Vancouver is home to several chilled-out, down-to-earth restaurants all about enjoying the time spent with loved ones. No stranger to gorgeous views, Vancouver’s rooftop patios offer stunning views of the mountains, while waterside restaurants overlook English Bay or Olympic Village’s False Creek. Thrive off the bustling energy of lively neighbourhoods such as Mount Pleasant and Commercial Drive, for a laid-back brunch out, the best casual restaurants in Vancouver await.
With internationally inspired eats, you can enjoy a Cubano sandwich or share a plate of paella. Find yourself transported to an English pub with fish and chips and enjoy traditional tacos from the heart of Mexico right in Vancouver. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, going on a romantic date or just enjoying time with loved ones, these are the best casual restaurants in Vancouver for memorable experiences.
Explore the best casual restaurants Vancouver has to offer, all bookable on OpenTable today.
Read on for a guide through 10 of Vancouver’s best casual restaurants
For the best Vietnamese street food at one of the best Asian restaurants in Vancouver – visit The Lunch Lady on Commercial Drive
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh, also known as The Lunch Lady has been serving classic Vietnamese streetfood since 1995, helping to secure its spot as one of Vancouver’s best casual restaurants. The Lunch Lady’s Commercial Frive location was the brainchild of chef Benedict Lim and Mrs. Thahn, with exposed brickwork interiors and decorative greenery reflecting the energy of Vietnamese cafeterias. Indulge your tastebuds with favourite menu items like steak lúc lắc a carmelized beef dish sauteed with luc lac sauce over a bed of steamed rice, or the alluring bò tái chanh a beef carpaccio prepared with peanuts, crispy shallots and a lime vinaigrette. Vegetarian favourite, the mì xào tỏi or garlic fried noodles, are drenched in a garlic XO butter sauce, aged parmigiana and slow-poached eggs. Vietnamese-inspired cocktails, such as the phở-spiced old fashioned, featuring pho-spiced syrup, or the ca phe martini with bold Vietnamese coffee are sure to enhance your experience.
For casual fine dining – check out Archer in West End
West End’s Archer recently made the MICHELIN Recommended list for 2023 and for a good reason. Guiding you on a culinary journey through the ingredients and flavours of the Pacific Northwest, Archer promises an upscale casual fine dining experience. Fit for any occasion, from birthdays and dates to social gatherings and weekend brunch. With tastefully decorated interiors featuring plush green velvet upholstery, Archer has earned its spot as one of the best casual restaurants in Vancouver. Begin your experience with the captivating vension tartare, with black garlic aioli and burgundy truffles or refreshing tomato and burrata salad. Dig into the truffle cavatelli with fresh foraged mushrooms in a truffle cream sauce, or the Fraser valley duck breast served in a cherry jus. For a memorable experience, try Archer’s prix fixe 6-course tasting menu. End your meal with any Archer’s seasonal ice cream flavours, or sip on expertly made cocktails such as the late word made with Noteworthy gin straight from the heart of the Okanagan.
One of the best casual restaurants in Vancouver for pizza and pints – don’t miss out on Sing Sing Main St. on Main Street in Mount Pleasant
Located right in the heart of Mount Pleasant’s bustling Main Street, Sing Sing Main St. prides itself on being a memorable beer bar backed by good food and of course, excellent local beer. With a garage-style design and picnic bench seating, Sing Sing invites visitors to Vancouver’s iconic Main Street to come on in and have a good time at one of the best casual restaurants in Vancouver. Starters include red chilli wings and dicky’s dumps handmade dumplings made fresh in small batches in Vancouver. Mains range from classic burgers to kimchi grilled cheese. Sing Sing is perhaps best known for pizzas, whether it’s the kimchi and brisket pizza complete with pickled onions and spicy mayo, or the pancetta and pineapple with a sweet chilli base. And for those rainy Vancouver winters, Sing Sing’s comforting pho is sure to warm you up, coming in chicken, veggie and beef offerings.
For one of Vancouver’s best casual restaurants for cocktails – visit Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions in Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions lives up to its name with a menu that recalls the simpler times of the past backed by the innovation of today. More than just a cocktail bar with tasty drinks, Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions gives you an intimate retro experience like no other, with decorative nods to midcentury decor, and an outdoor patio. Try the shareable tots and sauces with fondue cheese, salsa macha, and disco dressing, or the cheeky dirty martini Caesar salad. Take a trip down to Seattle with the Seattle dog slathered in cream cheese and crispy onions, or try charcoal grilled teriyaki of either chicken, portabella mushroom or beef short ribs. Cocktails are aplenty, and include the five alive an alcoholic ode to the famous juice beverage, taco flavoured kisses made with both tequila and mezcal, ancho peppers, grapefruit and spices, and of course, locally made beers and wines. Happy hour, or Costlo hour runs from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm from Monday to Friday, with food offerings only served during this time and half-priced drinks.
For top-notch Mexican cuisine – check out Ophelia in Mount Pleasant
Take a culinary trip down to sunny Mexico at Ophelia one of the best casual restaurants in Vancouver. Named after chef Francisco’s mother, Ophelia manages to provide an upscale casual dining experience that indulges in the vast flavours of Mexico. Dine in style with classic interiors and leather seating interplaying with traditional colourful paintings of Calaveras. Delivering quality modern Mexican dining, classic dishes are reimagined, from the aguachile negro with cured prawns and scallops, avocado and red onion in a burnt salsa broth, to molcajete de arrachera y camaron, marinated steak and jumbo shrimp served inside a giant molcajete. The trio de tacos shines a light on classic taco flavours, taco de carnitas, taco de cochinita pibil and taco al pastor. Tequila, mezcal and rum infuse many of the cocktails at Ophelia, and include the Aztec old fashioned with white tequila, and the cuatro chiles, with serrano and jalapeño pepper infused tequila, habanero tincture and chile de arbol.
