Our Favorite Vancouver Eats

The food scene in Vancouver is overwhelming, in a good way. From street food to fine dining, there is something for everyone. We go up to Vancouver at least once a year. While we always try to seek out new places, we also have our own short list of food havens that we go back to time and again.

During our four-night stay, which was our longest yet, we ATE. Here are my four favorites; the first two are repeats and the following ones are new discoveries. 

1) Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie Cafe

Basque Chili Liquid Chocolate  + a slice of Chestnut Torte

We never fail to stop in and have a cup of their liquid chocolate when we're in town. You can choose to have the original milk chocolate, caramel, hazelnut, or Basque chili, with the latter being my personal favorite. This patisserie could give the Parisian establishments a run for their money. With a wide selection of macarons, chocolates, cakes, pastries, sandwiches, and quiches, you're sure to find something delightful no matter the time of day ... or night.

2) Hapa Izakaya

This modern Japanese restaurant has multiple locations thoughout Vancity, but the one we frequent is their Coal Harbor location just across Canada Place. We typically share a few things for variety and these are the dishes that we keep coming back for.

Small Sashimi Salad ... And yes, there is a Large. 

Spicy Pork Ishi-Yaki served in hot stone bowl

Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps  = pork belly + yuzu apple jam + picked red onions + lettuce

Their chicken karaage is also a safe choice. Their Hapa hot wings are quite tasty, which you can get for $4 during Hapa Hour among other food and drink specials. It's a good place to just refuel after exploring the beautiful waterfront.

3) Tuc Craft Kitchen

This new-ish Gastown  hangout is where you'll find the hip 604 locals enjoying stiff cocktails and innovative grub. Without a reservation, we were able to snag seats at the bar. The bartender whipped me up something off their Tipples menu called The Lady Whisperer. It was strong.

Everything on the menu sounded great, and we decided to share small plates again. It's a good strategy when trying out a new restaurant, so you can cover a good chunk of the menu and get a better sense of the quality. And speaking of quality, this place is all about putting out globally inspired dishes using ingredients from various local suppliers. So here's a few of what we shared. Not pictured are the Orange Glazed Lamb Ribs and the donuts we had for dessert served with spiced rum caramel sauce.

Bacon wrapped egg! 💛 

Parsnip & Smashed Potato Fries served with toasted coriander ketchup

Pork Belly Crackling

Need a night cap? Tuc's Tipples will get you covered. 

4) Medina Cafe

Settling in at their new (and bigger) location on Richards St. next to Hotel L'Hermitage, this cozy cafe fills up pretty quickly for breakfast. We arrived just 15 minutes after opening, and there weren't any open tables, so we had to wait about half an hour for one to become available. Our meal was worth the wait. The food is largely influenced by Mediterranean flavors translated into more contemporary food offerings.

My favorite cup of caffeine: Soy Lavender Latte

Liege Waffle with Milk Chocolate Pistachio Rosewater sauce ... Amazeballs!

Les Boulettes
2 poached eggs. Spicy Moroccan lamb meatballs in a roasted pepper, & rich tomato stew with black olives, raita and grilled focaccia

Not pictured is Stuart's Harissa Pain Plat: 1 fried egg, beef ‘burger', grilled pita, Parmesan, tomato salsa, spiced hummus & summer greens. Emphasis on the quotes around the burger as it was more like a really thick quesadilla with seasoned ground beef, but instead of tortillas, they used pita. He said it was really good.

Medina Cafe is often packed but you can order coffee and waffles to-go. 

Tip: While you wait for your table, you can access the Kingston Hotel's open WiFi network. You can also walk over to the nearby Vancouver Public Library, if your wait is longer than 20 minutes.

That's our quick list, and we're looking forward to the next visit already. If you've been to Vancouver, where would you go back to eat and what?