36 Best Restaurants in British Columbia, Canada

Locally run 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters sources and roasts their own coffees, which they feature at their flagship café on Main Street. It's always packed with neighborhood residents and shoppers enjoying the top-notch brews and the house-made Lucky's Doughnuts, which come in flavors from simple vanilla-glazed to salted caramel to decadent triple chocolate. Centered on a wood-framed counter, this large airy space has walls of windows on two sides. Its three other locations help keep the rest of the city caffeinated.

Granville Island has several coffee places, but only the Blue Parrot provides sweeping views of False Creek. If you haven't eaten your fill elsewhere in the market, accompany your espresso with a sticky hot strudel or gooey cinnamon bun. Early birds, take note: you can perch at the Parrot starting at 7 am, before the rest of the market stalls open. There's a second location at Hillcrest Centre, near Queen Elizabeth Park.

Stop for an espresso on the airy enclosed patio at the West 4th location of this local coffee roaster, where delicious doughnuts are made on-site. 

So much more than a specialty coffee shop, Radium's only café offers a full selection of grab-and-go soup and sandwiches, breakfast burritos, quiche, and baked goods for breakfast and lunch. A bright, spacious room with high, open-duct industrial-style ceilings contrasts nicely with the warmth of the custom-made Douglas fir tabletops, plants throughout, and a wall filled with locally made BC products. Free Wi-Fi is available, as well as charging stations if you need to catch up on work or research. The outdoor patio (with umbrellas) is the perfect place to enjoy a beverage and people-watch.

This is where the culinary students of the adjoining Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts strut their stuff.  Standards are high and the artisanal breads, soups, wraps, and gourmet desserts are outstanding.

This cozy café serves a variety of hot beverages, breakfast, and lunch options. Windows all-round provide light and an airy interior seating, while outside tables provide a sunny alternative during the summer months.

This Vancouver institution is about 1 kilometer (½ mile) east of the main Commercial strip but is well worth the trek. Their famous breakfast—served with two eggs, toast, hash browns and meat—is just C$3. (And the price hasn't changed in years.) This place really showcases the East Side's gritty character: from the graffiti-covered walls to the no-frills, serve-yourself coffee bar. Weekend lines are long; get there as early as you can.

Some of Vancouver's best coffee is served at the several locations of Caffè Artigiano, where the baristas have won prizes for their latte art. Come for the java, and satisfy your hunger with a pastry or sandwich, too. In addition to locations further afield, other Downtown locales are at 763 Hornby St., 666 Burrard St., and 429 Howe St.

A favorite with locals for their hearty pub fare and craft beers, it is also one of South Granville's best places for brunch or a late-night snack.

On a sunny day, there's no better place to grab a coffee and house-baked cookie or a light lunch than at the newish log cabin next to the bridge at the Emerald Lake Lodge entry houses. The patio with its bright yellow umbrella tables has stunning views of the lake, and the interior is equally stunning with sweeping cathedral ceilings, wood accents, and a grand river-stone fireplace. The menu has options like burgers, classic poutine, pizza, and wild game chili. Ingredients are local and the wild game is sourced from their own ranch in the foothills close to Calgary.

The Prestige Radium Hot Springs Hotel houses both these restaurants, with the added bonus that you can order from either menu in both the cantina-style Don Agave Mexican-theme room with a long bar, or the large, airy Conrad's Kitchen & Grill side which has magnificent mountain views. Conrad's dinner menu features favorites like pizza, pasta, and burgers, while the Don Agave menu is all about Mexican food, from tacos to fajitas. The breakfast menu is extensive, including dishes with a Mexican flair, like huevos rancheros and a Mexican omelet. The outdoor patio overlooking the Sinclair Creek Canyon is a locals' favorite hangout spot to indulge in appetizers and Mexican-themed cocktails on long summer evenings.

This pub offers good eats in a lively atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. The extensive menu ranges from crowd-pleasing appetizers like stuffed bacon-wrapped prawns to Asian stir-fries and curries, soups, salads, burgers, and pub classics like Philly cheesesteak. It's the only place in Radium with live shows, hosting weekly free "Music Mondays" from 7--9 pm and regular ticketed events like drag and comedy shows. A pub shuttle can be booked for a safe ride home.

