable you won’t easily find anywhere else in the city.
| Restaurant | Best For | What Makes It Unique | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Dark Table | Sensory Dining | Guests eat in total darkness to focus entirely on taste and smell. | Kitsilano |
| 2. Fable Kitchen | Farm-to-Table | Fresh local ingredients are served in a cozy bistro with an open kitchen. | Kitsilano |
| 3. Published on Main | Michelin-Starred Plates | Ranked No. 17 on North America’s 50 Best in 2026, with hyper-local BC ingredients and seasonal tasting menus. | Mount Pleasant |
| 4. Sprezzatura | Neapolitan Pizza & Happy Hour | Neapolitan pizzas and family-size pastas, with happy hour until 5:30 pm and all day Sunday. | Mount Pleasant |
| 5. Kissa Tanto | Japanese-Italian Fusion | A Michelin-starred room styled like a 1960s Tokyo jazz café, known for its miso-yolk tajarin. | Chinatown |
| 6. The Acorn | Plant-Based Fine Dining | Michelin-recommended vegetarian cooking from a zero-waste kitchen, with an $89 blind tasting menu | Mount Pleasant |
| 7. Gringo Gastown | Cheap Tacos | Reopened in July 2026, this hidden Blood Alley taco bar serves $4.20 tacos and beer buckets | Gastown |
| 8. The Lunch Lady | Vietnamese Street Food | Four-time Bib Gourmand honoring Bourdain’s famous Saigon noodle stall, now with a second spot at Oakridge Park | Commercial Drive |
| 9. Chambar | Belgian-North African | Moules frites in three styles, Liège waffle brunch and a weekend happy hour steps from BC Place | Downtown |
| 10. Song | Modern Thai | A Michelin Bib Gourmand pairing spicy Thai dishes with natural wines and an early and late happy hour | Mount Pleasant |
Use this as a quick way to match your mood or neighborhood to the right spot. Once you’ve got a few picks in mind, keep scrolling for the full breakdown of all 18 restaurants, including what to order and what makes each one worth the visit.
1. Dark Table
- 📍 Location: 2611 W 4th Avenue, Kitsilano
- 💲 Price range: $41 – $49 per person, plus drinks
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Italian-inspired set menu with a surprise starter and dessert
- 🔥 Standout Features: Dining in complete darkness, blind and visually impaired servers, full cocktail bar
- 🎯 Perfect For: Date nights and adventurous eaters
Dark Table in Kitsilano is a blind dining restaurant where you eat your entire meal in total darkness. Your server is blind or visually impaired and leads you to your table with a hand on their shoulder. I find every flavor tastes stronger when you can’t see your plate, and guessing each dish becomes part of the fun.
You order your main in the lit lobby, and the kitchen surprises you with the starter and dessert. Three courses cost $49 per person and two courses cost $41, with a $3 to $5 upcharge on mains like the steak and lamb pasta. I recommend the six-hour braised lamb rigatoni, the house signature, or the unlisted Daily Surprise main if you want the full mystery.
Signature cocktails start at $12, including the Dark Caesar with a surprise garnish. Zero-proof drinks cost $8, and bottles of wine start at $49 for the Surprise Rosé. If you’re dining as a pair, I’d add the $10 Surprise Munchies, a second starter made to share before your mains arrive.
Reservations are required, and Dark Table is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30 to 10:30 pm. Switch off your phone and smartwatch before you sit down, and tell your host about any allergies when you arrive. Once the Broadway Subway opens in fall 2027, Arbutus Station will be about a 15-minute walk away.
2. Fable Kitchen
Fable Kitchen nails that neighborhood bistro feel, but with a distinctly West Coast spin. Chef Trevor Bird’s “farm-to-table” vibe is not just hype – you can actually taste the freshness in every dish. Their tomato salad is legendary, especially when tomatoes are in season, but you absolutely can’t leave without trying the duck breast with its maple verjus sauce.
The open kitchen is pure dinner-theatre, and the reclaimed-wood accents set up a cozy, unfussy vibe that’s perfect for date night or chill catch-ups. Kitsilano Beach is just a few blocks away if you want a seaside stroll after, and I’ve legit had tableside chats with the friendliest staff. Go early for brunch if you want to skip the line.
