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Sweet or savory, breakfast is one of the best meals of the day – and the perfect way to fuel up for a day of sightseeing. But when you’re in a new city, how do you know where to go? As a local, here are my top picks for some of the best breakfast restaurants in Vancouver – and ideas on what you should order.
Where Are The Best Breakfast Restaurants In Vancouver?
If you’re visiting Vancouver for the first time, you’ll likely be staying in or near downtown. Therefore most of my selections are within the downtown area.
But Vancouver is a very transit friendly city, and while the majority of these will be walkable from popular areas of Vancouver, you may prefer to take a short bus or Skytrain ride if you’re feeling especially hungry.
Many of Vancouver’s best breakfast restaurants will be around hotels, but there are a couple here off the beaten path a little.
Most of these restaurants are not a secret to Vancouverites, and often show up on brunch recommendation lists. But more than a few can be easily overlooked – keep reading to find out why they shouldn’t be.
Top Tips For Surviving Brunch In Vancouver
As a local I can tell you that brunch is one of our favorite things to do in Vancouver. Expect to see queues at some of the most popular places, even the ones that may seem out of the way. Distance knows no bounds to a Vancouverite on the hunt for brunch.
Here are some of my suggestions to help make sure you don’t leave Vancouver disappointed:
- Arrive Early – Don’t wait until 10am or 11am if a place opens earlier. You could end up with a bit of a wait. Instead, arrive early if possible.
- Avoid Weekends – Visiting Vancouver for a few days? Visit your preferred spots on a weekday if you want to make sure you get in – it’ll be a lot quieter.
- Make a Reservation – Don’t leave it up to chance if there’s an option to book a table. Make a reservation up to a week before you visit. Note some breakfast restaurants in Vancouver take reservations on weekdays but not weekends so do your research.
- Be Flexible – Have a couple of places in mind in case one is too busy. Be willing to juggle your itinerary if you really want to visit a specific place for breakfast while you’re in town. Willingness to take a spot at the bar/counter might help you get in quicker.
- Be Patient and Queue – If there’s a place that’s a must-visit on your list you might just have to suck it up and wait. If it’s any of these places, it’ll be sure to be worth it.
Best Breakfast Restaurants In Vancouver
The thing you need to know about Vancouver – we love our brunch! Because of the popularity there will be queues, and brunch is not as cheap as it might be in other places.
However, we have tons of great quality breakfast restaurants in Vancouver. And all have good vegetarian options – although you might struggle a bit more for vegan.
Here are my top choices for places to eat breakfast or brunch while visiting Vancouver.
JAM CAFÉ
3 Locations: 556 Beatty Street, Vancouver (downtown); 2153 W 4th Ave, Vancouver (Kitsilano); 100 1st St E, North Vancouver (Lonsdale, North Vancouver)
PRICES: $$$
RESERVATIONS: NO (limited seats at the bar are good for solo diners)
VEGAN OPTIONS: YES
RECOMMENDED DISHES: The Fat Elvis Waffle, Mexican Street Corn Frittata, Fried Chicken Benny and Cinnamon French Toast Sticks on the side
Always incredibly popular, you might be better going mid-week since there are no reservations. I like to sit at the bar to get in quicker.
Beatty Street (downtown) location is small but efficient, good service and filling portions. The Mexican street corn frittata and lavender lemonade are an unbeatable combo.
Jam Café regularly tops many lists of breakfast restaurants in Vancouver. I do find it a bit overpriced (especially the sides and drinks), but the quality of the food is high so I didn’t mind for a treat. and while I enjoy it, there are places I enjoy more.
While I enjoy Jam Café, there are other places in Vancouver I prefer. Still, definitely worth a visit if you luck out on getting in.
THE TEMPLETON
1087 Granville Street, Vancouver
- PRICES: $
- RESERVATIONS: NO (willingness to sit at the counter could speed up your wait)
- VEGAN OPTIONS: YES
- RECOMMENDED DISHES: Farmers Breakfast Hash, Pulled Pork Pancakes, Vegan Tofu Scrambler, old-school diner-style milkshakes
One of my favorite breakfast restaurants in Vancouver. I don’t like to use the word hidden gem but it’s further away from many tourist sites so can be overlooked.
