3 Days In Vancouver: A Delicious Itinerary For Foodies
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Vancouver has become a classic Canadian bucket list destination for many reasons. Surrounded by ocean and mountains, Vancouver is filled with endless fun and exciting things to do in every season. It’s a city deal for outdoor enthusiasts. But Vancouver also has a thriving food scene that highlights multiculturalism, fresh seafood, and local ingredients. For this reason, it’s safe to say it is a foodie destination you can’t afford to miss in North America. If you love food as much as we do, then this Vancouver itinerary is for you. Follow along and explore with us the best food spots in Vancouver in 3 days!
Need more than three days on your vacation? Take a day trip to Victoria, where you can see gorgeous cherry blossoms all over the city in the Spring. Stay an extra day or two and enjoy luxurious accommodations to make your stay truly magical.
Day 1
Morning: Good morning, sunshine! Looking for the best cafe in Vancouver? Then, grab a cup of joe at JJ Bean. This well-loved Vancouver-based coffee chain strives to provide the freshest, best-tasting coffee possible. You know it walks the talk when it has opened up so many coffee shops in Vancouver and has even expanded to Toronto!
Now that you’ve got your caffeine fix, it’s time for some sightseeing. Olympic Village in False Creek is a good place for a morning stroll. Previously the athletes’ village for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, this neighborhood has become a buzzing community with exciting restaurants, cool art installations and plenty of green spaces. Spend some time strolling along the shoreline and take in the stunning waterfront views of False Creek!
the view from Olympic Village
Later, hop onto the Aquabus or False Creek Ferries (the dock is located across from Science World, right in front of Tap & Barrel) and take a leisurely trip across False Creek.
Stop at Granville Island – one of Vancouver’s top attractions. Wander through this trendy district and explore artisanal products and locally-made foods. Granville Island Public Market is a must-see and the best place to purchase souvenirs. You can find smoked salmon, exclusive teas, gourmet chocolate, B.C. wines as well as First Nations artwork!
False Creek Ferry / Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver
Lunch: Hungry yet? Stop by Fable in Kitsilano for a delicious meal. It was recommended by our friend as the best brunch spot in Vancouver and has quickly become our new favourite! The restaurant celebrates the farm-to-table concept. All dishes use fresh, seasonal and local ingredients with the goal to connect diners with the source of their food.
Fable
Their spaghetti & duck meatball is a must try! We also recommended canned tuna, roasted king oyster mushrooms, and pappardelle with pork bolognese.
Afternoon: Make your way to Yaletown. Sits along the Seawall, this hip district overlooks the harbour and city skyline. Go for a bike ride or a stroll along the Seawall as you soak up the picturesque views.
Yaletown / Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver
Yaletown is also one of the best shopping areas in Vancouver – actually, it is known to many as Vancouver’s little SoHo! The neighborhood is brimming with high-end boutiques, fashionable shops, and galleries. It is the perfect place to stock up your wardrobe!
One of our favourite things to do in Yaletown is hitting up the happy hour specials at Rodney’s Oyster House. They offer a large selection of fresh oysters at only $1.5 each from 3pm-6pm! It is not the cheapest, but their oysters are consistently plump and juicy. That’s why we repeatedly go back for its oyster happy hour whenever we are in Vancouver!
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Dinner: End your day at Vancouver’s best Italian restaurant, Savio Volpe. They share their love for Italy by creating family-style dishes that are meant to be shared. Their menu showcases simple yet flavorful dishes from various regions across Italy.
Savio Volpe
It is hard to give recommendations as their menu changes daily based on whichever ingredients are in season. But you can’t go wrong with dine alla famiglia ($55 pp) – a customized 5-course sharing menu chosen by the chef!
Day 2
Morning: Fuel up for the day at Twisted Fork Bistro, the best breakfast place in downtown Vancouver. This French-inspired restaurant serves up hearty brunch that does not disappoint. Their food is made from scratch with locally-grown ingredients, so you’re guaranteed the freshest and highest quality possible. The smoked-salmon benny is a crowd favourite and a must try!
Ready for some action? Head over to Stanley Park and bike along the Seawall trail. As you cruise along the scenic bike path, you will encounter many Instagram-worthy stops, including Prospect Point, totem poles, Brockton Point Lighthouse, Girl in a Wetsuit sculpture, and Beaver Lake.
