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As a dedicated omnivore with carnivorous leanings, you wouldn’t think vegetarian and plant-based dining would be something I much go in for, but never judge a book by its leather-bound cover. Many meals that my teen and I enjoy are vegetarian or plant-based, and, luckily, Vancouver offers plenty of options to satiate the vegan soul in all of us. Here are the best vegetarian restaurants in Vancouver that offer delivery near you.
Aleph Eatery
This popular Middle Eastern bistro in Strathcona is all about the love — not only for plant-based dining, but also for people. “Aleph”’ is the first letter of the alphabet in many languages, including Hebrew, Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, and Urdu; Aleph Eatery owner Haitham El Khatib focuses on the connections between these languages and cultures, rather than their differences. Try the popular shish kebab platter with soy curls, garlic sauce, tahini, potatoes, pickled cucumber, pickled red cabbage, and rice. And don’t miss out on the olive oil cake — it’s a dense and moist crowd pleaser, as are the cardamom rose cookies. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash, which means it is one of the top-rated and most reliable merchants on DoorDash.
Chickpea Food Truck
This food truck, based in Kitsilano, specialises in hummus as well as Mediterranean and Middle Eastern twists on popular dishes. Take the crispy chickpea fries (gluten free!) or the Calamachick Oyster Mushrooms, deep-fried in a cayenne tempura, available as a burger, burrito, or rice bowl. Many dishes are also nut-free. The Apex Truck Burger is a personal fave, with its barbecue sauce, crispy onion ring, and vegan bacon.
Chickpea on Main
In the heart of bustling South Main lies the brick-and-mortar little sister to the Chickpea Food Truck, offering the same plant-based Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare, with an expanded menu. The Shnitzelonim Platter, with smoked tofu fried in a gluten-free batter, served with sliced yam and avocado, is a thing of beauty. Don’t miss the falafel platter or the legendary hummus (it really is that good). Another frequent go-to is the Hatzilim, a sautéed eggplant marinated in paprika, cumin, and garlic.This is some of the best vegetarian food you can get in Vancouver!
Do Chay
Chef Patrick Do comes from a proud Vancouver restaurant legacy. His mother, Yen Do, ran three of the town’s most-loved Vietnamese restaurants: Broken Rice, Green Lemongrass, and Pho Thai Hoa. Patrick decided to go in a new direction with plant-based Vietnamese fare based on popular street food dishes, as well as classic phō and bun. His East Van bistro is renowned for the house special phō with konjac “tripe,” lotus root, and seasonal mushrooms, as well as the black garlic eggplant. Don’t skip the ace coconut milk rice cakes with vegan prawn and jicama, or the tapioca flour dumplings with wood ear mushroom, purple cabbage, and veggie. I’m a big fan of the sweet potato noodles in a spicy peanut and sesame satay broth. The housemade pickles are also spot on, as is the black lemonade, made with activated charcoal.
Kokomo East Van
This plant-based cafe — whether it’s the sunny location just opposite Trout Lake or the one in Kits — offers up a menu full of green goodness (Hemp Caesar Salad and macro and açai bowls, to name a few examples) in a family-friendly environment. Kokomo also likes to play with their food: see, the crispy McKokomo Burger with lettuce, mayo, and brioche bun, reminiscent of a certain golden-arched classic. You can have it with the large fries or onion rings, but the chilli cheese fries with housemade chilli, green onion, and cilantro are my pick. This is a woman-owned, Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.
MeeT
Comfort food that connects and nourishes is the mantra by which the team at MeeT lives. The Mac n Cheez bowl is a prime example, made with a rich cashew “cheez” sauce and topped with dairy-free parm, scallions, and smoked salt. Might I suggest adding the garlic-brushed focaccia and sautéed mushrooms for extra oomph? Their comfort food crosses many borders: I love the Ginger Beefless Bowl and the Noodle-y Thai, featuring almond Thai sauce, scallions, and cashews. The menu diva, though, is definitely the MeeT Burger with sautéed mushrooms and crispy onion strings. I’d pair it with the Little Mountain Fries, a tasty nod to the Main Street neighbourhood (also available at the Gastown location), or the Oyster Mushroom Kalamari for a heartier meal. And don’t miss the amazing vegetarian breakfast options at the Yaletown location for delivery near you. The signature Steak and Mushroom Benny is hearty, with a wonderful play of textures. If the Pizza Burger is featured, it’s a must-try, as is the breakfast poutine. I would recommend adding a side of the garlic-rosemary breakfast potatoes with buffalo sauce to any order. The waffles with lemon-berry compote make for a sweet finish (or start), and the fried Chick’un & Waffles is a savoury soul-satisfier.
MILA
Nestled in the heart of Chinatown, MILA calls itself “premium casual” and features innovative, plant-based takes on a range of cuisines. Take the inari, stuffed with gluten-free sushi rice and shiso leaf, and topped with plant-based caviar. The karaage bao is a must try, with its gai lan slaw, kewpie mayo, and Japanese pickled cucumber, but I’m especially drawn to the Mushroom and Sausage Tag with Alfredo sauce, pesto, mushroom, and parmesan over noodles, served with a wedge of garlic bread.