There might be other places in the world that sell Japanese-style hot dogs but the phenomenon is so very multiculti Vancouver, and this tiny storefront is the sit-down-at-cramped-counter spin-off of a wildly successful food cart with a loyal following. Bratwurst and wieners are topped with teriyaki sauce, nori, and other Asian condiments. You can still find the carts (usually) at two Burrard Street locations—one at the corner of West Pender Street between Robson Street and Smithe Street, and another near Waterfront Station on West Cordova Street at Granville. Keep an eye out for the JAPADOG food truck, which may be found in Kitsilano, South Granville, or the Olympic Village.

The menu here isn't huge, but there's enough variety that there's something to appeal to everybody's palate. Simple, house-cooked meals made from locally sourced ingredients are served by friendly staff. The ambiance of the 1923 log-constructed lodge is noteworthy, with its open-beam ceiling and soaring river-rock center fireplace. The covered porch offers an outdoor dining option, with stunning views of the nearby forest and mountains. Menu items include signature dishes like the KPL burger, loaded with sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and crispy bacon, thick-cut smoked grilled pork chops with maple BBQ glaze, and flatbreads. The vegetarian options are notable, especially the lentil apple walnut loaf. There is also a limited menu of BC wines, craft beers, and ciders.

The lodge's general store sells fresh coffee, deli sandwiches (on house-made focaccia bread), baked goods and other snacks, as well as park maps, and unique souvenirs during the summer season (from mid-May to mid-September).

With an eclectic assortment of knick-knacks on every brightly painted wall, this fun, fast-food taco place grabs your attention as soon as you walk through the door. Here you can also play a game of mini-golf, indulge your sweet tooth with some house-made gelato, or order a bag of popcorn from the popcorn machine.

Noodles, whether Indonesian-style with peanut sauce, thick Hokkien in teriyaki, or Thai-style chow mein, are scooped straight from the open kitchen's steaming woks into bowls or cardboard take-out boxes. Malaysian-, Singapore-, and Thai-style curries run from mild to scaldingly hot. Gluten-free, vegan-, and kid-friendly options are all available. There are half a dozen "boxes" around town; most are loud and busy spots.

Because Vancouverites don't live by coffee alone—they're also tea drinkers—look for this tiny Yaletown tea bar that serves 60 of its own blends, including rich, milky "Lat-Teas." If you're feeling under-the-weather, order the "Cold Blaster," a rejuvenating blend of tea, orange juice, honey, ginger, and cayenne pepper.

One of the city's first bubble tea stalls makes for a refreshing break at the busy Richmond Public Market. 

This bustling little bakery is popular with tourists and locals alike. They serve delicious coffee, as well as plenty of sweet and savory goodies, from three-cheese sandwiches and vegan blackberry coconut scones to gourmet banana and chocolate brownies and more. The perfect spot for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. There's a second location on Millar Creek Road.

This Whistler-based bakery offers its yummy handmade goodies and freshly baked bread at three locations in town, including this bright storefront café in Kits.

There are always lines out the door at this popular local family-run ice-cream parlor, one of three in the city (the others are on West 4th Avenue in Kits and at UBC—there is also a food truck at English Bay). The dairy products used to create the company's signature Philadelphia-style ice cream, using only 100 percent dairy and no eggs, are locally sourced from a farm in Abbotsford. Perfect for a pitstop—rain or shine.

This is Golden's main music venue, specializing in upscale pub food like burgers, sandwiches, and starters like oyster shooters, ceviche tacos, and Korean fried cauliflower. They have eight rotating beers on tap, all from British Columbia.

This casual eatery serves Mexican favorites like tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, and more—all for less than C$12. Whatever you order, make sure to try one (or several) of their flavor-packed hot sauces. A great spot for a casual lunch or dinner, and if it's nice out, bring your eats to the nearby Robson Park for a picnic. The Kingsway location is full of Mexican artwork. There are three other locales across the city.

Inspired by the street foods of Rome, this cafeteria-style Italian bakery-café (pronounced "shoe-eh") starts the day serving espresso and pastries, then moves to panini, soups, and pastas. One specialty is the pane romano, essentially a thick-crust pizza, sold by weight. There can be lines out the door at lunch, so try to visit early or late. (Not too late, though, as it's only open until 5 pm.) There are additional Downtown branches with varying hours. If you're in Yaletown, look for the location at 126 Davie St.; it's open every day.