On a self-guided tour, discover neighbourhoods home to a wide variety of ingredients and flavours, or stock up at summer farmers markets held weekly throughout the city. Edible Canada's retail shop (on Granville Island) carries culinary treats unique to BC.
Want to enhance your cooking skills? Sign up for classes at one of Vancouver’s top-notch cooking schools, like Quince or The Dirty Apron Cooking School.
Guided Culinary Tours
Edible Canada's chef-guided market tours take place in bustling Granville Island Public Market and Chinatown. Browse the shops and stalls of the market, home to a dizzying array of vendors boasting everything from buffalo mozzarella and wild boar prosciutto to fresh seafood and fruit. Or explore Canada’s largest Chinatown to bite into soft BBQ pork buns and sip traditional Chinese tea.
Swallow Tail Tours' Vancouver-based culinary trips are all about hands-on experiences. Pull on some boots and set out by boat or foot to forage for dungeness crab and wild mushrooms. End the day by sipping BC wines and savouring a meal showcasing the featured ingredient.
Visit the city's hottest culinary spots with Vancouver Food Tour (named a “Number #1 Vancouver Attraction” by the travel website TripAdvisor) or Silver Spoon Food Tours. Guides lead guests through neighbourhoods populated with fantastic restaurants, bistros and bars. Dine communally at a 40-ft/12-m long table, find a “hidden” whisky bar, and eat at an award-winning Chinese brasserie.
Self-Guided Culinary Tours
Vancouver’s strong ethnic influence is reflected in its cuisine. Wander through Granville Island, Chinatown, Little India or Commercial Drive (also known as “Little Italy”) to grab a latte, buy aromatic spices, and eat a plate of Indian curry or dim sum.
The city’s emerging “street food” scene is another way to discover its multicultural flavour. Try a variety of dishes, from venison burger and pulled pork sandwiches to Korean fish balls and satay skewers at one of the street-side food carts.
Craving Asian cuisine? Venture south to Richmond where hundreds of restaurants range from noodle houses to sushi joints. Don't miss the open-air summer night market, which sees more than 40 vendors serve up unique food.
During spring and summer, shop at farmers markets held weekly in various locations across the city. Along with local produce, find prepared foods like savoury crêpes, beer-infused sausages and roasted coffee, plus crafts and live entertainment. There’s a winter farmers market too.
Vancouver Cooking Classes
Take a cooking class at a Vancouver culinary school and discover some of the secrets behind one of the most vibrant dining scenes Canada.
The Dirty Apron Cooking School offers more than 50 courses downtown. Hands-on cooking classes cover subjects such as the secrets of ethnic cuisine, what’s needed for perfect desserts and pastries, or the ideal way to prepare seafood, chicken and red meat.
Pair cooking classes with cookbooks at Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks, a Kitsilano bookstore that also sells kitchen accessories and culinary tools. Demonstration classes at Barbara Jo's feature cookbook recipes and samples, and are often led by cookbook authors.
Another Kitsilano mainstay, Quince has a range of cooking classes in a professional kitchen that's part of a boutique food shop and cafe. Work alongside a professional chef in a hands-on class or sit back, relax and watch expert cooks prepare mouth-watering fare ranging from paella to sustainable seafood.
Cookshop, located in Fairview Slopes, sells a huge range of cookware and features daily hands-on or demonstration culinary classes. Instructors include top Vancouver chefs who have cooked everywhere from The Fish House to Gotham Steakhouse.
Want to learn to cook where the pros are taught? The Northwest Culinary Academy (Main St) and The Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (Granville Island) are known for their diploma programs, but also offer classes for everyday food lovers.
Festivals and Events
EAT! Vancouver is a three-day food and wine extravaganza that brings together celebrity chefs, popular restaurants and eateries, and wineries for cooking demonstrations, seminars and tastings (June).
Sign up early for Edible Canada's popular “Cooking with BC’s Best” dinner series, where acclaimed BC chefs treat visitors to a multi-course, market-inspired meal held after-hours in the Granville Island Public Market. A sommelier or local whisky expert selects pairings.
Visit Vancouver's many cultural festivals for ethnic favourites (Greek salad, Trinidadian goat curry, Jamaican jerk chicken), plus live music and dance.
Practical Points
- The peak season for culinary touring in Vancouver is between March and October, although there are some tours offered year-round.
- Tours may require advance booking.
- Check with local Visitor Centres for maps, information on transportation and trip ideas.
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