There is almost nothing that will make a Vancouverite happier than queuing for eggs. Hot brunch spots command serious waits and sorry, on the whole, they are not taking reservations. You'll have to schlepp down there and get your name on the list. From neighbourhood family-friendly favourites and the best for big groups to swanky special occasion spots and hangover essentials, we've got it covered. In no particular order, here are Vancouver's essential brunch spots that are actually worth putting on pants for.
An Eater 38 regular fixture, it’s all about beautifully-cooked diner classics here - all day long. The pulled-pork super-trucker pancake special with its JD-spiked syrup is rumoured to make out-of-towners up sticks and move to the city.
The city’s favourite breakfast truck took its no-nonsense flow-chart menu into bricks and mortar a few months back and there have been queues every weekend ever since. They were recently granted their alcohol license so now you can wash down that crazy-good chicken and waffles or double-smoked bacon benny with a range of cool brunch cocktails. “Manmosas”, anyone? Oh - and Yolk’s are all about the free-range eggs - props for that.
Happy Hour $1.50 oysters plus friendly service make this Commercial Drive neighourhood favourite a shoo-in on the must-brunch list. House-made clamato juice, possibly the best, most buttery hollandaise in town and the benedicts are served on home-made scones which mop up everything perfectly.
Because one waffle isn’t enough but two made into a sandwich is awesome. Hop between sweet and savoury here (go with a few friends and share and you might be able to nail down the whole menu) from basics like the BLT to bacon, eggs and kimchi. The sounds-bad-but-is-actually-great must-try waffle is the Teri-Vani, which blends vanilla ice cream with Teriyaki sauce and it’s amazing.
Get brunch Cajun-style at Ouisi with heaped-high portions and a side of Creole charm. There are plenty of benedicts to choose from but the Creole sauce hash and Bourbon Street frittata are solid options for soaking up a hangover. Team with a minty Maker’s Mark julep and life will be sweet again.
Once a month, Team Fable host a boozy brunch with half-price Caesars and mimosas. This is a brunch you have to reserve. Serves sometimes seem less generous than the non-boozy brunch service, but at half off, you can't pout.
Much.
Go-to dish? The Fable scrambled eggs: presented in a glass jar, scrambled and layered with buttery spinach, salty bacon and topped with a Parmesan foam; with hefts of fluffy brioche and crunchy rosti. Perfect.
There will be queues. It will be worth it. Feeling a tad hungover? the tomato-y breakfast poutine is a carb-fuelled, spirit-reviving miracle on a plate. If you're looking for somewhere to stretch out and take your time over coffee and papers, go elsewhere, but as a quick catch-up spot over exceptionally well-made brunch classics or unusual benedict specials it's hard to beat. Plus: surprisingly good coffee.
This West End gem recently had a change of management; the flaking paint and unloved exterior have been given a make-over but thankfully, the super cheap pancakes and other breakfasts classics—cooked exactly right—have stayed. They're also now baking their own bread and making their own preserves.
If you’ve got brunch plans with a big group of friends then usually you can forget about most of the restaurants in Vancouver; small rooms do not embrace big crowds. Hurrah then for Milestones - really any of their locations is a winner but the English Bay one has a show-stopper of a view. Service is exceptional and prices are low; the brunch bundle is as good as deal as you’ll find in town for $20.
Prepare to lose your mind - and waistline - to pastry at this unassuming little spot near English Bay. Try their Bulgarian burek; impossibly buttery and flaky filo pastry stuffed with sweet or savoury fillings. The roasted potatoes are especially good here.
When a restaurant has the motto: Eat. Meat. Repeat; it’s hard not to do just that. The brisket, cheddar and egg sandwich on sourdough is a thing of great beauty. This small room is well worth seeking out and thanks to its late opening hours, it’s become the hangout of choice for many industry types - always a sign of excellent food, drink and service.
Get grown-up at Tableau’s swanky brunch with a French flavour. If you like super-spicy Caesars you’re in luck - more delicate palates will prefer the 1181 cocktail with elderflower and bubbles. New for spring the apple and cheddar souffle pancake perfectly balances sweet and savoury and a grilled calamari and prawn dish hits the spot for seafood lovers to pair with fresh-shucked oysters. Traditionalists will love the benedicts.
Two words: Oyama sausage. Vancouverites know that the Granville Island’s sausage kings can't be beaten, and sensibly, Grain know this too. Their Oyama feature benedict is a plate-licker of a dish. Locavors will enjoy their Caesars made with BC gin or vodka.
Really? A hotel bar restaurant for brunch? Um, yeah - really, every Sunday (and Monday) YEW have a wonderful half-price wine feature. Get down there, order up a bottle of bubbly and make your own mimosas. Booze aside, the feature benedicts are a treat - if the lobster benny isn’t on the menu, it may be worth begging and pleading them to make it anyway. Too proud to beg? Oh, alright - go for the duck hash then. Also - pleasingly large brunch dessert selection. Rare and appreciated. [Photo Credit Sean Neald]
The problem with brunch is that if you’re with a big group and want to linger, you’re pretty much screwed. Unless you go to Earl’s. Large potions, great prices, bread made in-house (the sourdough on the benedict is fantastic) plus huge tables and booths make this a solid spot for any celebration brunches.