3. Published on Main
- 📍 Location: 3593 Main Street, Mount Pleasant
- 💲 Price range: $80 – $170+ per person, before drinks
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Modern Pacific Northwest fine dining
- 🔥 Standout Features: One Michelin star, No. 17 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026, seasonal tasting menus, hyper-local BC ingredients
- 🎯 Perfect For: Special occasions and fine dining splurges
Published on Main is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Mount Pleasant, and it ranked No. 17 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2026. Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson trained at Noma and forages across British Columbia for many of his ingredients. I’d book it for a milestone dinner, and it also made Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list this year.
I recommend ordering à la carte on a first visit, since you control both the pace and the bill. Snacks cost $9 to $14, and larger plates range from $29 to $69 on a menu that changes with the seasons. My picks are the Kentucky Fried Maitake with garlic scape ranch and the Fraser Valley duck, a standout in recent reviews.
For the full experience, book the 12-course Harvest tasting menu, served from October 6, 2026, to January 5, 2027. Seasonal tasting menus have cost $170 per person plus tax and tip this year, and dinner lasts close to three hours. The kitchen can’t adapt it for shellfish, gluten, dairy, egg, vegetarian or vegan diets, and other dietary requests need 72 hours’ notice.
Book on OpenTable a few weeks ahead for weekend tables, or arrive at 5 pm for one of the seats held for walk-ins each night. Your table is held for just 15 minutes, and late arrivals for a tasting menu may miss courses. Groups of 7 to 12 can reserve the family-style Chef’s Dinner in the lounge, which offers more flexibility for allergies.
4. Sprezzatura
- 📍 Location: 265 Kingsway, Mount Pleasant
- 💲 Price range: $25 – $50 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Neapolitan pizza, pasta and Italian roasts
- 🔥 Standout Features: Wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, family-size pastas, daily happy hour, private dining room
- 🎯 Perfect For: Casual group dinners and happy hour
Sprezzatura is a Neapolitan pizza and pasta restaurant on Kingsway in Mount Pleasant, with a bright, airy dining room and a sidewalk patio. Pizzas cost $22 to $27 and arrive with a thin, chewy crust. I’d order the Bella Maria with pancetta, pecorino and hot honey, or the spicy ‘nduja sausage pizza if you like heat.
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Pastas come in half, full and family sizes, which makes it easy to share a few around the table. My pick is the Funghi gnocchi with champagne sauce, foraged mushrooms and Tuscan kale, at $16 for a half portion. For something heartier, the braised short rib and rosemary roast chicken are the house signatures.
Happy hour is on from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday, with house wine at $1 per ounce and $10 Aperol spritzes. The two-course lunch costs $24 and is served until 2:30 pm daily. On Wine Wednesdays, bottles and carafes of house wine are half price for dine-in guests.
Walk-ins are welcome, though I’d book on OpenTable for Friday and Saturday nights. Groups of 8 or more pay a 20% gratuity, and the private room seats 8 to 20 guests. Once the Broadway Subway opens in fall 2027, Mount Pleasant Station at Main and Broadway will be about a five-minute walk away.
5. Kissa Tanto
- 📍 Location: 263 E Pender Street (2nd floor), Chinatown
- 💲 Price range: $60 – $155+ per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Japanese-Italian fusion
- 🔥 Standout Features: One Michelin star, 1960s Tokyo jazz café design, omakase menus, craft cocktail bar
- 🎯 Perfect For: Date nights and fusion food lovers
Kissa Tanto is a Michelin-starred Japanese-Italian restaurant tucked on the second floor of an old building on East Pender Street in Chinatown. The dining room is styled after a 1960s Tokyo jazz café, with white mosaic floors and walls covered in art and photos. I love it for a date night, and the long bar is a great seat if you’re dining solo or as a pair.
The signature dish is the tajarin, hand-cut pasta with butter, roasted mushrooms and a miso-cured egg yolk. I’d also order the daily fish crudo with shiso vinaigrette and the whole fried fish with daikon soy dipping sauce. Save room for the tiramisu, made with a plum wine-soaked tofu filling.