The Templeton looks straight out of the 50s (even though it dates back to the 1930s). Right down to the mini juke boxes at the booths and peeling vinyl seats, it has a totally retro diner look.
While there are only a handful of booths in the restaurant there are plenty of seats at the counter, ideal for solo diners. Weekdays might be better if you want to get in.
The menu items are more standard than many Vancouver breakfast joints, but no less tasty (and much cheaper). The breakfast hash skillet is a go-to for me, but I also really like the Huevos Rancheros. No-nonsense food with some classic tunes.
Order a milkshake, you won’t regret it…and it’ll fill you up for the rest of the day. They come in a dozen flavors but the Key Lime is the winner for me.
If you still have room after your meal, there or looking for a light snack, their homemade pies are delicious and reasonably priced.
YOLKS
3 Locations: 1598 E Hastings Street, Vancouver (East Vancouver); 546 W Broadway, Vancouver; 988 Davie St, Vancouver (downtown)
- PRICES: $$
- RESERVATIONS: YES but not on weekends/holidays – easy online instant reservations
- VEGAN OPTIONS: YES but limited
- RECOMMENDED DISHES: Perfectly Poached Egg Sandwiches, Lemon-berry Crispy French Toast, BC Salmon Avocado Toast, and a side of beignets complete with yummy dips
Yolks started out as a popular food truck – one that I definitely lined up at many times for their delicious beignets. Now they have a few restaurant locations and the quality has grown with the variety of dishes they offer.
The panko-crusted lemon-berry crispy French toast might be my new favorite breakfast dish. Although I struggle to finish it as it is so filling.
There’s a lot more variety on the sweeter breakfast options – unless you like eggs benedict – but that suits my taste quite nicely.
The East Hastings Yolks location is a little less busy, and on weekdays I’ve had no issues getting in. Note that it’s not in the best part of town, so if you do choose that location I’d recommend taking an Uber or transit.
TOP TIP: If you go for the beignets the maple-caramel cream dip is to die for!
PALATE KITCHEN
848 W Hastings Street, Vancouver
- PRICES: $$$
- RESERVATIONS: YES including weekends – easy online instant reservations
- VEGAN OPTIONS: YES
- RECOMMENDED DISHES: Moroccan Kefta Skillet, Mushroom Truffle Toast, Fruit Crunch Bowl
Considering this is a heritage building I expected a bit more from the décor which was a bit blah. But the food is what you come here for, and that doesn’t disappoint.
All the dishes look fantastic. but I enjoy the Fruit Crunch Bowl which is full of quality fresh fruit and great flavors.
There’s a good amount of creativity with the dishes. Even the “classics” have a bit of a twist and some unique flavors. There’s way more on the savory side than the sweet side of things here.
Mid-week it seems to be the place for business meeting breakfasts, being near all the financial buildings, but I haven’t had any trouble getting in. They also switch to a lunch menu, and even do a High Tea option that you can reserve.
NERO BELGIAN WAFFLE BAR
3 Locations: 1002 Seymour St, Vancouver; 1703 Robson St, Vancouver; 2861 Granville St, Vancouver (South Granville outside of downtown)
- PRICES: $$
- RESERVATIONS: NO – arriving early or visiting on a weekday might be best
- VEGAN OPTIONS: NO (waffles made with dairy/eggs)
- RECOMMENDED DISHES: Le Brie savory waffle, Tiramisu sweet waffle, Brussels waffle Benedict
Great little café with high tables and cozy booths, but one of the most popular breakfast restaurants in Vancouver so you could be in with a wait. I’ve always gone weekdays when it opens to avoid having to queue.
The menu isn’t huge, and everything is waffle based (should be no surprise), but there are good variety of options. The biggest decision you’ll have to make? Sweet or savory.
Offering both Brussels (light and crispy) and Liège waffles (softer and chewier), the Belgian-owned restaurant knows what it is doing.
I usually go sweet waffles, and really enjoyed the berry and mascarpone Liège waffle. The savory Smashed Avocado waffle was one of my favorites so far.