For a transportative journey to Cuba – be sure to book a spot at Havana on Commercial Drive
At Havana, the taste and colours of Old Havana welcome you to enjoy a lively dining experience and a year-round enclosed patio, earning its spot as one of Vancouver’s best casual restaurants. Whether you’re on a date or catching up with old friends, enjoying brunch, lunch, dinner or drinks, Havana serves as the perfect backdrop no matter the occasion. Begin your stay with tostones, twice-fried, smashed green plantains served with a tomatillo avocado mousse. Share plates include ceviche with serrano and lime-cured Pacific snapper with crispy plantain and tortilla chips for dipping and paella. The beloved Cubano sandwich is another must-try, made with house porchetta and house Cuban bun, or try the commercial club featuring a buttermilk marinated fried chicken breast. Delight your sweet tooth with churro bombs, an exciting twist on classic churros filled with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla banana crème anglaise. Sip on a Cuban old-fashioned with cacao coffee bitters or any of the classic mojito offerings.
For one of the best casual restaurants in Vancouver boasting exceptional views of English Bay – try The Three Brits in West End
The Three Brits pays homage to the three British men who originally settled the area now known as West End by offering guests spectacular food, drink and views of English Bay. Making its name as one of Vancouver’s best casual restaurants, the traditional English pub experience with pub-style seating encourages socializing and fun. Snack on the Canadian-inspired smoked ham hack poutine topped with maple flakes. Next, make your way to the English classic fish and chips with house tartar sauce and lemon dill slaw. The English-influenced all-day breakfast with two eggs, bacon, sausage, sourdough toast, potatoes, and a side salad, is another favourite. True to pub style, plenty of house-made and classic cocktails are available, from the oh doctor a gin and coconut milk invention with yuzu soda to a fine selection of local beers and wines. Happy hour runs from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
For chill vibes with friends and great beer – book a spot at Tap & Barrel in Burnaby, Fairview, White Rock, North Vancouver, False Creek, and Coal Harbour
Tap & Barrel offers six convenient locations in the Metro Vancouver area, in Burnaby, Fairview, White Rock, North Vancouver, False Creek, and Coal Harbour. All locations offer your choice of indoor or outdoor patio dining, with magnificent views of Vancouver’s mountains no matter where you are. Tap & Barrel’s down-to-earth ambience is ready to host all of your special occasions as one of the best casual restaurants in Vancouver. Seasonally-inspired comfort food is what Tap & Barrel is all about, with dishes inspired by flavours from around the world. From Calabrian chili & garlic prawns coated in Calabrian chilli crunch, to pan-fried chicken and veggie gyoza. Salads and bowls provide delicious, guilt-free alternatives, such as the ahi tuna poke bowl. Classic burgers and chicken sandwiches bring the flavours of the PNW to your tastebuds, including the West Coast clubhouse with charred fresno aioli and PB&J burger with 100% Canadian beef, bacon jam, and chipotle peanut butter. Try a local wild mushroom pizza topped with truffle arugula, paired with fried chicken mac and cheese and a BREWHALL beer, straight from Tap & Barrel’s own craft brewery.
📍 Burnaby — Check availability
📍 Fairview — Check availability
📍 White Rock — Check availability
📍 North Vancouver — Check availability
📍 False Creek — Check availability
📍 Coal Harbour — Check availability
For one of the best casual restaurants in Vancouver for burgers – head to The Gull in North Vancouver
The West Coast is all about chill vibes, and this is no truer than at The Gull in North Vancouver, located in a warehouse-style building that brings the industrial energy of Lower Lonsdale in a charming setting. This family-owned restaurant is best known for house-ground burgers: the gull burger topped with caramelized onion and brie and the animal burger, featuring housemade burger sauce. Delicious cocktails made with seasonal ingredients, including the chamomille high club made with chamomile-infused tequila and rye-powered nitro espresso martini. And owing to The Gull’s location in North Vancouver’s Shipyards Brewery district, rotating local beers including selections from Shaketown Brewing and other Vancouver local breweries are plenty. Enjoy the stunning views of downtown Vancouver, perfect for date nights and hanging out with friends.
For traditional Greek cuisine at one of the best casual restaurants in Vancouver – visit The Greek By Anatoli – Yaletown in Yaletown
Traditional Greek cuisine meets a homely vibe at The Greek By Anatoli – Yaletown in Vancouver’s Yaletown. A joint venture by brothers Alexi and Iani, whose parents opened North Vancouver’s Anatoli Souvlaki in 1984, the brothers have broadened their parent’s vision by creating a warm and homely atmosphere where small plates or “mezze” are shared between friends and family. Treat yourself to the souvlaki platter, with your choice of two or four skewers of either pork, grilled chicken thigh, tiger prawn, beyond souvlaki meat, or beef tenderloin. Other quintessentially Greek plates await you, including moussaka, the Greek rendition of lasagna made with layers of eggplant, zucchini, ground beef and pork and layered with a delectable bechamel sauce. Treat yourself to the classic baklava served with homemade ice cream. Signature cocktails are sure to enhance your meal or enjoy a cold bottle or Mythos.
Vancouver has no shortage of casual dining experiences sure to liven up any occasion. From Yaletown to Burnaby, you’ll find delicious dining experiences served up in relaxed, welcoming atmospheres. Whether you’re in the mood for stunning views of the mountains or water, or looking to explore international flavours, there’s something for everyone and every occasion in Vancouver.
Don’t miss out on the best casual restaurants in Vancouver and book on OpenTable today.
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