10 Great Restaurants Around Mount Pleasant, Vancouver
For the past few decades, Vancouver’s Main Street has been a sort of barometer for what’s cool. Striking a balance between Commercial Drive’s eclectic vibes and Yaletown’s polished chic, Mount Pleasant (roughly bounded by Great Northern Way, East 16th Avenue, Cambie Street and Fraser Street) is independent yet accessible, on-trend without being flashy, high quality without being designer.
Spend an afternoon strolling the heart of the neighbourhood on Main Street (honestly, extend it to the whole stretch between East 33rd Avenue and East 2nd Avenue). Stock up on consignment jeans from your favourite brands, custom bouquets of local blooms, top quality coffee, local craft beer, antique jewellery and even mid-century furniture. And, make sure to stay for dinner. Mount Pleasant, Vancouver restaurants are some of the very best in town, and feature heavily in the city’s Michelin guide.
Jeju
After gaining a devoted following in Tofino, Jeju opened a location in Vancouver in 2025. The co-owners wanted to share the Korean food they remember from childhood, and they craft it from a mix of local ingredients and specialty finds imported from a family farm in Korea. Best known for “The” Galbi, a 35-day aged prime short rib served with kimchi and all the extras you’d get in Seoul.
- Cuisine: Korean
- Vibe: Plenty of wood, warm lighting and wonderful service
- What to eat: “The” Galbi, KFC (Korean fried chicken with gochujang glaze, garlic aioli and pickled radish)
The Acorn
A few blocks south of Mount Pleasant on Main Street at East 24th Avenue, the Acorn serves up wonderful, surprising, beautifully plated vegetarian food. Their zero waste kitchen is just part of their approach to sustainable dining. Nearly everything you find on your plate has been locally sourced, including the plate itself. Michelin recommended.
- Cuisine: Inventive, seed-to-stalk vegetarian with plenty of vegan and gluten free options
- Vibe: Natural, warm and inviting
- What to eat: Beer-battered halloumi with Devil’s Club tartar sauce
Anh and Chi
Brother and sister team Vincent and Amelie Nguyễn reimagined their family restaurant in 2017, transforming a neighbourhood pho joint into Anh and Chi, a stylish Michelin Bib Gourmand pick. Find it just barely outside the official Mount Pleasant boundaries on Main Street at East 18th. Michelin Bib Gourmand.
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
- Vibe: Bright, pattern-filled space with a patio
- What to eat: Signature vermicelli bowl with veggies, Vietnamese herbs and chili fish sauce
Burdock & Co
Expect stunning plating and unusual botanical ingredients in Burdock & Co’s moon-themed tasting menus, which change every two months. The first Canadian restaurant owned and operated by a female chef to earn a Michelin star. Chef Andrea Carlson’s work has been described as “poetic.”
- Cuisine: Hyper-regional farm to table
- Vibe: Intimate 32-seat space crafted from recycled materials
- What to eat: Their fried chicken is an unexpected but beloved dish that pops up on tasting menus from time to time
Do Chay
Flavour-packed, creative twists on Vietnamese dishes so delicious that meat eaters might not even notice that this is a fully plant-based restaurant. At Do Chay, “wings” are crispy fried oyster mushrooms and dumplings are filled with wood ear mushroom, chickpea, jicama and water chestnut. Snack and share a wide variety of street food, share plates, noodle bowls, and larger mains. Southeast of Mount Pleasant in the Kensington–Cedar Cottage neighbourhood.
- Cuisine: Vegetarian Vietnamese
- Vibe: Casual wood and brick space with birdcage decor
- What to eat: Savoury coconut rice cakes with mushroom, jicama and ground tofu
ELEM
A sleek, modern, precise dining experience based on the theme of the four classical elements. Expect bold, bright flavours with global influences, polished plating and chic decor at Michelin-recommended ELEM.
- Cuisine: Contemporary international
- Vibe: Cool, polished, modern
- What to eat: Grilled lamb skewers with medjool date glaze, ginger labneh and buckwheat
Published on Main
Experience local ingredients in season, prepared in surprising and delightful ways, at Published on Main, a Michelin-starred restaurant just south of Mount Pleasant on Main Street at East 20th. Known for their sustainable approach to operations, including mushrooms and botanicals foraged by Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson. Try it all with a 10-course tasting menu.
- Cuisine: North American contemporary
- Vibe: Airy and elevated, yet approachable
- What to eat: Æbleskiver (Danish fried dough balls) with stewed herbs
Savio Volpe
Enjoy some of the best Italian food in Vancouver at Savio Volpe in an airy, stylish room on Kingsway designed by co-founder Craig Stanghetta. An approachable menu of house-made pastas, meats roasted over a wood fire and flavourful roasted and grilled vegetables is best enjoyed family style. Come with a group so you can try everything!
- Cuisine: Rustic Italian
- Vibe: Stylish yet relaxed, with mid-century leanings
- What to eat: Agnolotti with braised beef and swiss chard
Vij's
On must-dine lists in Vancouver since it opened in 1994, Vij’s (named for celebrity Chef Vikram Vij) is known for its creative approach to Indian food. This is not your standard takeout butter chicken (but yes, there is a butter chicken). Think coriander spiced jackfruit, masala-encrusted pork tenderloin and halibut with saffron, curry leaves and coconut curry. Don’t miss the inventive cocktails. A Michelin Bib Gourmand pick.
- Cuisine: Indian
- Vibe: Attentive service in a room with pops of colour. Punched metal pendant lights give the impression of a starry sky above.
- What to eat: Grilled lamb “popsicles” with scallop spinach potatoes and garlic fenugreek curry
Zarak by Afghan Kitchen
In 2003, Chef Zohra immigrated to Canada with four young boys. She spoke no English and had no formal work experience, just a passion for cooking. In 2017, her dream of opening her own restaurant came true with Zarak by Afghan Kitchen. Family recipes celebrate Afghan ingredients, crafting them with modern techniques and serving them on intricately patterned plates.
- Cuisine: Afghani
- Vibe: A warm, bright, modern space with subtle nods to Middle Eastern geometrical patterns.
- What to eat: Tender, slow-cooked lamb shank with turnip purée, tomato gravy and Afghan spices
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