The Foodie's Travel Bucket list in Vancouver

When it comes to foodcations, Vancouver is a hot destination to fly and spread your wings to.

Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and Coast Mountains, the British Columbian city is home to a thriving food scene with restaurants using wonderful fresh ingredients gathered from the land and the sea.

With so much foodie delights on offer in Vancity, we’ve compiled a list of eateries that will help you eat your way into becoming an honorary Vancouverite.

Find a seafood haven at Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio

Seafood fans will have the ultimate fine dining experience within Ancora’s beautiful and intimate space, which is situated along Vancouver’s picturesque False Creek seawall. The restaurant is credited with bringing a harmonious blend of Peruvian and Japenese cuisine while paying homage to its west coast roots.

Exceptional taste, service and presentation arouse from the impressive Ancora Glacier which is a punchy mix of oysters, Peruvian mussel escabeche, Dungeness crab causa, poached prawns, a ceviche, tartare tasting and selection of sashimi. If raw dishes don’t tickle your fancy, the Lobster Risotto with cauliflower, hazelnuts, preserved lemon and thyme will go down a treat.

A large British Columbian wine selection from Okanagan make for great pairing opportunities with a variety of dishes on the menu. If you need guidance on what to choose don’t hesitate to ask the Ancora staff as they are very knowledgeable and will help take your dining experience to a new level of excellence.

Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio

ancoradining.com | @ancoradining

1600 Howe Street

Phone: 604.681.116

Sharing is caring at Nightingale restaurant

Located in a heritage building in downtown Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, Nightingale serves up vibrant Canadian cuisine that uses local ingredients with global influences. Owned by David Hawksworth, who is widely regarded as one of Canada’s greatest chefs, Nightingale offers a casual but upscale dining experience. The menu consists of a good number of options comprised of raw options, seasonal vegetables, pizza, small and large shared plates.

Kick off your feast with the Kale salad, shaved fennel, chickpea, ricotta salata, bread crumbs, creamed garlic followed by the roasted acorn squash, walla walla onion, macedonian feta, sage. If you’re in the mood for a finger licking good time at Nightingale, the crispy fried chicken, preserved lemon yogurt, dill, espelette, is a must try.

Half the fun of dinning at Nightingale is observing the beauty of the interior of this rustic chic space. We headed to Nightingale on a Monday night and there were no signs of the Monday blues, instead we witnessed the lively ambience of its atmosphere, celebrations, friends sharing amazing food and great service from the staff who were fully engaged, prompt, friendly and knowledgeable. This place is busy, so reservations are a must.

Nightingale

hawknightingale.com | @hawknightingale

1017 West Hastings Street

Phone: 604-695-9500

Do you smell what Homer St. Café is cooking?

Homer Street Cafe is a charming restaurant and bar on the edge of Yaletown housed in two of Vancouver’s most iconic buildings, the historic Homer Building and the new Beasley building. Beloved for their comfort foods, the meaty aromas coming from the Kitchen’s signature fire engine red rotisserie will be hard to resist.

The roasted chicken (sold as quarter, half, or whole cuts) is served with coleslaw, roasted potatoes with chicken jus to match. Despite the chicken being the star of the show the most memorable from this spot was the maple butter pork belly which is so mouth wateringly tender and succulent with its douses of maple syrup

The restaurant features two spaces that consist of an open concept kitchen “Chef’s Bar” where one can get up close and personal with the culinary team, a private dining room with reclaimed factory windows, and bespoke seating complemented by antique tiling.

Homer Street Café has cool artwork of roosters on its walls, Brits dining at the restaurant will feel right just at home when you spot the painting of Winston Churchill.

Homer Street Café

Homerstreetcafebar.com | @homerstcafebar

898 Homer Street

Phone: 604.428.4299

It’s never too late to eat at Lucy’s Eastside Diner

Your options become limited when it comes to looking for somewhere to eat in Vancouver after midnight but fear not as Lucy’s Eastside Diner is open 24/7. With all of its super retro interior Lucy’s delivers the true essence of the 1950’s American diner.

You can expect all the usual suspects, breakfast, burgers, mac & cheese, pancakes and Lucy’s signature Sammies (sandwiches). If you want something out of the box opt for the cinnamon French toast, it’s not too heavy or greasy on the stomach.

Take note this a small place and the place fills up fast especially on a Saturday night once all the clubs are shut. Despite feeling a bit too close to the person dinning next to you, it actually won’t bother you too much as Lucy’s feels more of a great spot to hang out with a young and hip food community where everyone is friendly.

If you are really on the hungry side you can always take part in Lucy’s Uncle Grants Eating Challenge which involves eating six-patty burgers, 12 pieces of bacon, 6 slices of cheese, sides of poutine and mac & cheese plus a 24 oz. milkshake.

Finish in under 20 minutes and you’ll have the meal for free and your name will be added onto the wall of fame. You can still get your name on the wall if you finish it all in over 20 minutes. So take your time if you don’t care about paying for it all.

All day breakfast, never closes, not expensive, Lucy’s is a win win.

Join the Gastronomic Gastown Tour

A trip to Vancouver wouldn’t be complete without heading to its culinary epicentre, Gastown. If you have a free afternoon sign yourself up for a spot on the Gastronomic Gastown Tour organised by Vancouver Foodie Tours.

They were recently named by Forbes as one of the Top 9 Food tours in the world. Guided by a tour guide, the three hour food tasting and educational walking excursion will teach you about the rich history of Gastown and will allow you to mingle with other foodies from all over the world.

Brace yourself to try some of Vancity’s best-loved comfort food dishes at Six Acres which serves up a heart-warming Beer-gravy poutine, putting a fun twist on the simple but classic Canadian dish. While at Nicli antica pizzeria you’ll find pizza like no other as its Vancouver’s first VPN-certified Neapolitan pizza, which means an authentic taste of Italy is available on the cobblestone streets of Gastown.

Meat-centric sandwiches are the name of the game at Meat and bread on Cambie Street. The popular food chain has developed a cult following for its Porchetta sandwiches. Slow roasted pork, chopped in front of you with crispy cracklings and salsa verde, need we write more.

Its sweet endings for the tour at dessert and champagne lounge Mosquito, where you will raise a glass to the city’s incredible food offerings with a glass of bubbly.

Four restaurants in three hours, the Gastronomic Gastown will be a food experience unlike no other so make sure to eat light beforehand.

Vancouver Foodie Tours

Foodietours.ca | @vanfoodietours

Phone: 604.295.884

For further information on restaurants and general tourist attractions in Vancouver head to https://www.tourismvancouver.com

Air Transat (00 800 872 672 83 /www.airtransat.co.uk ) offers a return Economy Class flight direct from London Gatwick to Vancouver from £366 per person. Based on travel in May and June 2017. Option Plus is available for £42 one way, £84 return.