Stanley Park Brockton Point / Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver
Note: The loop is 10 km long and starts in Coal Harbour. We recommend renting a bike near the entrance of Stanley Park. The bike rental we went with is Spokes Bicycle Rentals, conveniently located at the corner of Denman and Georgia Streets.
Looking for fun things to do in Stanley Park? Consider getting up close and personal with the marine life at Vancouver Aquarium, exploring the gardens, or soaking up the sun on the beach! In the summer, make sure you get to these attractions early to avoid the crowds.
Vancouver Aquarium / Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver
Lunch: Make a pit stop at The Teahouse in Stanley Park. The wide selection of food choices will help you stay energized. Accompanied by a breathtaking view of English Bay, it is more than just a meal!
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Afternoon: After returning the bike, walk through the lush green spaces in Coal Harbour. This quiet neighborhood is a popular location to watch seaplanes taking off and landing.
Coal Harbour / Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver
Slowly make your way to Canada Place – an iconic landmark in Vancouver’s downtown harbourfront. Not only is this a prime photo spot for that postcard-perfect shot, it offers many activities for visitors to enjoy.
Canada Place
Why not take a simulated flying ride at FlyOver Canada for an unforgettable journey across Canada? Or admire unbeatable views of the city from Vancouver Lookout? These experiences will make your Vancouver visit extra memorable.
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FlyOver Canada / Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver
Treat yourself to a luxurious afternoon tea at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The 3-tier tray is filled with sweet and savoury miniature pastries that will make your mouth water.
If that is too much for you, opt for soft-serve ice cream at Soft Peaks instead. As one of the best dessert places in downtown Vancouver, they serve up silky smooth ice cream – a sure way to get your taste buds tingling!
Soft Peaks
Dinner: Food at Ask for Luigi is out of this world. Specializing in handmade pasta, this popular restaurant in downtown Vancouver strives to offer a true taste of Italy. Each plate is carefully crafted to impress even the most sophisticated palate. Our favourites include fried cauliflower and rigatoni alla bolognese.
Ask For Luigi
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Day 3
Morning: Start the day with an exceptional breakfast at Cafe Medina. This Mediterranean-inspired eatery is one of Vancouver’s best breakfast places. Many people come here for their Liege-style waffles, but we recommend the fricassee instead. With braised short ribs, roasted potatoes, eggs, and applewood smoked cheddar, you will have all the energy and nutrients you need to jump start your day.
Next thing on your agenda: visit Vancouver’s top attraction, Capilano Suspension Bridge. It’s the perfect place to surround yourself with nature. But first, test your nerve on the swaying bridge, suspended 137m above the river!
capilano suspension bridge
Adventure-seekers should brave the Cliffwalk. The narrow walkway that hangs high above the canyon will sure get your heart racing!
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Capilano Suspension Bridge Cliffwalk
Other attractions inside the park worth exploring include the Treetop Adventure and Raptors Ridge. We recommend 2-3 hours for your visit as there is so much to see and do at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park!
Raptors Ridge
Note: Capilano Suspension Bridge is located in North Vancouver. A complimentary shuttle is available from downtown Vancouver at Canada Place, or at one of the hotels (Blue Horizon, Hyatt Regency, or Westin Bayshore). No reservation needed.
Lunch: When it comes to the best ramen in Vancouver, Marutama is at the top of our list. This Japanese ramen chain is known for its creamy chicken broth – prepared daily every morning. Paired with the homemade noodles, you have a perfectly balanced bowl of ramen with a chewy texture and rich flavour!
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Afternoon: Want to do some shopping? Look no further than Robson Street. This famous shopping street in downtown Vancouver is packed with designer shops and fashion boutiques. It’s the perfect destination to upgrade your look.
Robson Street / Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver
Take a break and indulge in delicious treats at Nero Belgian Waffle Bar. Whether it is light and crispy Brussels waffle or the dense Liege waffle, Nero never fails to hit the sweet spot. Their drool-worthy waffles, loaded with sweet and savoury toppings, easily makes it one of our favourite dessert places in Vancouver.
If you have room for a second dessert, try Thierry. From decadent macarons to lip-smacking cakes, the patisserie delivers pure delight in every bite.
Thierry
Dinner: Vancouver is known for fresh seafood and authentic sushi. WIth more than 600 sushi eateries in the city, how do you pick the best? Miku, Minami, and Tojo’s are some of the popular options. But for the best quality and value, Ajisai is our top pick for sushi restaurants in Vancouver.
