If you are deciding where to eat in Vancouver, anchor your trip on four things the city does better than almost anywhere in North America: Cantonese dim sum, West Coast seafood, the Granville Island Public Market and Japanese cooking. Start with dim sum at Kirin downtown or Empire Seafood in Richmond, eat oysters at Fanny Bay or Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown, graze your way through Granville Island, and finish with aburi sushi at Miku or an omakase at Tojo’s.
Those four threads say a lot about the city. Vancouver sits on the Pacific with a large Chinese and Japanese community, and its best restaurants lean hard on local shellfish, salmon and sablefish.
Every place below was checked against its own website or a current Destination Vancouver or Tourism Richmond listing while this guide was being written. They are grouped by area so you can plan a day around one neighbourhood at a time.
Key takeaways
- For dim sum, Kirin Mandarin Restaurant has a downtown room on Alberni Street, and Empire Seafood Restaurant is near Richmond Centre SkyTrain station.
- Chinatown dates from 1885 and is a National Historic Site; Chinatown BBQ on East Pender is the stop for Cantonese roast meats.
- Fanny Bay Oyster Bar on Cambie Street and Blue Water Cafe on Hamilton Street in Yaletown are the two seafood anchors.
- Granville Island Public Market opened in 1979 and has more than 50 independent food purveyors, including Lee’s Donuts and Oyama Sausage Co.
- Miku, by Canada Place, is known for flame-seared aburi sushi; Tojo’s on West Broadway is the city’s classic omakase counter.
In this guide
- Vancouver at a glance
- Dim sum in Richmond and downtown
- Chinatown
- Seafood and oyster bars
- Granville Island Public Market
- Japanese: aburi and omakase
- FAQ
- Build your first day
Vancouver at a glance
Use this table as a shortlist. Downtown, Yaletown and Chinatown are close together; Granville Island is a short hop across False Creek, and Richmond is a SkyTrain ride south.
| Place | Area | Go for |
|---|---|---|
| Kirin Mandarin Restaurant | Downtown (1172 Alberni St) and Richmond | Dim sum, Cantonese seafood |
| Empire Seafood Restaurant | Richmond (5951 No. 3 Rd) | Dim sum, king crab, Peking duck |
| Chinatown BBQ | Chinatown (130 E Pender St) | Cantonese roast meats |
| Fanny Bay Oyster Bar | Stadium district (762 Cambie St) | Oysters shucked to order, shellfish market |
| Blue Water Cafe | Yaletown (1095 Hamilton St) | Raw bar, sushi, sablefish |
| Granville Island Public Market | Granville Island | Doughnuts, charcuterie, grazing |
| The Vancouver Fish Company | Granville Island entrance | Halibut and chips on the patio |
| Miku | Waterfront (200 Granville St) | Aburi sushi |
| Tojo’s | West Broadway (1133 W Broadway) | Omakase at the sushi bar |
Dim sum in Richmond and downtown
Dim sum is a morning and lunchtime meal, and in greater Vancouver it is taken seriously. Tourism Richmond traces the custom back to the Silk Road teahouses where travellers stopped to yum cha, or drink tea, before small plates were added. It also offers useful advice: many dim sum rooms are cash only, some give discounts for early visits, and menus usually come in English and Chinese with photos.
Kirin Mandarin Restaurant, downtown
Kirin has been serving Cantonese food in the city since 1987, according to Destination Vancouver, with dim sum alongside classic and modern Cantonese dishes and some Sichuan cooking. The downtown room is at 1172 Alberni Street, and there is a second location in Richmond. Its listing notes that it is well known for seafood cooked in both traditional and more unusual styles, so order beyond the dumplings.
Empire Seafood Restaurant, Richmond
Tourism Richmond calls Empire Seafood Restaurant one of the city’s oldest Cantonese restaurants. It is at 200 – 5951 No. 3 Road, close to Richmond Centre SkyTrain station, and it bills itself as well known for its range of dim sum. Its big-ticket dishes are king crab and Peking duck, which makes it a good choice for a group.
If you are in Richmond for the day, the city’s Dumpling Trail links 16 restaurants, from Cantonese dim sum halls to Shanghainese soup dumplings and halal lamb dumplings. Pick two and walk off the first between them.
Vancouver dim sum is not brunch with dumplings. It is tea first, a table full of small plates, and an early start if you want the best of the carts.
