The dining scene in the Vancouver, Coast and Mountains region melds fresh, local ingredients with international flavours and talented chefs.
Explore the Fraser Valley – a fertile farming area – to dine on French cuisine at a Langley winery, nibble incredible pies at the Chilliwack airport or sip a stellar selection of craft beer at a Squamish brewpub. Visit Richmond to taste some of the world's best Asian cuisine, such as dim sum or bubble tea. Up for a challenge? Embrace the 100-Mile Diet with produce from the Pemberton Valley or ocean-to-table seafood in Gibsons, Sechelt and Powell River.
Communities in this region offer a huge assortment of restaurants that reflect the area's cultural diversity, along with traditional chain restaurant options.
BC Seafood and Local Specialty Food
The Fraser Valley is the largest agricultural region in BC and is known for its locally grown produce and fruit wineries. Berries, fresh cheeses, and Pemberton Valley potatoes are often incorporated into restaurant dishes.
Take advantage of the region’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean and feast on fresh seafood. Enjoy salmon, halibut, oysters or clam chowder while taking in ocean views on the Sunshine Coast, dig into crispy fish and chips on the boardwalk in Steveston (located in Richmond), or opt for sushi made with wild salmon.
Look for salmon – a coastal favourite – prepared a number of ways: smoked, candied (cured in maple syrup), or cooked on a cedar plank, a traditional Aboriginal cooking method.
100-Mile Diet
The 100-Mile Diet was born in Vancouver, and its premise is eating products that come from within a 100 mile radius. This can be easy to adhere to in the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region, thanks to abundant produce from the Fraser Valley and Pemberton Valley and fresh fish from the Pacific Ocean.
Take a Circle Farm Tour, then dine al fresco with fresh baked breads, cheeses, and berries bought at a farmers market.
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea in British Columbia is a tradition that has flourished ever since the British introduced it to the province more than a century ago. Typical menus feature dainty finger sandwiches, scones slathered with preserves and thick cream, and pots of uniquely blended teas.
In Vancouver, at the Fleuri Restaurant at the Sutton Place Hotel, indulge in more than a dozen varities of tea and accompanying finger foods, or take in a luxurious afternoon tea that changes with the seasons at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Cozy up at The Secret Garden Tea Company, have tea and macarons at the Urban Tea Merchant or, on weekends, sip tea at Bacchus Restaurant in the Wedgewood Hotel.
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler serves three kinds of afternoon tea – perfect for after a day on the slopes! In Delta, nibble on fresh baked goods during high tea at Applewood Country Gifts.
Food Festivals
Taste the best of BC food and explore the connection of field and table at the “wandering” Feast of Fields (September 2011 in Langley), or travel via bicycle to sample products of local growers on a Slow Food Cycle Tour of Pemberton (August), Chilliwack (July) or Agassiz (July).
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