Ajisai
The busy sushi bar offers a wide selection of sushi, sashimi, and rolls. Every time we visited, the fish was so fresh that melted all our worries away!
Have a more restricted diet? Don’t worry. Vancouver has plenty of gluten free eateries for you to select. Looking for a bit more diversity? Check out the Spice Trail in Surrey for a variety of international options.
We hope this Vancouver itinerary has inspired you to explore the city’s bustling food scene. To help you plan your next trip, we partnered with GPSmyCity for a giveaway!
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Disclaimer: Special thanks to Tourism Vancouver for providing complimentary bike rentals from Spokes and tickets to Capilano Suspension Bridge. As always, all opinions on For Two, Please are our own and we only recommend brands that we 100% stand behind.
Vancouver has some of the best food, but I haven’t been to most of these places! I’m really excited to try Marutama though, I loved all the ramen I had in Vancouver and Danbo was my favorite, but I never knew about Marutama!
It all looks so delicious. I’d have to walk for 72 hours to wear off all the calories but what a wonderful mission. That canyon walk would kill my appetite though!
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I absolutely adore Vancouver and have never had a bad meal there! I love Kirin for dimsum, Maurya for Indian and Lift for seafood and a great water view!
I lived in Seattle for a couple years and I’m kicking myself so hard for not getting up to Vancouver when it was so easily accessible. It’s actually a great vegan foodie destination I’ve heard so I can’t wait to check it out one day! I miss living in that are of the world so much!
I love Vancouver but I haven’t experienced it as a foodie (or period as much as I’d like)! Fable immediately got my attention as I’ve really become a fan of farm-to-table type restaurants lately! Yaletown looks fantastic-all the flowers and the street light posts make it so pretty! I have been to Canada Place and loved getting photos of it. And oh my goodness, afternoon at the Fairmont is a MUST! It’s my favorite place to have tea and I’ve done it at Fairmonts in Victoria, Banff and Quebec so now I must do it in Vancouver! Great foodie list-saving this to eat my way through Vancouver hopefully soon!
I adore this post! And it’s making me so hungry haha. I think I mentioned on another of your Vancouver posts that my good friend just moved there (like, JUST. This week!). I travel by my stomach so this is getting me really excited to visit.
Oh my gosh, I’m desperate to go to Vancouver. This made it worse! I love your photos. I think I’d make a beeline for that 5-course tasting menu first!
Vancouver really does have it all: great city activities, gorgeous water, and mountains! And after reading your post, it looks like an outstanding culinary destination as well. I loved your photograph of all of the water planes lined up — I love doing flightseeing, and I’d be right there.
Vancouver is a beautiful city but the surrounding mountains are what really entice us. capilano suspension bridge and catwalk look absolutely stunning so does the bike ride around Stanly Park. Of course, if we burn off a little calories we are always down for soft serve.
I know what I’d ask Luigi: to bring me more! All of this food looks fantastic, but I’m pretty sure this would be my first stop.
Vancouver has so much good ethnic food!! I feel so accomplished, because during my trip there in February I managed to hit up the Twisted Fork, Marutama, and Cafe Medina (Cafe Medina was my favorite!).
I remember visiting Vancouver in 2006. We hit up Granville Island and the Capilano Suspension Bridge – both of which were amazing – but we weren’t really big foodies back then. (Not to mention that we were still in college, so our idea of being a “foodie” was something other than pizza or chicken tenders for dinner.) I’d love to visit Vancouver today and eat at these restaurants — Twisted Fork and Ask for Luigi look especially good!
Great information. Would definitely visit these places when I’m in Vancouver.
Vancouver is a beautiful city but the surrounding mountains are what really entice us. I feel so accomplished.
Omg, I did not know that there was this much delicious food in Vancouver!! This alone is making me want to book a ticket and experience the food for myself. Vancouver, looks like a really pretty city
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I had no idea there was so much to explore in Vancouver! Since I’m so close in Chicago, I’ll have to make a trip over there soon! Thank you for sharing this
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We are hoping to get back to Vancouver for the Fall and are always looks for great recommendations for food spots. We love to do brunch out so would definitely want to try Fable in Kitsilano. And a shared Italian meal at Savio Volpe would be a perfect spot with the kids we are visiting. We do love Afternoon Tea treats when we travel so will add the Fairmont to our plans.