The Trendy Street Where Vegans And Vegetarians Will Find The Best Food In Vancouver

Long gone are the days when eating vegan meant dinner was nothing more than a simple salad with a few cucumbers or tomatoes thrown into the mix. Today, the world is shifting its preferences to include a diversity of colorful fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy-free meals, and plant-based substitutes. Canada is no exception to this movement. A 2020 survey reported by Made in CA found that roughly 12% of the country's population identified as vegan or vegetarian, a noteworthy increase from a similar survey in 2018. Residents stated agricultural industry concerns, sustainability, and animal welfare as the primary reasons for supporting this trend. With dietary preferences shifting, the country is continuing to pioneer a vibrant vegan culinary scene across several of its cityscapes.

Vancouver was ranked among the top 10 most popular vegan-friendly cities in the world according to Chef's Pencil in 2021, and continues to hold on to its reputation as a happy place for vegans and vegetarians. While plant-based dining venues are now scattered throughout the city, Main Street is where you'll find the largest selection of vegan eateries. This trendy, prominent hipster district is the hub for Vancouver's many annual festivals and local farmer's markets, beckoning a younger audience to this street. Adding this neighborhood to your itinerary can help you make the most of your food tourism experience. You'll find some of this West Coast destination's best and brightest plant-based dining outlets along this lively, colorful downtown strip that range from French-inspired bakeries to Mediterranean tavernas. 

There are over 70 fully plant-based eateries sprawled across Vancouver's cityscape, with a large majority tucked along Main Street. Casual and cute, Chickpea is every vegan's favorite comfort food spot. This funky hotspot started out as a local food truck and morphed into a restaurant on Vancouver's Main Street. Colorful pillows with elaborate phrases, vivacious wall murals, and lush air plants create a lively, comforting atmosphere. With an emphasis on Mediterranean cuisine, Chickpea keeps its menu fun and fresh with everything from pita wraps and chickpea fries to baba ganoush. 

A Michelin-star-wearing establishment, if you've been to Main Street but haven't paid a visit to Burdock and Co., your itinerary needs some adjustment. Tucked on a street corner, seasonal, local produce sourced from regional purveyors forms the foundation of this venue's farm-to-table menu. It's the perfect place for family or group outings that support both vegan and non-plant-based eaters, as their menu isn't limited to only vegetarian options. Intricate, varying textiles cover the interior facade, exuding an intimate, upscale ambiance. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for celebrities when exploring Vancouver's food scene, as the city is a popular filming location.

Just as adorable as its name suggests, The Acorn is an aesthetic interpretation of plant-based fine dining. Marked by white rustic farmhouse-style windows and a breezy, yet intimate dining space, the restaurant was founded by musician Shira Blustein. Its Michelin-star status testifies to the freshly-foraged items from local partnership farms and that proudly pepper the menu.

To live fully is to live for pastries — or so this adorable bakery shop will have you thinking after one sniff of its sweet-smelling dough. The pastry chefs at To Live For Bakery have only called this kitchen home since the end of 2022, but it's already become an irreplaceable piece of Vancouver's vegan scene. If you need more convincing, the Vancouver Sun described this bakery as one that "blasts away stereotypes of vegan food" in a recent editorial feature. Many of the wide-eyed locals and visitors patiently waiting in excruciatingly long lines don't even know that this bakery bakes with chickpea water and rice powder substitutes. The bakery has to be one of the prettiest restaurants in the world, with a wistful room full of sunshine, dark-leafed greenery, and faded cow murals. The croissant breakfast sandwich is their top-seller, closely followed by the iconic banana bread, Tiramisu overnight oats, and vegan soft — each one an Instagrammable piece of perfection.