224 Best Restaurants in British Columbia, Canada

This is Golden's main music venue, specializing in upscale pub food like burgers, sandwiches, and bowls and starters like buffalo cauliflower, prawn tostadas, and Korean barbecue steak bites. They have eight rotating beers on tap, all from British Columbia, as well as innovative cocktails.

This faux fishing shack in Yaletown has one of the city's widest selections of oysters (up to 18 varieties), from locally harvested bivalves to selections from Ireland, New Zealand, and beyond—they're all laid out on ice behind the bar. Or try the clams, mussels, and other mollusks from the steamer kettles. If you're fishing for an afternoon snack, come in between 3 and 6 pm when a light menu of raw oysters, steamed clams, garlic prawns, and a few additional seafood nibbles are served. There's a second location in Gastown.

The Ganges location of this popular local organic coffee, which is sold all around Vancouver Island and Vancouver, is the flagship café and roastery where it all began in 1996. Stop by for an organic brew and tasty treat. A bag of their fair trade coffee also makes a thoughtful gift to bring home.

If your idea of a perfect light meal revolves around fine cured meats, artisanal cheeses, and a glass of wine from a wide-ranging list, find your way to this sleek cellar space beneath the Irish Heather Shebeen gastro-pub in Chinatown. Salt's concept doesn't involve a kitchen, per se; it's all about assembling the selection of top-quality provisions—perhaps smoked beef tenderloin or British Columbian–made Camembert, with accompanying condiments—into artfully composed delights. The whole shebang is more like an upscale picnic than a full meal; however, a three-course set menu is well-priced. 

New owners took over this village staple and gave it a new look with a retro vibe. They serve premium ice cream products, including banana splits, milkshakes and cones, innovative sweet and savory crepes, and $5 hot breakfast options.

Conveniently located at the entrance to Bridgeport Station on the Canada Line, this upscale Chinese restaurant serves first-rate Hong Kong-style seafood, often plucked live from the tanks and cooked to the specifications of its well-heeled clientele. Ask for whatever fish is freshest, and try the distinctive pork with chayote squash. This is also a popular spot for lunchtime dim sum, both traditional and more contemporary. Although you won't be out of place in jeans, you could dress up a bit, particularly in the evening. Reservations are recommended.

A brigade of chefs is at work in the open kitchen of this popular restaurant that specializes in Shanghai-style fare, which is richer and slightly sweeter than more delicate Cantonese dishes. They're prepping the handmade dumplings, including the soup-filled xiao long bao and the panfried pork buns that are among the specialties here. Hand-pulled noodles, saucy braised eggplant, and fresh stir-fried greens are other good options. Book in advance or prepare to wait.

Originally constructed in 1915 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, this building has been home to a variety of businesses, including a ham radio spot and a grocery store, and has been operated as a café by the current family since 1991. The café's small menu, which can be dine-in or ordered to go for a park picnic, includes rice bowls, paninis, soup, salad and sandwiches, and a variety of cold drinks and grab-and-go items. The Siding is also the local general store, gift shop, and liquor agency.

This snack bar serves up fresh fast food like poutine, hot dogs, and fish-and-chips. There is outdoor seating available, but it's limited.

Victoria's longest list of handcrafted beers is just one reason to trek over the Johnson Street Bridge or hop a Harbour Ferry to this Vic West waterfront pub. Canada's oldest licensed brewpub, and a popular hangout, Spinnakers relies almost exclusively on locally sourced ingredients for its top-notch casual fare. Opt for the pubby adults-only taproom, with its covered waterfront deck, double-sided fireplace, and wood-beamed ceilings, or dine in the all-ages waterfront restaurant. Either way you can enjoy a great selection of sharing plates alongside high-end pub grub such as mussels steamed in ale, or brick-oven pizzas (try the house-smoked wild salmon or the mushroom and beer). You can also stop by for breakfast, served from 8 am to 2 pm daily, or grab some house-made picnic fixings and malt vinegars at the take-away deli and bakery.

This little meeting place, tucked just off Granville Street on West 13th Avenue, has the feeling of a buzzy European bistro. Small plates are made for sharing, as are the charcuterie and cheese boards and the menu changes with the seasons. The extensive wine list features a selection of both local and wines from around the world. A four-course family style menu is also available. 

In a 1911 manor house, this bar and grill with a large patio is very family-friendly, with a menu of burgers, fish, soups, and salads, as well as sharing plates and vegetarian options. The location right in Stanley Park is great, especially mid-bike ride. It overlooks the Rose Garden and is steps from Malkin Bowl, where outdoor theater and concerts are held in summer.

Opened in June 2024, Steamboat offers an elevated dining experience, with nourishing dishes made from sustainable ingredients. A small afternoon menu is offered from 2--5 pm, while the dinner menu—available from 5--9:30 pm—offers small plate and sharing/large plate options like braised bison short ribs and wild sockeye salmon. There are also three "trio" options: taco, slider, and plant-based dip trio, with suggested accompanying cocktail or beer flight options.

Although it's atop Whistler Mountain, you're likely to see as many non-skiers as skiers in the crowd dining here. That's because Steeps Grill & Wine Bar is located inside the enormous Roundhouse Lodge at the top of Whistler Village Gondola, and lots of the visitors are simply sightseers. While other mountain dining outlets tend to cater to the grab-and-go crowd, this venue is a stay-a-while, full-service dining affair offering lots of west coast favorites like smoked salmon chowder and sockeye salmon and succotash.

This bustling Cantonese restaurant is best known for its excellent dim sum (served 10:30 to 3 weekdays and 10 to 3 weekends), which ranges from traditional handmade dumplings to some adventurous fare. Dinner specialties include roasted squab marinated in the restaurant's secret spice blend and king crab plucked live from the tanks, then steamed with garlic. If you can, come with a group, so you can sample more dishes. There's an additional location in Richmond.

Heading to the beach? Follow the surfers to this orange catering truck at Outside Break, a cluster of driftwood- and cedar-sided shops just south of town. Dubbed “slow food fast,” the quick, cheap, and wholesome eats here include burritos, gringas (flour tortillas stuffed with meat or beans), and Baja-style fish tacos. Everything, including the salsa, is made from scratch. This is the original; there are now outposts in Vancouver and Victoria. Open until 6 pm.

Chef-owner Danno Lee has re-created the fun and flavors of a Spanish tapas bar in this little pedestrian-only lane off Government Street. Small, flavorful dishes run from simple-but-tasty grilled vegetables to prawns in white wine, spicy mussels, thin-crust pizzas, pastas and a multitude of vegetarian options. One specialty is the Pollo Armanda: charbroiled boneless chicken with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, lemon, and white wine. Almond-stuffed dates are a particular hit. Rich colors and lively artwork create a casual interior; the patio is a choice spot. Just need a snack? Tapas are served all afternoon and late into the evening. A wine bar next door is run by the same owners.

Afternoon teas (C$54), with fresh-baked scones and cream, mini-quiches, cucumber sandwiches, and seasonal treats featuring produce from the garden, are served in the living room of the Abkhazi Garden. Late-morning snacks (called "elevenses") and light lunches are also available at this romantic garden setting.

The former officers' mess at Ferguson Point in Stanley Park is a prime location for water views by day, and for watching sunsets at dusk. The Pacific Northwest menu is not especially innovative, but its broad appeal will please those looking for local fish, rack of lamb, steaks, and a host of other options, including gluten-free pasta. Various tasting boards—charcuterie, cheese, seafood, and vegetarian options—make for good grazing in the afternoon. In summer you can dine on the patio.