Club together and send one brave soul down early to reserve your spot: waits can be 30mins to an hour. But - infuriatingly it’s worth it. Great brunch cocktails, unmissable asiago scones and a solid benedict program make this a good bet for a downtown shopping stop-off.
Another prize breakfast poutine. No matter what anyone else orders, if you have the poutine, you win. It is delicious. Also good call for brunch oysters, $6 Caesars and Mimosas.
Yes, we know that the lavender lattes served up here are wonderful - and the waffles with unusual flavour combination toppings like white chocolate pistachio rosewater and fig orange marmalade are delicious, but oh - the queues. Really they are the worst; brunch here is very busy and sometimes the service can reflect this. But sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants and oftentimes that is a lavender latte.
Wildebrunch: The meat lover's breakfast of choice with an angus beef bavette, smoked bier wurst, bacon, three eggs and triple-cooked potatoes. Wear the stretchy pants and leave the vegetarians at home. Also a great bet for those looking for something a little more imaginative than Caesars or mimosas, Wildebeest have a kick-ass cocktail programme thanks to co-owner Josh Pape.
Three words: chicken and waffles. No bland, under-seasoned poultry here - these beauties come with a trip of sauces, Dijon Mournaise, Spicy Tomato Vinaigrette, and Maple Syrup which you drizzle on top and then get stuck in. Order with a side of the ridiculously good pork belly crackling for pure breakfast meaty indulgence.
Brunch as art in Gastown with adventurous chef Jefferson Alvarez's 'Perfect Egg'- a beautiful take on breakfast with an edible shell and yes, one of the best yolks in the city.
An Eater 38 regular fixture, it’s all about beautifully-cooked diner classics here - all day long. The pulled-pork super-trucker pancake special with its JD-spiked syrup is rumoured to make out-of-towners up sticks and move to the city.
The city’s favourite breakfast truck took its no-nonsense flow-chart menu into bricks and mortar a few months back and there have been queues every weekend ever since. They were recently granted their alcohol license so now you can wash down that crazy-good chicken and waffles or double-smoked bacon benny with a range of cool brunch cocktails. “Manmosas”, anyone? Oh - and Yolk’s are all about the free-range eggs - props for that.
Happy Hour $1.50 oysters plus friendly service make this Commercial Drive neighourhood favourite a shoo-in on the must-brunch list. House-made clamato juice, possibly the best, most buttery hollandaise in town and the benedicts are served on home-made scones which mop up everything perfectly.
Because one waffle isn’t enough but two made into a sandwich is awesome. Hop between sweet and savoury here (go with a few friends and share and you might be able to nail down the whole menu) from basics like the BLT to bacon, eggs and kimchi. The sounds-bad-but-is-actually-great must-try waffle is the Teri-Vani, which blends vanilla ice cream with Teriyaki sauce and it’s amazing.
Get brunch Cajun-style at Ouisi with heaped-high portions and a side of Creole charm. There are plenty of benedicts to choose from but the Creole sauce hash and Bourbon Street frittata are solid options for soaking up a hangover. Team with a minty Maker’s Mark julep and life will be sweet again.
Once a month, Team Fable host a boozy brunch with half-price Caesars and mimosas. This is a brunch you have to reserve. Serves sometimes seem less generous than the non-boozy brunch service, but at half off, you can't pout.
Much.
Go-to dish? The Fable scrambled eggs: presented in a glass jar, scrambled and layered with buttery spinach, salty bacon and topped with a Parmesan foam; with hefts of fluffy brioche and crunchy rosti. Perfect.
There will be queues. It will be worth it. Feeling a tad hungover? the tomato-y breakfast poutine is a carb-fuelled, spirit-reviving miracle on a plate. If you're looking for somewhere to stretch out and take your time over coffee and papers, go elsewhere, but as a quick catch-up spot over exceptionally well-made brunch classics or unusual benedict specials it's hard to beat. Plus: surprisingly good coffee.
This West End gem recently had a change of management; the flaking paint and unloved exterior have been given a make-over but thankfully, the super cheap pancakes and other breakfasts classics—cooked exactly right—have stayed. They're also now baking their own bread and making their own preserves.
If you’ve got brunch plans with a big group of friends then usually you can forget about most of the restaurants in Vancouver; small rooms do not embrace big crowds. Hurrah then for Milestones - really any of their locations is a winner but the English Bay one has a show-stopper of a view. Service is exceptional and prices are low; the brunch bundle is as good as deal as you’ll find in town for $20.
Prepare to lose your mind - and waistline - to pastry at this unassuming little spot near English Bay. Try their Bulgarian burek; impossibly buttery and flaky filo pastry stuffed with sweet or savoury fillings. The roasted potatoes are especially good here.
When a restaurant has the motto: Eat. Meat. Repeat; it’s hard not to do just that. The brisket, cheddar and egg sandwich on sourdough is a thing of great beauty. This small room is well worth seeking out and thanks to its late opening hours, it’s become the hangout of choice for many industry types - always a sign of excellent food, drink and service.
Get grown-up at Tableau’s swanky brunch with a French flavour. If you like super-spicy Caesars you’re in luck - more delicate palates will prefer the 1181 cocktail with elderflower and bubbles. New for spring the apple and cheddar souffle pancake perfectly balances sweet and savoury and a grilled calamari and prawn dish hits the spot for seafood lovers to pair with fresh-shucked oysters. Traditionalists will love the benedicts.
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