For a splurge, the table omakase starts at $155 per person for groups of two to four, with premium tiers at $200 and $250. The bar omakase for one or two guests starts at $175. The menu rotates and popular mains can sell out on busy nights, and I recommend an early seating if you have your heart set on a dish.
Reservations open on Tock 30 days ahead at midnight, and weekend tables go fast. Kissa Tanto is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30 pm, with late hours until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. If you’re visiting in January 2027, check dates first, since the restaurant closed for a week in mid-January in 2026.
6. The Acorn
- 📍 Location: 3995 Main Street, Mount Pleasant
- 💲 Price range: $40 – $90 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Vegetarian and vegan fine dining
- 🔥 Standout Features: Michelin-recommended three years running, zero-waste kitchen, 99% local ingredients, weekend brunch
- 🎯 Perfect For: Vegetarians, vegans and curious meat eaters
The Acorn is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant on Main Street in Mount Pleasant, and Michelin has recommended it three years running. Head Chef Matt Gostelow leads a zero-waste kitchen that sources 99% of its ingredients from BC and Western Canada. I recommend it to meat eaters as much as vegans, because every dish is built around big, bold flavor.
Dishes are made for sharing and cost $18 to $32, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free options. My favorite is the beer-battered halloumi with devil’s club tartar sauce, and I’d add the ravioli alla Norma for the table. The menu changes with the seasons, and the kitchen doesn’t take modifications.
For the full experience, book the Chef’s Menu, a multi-course blind tasting menu served family-style for $89 per person. A BC wine pairing adds $55 per person. Chef’s Menu spots are limited, and I recommend reserving on OpenTable to secure one.
Dinner is served nightly from 5:30 to 10 pm, with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm. Plan around the seasonal Monday closures from October 19 to December 7, 2026, and from February 22 to May 17, 2027. Brunch is my budget-friendly pick, and Published on Main (#3) is four blocks north if you’re planning a Main Street food day.
7. Gringo
- 📍 Location: 27 Blood Alley Square, Gastown
- 💲 Price range: $10 – $25 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Casual tacos and burritos
- 🔥 Standout Features: $4.20 tacos, hidden alley location, beer buckets, late-night hours
- 🎯 Perfect For: Budget eats and pre-game meals
Gringo is a tiny taco bar tucked into Blood Alley Square in Gastown, and it reopened on July 16, 2026, after closing in March. It calls itself a cantina meets an all-inclusive resort, with loud music, kitschy decor and buckets of booze. I love it for a cheap, fun meal before a night out in Gastown.
Tacos cost $4.20 each, or you can pick any three for $12. My go-to order is the Austin with smoked Angus beef and corn chips, plus the CBC with chipotle beer chicken and jalapeño lime ranch. Vegans have good options too, including the Kung Fu with kung pao tofu and the Jerky Jack with jerk-spiced jackfruit.
The Gastown room is the only Gringo left, since the Davie Street and Lonsdale locations closed for good in March 2026. Hours have shifted since the reopening, and I recommend checking @gringogastown on Instagram before you go. The entrance faces the alley and is easy to miss, and I’d keep looking if your map says you’ve arrived.
Gringo sits a two-minute walk from the Gastown Steam Clock, which makes it an easy stop on a walking tour of the neighborhood. Rogers Arena is about a 12-minute walk away, and I think it’s one of the best cheap pre-game meals in the city before a Canucks game or concert.
8. The Lunch Lady
- 📍 Location: 1046 Commercial Drive, Grandview-Woodland (second location at Oakridge Park)
- 💲 Price range: $25 – $70 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Modern Vietnamese street food
- 🔥 Standout Features: Four straight Michelin Bib Gourmands, Anthony Bourdain connection, daily rotating noodle soups, craft cocktails
- 🎯 Perfect For: Noodle soup lovers and group dinners
The Lunch Lady on Commercial Drive carries on the legacy of Nguyễn Thị Thanh, the Saigon street cook Anthony Bourdain made famous on No Reservations. Ms. Thanh passed away in May 2025, and the restaurant has now earned four straight Michelin Bib Gourmand awards. It also won Best Casual, Best Vietnamese and Best Commercial Drive restaurant at the 2026 Golden Plates, and I think it’s the best Vietnamese meal in Vancouver.
