Ok, so you've already heard some of my instinctive go-tos when it comes to the best Vancouver restaurants. As a self-proclaimed terrible cook (which is really just an excellent excuse to eat out more), I've been hesitant to share these.
But my editor asked nicely, and aside from a few questionable comments in the Facebook section, I do like you guys. So, against my better judgment, here it is — 7 Vancouver restaurants us local foodies really don't want you to know about.
Thank You Pizza
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Pizza
Address: 789 Gore Avenue, Vancouver
Why You Need To Go: I may be embarrassingly late to the party on this one, but it was only a few months ago that I learned the adorable brunch darling Honeybee Bruncheonette moonlights as one of the city's most charming pizza-and-wine bars by night.
Sourdough crust, excellent natural wine, and pizzas baked in a trailer parked right outside. (I'm not entirely sure why the trailer detail feels so important, but it does — I guess because it has the novelty of a food truck with the sophistication of dining in?). No matter, the whole experience is novel, well-branded, and certifiably cool.
Caffè La Tana
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Italian
Address: 635 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
Why You Need To Go: Ugh. I'm genuinely reluctant to include this one because it feels like giving away my perfect date-night spot. But I'm feeling like a giver today, so here goes...
Everyone knows and loves Pepino's Spaghetti House — and if you're after a place that makes you feel like you've been dropped straight into an Italian grandma's living room with portions so massive you need to roll home, look no further. Caffè La Tana, however, is Pepino's chic next-door neighbour: one who wears silk scarves, lights candles before dinner, and has niche yet immaculate taste in wine.
By day, it's a cute café. By night, it transforms into a moodier, more intimate space that feels undeniably sexier for date night — cafe by day, restaurant by night is becoming a theme here. And the best part? It shares a kitchen with Pepino's, so you can still order those famously massive portions alongside choosing from La Tana's more curated menu of small plates, pasta, grappa, and amari.
Chinatown BBQ
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Chinese BBQ
Address: 130 E Pender Street, Vancouver
Why You Need To Go: When it comes to Chinese-style barbecue in the Lower Mainland, this is absolutely top-tier. Crispy pork belly, glossy BBQ pork, pork fried rice — the classics are all here, and they arrive alarmingly fast thanks to the glorious heat-lamp setup that gives the whole thing a very trendy-upscale-cafeteria energy.
Which brings me to the aesthetic: red seating, black-and-white checkered floors, jade-green booths, vintage photos, floral tablecloths — it's a perfect mix of old-school charm and no-nonsense deliciousness.
Order a couple of Tsingtao's (obviously) and settle in. It's worth the Uber to Chinatown.
Northern Cafe
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Diner breakfast & Asian comfort food
Address: 1640 E Kent Avenue S, Vancouver
Why You Need To Go: If you're looking for a literal hidden gem, congratulations — you've found it. When you arrive at Northern Cafe, you will think I've sent you to the wrong place, or worse, I've set you up to live out the insidious murdery teaser of a cop show. I have not.
It's just not every day you find a cozy Asian-American brunch spot tucked above an 80-year-old hardware store inside a lumber yard deep in South Vancouver. This place has retro checkerboard floors, red bench seating, old-school music, and the kind of warm, lived-in atmosphere that makes you want to loiter for hours.
The menu is eclectic: classic diner breakfast, burgers, and authentic Asian dishes all living happily side by side. (Also, pro tip: you can buy homemade frozen potstickers and hot sauce to take home).
Phnom Penh
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Vietnamese & Cambodian
Address: 244 E Georgia Street, Vancouver
Why You Need To Go: Yes, this one is perhaps less hidden than it once was (probably because it's phenomenal and got a Michelin nod), but I would be committing a crime against Vancouver if I left it off the list. Phnom Penh has been a local institution since 1985, and for good reason.
The menu is enormous (offering nearly 100 rice, noodle and soup preparations), but if you're new here, I recommend not reinventing the wheel: butter beef, luc lac, legendary crispy garlic wings. This is the type of restaurant tourists leave and will then talk about for the rest of their trip. Yes, you will probably wait for a table. Yes, it is absolutely worth it.
Nostos Taverna
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Greek
Address: 3162 W Broadway, Vancouver
Why You Need To Go: I was first introduced to this place by my disgustingly trendy Greek friend, which feels like the highest possible endorsement for a Greek restaurant.
Nostos Taverna is family-owned, bright, airy, and really does make you feel like you've been invited into a sweet Greek family's nicely decorated home. The Greek salad arrives with a SLAB of feta (the only viable word here), the saganaki is lemony, salty perfection, and I now realize I'm about to list out the entire menu so I'll quit while I'm ahead — but you get the picture... Twinkle lights outside, distressed white chairs, and a little fireplace for colder nights make it one of my favourite little dinner spots in the city.
Santo Taco
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Mexican Street Food
Address: 108 W Hastings St, Vancouver
Why You Need To Go: When this place opened, the collective city response was essentially: finally, real tacos.
Santo Taco is a humble, standalone taqueria that understands the assignment. Inspired by Mexican street food, the menu is all about authenticity. Expect cozy brick walls, metal plates, and pop-art portraits of iconic Mexican artists. It's new, small, unpretentious, and exactly the kind of place locals hesitate to tell people about because they'd quite like to keep getting a seat.
The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
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