I live in Los Angeles, and am always a little surprised to hear vegan food FOMO from friends in other cities. Then when I travel, I remember how good we have it. Although I do think finding vegan options in new places can be fun, Vancouver didn’t leave me much of a search – there were solid options everywhere. And I’m not too proud to say: I think they have LA’s vegan food beat. Here’s what I ate on a 4-day trip last summer.

To Live for Bakery & Cafe | @tolivefor.bakery

📍 1508 Nanaimo Street

I think this was the place I was most looking forward to trying – after following them for a while on Instagram and seeing their menu rotate, I made a growing list of mental notes on things I wanted to try. I tried not to hold back when ordering, knowing this might be my only shot, and ended up with a strawberry rhubarb pie croissant, rosemary potato pizza w/ pesto mayo drizzle, raspberry iced mocha, and a salted double chocolate cookie w/marshmallow (for later). My friend also ordered a cinnamon bun, sausage croissant sandwich, and cheddar & chive scone, which I was able to try. Everything came out pretty perfect, and I get the feeling you can’t make a bad choice here, depending on what you’re in the mood for.

Chickpea | @ilovechickpea

📍 4298 Main Street • 851 W Georgia Street (Chickpea Truck)

I only spent 4 days in Vancouver and ate there 3 times!! (4, if you count leftovers).. first at the restaurant, then delivery, then at the food truck on my way to the airport.

Their menu has a wide variety of Mediterranean style dishes, and I was especially impressed by the extensive selection at the food truck! Surprisingly, my favorite thing was their SALAD, even just the side salad, and I went out of my way to order anything that came with it.. culminating with a grand finale of the chicksteak salad as my last hurrah before I left town. The chickpea fries are also a must-try, and I look forward to trying more of their plant based proteins next time!

Also: I can’t really let the salad overshadow their lion’s mane steak (pic #1), which was also legitimately one of my favorite things I’ve ever eaten.

Loved their quirky (& confident) menu descriptions, very generous portions, also loved that every plate had a hidden pickle in it. If every meal I ate in the future was served in this fashion, I would not be mad.

MeeT on Main | @meetonmain

📍 4288 Main Street

I knew I wanted to try my first poutine in Canada, and I was pretty hungry that night so I went with the Philly Cheezsteak version. It was definitely good, but I ended up feeling like I should have kept it classic with just gravy, cheese, and scallions – this ended up reminding me of something I would order in LA. It was also a very generous portion, and I ended up taking a bit to-go. I wish I had another opportunity to eat here, because the rest of their menu looks great too!

Arcana Spirit Lounge | @arcanaspiritlounge

📍 238 Abbott Street

We stopped here for drinks – and an excuse to visit gastown – and had already eaten, but I was happy to learn that a couple of their appetizers could be made vegan upon request. Our server was also very knowledgeable about which drink ingredients and embellishments were vegan, including the gummy bear on my drink. Here’s what I ordered:

The Lovers
mezcal, antidote haskap liqueur, rhubarb liqueur, crème de violette, lime super juice, pineapple foam, housemade boozy gummy bears.

Pride

a colorful & bright cocktail that celebrates leo season and the vibrant pride community.

stoli gold, hendricks oasium, odd society cassis, kiwi, dragon fruit, pineapple, lime.

AM Cafe | @amcafeltd

📍 2528 Guelph Street

One of the best things in Vancouver, and in life, was the rouge waffle from AM Cafe.

“Breaking brunch rules, one bite at a time. Tender chicken, smokey bacon, fluffy egg, avocado, arugula & melty cheese all stacked on a sweet scrumptious waffle. Garnished with beet-pickled onions & a dollop of pesto & chipotle aioli – because it does what it wants.”

Honestly, if “My Favorite Things” were a breakfast, it would be this?? AM Cafe is still in their first year of business, and it’s great to see them thriving. This was my bday breakfast and I read that it was one of their busiest days on record — and the food and service were excellent. Looking forward to trying more of their menu on a future trip, but I think I might already be in a committed relationship with this waffle

Vegan Supply | @vegansupplychinatown

📍 250 East Pender Street

I wish I had taken more photos at Vegan Supply, but the only one on my camera roll is some fancy olive oils I couldn’t bring in my carry-on but wanted to remember to check out later. I did grab a few small snacks and gifts to take home (including a Vego Bar), and a couple of vegan stickers. They also have a pretty extensive range of vegan products online, and ship worldwide!

49th Parallel Coffee | @49th

📍 689 Thurlow Street • 2902 Main Street • 2198 West 4th Avenue

The Thurlow location was my first stop and one of my last stops in town – their coffee was perfect after my early-morning flight from LAX, and I came back on my last day to get some work done on my website. They have a large selection of donuts with a few vegan options – I believe I had birthday cake on my first day and a cold brew donut on my last day. Definitely worth stopping in when you need some caffeine, a sweet treat, and a place to hang for a bit!