But on my last visit I had Le Brie, with honey, pecans, greens and apple. That was a gamechanger. The brie just the right amount of melty on top of the fresh, warm waffle.
I’m currently working my way through the menu – zero regrets!
BELAGGIO CAFÉ
773 Hornby Street, Vancouver
- PRICES: $$
- RESERVATIONS: YES – reservation form only, no instant reservations
- VEGAN OPTIONS: NO
- RECOMMENDED DISHES: Ricotta French Toast, Salmon Croissant, Avocado Toast
Belaggio Café is a very large space next to the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver downtown. It almost feels like an expensive hotel restaurant meets European café bar. Great old-timey vibes and knockout meals.
The meals are not as pricy as you would expect, although the portions may not always be huge so it’s probably all relative. Some of the sides could be a little more reasonably priced though.
Whatever you choose, make sure it comes with the breakfast potatoes. For me these are perfection. Little smashed nugget potatoes – the right amount of crispy, and well seasoned.
There are a few signature dishes that seem to be heavily sauced for extra flavor but I was really impressed with the avocado toast. Though that might just be the basic Millennial in me speaking.
MAXINE’S CAFÉ & BAR
1325 Burrard Street, Vancouver
- PRICES: $$$
- RESERVATIONS: YES – instant booking through Open Table, including for weekends
- VEGAN OPTIONS: YES but very limited – lots of vegetarian options though
- RECOMMENDED DISHES: Fried Chicken N Biscuits, Chickpea Falafel Bowl, Bananas Foster French Toast
Maxine’s is a great little café a little further away from the downtown center. Tasty food, French café feel and much bigger than it looks. This is one of my favorite breakfast restaurants in Vancouver.
My number one pick has to be the Bananas Foster French Toast. It’s simply divine. Creamy, sweet and plenty of rum caramel sauce to top it off. On one visit they even split it up into 4 portions for my friends and I to share.
The prices are on the high side, especially for a couple of feature items. The Harwood breakfast is $65 for two to share – roasted bone marrow, eggs, various meats with bread and potatoes.
For me, this place is a treat every now and again – usually right after pay day.
CAFÉ MEDINA
780 Richards Street, Vancouver
- PRICES: $$$
- RESERVATIONS: YES by donation only ($10pp to local charity, doesn’t go towards your bill). Otherwise walk-in only – get there early
- VEGAN OPTIONS: YES – a few items say they can be made vegetarian, so some can likely be made vegan too
- RECOMMENDED DISHES: Tagine (meat or vegetarian), Poêlée de Champignons, Breakfast Paella, and a side of Liège style waffles with various sauces
Exceptional, heavy Mediterranean-style food in a super classy setting. Café Medina is one of the most popular breakfast restaurants in Vancouver for good reason.
The décor is very elegant, the choices are vast, and the smell of freshly made waffles hits you as soon as you enter. If the line is too long, why not get a couple of waffles to go?
The tagine is really flavorful, even when I had it made vegetarian. In fact a number of menu items are customizable, which makes this place even more appealing.
A few of the dishes have a bit of spice to them, but there are lots of great options, even if they are all are on the savory side. Other than the waffles of course. That’s the only downside to Café Medina – a lack of sweet breakfast options for those who prefer them.
The waffles are always a hit – make sure to get some of the yummy unique-flavored sauces to go with them. My favorites are the raspberry caramel and milk chocolate lavender.
Breakfast Restaurants In Vancouver That Didn’t Make The Cut
There are other breakfast restaurants in Vancouver that come up in searches, but I chose not to include them here. For me, they just didn’t make the cut for one reason or another.
TWISTED FORK
I enjoyed the Twisted Fork when I last visited but for me the menu just isn’t extensive enough to give too many good options. They’ve pared down their offerings in recent years, and while the food maybe still good, I don’t find enough exciting looking items on there to want to try.
PAUL’S OMELETTERY
This was once one of my favorites. Just over the Granville Street bridge out of downtown, it was cheaper, busy but not too busy and good food. But in my research for this post I visited again and wasn’t too impressed.