Lunch features a daily rotation of noodle soups and Vietnamese brunch dishes until 3 pm, inspired by Ms. Thanh’s original Saigon stall. Dinner starts at 5 pm with a bigger menu, and my must-orders are the garlic noodles with XO butter ($26) and the Steak Lúc Lắc ($42). Groups can share the family-style Ăn Chơi menu for $60 per person.
Pair dinner with the phở-spiced Old Fashioned ($18), or try the Vietnamese egg coffee ($8) if you’re skipping alcohol. Lunch is served Tuesday to Sunday, and Monday is dinner only. I recommend booking ahead for Friday and Saturday dinners, since tables fill up fast.
A second Vancouver location opened in 2026 at the Time Out Market in Oakridge Park, open daily from 11 am to 9 pm. It’s right by Oakridge-41st Avenue Station on the Canada Line, which makes it an easy stop on the way to or from the airport. For the full menu and dine-in signatures, I’d still head to Commercial Drive first.
9. Chambar
- 📍 Location: 568 Beatty Street, Downtown
- 💲 Price range: $45 – $90 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Belgian with North African influences
- 🔥 Standout Features: Moules frites, Liège waffle brunch, Belgian beer list, weekend happy hour
- 🎯 Perfect For: Pre-game dinners and weekend brunch
Chambar is a Belgian restaurant with North African influences on Beatty Street, and it has been a downtown favorite since 2004. Head Chef Nico Schuermans pairs Belgian classics with Moroccan spices in a lively dining room that feels upscale without being stuffy. I’d come here for moules frites and a cold Belgian beer from its long bottle list.
The moules frites come in three styles for $39 to $40, and the portions are big enough to share. My pick is the Congolaise, with mussels in a tomato coconut cream with smoked chili, lime and cilantro. For a main, the braised lamb shank tajine with honey, figs and almond couscous ($42) shows off the North African side of the menu.
Dinner is served daily from 4:30 to 10:30 pm, and weekend brunch is famous for its Liège waffles. Happy hour is on Saturdays and Sundays from 3 to 4:30 pm, when moules frites drop to $32 and a Chambar Ale costs $8. I think it’s the best-value way to try the mussels, and I’d grab a patio table if the weather cooperates.
Chambar is steps from Stadium–Chinatown Station and a short walk from BC Place and Rogers Arena, which makes it a great pick before a game or concert. I recommend booking on OpenTable for event nights, since tables fill quickly before big shows. Larger groups can book three- or four-course set menus through the website.
10. Song
- 📍 Location: 317 E Broadway, Mount Pleasant
- 💲 Price range: $40 – $80 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Modern Thai
- 🔥 Standout Features: Michelin Bib Gourmand, natural wine list, Thai-inspired cocktails, early and late happy hour
- 🎯 Perfect For: Spice lovers and natural wine fans
Song is a modern Thai restaurant on East Broadway in Mount Pleasant from the team behind Kin Kao on Commercial Drive. It kept its Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025, and the cooking is spicy, bold and built on fresh daily seafood. I love pairing dinner with the natural wine list, which features small-batch BC producers alongside bottles from Europe.
My must-orders are the laab wings tossed in Northern Thai spice ($23) and the Pad Thai with house tamarind sauce ($31). For something bigger, the crab fried rice ($42) and the beef green curry with slow-cooked shank ($44) are both great for sharing. Add jasmine rice for $3 to any dish that doesn’t include it.
For a group, the Song Set Menu is a family-style tasting menu for $75 per person, with a minimum of two guests. It can’t be made vegan or vegetarian, and it isn’t served after 9 pm. Tables of five or more pay a 20% auto-gratuity.
Happy hour is daily from 5 to 6 pm and again from 9 pm to close, with $8 oysters, $12 wines and cocktails from $17. Song is open from 5 pm every night except Tuesday, closing at 9:30 pm on Mondays and 10 pm the rest of the week. Once the Broadway Subway opens in fall 2027, Mount Pleasant Station will be about three blocks away.