Chinatown
Vancouver’s Chinatown has thrived since 1885, when Chinese workers arrived for the mines and the railway. Destination Vancouver describes it as the third-largest Chinatown in North America, eight blocks east to west and five blocks north to south, and it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2011.
Chinatown BBQ
At 130 East Pender Street, Chinatown BBQ is a Cantonese barbecue shop with a dining room, open Tuesday to Sunday. Destination Vancouver singles out its beef brisket curry and its Four Treasures Chef’s Plate, a combination of its roasted meats. Come hungry and order a plate each rather than sharing one.
Seafood and oyster bars
Vancouver’s seafood restaurants cluster downtown and in Yaletown. Shellfish from the BC coast, halibut, salmon and sablefish are the local signatures.
Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market
Fanny Bay sits at 762 Cambie Street near the stadiums. It is the restaurant arm of a shellfish farm, and oysters are shucked to order at the bar. It is Michelin-recommended, runs a daily happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m., and has a shellfish market where you can buy live oysters to take home.
Blue Water Cafe, Yaletown
In a converted warehouse at 1095 Hamilton Street, Blue Water Cafe has been a fixture of the city’s seafood lists since 2001. It runs a raw bar and a full sushi programme, and Destination Vancouver’s seafood guide points to its Haida Gwaii sablefish marinated in soy and sake. Book ahead for dinner; the bar opens at 4:30 p.m.
Downtown classics
For a more old-school night, Destination Vancouver recommends Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House, which it says offers more than 50 kinds of fresh fish, and Cardero’s on the Coal Harbour waterfront for BC halibut and cedar plank salmon.
Granville Island Public Market
The Granville Island Public Market opened on 12 July 1979 with 21 tenants in buildings that once made and sold equipment for logging, mining and shipping. Today it houses more than 50 independent food purveyors, and the market is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The best way to eat here is to graze. Buy something small at each counter, then carry it outside to the water.
Lee’s Donuts
Lee’s Donuts has been making its honey dip and classic doughnuts at the market since 1979, and it is one of the original tenants still trading.
Oyama Sausage Co.
Oyama Sausage Co. moved to the market from Oyama, BC, in 2001 and sells handmade pâtés, salamis, hams, prosciuttos and sausages, many from free-range meats. Buy a few slices and some bread from a nearby bakery counter and you have a picnic.
Seafood on the island
Two sit-down options sit close to the market. Destination Vancouver lists The Vancouver Fish Company at the entrance to Granville Island, a casual spot with a waterfront patio known for halibut and chips, and The Sandbar, which serves Ocean Wise seafood with views over False Creek.
Japanese: aburi and omakase
Japanese cooking is woven through the city’s dining scene, and Destination Vancouver’s sushi guide names the two places most visitors ask about.
Miku
Miku is in Granville Square at 200 Granville Street, on the Burrard Inlet beside Canada Place. It is credited with introducing aburi, or flame-seared, sushi to Vancouver, and its Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi is the dish to order. Enter from Howe Street.
Tojo’s
Chef Hidekazu Tojo’s restaurant at 1133 West Broadway has a grand sushi bar and an open kitchen. Destination Vancouver describes omakase menus built from the day’s best ingredients, with the chef overseeing the sushi bar himself, and a sake list it calls the most extensive in the city. Sit at the bar if you can.
Want more to choose from? Browse the restaurant directory, see our other dining guides, or read how to order dim sum before your first trolley goes past.
FAQ
What food is Vancouver known for?
Cantonese dim sum, West Coast seafood such as oysters, halibut, salmon and sablefish, and Japanese food, especially sushi. Granville Island Public Market is the best single place to sample local produce.
Is Richmond worth the trip for dim sum?
Yes, if dim sum is a priority. Tourism Richmond’s Dumpling Trail links 16 restaurants, and Empire Seafood is near Richmond Centre SkyTrain station.
When is the Granville Island Public Market open?
The market lists its hours as 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Some coffee counters open earlier, so check the market’s website before an early visit.
Do I need reservations for sushi?
Book ahead for Miku and Tojo’s, particularly for the sushi bar at Tojo’s. Miku takes reservations through OpenTable.
Build your first day
Pick one morning, one afternoon and one evening anchor: dim sum at Kirin, a graze through Granville Island, and oysters or aburi sushi for dinner. Fill in the gaps as you walk. If you are planning a longer trip, our seafood guides and sushi etiquette are good next reads.
Featured photo: Three dim sum in steamer basket by Mshuang2, CC0.