I found the food has gone up a lot in price and the quality gone down. The omelette – some might say the signature dish given the restaurant name – was just not great. Not fluffy at all, and has an almost plastic-like outer texture.
RED UMBRELLA CAFÉ
A popular West End breakfast spot. A couple of things that bumped it out of my top spots are that some items are only available on weekends. And it presents as a cheaper spot but in the likes of the pancakes/French toast the toppings are add-on- so it adds up quickly. On the flip side, they get points for the option of smaller portions.
Your New Favorite Breakfast Restaurants In Vancouver
Whether I’m looking for a good breakfast before work, or enjoying a leisurely day off, Vancouver has plenty of brunch spots to try. If you’re visiting the city you’ll want to hit up at least a couple of them during your time here. They might be essential to fuel up before tackling Vancouver’s many sights.
Sweet, savory, classic, inventive, Vancouver has it all for breakfast. Though you won’t find too many really cheap options unless you go to mainstream, chain restaurants. For me though, Vancouver has so many local restaurants that I don’t mind paying a little more for something a little different.
My favorite two from this list have to be The Templeton (for the vibe as much as the food), and Maxine’s (for the quality and variety of dishes). Yolks is definitely up there too as I’ve never been let down by anything they serve.
Good luck finding your new favorite breakfast restaurants in Vancouver – it’s no easy task. There are so many choices that you won’t starve, but you may wish you could visit them all.
If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Which are your favorite breakfast restaurants in Vancouver? Are you a sweet or savory breakfast person?
What a wonderful and tasty post Emma, thanks so much for sharing all your insights and recommendations for the Vancouvian brunch scene. I like that it has a varied offering in vegan options, as well as savoury and sweet dishes. I would totally check out the Brussels waffle bar, the dish with brie, apple, pecans and greens has tickled my fancy. A couple of pins have been dropped on Google maps. I also appreciate that you included brunch spots which weren’t to your full satisfaction. For me as a brunch lover, this is important information when I do my research.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
Sign me up for a milkshake with breakfast at Templeton! But if they don’t have room I guess I’ll suffer through the savory breakfast at Cafe Medina! (Look delicious too!) Everyone always talks about dinner while traveling, but I find a great breakfast sets the mood for a great day!
This is a great look at Vancouver brunch places. I don’t do a lunch of brunch (but I do love a dim-sum), so you’ve introduced me to some new places to try out.
As I have an allergy to eggs and do not generally desire sweet foods, brunch/breakfast can be a challenge, but I do love a tasty fruit bowl. The photo of the fruit bowl at Palate is truly tempting! I second your recommendation of the milkshakes at Templeton, which can fill me up for the rest of the day!
Maxine’s is my daughter’s favourite, so we often meet there for special meals.
I love how you have included such a variety of breakfast options in this delicious-looking post. We tend to opt for savoury dishes but that panko-crusted lemon-berry French toast looks divine! The waffle bar would also be one we’d also like to check out, especially the savoury options.
Thanks for this excellent guide to breakfasting in Vancouver. It’s also really useful to learn about pricing and whether making a booking would be a good idea. Feeling very hungry now!
I’m really glad I read this after having dinner and not while I was hungry because well, this is making me quite hungry! I do admit i’m fairly simple with breakfast – mostly eggs, bacon and sausage and i’m happy. I extend this to brunch where I take it one step further and have a “breakfast burger” where it’s eggs, bacon, and a burger patty but generally no bun (you need a knife and fork anyway, let’s be honest!) However, i’ll occasionally venture out of my comfort zone with waffles or pancakes, and the mexican street corn frittata and the tiramisu sweet waffle sound amazing. Your food photography is also quite good too!
Ooh so many beautiful choices. Makes me want to eat a colorful meal – they looks so healthy!
Everything looks so delicious that I don’t even know where to start commenting
There are certainly options for all tastes and wallets!
An excellent guide for those who want to try all the flavors available at brunch in Vancouver! The fact that there are vegan options is undoubtedly a plus for these restaurants.
Congratulations on the choice of places and the “delicious” photos!