Best Vegan Dishes in Vancouver

UPDATED JULY, 2025

Welcome to Vancouver. We are one of the best cities to live in and visit if you are a vegan or a vegetarian. In fact, nearly 40% of BC residents under the age of 35 say they eat no meat, and 6.4 Million Canadians say they limit they amount of meat they eat. That’s nearly 20% of our population!

There’s been so much talk lately about climate change. It’s really been in the forefront these last few weeks more than ever. And, along with pushing our governments to make serious change, one of the suggestions being made is also that we eat less meat for environmental reasons.

Truthfully, there’s never been a better time to cut back on the amount of meat you’re eating. Whether you’re flexitarian, vegetarian or fully vegan, Vancouver is a city that you will love. We have options! So many delicious options!

So I wanted to put together a list of the Best Vegan Dishes in Vancouver. If you’re visiting, they are worth checking out. If you live here, please feel free to add your favourites (what I’ve missed) in the comments below. Please note that these foods are my favourite treats. You can get healthy bowls and salads everywhere, this post is about my favourite vegan indulgences, which is what I like to do when I visit a new city, or when I’m going out with my friends.

Croissants: I’m a big, big lover of French Patisserie, and I especially love croissants. When I got back from Paris (after taking a class to learn how to make croissants and after eating approximately 1,000 of them while I was there), I immediately went on the hunt for the best croissant in Vancouver. And hands down at the top of the list are the ones at To Live For. Not only are they the best vegan croissants in the city, they’re the best croissants in the city, period. They also do fantastic fancy filled croissants (flavours rotate monthly) and the tastiest breakfast croissant you ever had (using Just Egg and Violife).

Pizza: many pizza places in the city (even the big chains like Panago and Dominos) are embracing the veg trend and offering dairy-free cheeses and meat-sub toppings. But there will never, as far as I’m concerned, be a pizza that quite satisfies my cravings like Virtuous Pie. Look, let’s be real here. The toppings are important, yes. But the basis of any really good pie is the crust, and Virtuous Pie does it right. My recommendation: Stranger Wings. Yes. You need this in your life. 

Ice Cream: it’s not exactly in Vancouver, it’s actually in Port Moody, but I cannot recommend enough Vishti Rose Ice Cream. It’s a teeny tiny spot, and there will probably be a line, but it’s worth it. It’s so rich and creamy and they have really interesting flavours like Cardamom, Saffron, and Blackberry Basil. Well worth the drive.

Poutine: There are lots of places in the city that surprisingly have vegan or at least vegetarian gravy. But my fave vegan poutine in the city has been for a very long time, SpudShack in the New Westminster skytrain station. It’s a big obscure, but trust me, it’s worth seeking out. The fries are perfection, the gravy is rich and the perfect level of saltiness.

Burger: I first had Burger Crush while visiting Victoria, so I was jazzed, let me tell you, when they opened up a location in downtown Vancouver. This is far and away the best vegan burger in the city. It’s a smash burger, and it just tastes soooo good. They also have vegan cheese, and don’t miss out on the fries!

Ramen:  I love that we live in a city with so many different types of food and cultures to explore. Ramen has exploded in this city over the last few years, and I live in the heart of the so-called Ramen District. In my neighbourhood, there are at least half-a-dozen ramen joints in just a few blocks, and they are all pretty great. It always has a line, but the Miso Ramen from Ramen Danbo is what I crave on cold rainy days.

Onigiri: I am in love with Onigiri-Ya on Broadway right by Cambie (second location by the DQ on Cambie). It used to be a fantastic ramen shop, but now it’s this tiny hole-in-the-wall where you can go in and pick up all these really different flavours of onigiri, and they have a great vegan selection. Try the eggplant one with walnuts.

Dessert: You will never do better than the Peanut Butter Cup Pie from Mila in Chinatown. Stop trying. There’s no point. It’s perfection. Oh! and bonus: it’s gluten free as well!

Portugese Tarts or Pastel de Nata: there is only one, but it’s the best, so be sure to hit up Casa De Nata in Chinatown. They have been Farmer’s Marketing for a while now, but just opened their first bricks and mortar. The pastry is a dream, and the inside flavours are on rotation, so go often!

Sushi: you can’t throw a rock and not hit a sushi joint in this city. There is one on practically every street corner, and there are lots of vegan options. My regular go-to is Shizenya, but I love the crispy rice tuna at Mila as well. If you want omakase, hit up Cofu. I haven’t yet been, but I have heard great things about Vegan Shoku in Kerrisdale.

Cauliflower: once thought of as the world’s most boring vegetable, Cauliflower is having the hottest of moments thanks to the paleo/keto movement. But it’s also having a hot moment due to its shape and size, and therefore its ability to pass for a chicken wing. “Vegan wings” are super popular in this city. For me, there are two real stand-out cauliflower dishes in the city; one more traditional, and one which is my favourite of the vegan wings. The classic cauliflower dish is Nuba’s Najib’s Special. This was the first time I’d ever tried deep-fried cauliflower (years ago, before the trend started), and I was immediately hooked. I don’t know what magical fairy dust they sprinkle on the cauliflower at Nuba, but it is the most delicious thing you will ever put in your mouth that is a vegetable. If you’re planning a trip to our fair city, I must insist you try it.

My fave of the vegan wings in the city belongs to Meet. They are beer-battered, deep fried, and then served with a sweet-spicy Thai sauce that simply cannot be beat.

 Honourable mention: the chickpea fries from Chickpea. I don’t have a category for this, because honestly, this dish is a category in and unto itself. Chickpea fries are made in a very similar way to polenta fries; you whisk the chickpea flour into boiling water until it gets thick, then let it set up in the fridge. Then you slice into “fries” and deep fry them. The Chickpea version is served with two drizzles; one creamy and one spicy. I could eat these all day every day; be sure to seek them out.

Before I go, I just wanted to say: RIP Cartems. You will live forever in my heart, and nobody in Vancouver has a decent vegan donut that can replace you.

Over to you, friends. What have I missed? Comment below!