Vancouver's Must-Eat Markets, Cafes, And Restaurants

Vancouver is Canada's famed West Coast gem, perfectly placed beside the Pacific Ocean and under British Columbia's coastal mountain range. With the picturesque location always on display, Vancouverites can't help but take their lifestyle seriously. It's not to say we don't work hard, but we also play hard creating a lot of pent-up demand for fresh, wholesome, and globally inspired food.

To Start

No visit to Vancouver is complete without a stroll around Granville Island Market. Whether you're craving a just-baked French baguette, international cheese, a steamed cappuccino, or local fruit, it is the heartbeat of Vancouver's food scene. For a more traditional, sit-down meal, visit The Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver's Yew Restaurant for weekend brunch. Small bite starters like pancakes with lemon ricotta, raspberries, and white chocolate mascarpone, only set you back $6 and one order is enough for a small meal. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/roaming-the-planet)

To Stop

You'll be happy you didn't gorge yourself at breakfast, because Canada's only Iron Chef is leading the charge at the multi-location Cactus Club Cafe. Don't be fooled by its upscale casual atmosphere, menu favorites like tuna tataki and butternut squash ravioli rival the city's most prestigious eateries. If fresh-caught fish is more your thing, walk a few minutes from Granville Island to Go Fish, a lunch and dinner take-away joint, intentionally positioned above Fisherman's Wharf. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/Katherine H)

To Finish

If you're visiting Vancouver, you'll most likely peruse Gastown. Here, you can kill two birds with one stone, as the historic area is also the city's newest culinary epicenter. With character, style, and grit, restaurants like Boneta and L'Abattoir mirror this atmosphere and take it up a notch with the fare. Finally, Chinese Food fans won't want to miss Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, tackling a new take on mom's cooking with some of the city's most inventive cocktails. And speaking of cocktails, toast your culinary adventure with a nightcap just down the street at The Keefer Bar. (Photo courtesy of Trish Friesen)