11. Afghan Horsemen
- 📍 Location: 1833 Anderson Street (2nd floor), near Granville Island
- 💲 Price range: $30 – $55 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Traditional Afghan
- 🔥 Standout Features: Canada’s first Afghan restaurant, floor cushion seating, sharing platters, weekend happy hour
- 🎯 Perfect For: Group dinners and vegetarians
Afghan Horsemen opened in 1974 as the first Afghan restaurant in Canada, and it’s still family-run today. It sits on the second floor at 1833 Anderson Street, just before the entrance to Granville Island. I recommend booking a spot in the Pillow Room, where you sit on floor cushions in the traditional Afghan style.
The Kebab Platter Delight serves two for $88 and comes with chicken, lamb and beef kebabs, a braised lamb shoulder chop and rice. My favorite solo order is the Kabuli Palaw ($33), basmati rice topped with carrots, raisins and almonds and served with braised lamb. Start with the mantu ($15), steamed dumplings stuffed with spiced beef and lamb and topped with yogurt.
Vegetarians and vegans eat well here, with their own sharing platters for $63 to $64. The leek-filled vegetarian aushak dumplings ($27) are my pick for a meat-free main. Finish with firni, a cardamom milk pudding with pistachios, for $7.
Happy hour is on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:30 to 5 pm, with discounted drinks and small plates. The restaurant is closed Mondays, and groups larger than eight should email ahead to book. I like pairing an afternoon on Granville Island with an early happy hour dinner here.
12. Torafuku
- 📍 Location: 958 Main Street, Chinatown
- 💲 Price range: $35 – $80 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Modern pan-Asian
- 🔥 Standout Features: Michelin-recommended, $79 seven-course tasting menu, weekend brunch, daily happy hour
- 🎯 Perfect For: Group dinners and pre-game meals
Torafuku is a Michelin-recommended pan-Asian restaurant on Main Street, one block from Main Street–Science World Station on the edge of Chinatown. The team started with the Le Tigre food truck, and the kitchen now blends Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese flavors with local BC ingredients. I love the bright open kitchen and communal table, which make it a fun pick for a group.
My must-order is the crab and uni pasta with carbonara sauce and Chinese sausage ($42). The General Tao chicken wings ($19) and maitake tempura ($18) are great for sharing, and the yuzu Basque cheesecake is the dessert Michelin singles out. Groups of two to six can share the seasonal seven-course tasting menu for $79 per person, with a $38 wine pairing.
Lunch centers on rice bowls and the award-winning beef noodle soup, and a three-course lunch starts at $32. Weekend brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm. Happy hour is Wednesday to Sunday from 3 to 5:30 pm, with $3 off cocktails, $2 off beer and discounted dumplings.
Dinner is served Wednesday to Sunday from 5 pm, and I recommend booking on OpenTable, since tables are held for only 10 minutes past your reservation. Parties of two or three get their table for 90 minutes, and groups of seven or more should book by phone or email. BC Place is about a 15-minute walk away, which makes happy hour a great warm-up before a game or concert.
13. Salmon n’ Bannock
- 📍 Location: 1128 West Broadway, Fairview (second location at YVR Airport)
- 💲 Price range: $30 – $60 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Indigenous Canadian
- 🔥 Standout Features: Indigenous-owned, fresh-baked bannock, wild BC salmon and game, Sunday brunch
- 🎯 Perfect For: Culture-focused travelers and game lovers
Salmon n’ Bannock is an Indigenous-owned bistro on West Broadway, opened in 2010 by Inez Cook of the Nuxalk Nation. It bills itself as Vancouver’s only Indigenous restaurant, serving wild BC fish, free-range game and bannock baked fresh every day. I tell every first-time visitor to book a table here for a meal rooted in the people and land of this region.
My must-order is the bison pot roast ($42), slow-roasted for 24 hours and served with bannock and seasonal vegetables. Start with the salmon sampler ($22), which serves wild salmon three ways, or the candied salmon with maple drizzle ($14). Vegetarians can try the Three Sisters stuffed pepper ($28) with corn, squash and beans.
The wine list features Nk’Mip Cellars, an Indigenous-owned winery in BC’s Okanagan Valley. Dinner is served daily from 3 to 9 pm, with Sunday brunch from 10 am to 2 pm. The room is small, and I recommend booking ahead on Tock, especially for groups.
