224 Best Restaurants in British Columbia, Canada

Located at Spirit Ridge Resort on the traditional land of the Syilx people of the Okanagan Nation, this restaurant's name and menu is largely inspired by its Indigenous roots. The "Root" offerings range from maple roasted delicata squash to bannock with a white bean sumac spread, The "Fish" options include salmon, lingcod, and clams, The Bear (aka meat) will have you feasting on bison and duck, and as for The Berry (dessert), get ready to dig into honey and pear pavlova and assorted homemade sorbets.

Run by the same team that oversees the adjacent Hawksworth Restaurant, this upscale little café at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia serves fine coffee, a few salads and sandwiches, and exquisite pastries, from colorful macarons to beautifully crafted fruit tarts. Downtown business types like to meet here, and both shoppers and sightseers stop in to recharge. It's opposite the Vancouver Art Gallery and just a short stroll from Robson Street's boutiques.

So much more than a specialty coffee shop, this café offers a full selection of grab-and-go soup and sandwiches, breakfast burritos, quiche, and baked goods for breakfast and lunch, plus seasonal products like Christmas and Valentine's bakes. 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 B.C. food 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 slightly out-of-the-way, hip little burger joint elevates the humble patty with local ingredients and naturally raised meats, serving intriguing burger (and sandwich) combos like beef with chipotle-bourbon barbecue sauce, BC–raised bison with aged cheddar and fried onions, or chicken with bacon, Brie, and balsamic red onion jam. Vegetarians can substitute crispy tofu on any sandwich or opt for the chickpea, black bean, and goat cheese burger. Be sure to sample one of the house-made dips, perhaps curry aioli or lime-and-tomatillo hot sauce with the house-made fries. There's a kid's menu as well as drink choices that include creative cocktails, beer from island microbreweries, and house-made berry iced tea. Other lounges are in Langford and Nanaimo.

Hillside Winery's straightforward lunch menu—salads, sandwiches, and pastas—is presented with style. It tends to get busy; so reservations are encouraged. The evening vibe is more intimate, making this a good choice for traditional favorites like wild Pacific halibut or clam risotto. 

This trendy downtown restaurant and cocktail bar serves fantastic comfort food (think chicken wings, coconut prawns, pastas, and more). They also have an extensive cocktail list and plenty of great vino and suds from the surrounding wineries and breweries. The vibe and the decor are fun.

Located on the pier next to Fisherman's Wharf in Steveston Village, this popular eatery's "canoe-sized" fresh local seafood platters, featuring snow crab legs, smoked salmon, and Salt Spring Island mussels, are designed for sharing. In summer, grab a seat on the deck overlooking the busy boardwalk, and watch the marina and river traffic sail by.

Fresh-daily seafood and expansive harbor views make this airy James Bay hotel restaurant a popular lunch and dinner spot. Signature dishes include a crab cake starter, cedar plank salmon, and the variety contained in the steamer pot, but check the tempting daily specials on the blackboard as well. Desserts made in-house and a wine list highlighting British Columbia and Pacific Northwest labels round out the menu. Reservations for dinner are highly recommended. The lounge area and patio, serving until 11 pm nightly, has equally impressive views and a more casual menu.

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.

Executive Chef Frank Pabst focuses his menu on both popular and lesser-known local seafood at his fashionable fish restaurant. You can dine in the warmly lit interior or outside on the former loading dock that's now a terrace. You might start with scallops with a parmesan crust; Dungeness crab salad with shrimp, mango, and pumpkin seed; or a seafood tower (ideal for sharing). Main dishes are seafood-centric, too—perhaps sablefish with a miso sake glaze, or Arctic char with braised leeks and fennel. Ask the staff to recommend wine pairings from the BC-focused list. The sushi chef turns out both classic and new creations. They're pricey but among the city's best.

This cozy café serves a variety of hot beverage, breakfast, and lunch options. Windows all around 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.

Lots of windows and crisp white-linen tablecloths make this restaurant as bright as a French café, and the menu offers an array of classics. Signature dishes include a mouthwatering bouillabaisse containing everything from fresh rockfish and cod, to scallops, shrimp, and mussels; and a hearty cassoulet that includes duck confit, smoked pork belly, and Toulouse sausage over a navy bean ragout.

Settle into a deep cream-toned banquette or nab a sidewalk table for a seafood-centric meal at this stylish spot in the Sutton Place Hotel. Start with fresh local oysters or indulge in Canadian caviar from the nearby Sunshine Coast. Mains swim through the sea, too—perhaps lobster and local rock fish bouillabaisse; linguine with clams and tiger prawns; or roasted sablefish—but heartier appetites can dig into a steak or a heritage pork shoulder. Sharing dishes are also imaginative and include (market-price) caviar and seafood towers. For a special treat, reserve ahead to have select items cooked tableside. The wine list is strong on British Columbia labels.

Located adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and within a few minutes walk of the city's Rogers Arena and BC Place, what better place for a pre-theater/pre-event meal? Choices are wide and varied, from social hour morsels (crispy cauliflower and parmesan garlic chips) to soups, salads, burgers, Asian-inspired bowls, pasta, and a decent kids' menu. Save room for house-made desserts. Bonus: there's underground parking.

Chef Andrea Carlson previously manned the stoves at locavore destinations Bishop's and Raincity Grill, and she's kept her focus on seasonal local ingredients at her own Michelin-starred storefront bistro. Though she changes the menu regularly, about half of her inventive sharing plates are vegetarian, like the squash cannelloni with chanterelle mushroom cream or the grain "risotto" with potato, miso, and quinoa. Set menu starts at C$89 per guest.

Lots of warm woods, booths, and faux antiques here and there create a modern, pub-like atmosphere where comfort food is the name of the game. Think shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie, beef bourguignon, jambalaya, and a perennial favorite: mac and cheese. Big bowls of soup and sandwiches are also on the menu. A great place for early family suppers and for livelier crowds as the evening progresses. Service is friendly and efficient.

The dining room at The Butchart Gardens, in the Butchart family's former residence, serves traditional teas daily, year-round. Afternoon tea (C$50), with sandwiches and baked treats, is served noon to 4:30 pm from April through September. Gluten-free teas require 24-hour notice.

This small, family run restaurant cooks up traditional Italian fare as in calamari (served with truffle garlic mayo), scallop carpaccio, slow-braised lamb shank, and of course, pasta. House-made gnocchi and spinach ravioli are specialities. There's live music Friday and Saturday evenings (for a cover charge of C$2.50). 

For Mediterranean-inspired breakfast and lunch fare, from skillets piled high with eggs, roasted potatoes, and caramelized onions to paella, try this casually chic (and always busy) Downtown café just off Robson Street. Don't leave without sampling their specialty: Belgian waffles, with toppings like dark chocolate or salted caramel. The address is misleading; the building's configuration means the entrance is actually half a block north.

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.

The space is fun and funky—a mix of early-1900s architectural details, modern furnishings, and oversize pop art—and the seasonally changing menu of updated Italian fare is creative and delicious. The lengthy wine list emphasizes Italian labels, but British Columbia is well represented. To start, consider the grilled octopus, or, for more adventurous tastes, the roasted bone marrow. For a meat/fish course, how about seabass with a chickpea saffron stew and pistachios? For a light bite, join the local crowd at Uva Wine Bar inside the same hotel, which stays open till the wee hours.