Where to Eat in Vancouver (A Guide From Your Snobby Foodie Friend)

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?

For me, it’s hard to choose. Was it my first Roman artichoke? Dinner at Frenchie Bar a Vins in Paris? Breakfast in a countryside B&B just outside Parma, Italy?

They all stand out in my mind. All their memories make me immediately and wonderfully ravenous.

And perhaps that’s the answer. They’re all my favorite meals. The ones I remember months or even years later. The ones with the power to summon a growling deep in my stomach even though I didn’t know I was hungry.

In each place I go these days, I am constantly looking for the next favorite. The next breathtaking food moment. The next place that will be imprinted on me long into the future.

For Vancouver, these were those places:

Hamaei Japanese Restaurant

You wouldn’t expect to find the best sushi in Vancouver tucked away in a strip mall, but turns out, it is. The rolls might not look as fancy as some of the more popular spots downtown, but don’t let looks fool you. The ingredients are top quality and the balance is perfect. We discovered this place only a week before leaving, but we came back several times for more.

Lee’s Donuts

Ready for the best donut of your life? Ask for a glazed donut just out of the oven (and if there aren’t any just out of the oven, ask how long and circle back – I promise it’s worth the effort!). I’m not a donut person, usually, but I had one almost every time I came to Granville Island. They’re that good.

A Bread Affair

I’ve got four glorious words for you: homemade ice cream sandwiches. The bread and sandwiches are also yummy (and we frequently made the aforementioned multi-hour trip down here for loaves of bread), but the most fun thing on offer is the ice cream flanked by homemade cookies. Flavors change on the daily and everything we tried was top notch.

Oyama Sausage Company

Almost every week, I found myself taking a multi-hour round-trip bus ride from North Vancouver to Granville Island – and this incredible butcher shop is one of the main reasons for that trek. From the flavorful breakfast sausages to the rich pâtés (you must try the pâté!), everything we tried here was breathtaking and well worth a multi-hour trek.

Purebread

Head here for excellent scones and decadent desserts. We found this bakery originally in Whistler and loved it so much we had to seek out their Vancouver location as soon as we arrived.

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And, now, as usual, to you: Any favorite Vancouver eateries to recommend?