If you’re flying out of YVR, the On The Fly outpost sits past security in International Departures near gate 71. It’s open daily from 7 am to 9 pm and serves bannock breakfast sandwiches, candied salmon and local beer. Once the Broadway Subway opens in fall 2027, Oak–VGH Station will be a short walk from the bistro.
14. Hawkers Delight
- 📍 Location: 4127 Main Street, Riley Park
- 💲 Price range: $15 – $25 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Malaysian and Singaporean hawker food
- 🔥 Standout Features: Budget-friendly mains, counter service, strong vegetarian menu
- 🎯 Perfect For: Cheap eats and quick lunches
Hawkers Delight is a small, no-frills Malaysian and Singaporean deli at 4127 Main Street, and it’s been a neighborhood favorite for years. You order at the counter and pick up your food when your order is called. I come here when I want big flavors on a budget, since nearly every main costs $14.50.
My go-to is the fried kuey teow, smoky stir-fried flat rice noodles and the top-ordered dish on its online menu. The laksa is my pick on a rainy Vancouver day, with a rich and spicy coconut curry broth. For something heartier, the lamb curry rice costs $19.50 and comes with chickpeas in the curry.
Vegetarians have plenty of choice, including the Sayur Lodeh Bee Hoon, rice vermicelli in a vegetable coconut curry. I’d add a roti or the stuffed tofu puffs ($7) to share. Seating is tight, and takeout is a good backup when every table is full.
Hawkers Delight is open Monday to Saturday from noon to 8 pm and closed on Sundays and holidays. Some reviews still describe it as cash-only, and I bring cash as a backup even though some listings show cards accepted. It’s a short walk from The Acorn (#6), which makes it an easy lunch stop on a Main Street food day.
15. Meat & Bread
- 📍 Location: 370 Cambie Street, Gastown (plus Broadway, Pender and Robson locations)
- 💲 Price range: $12 – $25 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Gourmet sandwiches
- 🔥 Standout Features: Famous porchetta sandwich, meat carved to order, breakfast sandwiches, four Vancouver locations
- 🎯 Perfect For: Quick lunches and budget eats
Meat & Bread is a Vancouver sandwich shop famous for its porchetta, and it now has four locations across the city. The original shop at 370 Cambie Street in Gastown is my favorite, and it’s open every day from 8 am to 4 pm. You can watch the staff carve the pork to order at the counter, which I think is half the fun.
The porchetta sandwich costs $13.50 and comes with salsa verde and crunchy pork crackling on a fresh roll. If you’re hungry, the $19.50 Porchetta Meal gives you 6 ounces of porchetta with a side and a dipping sauce. I’d pair either one with the tomato fennel soup ($6) and a spicy dill pickle.
The buffalo chicken and meatball sandwiches cost $14.50, and the Reuben with house pastrami and Gruyère fondue costs $18. Breakfast sandwiches like the maple-glazed Bacon Slab ($11.50) are served until 11 am. Vegetarians can order the aged white cheddar grilled cheese for $12.
Hours vary by location, and the Pender Street shop is open weekdays only. Lunch lines move fast, though I recommend ordering ahead online on busy days. Meat & Bread has since expanded to Calgary and Austin, but Vancouver is where the porchetta first made its name.
- Visit the Meat & Bread website
- Read reviews of Meat & Bread
- Read Next: 12 Most Breathtaking Places in Canada
16. Hail Mary’s
- 📍 Location: 670 East Broadway at Fraser Street, Mount Pleasant
- 💲 Price range: $20 – $45 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Bar food and comfort dishes
- 🔥 Standout Features: Virgin Mary-themed decor, late-night kitchen, house-made potato chips, late-night happy hour
- 🎯 Perfect For: Late-night bites and casual drinks
Hail Mary’s is a tiny neighborhood bar at East Broadway and Fraser Street in Mount Pleasant, decorated with Virgin Mary artwork and a playful sense of humor. It opens at 6 pm every day and stays open until 1 am, or 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays. I love it as a late-night stop, since the kitchen keeps serving long after other Vancouver restaurants have closed.
