 Mission Hill Family Estate Winery photo British Columbia has all the ingredients for great cuisine: seafood from the Pacific Ocean, creative, top-notch chefs (including Iron Chef Rob Feenie), and fresh produce, meat and dairy from lush farming valleys.
Add in a dash of cultural diversity, and discover meals that range from down-home guest ranch cooking in the South Cariboo to wild salmon sushi in Tofino and delicate dim-sum in Richmond.
Nature-lovers will appreciate that many dining experiences combine eating with the outdoors: waffles before first tracks on the ski hill in Whistler, fish and chips on Granville Island after whale watching, or hiking to a mountaintop restaurant near Vancouver.
BC is also a leader in local and sustainable eating. The 100-Mile Diet was initiated by two Vancouverites, and the Vancouver Aquarium helped develop the Ocean Wise program to encourage restaurants across Canada to make environmentally friendly seafood choices.
Dining in BC’s Cities and Regions
Vancouver: BC's culinary hotspot with award-winning chefs, trendy restaurants and ethnic cuisine galore.
Victoria: Dine overlooking the Inner Harbour, enjoy fresh seafood and taste local ingredients.
Whistler: Fine and casual cusine year-round with a bustling après-ski scene in winter. Whistler was featured on FOX’s Hell’s Kitchen, starring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
Vancouver Coast & Mountains: Local ingredients from the lush Fraser Valley and Pemberton Valley.
Thompson Okanagan: Pair vineyard views with fine or casual dining at winery restaurants.
Vancouver Island: Fresh seafood is often served the same day it’s caught from the surrounding Pacific Ocean.
Kootenay Rockies: Rocky Mountain inspired meals, locally roasted coffees, craft microbreweries and traditional Doukhobor recipes.
Northern British Columbia: Plentiful seafood and game meats are menu favourites.
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast: Pasture-to-plate beef, buffalo burgers and guest ranch cooking.
Famous BC SeafoodSeafood doesn’t get any fresher than this. The Pacific Ocean lines the entire west coast of BC, so the aquatic delicacies are local, varied and served in many restaurants and markets – sometimes the very same day they’re caught.
Favorites include BC spot prawns, oysters, mussels, BC black cod, clams, halibut and Dungeness crab. Of course, wild sockeye salmon usually tops the list – enjoy it grilled on a cedar plank, smoked or candied.
Sushi, fish and chips and “west coast cuisine” are just some of the ways BC seafood is prepared.
Dining with a View in BCGo one step further than dining with a view of the mountains – dine on the mountaintops themselves. In Whistler, dig into fluffy waffles or baked salmon at 1,800m (6,000ft). Hike up the Grouse Grind near Vancouver for the nachos and the view. And, for the ultimate 360° mountain panorama, dine at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden – its restaurant is located at a whopping 2,347m (7,700ft) elevation, making it the highest restaurant in Canada.
Oceanfront resorts on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands or the west coast of BC offer stunning views with dinner. In Tofino, watch winter storms while enjoying fine dining and a warm cappuccino, or tuck into a salad made with greens grown on-site in Sooke. For intimate meals with sweeping views of the water, cycle to a bed and breakfast or café on the Sunshine Coast or the Gulf Islands.
Okanagan winery restaurants often overlook lakes and vineyards and offer a wide selection of local wines to pair with lunch or dinner. Mission Hill’s winery restaurant was named one of the top six winery restaurants in the world by leading travel magazine Travel + Leisure (2008).
Fresh and Local Food in BCMany chefs update their menus seasonally to incorporate the freshest (and often organic) fruits and vegetables from the Fraser Valley, Pemberton Valley, Cowichan Valley, Okanagan Valley or Creston Valley. Artisanal cheeses and wild mushrooms (chanterelles, morels and lobster) are also popular.
The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler is an excellent place to taste Aboriginal-inspired cuisine made with local ingredients.
Foodie Events in BCConnect with farmers and fields on a “slow food cycle” through Agassiz or Pemberton. Celebrate local food and cooking talent in a mountain town at the Taste of Fernie, or join fellow-minded garlic lovers at the South Cariboo Garlic Festival.
Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler each have a special “dine out” event, where high-end restaurants offer set menus at a reduced rate. To learn about what wine to pair with dinner, don’t miss the Okanagan’s famous fall wine festival.
For more food events, visit Culinary Tourism Society BC in Related Links on the right.
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