A few weeks ago I went on a short trip to Vancouver, and I mean a SHORT trip! With only 48 hours to explore the city, I crammed in as many things as possible and of course ate A LOT of food! What can I say... food is my favorite part about vacationing! While I wish I could have been in Vancouver for a longer period of time, I fell in love with some of the places I found during my short stay there. In case you ever find yourself in Vancouver, here are my favorite restaurants and healthy activities I found to help you get your vacation planning started!
Favorite places to eat:
The Acorn: I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant! It honestly was my favorite meal I had while in Vancouver! Everything on the menu is vegetarian, most is gluten free, and almost everything can be made vegan. The flavors in all the dishes complimented each other so well, and best of all you leave without feeling sluggish and weighed down by heavy food! It is definitely a "foodie" type restaurant, so don't be surprised if you don't recognize some of the things on the menu... trust me... you will love it!! As an appetizer, my mom and I split the legume bowl, and then we split the Kale and Tempeh Salad and the Morel Bowl. I've tried picking a favorite, but it is literally impossible! The food here is heavenly and an absolute must for all foodies! To make it even better, the menu also changes seasonally! Check out my blog post here to learn about the benefits of eating seasonal foods!
Go Fish: If you want delicious, fresh seafood, this place is a must! Located right on the water, this restaurant buys the fish right off the dock about 50 feet away and cooks it to order! Everything is fresh, local, seasonal, and sustainably harvested. I had their grilled salmon with a "tangy glaze" (delicious) served with an organic green salad with a roasted garlic and white balsamic vinaigrette. Just a heads up that this casual food truck is pretty popular, so there may be a line, but it is well worth the wait!
Botanist: For those of you who like restaurants with a great ambiance and even better food, definitely add this place to your list! The restaurant is gorgeously decorated with plants everywhere (hints the name "Botanist") and several great options on the menu made from local, organic ingredients! I ordered the Crab and Avocado Benedict and my mom ordered the Smashed Avocado Toast, both of which were delicious! I especially loved my green juice which had a perfect spicy hint from the ginger! I wish I could have gone here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Honey Salt: This is a perfect place for breakfast! They offer a wide variety of smoothies, fresh juices, and more! The avocado toast is to die for! Not only does it have Serrano chiles on it to give it some spice, but it also has pickled peppers to give it a perfect, unique, sour tang (I know, it may sound weird, but it was DELICIOUS!). The toast is also garnished with watermelon radishes and served with a shot of their green juice. They also focus on using local ingredients!
Provence Marinaside: I am so glad we overheard one of the other guests at our hotel talking about this restaurant in the elevator! Located along the water, this restaurant has a beautiful view and delicious food! I ordered their trio of grilled fish (albacore tuna, halibut, and steelhead) served with shaved zucchini, rainbow carrots, asparagus, shallots, fingerling potatoes, tomato and black garlic vinaigrette. The fish practically melted in my mouth, and the veggies were incredible! I wished I had a whole other plate of the zucchini and carrots! If you are a coffee drinker, you should also order one of their cappuccinos! They are really good!!
Favorite things to do:
Capilano Suspension Bridge: You HAVE to go here if you ever find yourself in Vancouver! It is only about a 15 minute bus ride from Canada Place in downtown Vancouver, and it was hands down my favorite thing we did during our short stay! Let me first just say that I am absolutely terrified of heights, but I still loved this place! You get an up-close look of stunning trees, picturesque lakes and ponds, and just all-around gorgeous nature! I just wouldn't necessarily recommend looking down! Oh and make sure to hold on tight! The bridge really does swing!
Stanley Park: This beautiful park is another great place to see some of the nature in Vancouver. While we did not have enough time to stay in the park for long, I absolutely loved walking around the area surrounding the aquarium (aka the best place to find a taxi when you need to get back to downtown). My favorite part was when we found of flock of geese that walked up right next to us. Clearly they were not afraid of people at all!
Lululemon Lab: For all of my fellow yoga-lovers out there, this is a place you do not want to miss! This is one of only two locations where Lululemon creates new designs and where you can shop directly from the sample room! Everything is made in limited quantities and is exclusive to the Lab location, so you won't see any of these products at other Lululemon stores! Needless to say, I wanted just about everything I saw there, but I managed to control myself and only get one pair of yoga pants which I am completely obsessed with!
Walk along the waterfront: This was the perfect way to end an evening! The waterfront is gorgeous, and if you go in the evening, you will have a breathtaking view of the sunset over the water with the beautiful city skyline surrounding you!
I had an amazing time in Vancouver, and I hope that this blog helps if you are ever planning a trip there! Please comment below or message me if you have any questions!!
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