The Naam
No list of top vegetarian restaurants in Vancouver could be complete without the granddaddy of them all. The Naam has been slinging vegan and vegetarian fare in its patchouli-scented room since the late 1960s, back when Kitsilano was known as both a haven for hippies and UBC’s unofficial student hangout. The hood might now be more gentrified, with its multi-million-dollar homes, but The Naam is still serving up a lot of the same dishes, and some regulars have threatened to riot if they’re ever taken off the menu. Miso fries and the grilled cheese (with a “no cheese” option) are forever dishes, as is the Naam Burger with housemade nut patty. I personally enjoy the Mexi Rice Bowl, with chilli, guacamole, steamed vegetables, miso gravy, salsa, and cheese.
Planted Love
The wide range of Middle Eastern-based vegan and vegetarian offerings in Vancouver is always a point of gratitude. Planted Love food truck, usually based around Cambie and West 8th, is a prime example. The fried oyster mushroom sandwich on a pillowy challah bun is spread with a harissa aioli that just zings. They bake their own pita and then steam them on the truck to order, meaning it’s fluffy and soft. The sabich pita, filled with hummus, tahini, tomatoes, cucumbers, fried eggplant, and cauliflower, gets a kick from the spicy cilantro-based zhoug and the pickled red onions.
Sun Bo Kong
This Kingsway-based Chinese restaurant, vegetarian since the early 1990s, is one of the only places in the city where you can get a wide variety of meatless dim sum favourites for delivery near you. The steamed BBQ Buns and xiao long bao are must-haves, as is the pan-fried tofu and eggplant. I favour the monkey head and oyster mushrooms with pea tips. A friend swears by the imitation seafood congee, and don’t forget the traditional vegetarian hot pot. I always finish with the deep-fried sweet potato balls.
Tera V Burger
As the name might suggest, veggie- and plant-based burgers are the focus here, but what’s not clear from the name are the fantastic South Asian flavours — aloo tikki burgers, chutney samosa burgers, paneer momos, masala fries. Did I mention the desserts? Vegan ice cream shakes in flavours like chocolate-peanut butter and salted caramel are great, but the vegan red velvet cake will always have my heart. Ditto the sprinkle cake. And the vegan and gluten-free hazelnut ganache tart with rum-soaked bananas. And the carrot cake. All the desserts, really!
TurF
Founded by sisters Deanne and Delaney Schweitzer, this three-in-one yoga studio, shop, and coffee bar in Kitsilano is a community staple. Many of the menu items are vegan and/or gluten-free — including the protein pancake made with blueberries and buckwheat and the granola bowl with chia pudding, coconut yoghurt, almond butter, and chia berry compote. Don’t skip the smoothies, especially the Big Figgy, which is popular in our house. Fair warning: The combination of banana, fig, cardamom, almond butter, and almond milk, with a cinnamon-maple swirl, is addictive.
Vegan Burger Hub
Plant-based burgers rule at this virtual restaurant based on Commercial Drive. Whether you’re into a classic double Beyond Meat patty with vegan bacon or the Jackfruit Pulled Pork, it’s all about the pseudo meaty goodness for delivery near you. I tend to lean toward the vegan Mushroom Mozza, but the crispy-skinned potato samosas are also a good idea. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.
Vegan Fried Chick’un
Vancouver is definitely not running short of fried chicken spots, thanks to ever-growing demand, so it makes sense there would be at least a couple vegan options. And the so-called Chick’un here is good, especially the nuggets. But the all-day vegan breakfast options are worth a look or three. The Crispy Chick’un Egg Breakfast Sandwich is a clear winner — and protein-packed to boot.
Vegan Pizza House
Taking a page from the pizza-by-the-slice spots that dot our fair city, Vegan Pizza House offers plant-based takes on classic pies like Hawaiian and Meat Lovers, as well as baked (vegan) lasagna, spaghetti, and souvlakis. It’s like dining at that family-friendly restaurant you loved as a kid, except now it’s delivered near you and animal-free. The spanakopita is worth a try, as is the Mediterranean pizza with artichokes, olives, eggplant, tomatoes, and mushrooms.
Virtuous Pie
Located in Chinatown, Virtuous Pie is the only vegan pizza joint in the city to properly make Neapolitan-style pizzas with dough made from Type 00, high-gluten flour, and sauce using San Marzano tomatoes, all baked in a high-heat oven for a perfectly chewy crust that rivals what you might find in Naples itself. In fact, their Superfunghi is one of my obsessions; it uses herbed potato cream instead of tomato sauce, plus cashew mozzarella, truffled almond ricotta, mushrooms, and arugula. While pizzas like the classic Margherita — with its cashew mozzarella, parmesan, and basil — are the biggest draw, the hand-knotted garlic knots, made from the same flour as the pizza dough, are brilliant, and the creamy housemade vegan ice creams are so good you won’t notice there’s no dairy. I personally can finish a pint of the rhubarb cheesecake or vanilla bean in just under 10 minutes, and will be taking no further questions at this time.
New customers get $0 delivery fee off their first order. First-time users only, on orders that meet minimum subtotal. Other fees (incl. service & small order fees), taxes & gratuity apply. Terms apply.
