Dished Neighbourhood Gems: Vancouver's Mount Pleasant
Vancouver is home to some amazing gems, longstanding classics, and under-the-radar establishments when it comes to stellar food and beverage.Â
We’re doing the digging for you by highlighting the best local destinations to check out in each city (if you haven’t already).
Here are our Dished Neighbourhood Gems for Mount Pleasant.
One of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, and its first suburb, Mount Pleasant is bound by False Creek, 16 Avenue, Cambie Street, and Clark Drive.
The neighbourhood has worn many hats over the years; a large creek that runs down what is now Main Street attracted early industries, including breweries, giving the area the nickname Brewery Creek.
Then, during the boom years of the early 1900s, the area was set to become a hub for the fashionable set, before the expansion of Broadway in the 1930s led to the demolition of many of Mount Pleasant’s homes.
Rough around the edges through the 80s and 90s, this neighbourhood has seen a huge revitalization in the past twenty or so odd years, turning it, once again, into a highly desirable place to live, work, and eat.
From eclectic diners to hip bars to family-run restaurants, Mount Pleasant remains a destination in Vancouver for some of the best food and drink this city has to offer.
While we couldn’t possibly name them all, here are a few of our absolute favourite spots in the neighbourhood for grabbing a bite and having a drink or two.
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Shawarma wraps: Mitra Canteen
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This spot for Mediterranean food, which just recently underwent renovations with a fresh, new look, happens to be attached to Uncle Abe’s (also on this list!). Grab a falafel plate, shawarma wrap, or some pita and hummus and take it next door, or outside on the patio, to enjoy a beer alongside. We also love that this place is open late (we’re talking 2 am on weekends!).
Address: 3034 Main Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-874-9820
Vegetarian platters with injera: Fassil Restaurant
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For some of the city’s standout Ethiopian food, head to Fassil for vegetarian, beef, lamb, and chicken platters served with injera – the spongy flatbread used to scoop stews and soups. Head to this spot with some friends and share a platter, as Fassil’s offerings make for great social food.
Address: 736 E Broadway, Vancouver
Phone: 604-879-2001
Salmon poké bowls: Carp
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We could go on and on about how this place has some of the best sushi and pokĂ© bowls but really, you should just try it for yourself. Tucked unassumingly beside Kingsgate Mall, Carp is a tiny spot with only a couple of tables for dining in, and it’s only open during the week. We recommend starting with a salmon pokĂ© bowl, a spam musubi, or a Hawaiian Five roll to start.
Address: 2516 Prince Edward Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-708-5542
Cocktails called “The Exorcism”: Hail Mary’s
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We love this bar for its pseudo-religious theme, cozy vibes, and cocktails named after Catholic signifiers. Where else can you get a drink called The Rosary or The Exorcism, a can of PBR for $5, and a platter of deep-fried brie bits? We love a themed bar, and this is a good one.
Address: 670 E Broadway, Vancouver
Phone: 604-829-7032
Affordable breakfast platters: The Lion’s Den Cafe
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Known for its Caribbean cuisine, Japaribbean food (a combination of Caribbean and Japanese), all-day breakfast offerings, as well as the real-life taxidermied lion displayed up on the wall, this hidden gem is both fun and delicious. Grab a breakfast platter, a jerk chicken sandwich, or a curry goat dish, best enjoyed with a bottle of ginger beer. The owners are also incredibly kind and gregarious, making this place all the more special. Just watch out – they might just offer you a shot of rum or two at 10 am (true story).
Address: 651 E 15th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-873-4555
High-quality fish: Toshi Sushi
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Tucked around the corner from the business of Main Street on 15th Avenue, this sushi spot is nearly always busy. It offers a limited menu of top-notch sushi items, like spicy chopped scallop nigiri, box sushi rolls (with ebi, salmon, and thinly sliced lemon), as well as a variety of sashimi and combination offerings. The fish is always impeccable, making this one of our top spots for sushi in the neighbourhood.
Address: 181 E 16th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-874-5173
Cozy, apartment dinner style vibes: Dock Lunch
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Maybe one of the more charming spots in all of Vancouver, Dock Lunch is an “apartment cafe” offering a limited, ever-rotating menu of home-style cooked meals. Run by Elizabeth Bryan, Dock Lunch operates in a space that used to be Bryan’s home from the early 2000s to 2014. Her dinner parties became so well-known that she opened up a little restaurant, and Dock Lunch was born. The menu is always changing, but the space itself is charm-incarnate – plus, the small patio is the most perfect place to while away a long evening over a meal and a drink.
Address: 152 E 11th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-879-3625
French pastries: Melo Patisserie
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This patisserie is tucked along the side street of 8th Avenue – you’ll find it in a cute heritage building by its little bistro tables and welcoming interiors. Offering French-inspired desserts, pastries, as well as coffee and tea, Melo is a great spot to sit and pretend you’re in Paris for an afternoon.
Address: 154 E 8th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-423-4520
Great espresso drinks: Oh Carolina
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Having only just opened in June of 2021, Oh Carolina is a relative newcomer to the neighbourhood, but the folks behind it are veterans in the Vancouver restaurant scene (they ran the now-shuttered Wildebeest). Set in an old house on the corner of 12th and Carolina Street, this cafe is also a little grocer, with pastries, sandwiches, and bottled drinks to go, too. Oh Carolina also regularly hosts fun summer garden food events, like this summer’s RosĂ© and Sausage event and the Turkish Funk event.
Address: 580 E 12th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-428-0750
The legendary Johnny-O: Budgies Burritos
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Ah, Budgies, what would we do without you? One of our favourite spots in the city to grab a burrito, Budgie’s has been around for a while and we’re happy for it. The burritos are all vegetarian and very straightforward, but the Johnny-O has never let us down before. We also love the space here, with the small downstairs seating area and eclectic thrift-store artwork lining the walls – this place feels like home.
Address: 44 Kingsway, Vancouver
Phone: 604-874-5408
Drink specials and dog-friendly patio: Uncle Abe’s
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Attached to the aforementioned Mitra Canteen, Uncle Abe’s is one of this neighbourhood’s best spots to grab a bevvy. With a cool, eclectic and charming interior, a killer patio (which happens to be very dog friendly!) and sweet drink deals, we love sitting here and people-watching.
Address: 3032 Main Street, Vancouver
Pancit: Klasik Inasal and Noodle Express
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Tucked along the Broadway transit corridor at Fraser is one of the best spots for Filipino cuisine in the city. Klasik Inasal serves authentic Filipino food at affordable prices, including its namesake (Filipino-style grilled chicken), pancit, pork dishes, soup, and all-day breakfast platters.
Address: 650 E Broadway, Vancouver
Phone: 604-873-3939
If you have a neighbourhood gem in or around the city that you want to shine a spotlight on, let us know at [email protected].Â
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