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New: Check out the updated list of strictly vegan and vegetarian restaurants we’ve just posted here.

There are tons of restaurants in Vancouver that now offer quite a good selection of vegetarian options. However, they just never can do it as good as a strict vegetarian/vegan restaurant can. That’s why we wanted to collect together our list of awesome vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Vancouver that will make vegetarians happy and non-vegetarians not miss meat.

There’s life beyond the salad, as these 7 awesome Vancouver vegetarian and vegan restaurants demonstrate:

The Naam

Vegetarian since before it was cool, The Naam is the original veggie gangster holding it down on West 4th in Kits. What’s great about The Naam is that it’s open 24 hours, so if you’re craving munchies at 2 in the morning you don’t have to settle for a greasy pile of poutine from MacDonalds.

The tiny restaurant is usually full to its gills, but gets food to you relatively quickly. They’re known for their sesame fries and miso gravy (a meal in itself!), as well as their expansive menu of veggie delights. You can’t go wrong with their veggie burgers, and even meat-eaters will be pleased with the wide array of inventive options.

Cost: Kits prices, big portions

Address: 2724 West 4th Avenue

Order the: anything that comes with sesame fries and miso gravy

Website: www.thenaam.com

The Acorn

Veggie dishes, all classed up! The Acorn is a posh vegetarian and vegan option on Main Street that takes the freshest ingredients and creates something magical that makes your mouth sing “oh my god, this is so good”. Plus, their bathrooms have the soundtrack of tweeting birds in it, how’s that for awesome!?

The Acorn’s menu changes from season to season depending on what’s growing in the local farmer’s field. Honestly, you can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu, and we loved everything we ate. The “Harvest” dish was great, and everyone always recommends the Halloumi Cheese, so give those a try.

Cost: You pay for quality, and this is quality.

Address: 3995 Main Street

Order the: soup, Harvest, and Halloumi cheese

Website: www.theacornrestaurant.ca

The Wallflower

Even when you’re a vegetarian, you can have an insane craving for guilty pleasures. And yes, we’re talking about poutine. The rich, gravy-soaked pile of crispy fries that always tastes like warm, cheesy heaven. Unfortunately, it’s made of gravy (meat-based) and packed with cheese (obviously, dairy), what’s a poutine-craving veggie lover supposed to do?

There’s actually a few options for vegetarian poutine in Vancouver, but The Wallflower does it best with its vegan poutine that boasts mushroom gravy, dairy-free cheese, and marinated tofu. Thank the greasy gods! The Wallflower Modern Diner also has quite a few other vegetarian options on the menu, as well as meat, so you can keep everyone at the table happy! We also loved the pesto focaccia sandwich, but that’s because we love pesto… and bread.

Cost: Average

Address: 2420 Main Street

Order the: vegan poutine or any other vegan-friendly comfort food creations

Website: www.thewallflowermoderndiner.com

Bandidas Taqueria

Vegetarian food with a Mexican kick! If you love tacos, burritos, and nachos, Bandidas Taqueria offers great food at an excellent price. While traditional tacos are filled to the brim with meat products, Bandidas offers a vegetarian spin with wholesome comfort food that is packed with pinto beans, chipotle tofu, kale, roasted yams, and of course guacamole.

The burritos are what brings most people into Bandidas, and they are incredibly filling and delicious for their $8.50 price tag. Unique flavour combinations will have you coming back again and again and… again? It’s also a place that’s excellent for people-watching, so grab a table and a taco and let the entertainment accompany your meal.

Cost: Great prices, cheap drink deals

Address: 2781 Commercial Drive

Order the: burritos and gluten-free nachos

Website: www.bandidastaqueria.com

Heirloom

An award-winning vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver that has been pleasing huge amounts of people since its inception in 2012, Heirloom Vegetarian restaurant proudly touts its slogan of: “eat more vegetables!” This stylish eatery is just a stones throw away from Granville Street, and features an airy interior with hip and knowledgeable staff, along with fresh and innovative eats.

Ah the food! It’s delicious and filling and limited on the tofu (not all veggie-eaters enjoy tasteless tofu!). Heirloom has become quite famous in the vegetarian/gluten-free/vegan/celiac circles for their quinoa hash and avocado frites. The food is a “breath of fresh air in the vegetarian restaurant scene” as one reviewer gushes. If you’re looking for a nice night out with some delicious, inventive dishes, Heirloom is a must visit.

Cost: You pay for quality.

Address: 1509 West 12th Avenue

Order the: Avocado frites, gluten hash, anything with mushrooms

Website: www.heirloomrestaurant.ca

Chau Veggie Express

Delicious vegetarian food that is inspired by the owner’s Vietnamese roots in family and culture. The food is fresh, healthy, and creative. Best of all, the prices are decent! Most dishes range from $7.50 – $12, so you can have a full meal here for under $20! Awesome. Menu items include quinoa, lots of coconut options, rice noodles, tofu, lemongrass, and the especially-popular taro chips.

Cost: Cheap! Get a meal for under $15-20

Address: 5052 Victoria Drive

Order the: Pretty much anything is a good bet, but get it with a side of Taro chips.

Website: www.chowatchau.ca

It’s hard to whittle down the list to just 7, so here are some honourable mentions of other great vegetarian/vegan restaurants in Vancouver:

Got any other suggestions? Let us know in the comment section!