Start with Mary’s famous house-made potato chips ($8), and know that every burger comes with chips instead of fries. My pick is the Nashville hot chicken sandwich ($22) on a pretzel bun with house coleslaw. The double-baked nachos ($25) are big enough for a group, and the Korean BBQ chicken lettuce wraps ($16) make a lighter option.
Vegetarians can order the Beyond Meat burger or Korean BBQ tofu skewers, and the nachos can be made vegan with Daiya cheese. Late-night happy hour is on from Sunday to Thursday, 10 pm to close, with $6 lagers, $7 house wine and $10 tofu skewers. Draft beer comes from local breweries like Steel & Oak and Strange Fellows.
Hail Mary’s doesn’t take reservations, and your whole group must be there before you’re seated. The room is small, and the staff may set a time limit on busy nights. I’d come right at 6 pm or after 10 pm for your best shot at a table.
17. Havana
- 📍 Location: 1212 Commercial Drive, Grandview-Woodland
- 💲 Price range: $20 – $50 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Cuban and Latin American
- 🔥 Standout Features: 30 years on Commercial Drive, heated year-round patio, weekend brunch, twice-daily happy hour
- 🎯 Perfect For: Patio lovers and weekend brunch
Havana has been a fixture on Commercial Drive since 1996, and it celebrated its 30th anniversary in September 2026. The menu blends Cuban and Latin flavors with Pacific Northwest ingredients in a bright, colorful room with lively music. I love the covered, heated patio, which stays open year-round and is one of the best people-watching spots on the Drive.
My pick is the Cubano ($20), pressed with house porchetta, ham, Swiss cheese and pickles on a Cuban bun. For a group, the paella ($35) comes loaded with prawns, clams, snapper and chorizo. The carnitas tacos with charred pineapple salsa cost $21 for two with a side.
Weekend brunch is served from 10 am to 3 pm, and kids 8 and under get free pancakes until 11 am. My brunch favorites are the Pulled Pork Benny ($20) and the chicken and Liège waffles ($22). Pair either one with a Havana Caesar or a $13 mimosa.
Happy hour is daily from 3 to 5 pm and again from 9 pm to close, with $7 house drafts, $11 mojitos and a $12 Cubano. The patio is first come, first served, and the dining room gets busy by 5:30 pm. I recommend booking on OpenTable for dinner or arriving mid-afternoon for a patio seat.
- Visit the Havana Vancouver website
- Read reviews of Havana Vancouver
- Read Next: 12 Prettiest Spots in Vancouver
18. The Bunny Cafe
- 📍 Location: 1696 Venables Street, near Commercial Drive
- 💲 Price range: $10 – $25 per person
- 🍽️ Cuisine Style: Vegan café
- 🔥 Standout Features: Adoptable rescue bunnies, North America’s first bunny café, fully vegan menu, proceeds support Rabbitats Rescue
- 🎯 Perfect For: Animal lovers and rainy-day plans
The Bunny Cafe on Venables Street opened in 2021 as North America’s first bunny café, and every rabbit in the lounge is a rescue available for adoption. It comes from the team behind Catfé, and lounge proceeds are split equally with Rabbitats Rescue Society. I think it’s a perfect rainy-day stop just off Commercial Drive, a short walk from Havana (#17).
Standard visits cost $16.95 plus GST per person and last an hour on weekdays or 40 minutes on weekends. At select weekday times, 30-minute Half-Time visits cost $9.95 plus GST. Your ticket includes a cup of fresh greens, and I recommend sitting still and letting the bunnies hop over to you.
The café side is fully vegan, with plant-based sweet and savory snacks, and it’s free to relax there while you watch the bunnies through the glass. Staff walk you through the lounge rules, which include no picking up the rabbits and keeping your voice low. If you fall for one, the team can guide you through adoption or foster-to-adopt.
Guests must be 5 or older, and kids aged 5 to 10 need one adult for every two children. Book ahead online, since reservations are non-refundable and walk-ins depend on space. I’d aim for a weekday visit, when you get the full hour with the bunnies.
- Visit The Bunny Cafe website
- Read reviews of The Bunny Cafe
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Global Viewpoint is a personal blog. All content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional financial, medical, or legal advice.
