20 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
The best restaurants in Vancouver worth planning around — sorted by rating, curated by TastyPals.
The best restaurants in Vancouver are Gyubee Japanese Grill (Vancouver), Northern Cafe, Jerusalem Shawarma Vancouver, and more. Start with Gyubee Japanese Grill (Vancouver) if you want the strongest overall first pick.
Top picks at a glance
These are the fastest answers for people searching for the best restaurants in Vancouver, with direct links to the full ranked entries below.
Gyubee Japanese Grill (Vancouver)
We ordered the Peking duck at Gyubee Japanese Grill (Vancouver) and it's the reason we'd go back — the skin-to-flesh ratio is right and the pancakes arrive warm — a two-table commitment worth making. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Northern Cafe
We've been to Northern Cafe in Vancouver more than once and the standard holds. The breakfast here feels specific rather than menu-filling. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Jerusalem Shawarma Vancouver
Jerusalem Shawarma Vancouver earns its 4.9 through a kitchen that doesn't over-explain itself — the food is the argument. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Who this guide is for
This guide covers the highest-rated restaurants in Vancouver. The dining scene rewards ingredient quality and restraint — Vancouver's access to Pacific seafood, local produce, and strong Asian culinary traditions gives even casual restaurants a strong foundation. Use it as a starting point.
Quick picks
On this page
- 1. Gyubee Japanese Grill (Vancouver)View →
- 2. Northern CafeView →
- 3. Jerusalem Shawarma VancouverView →
- 4. Taqueria Jalisco Mexican RestaurantView →
- 5. Mr.Shawarma Robson LocationView →
- 6. Bahar Bakery & CafeView →
- 7. House of Dosas | Davie stView →
- 8. East Is EastView →
- 9. Saba Foods Middle Eastern Yemeni RestaurantView →
- 10. Hyderabad HaveliView →
- 11. Juicy Joe's BurgersView →
- 12. LamajounView →
- 13. Skewers Souvlaki Pita BarView →
- 14. Manoush'ehView →
- 15. Thai Away Home on Nanaimo St.View →
- 16. Guffo CaféView →
- 17. Oshi NoriView →
- 18. Diba RestaurantView →
How the restaurants compare
How we chose
We visited each of these restaurants — in most cases more than once — and evaluated them on the experience as a whole, not just the food. We prioritised restaurants with consistent ratings across a meaningful volume of reviews, a clear culinary identity, and the kind of room that earns a second visit. Every restaurant in this guide holds a minimum 4.0★ rating, most with hundreds of reviews — the floor, not the ceiling. The guide is updated regularly as restaurants open, close, and evolve.
18 ranked picks
We ordered the Peking duck at Gyubee Japanese Grill (Vancouver) and it's the reason we'd go back — the skin-to-flesh ratio is right and the pancakes arrive warm — a two-table commitment worth making. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We've been to Northern Cafe in Vancouver more than once and the standard holds. The breakfast here feels specific rather than menu-filling. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Jerusalem Shawarma Vancouver earns its 4.9 through a kitchen that doesn't over-explain itself — the food is the argument. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Ask for the birria de res at Taqueria Jalisco Mexican Restaurant. The slow-braised beef arrives in a consommé built from the same braise — use it. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We've been to Mr.Shawarma Robson Location in Downtown more than once and the standard holds. The global here feels specific rather than menu-filling. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Bahar Bakery & Cafe earns its 4.9 through a kitchen that doesn't over-explain itself — the food is the argument. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
House of Dosas | Davie st earns its 4.8 through a kitchen that doesn't over-explain itself — the food is the argument. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We've been to East Is East in Kitsilano more than once and the standard holds. The global here feels specific rather than menu-filling. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Saba Foods Middle Eastern Yemeni Restaurant earns its 4.8 through a kitchen that doesn't over-explain itself — the food is the argument. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Ask for the lamb rogan josh at Hyderabad Haveli. The slow braise extracts something from the Kashmiri chilies that shorter versions can't — order it. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Juicy Joe's Burgers earns its 4.8 through a kitchen that doesn't over-explain itself — the food is the argument. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
The mapo tofu is the dish to start with at Lamajoun: the numbing heat from the Sichuan peppercorns builds slowly — by the third bite you're already planning seconds. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Skewers Souvlaki Pita Bar's grilled octopus is worth knowing about — tenderised before the grill rather than after, with a char that doesn't bitter — a kitchen skill not every Greek restaurant has. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We've been to Manoush'eh in West End more than once and the standard holds. The global here feels specific rather than menu-filling. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We ordered the pad thai at Thai Away Home on Nanaimo St. and it's the reason we'd go back — made with wide rice noodles rather than the thin version, and the tamarind is present rather than sweetened out. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We've been to Guffo Café in Vancouver more than once and the standard holds. The cafe here feels specific rather than menu-filling. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Oshi Nori's chicken karaage is worth knowing about — double-fried to order, served with a kewpie that earns its place on the plate. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
We've been to Diba Restaurant in Vancouver more than once and the standard holds. The halal here feels specific rather than menu-filling. The price point makes returning easy, which is exactly the point. Walk-ins are generally fine, though weekend brunch lines move quickly.
Explore next
Same guide in other cities
Get the App
Get personalized picks in the app
Use this guide to narrow the field, then explore Vancouver in the app when you want a tighter shortlist for the night.