Sustainable Dining in Vancouver

In Vancouver for “the games”? It’s a fabulous city for dining. It also has an extraordinary selection of restaurants that embrace local food or are headed-up by environmentally-conscious chefs. And why wouldn’t it? Nestled between abundant oceans and fertile valleys, it’s a a ‘real food’ enthusiast’s paradise.

I was in Vancouver recently, so naturally I hunted down some sustainable eats. Here are a few of the places I found.

Go Fish
1505 W 1st Ave, in the public harbour (604 730 5040)
What’s a trip to a seaside city without fish and chips? Located right in the public harbour near Granville Island, the fish is all sustainable and supplied by local fisherman. It’s purchased fresh in the morning from the docks and the food shack closes up shop when it’s all gone. Get there early for the best selection. (Closed Mondays) $-$$

The Templeton
1087 Granville St, near Helmcken St
Whether it’s breakfast, brunch, burgers or diner fare, The Templeton is an old-school diner that serves up excellent food at reasonable prices using mostly local and organic ingredients. You can check out my ealier review of this restaurant here. $-$$

C Restaurant
1600 Howe St, near Beach Ave.( 604-681-1164)
The executive chef at C Restaurant, Rob Clark, has long been an advocate of sustainable seafood and was one of the founders of the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program. Your meal may not be cheap, but you can be sure that everything on the menu has been sourced with sustainability and quality in mind. It’s worth the splurge. $$$$

Rain City Grill
1193 Denman St, near Davie (604-685-7337)
An innovative farm-to-table restaurant, Rain City Grill offers a regional vegetable tasting menu featuring produce from local farms, as well as a 100-mile tasting menu featuring local seafood and meats. They also have a great wine list. $$$

Vera’s Burger Shack
12 locations around Vancouver (604-683-8372)
Vera’s makes the list because it’s a homegrown Vancouver burger chain that offers organic and veggie burgers in addition to the conventional variety. Since they’re a chain, you can probably find a location no matter where you are around the city. Their burgers are huge are tasty. The fries are also pretty darn good. $

Naturally there are other restaurants, but I didn’t get a chance to visit them. Stay tuned though, a list is coming. If you know of a restaurant that should be on that list, please leave me a comment and let me know!