We love spending time at English Bay, but when it comes to finding food before or after our visit, it’s always a bit of a nightmare.
Sure there’s a ton of takeout-oriented places, but what if you actually want to sit down and enjoy a meal?
Don’t worry – in this post, we’ll be sharing some of our favourite places to eat near English Bay, after tons of taste-testing missions. From sushi and dumplings to more standard pub grub, there are actually a lot of nice options close to the beach. Read on for our top picks!
Help us improve this article! Here at Vancouver Tips, we only write about places we’ve personally visited, which is why some of our articles are fairly short. If you have any insider tips or recommendations for us to try out, let us know in the comments so we can expand our content!
Big Bang Sushi
If you get hit with a sushi craving after your English Bay visit, one sushi spot we can highly recommend is Big Bang Sushi, a small no-frills kind of place with tasty and affordable rolls, a few blocks down Denman St.
This is a small place that gets slammed with a lot of takeout orders, so wait times can be a little long… but if you’re happy to just chill out with an Asahi or two while you wait, the sushi here is great value, with some excellent Chef Special Rolls like the “Spicy Crunchy Roll”, which is topped with fried shredded yams. Of course, their standard rolls are pretty great as well. Perfect if you’re looking for something not too heavy!
Jingle Bao
We don’t know how it took us so long to try Jingle Bao, but now it’s one of our favourite little spots to eat within a 10 minute walk of English Bay.
This adorable spot specializes in dumplings, bao, and all-day dim sum with an amazing Happy Hour ft. $6 dim sum dishes, and really cheap beer. For only $12, you can get 8 soup dumplings (xiao long bao) and a pint of beer… pretty solid pricing for Downtown Vancouver!
The first time we ate here, we literally could not believe how cheap our bills were. We’d definitely recommend giving their Signature Rainbow XLB a try, along with the Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Chicken. Both are delish!
BONUS: For those seeking Instagrammable eats, they also have rainbow XLB on offer (which are all different flavours), as well as a giant XLB that comes with its own straw for that slurp-worthy soup filling. Plus the cutest ever dumpling lamps. Can you tell we’re a bit obsessed with the place?
CRAFT English Bay
If you’re looking for a casual place to enjoy typical bar food (e.g. burgers, nachos, tacos, pizzas, and bowls) after visiting English Bay, CRAFT is a solid option, especially if you haven’t made a booking in advance.
This surprisingly large restaurant has three dining spaces spread over 2 floors, so wait times are usually more bearable than some of the smaller spots nearby.
Of course, if you’re looking for a nice place to enjoy beers after your beach day, this spot is perfect, thanks to their 100+ taps and wide selection of both local and international brews. Food-wise, we’re big fans of their nacho fries, fried pickles and kale margherita pizza… sorry, this one definitely isn’t the healthiest of picks!
BONUS TIP: If you stop by on a Sunday, they have Happy Hour all day long! Check out our list of the best Happy Hours downtown for more ideas.
Cactus Club English Bay
Sure it’s not the most creative pick, but if you’re looking for a restaurant with views near English Bay, Cactus Club is a great spot for a sunset date night.
The golden hour views here are pretty unbeatable, and (true to Cactus Club nature) have pretty great deals on throughout the week, like half price bottles of wine on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Food-wise, it’s a Cactus Club, so you can expect their classic range of bowls, burgers, steaks, and salads. For us personally, Cactus Club food is just alright when considering the price, but at the English Bay location you’re definitely paying for the view and atmosphere.
… That said, we do have a soft spot for that Butternut Squash Ravioli with Prawns, which is served with truffle butter and crispy sage. Mmm!
Stanley Park Brewing
For a great casual place for food and beers, we can highly recommend Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub.
This brewery is known for its innovative and diverse lineup of unfiltered beers, all inspired by the surroundings and activities of Stanley Park. Paired with their West Coast inspired menu of casual eats, this spot makes for an ideal post-beach outing.
The atmosphere here is really nice, especially if you manage to snag a table by the window. From this spot, you can enjoy your beers while catching peekaboo views of the water (and sunset, if you time it right).
Combined with their live music on Thursdays, you have all the ingredients needed for an ultra romantic date or outing with friends.
Not to mention, the Happy Hour deals here are also some of the best in the city, with beer flights for less than $7, and an assortment of small bites in the $4-$7 range. We love getting flights here because each brew is so unique – from smooth stouts that taste like cold brew to refreshing sours that result in an instant pucker.
La Belle Patate
While not as close to English Bay as the other options in this list, an uphill 15 minute walk will bring you to La Belle Patate, one of the best places to get poutine in Vancouver.
Handcut fries, 38 varieties, and cheese curds that SQUEAK (the mark of any truly excellent poutine) – the poutine here is heavenly, and a must-try if you’re looking for something to eat near English Bay.
They also do other Québécois specialties such as Montréal smoked meat sandwiches and tasty steamed hot dogs.
The Park Pub
If you’re looking for a really casual place for post-beach drinks and eats, the Park Pub (connected to the Best Western Sands Hotel) is a great choice.
Elevated pub grub is the star of the show here, with an eclectic menu featuring typical pub staples like burgers and wings, but also a lot of hearty mains like Dan Dan Noodles, Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Butter Chicken, Green Curry Bowls, and Braised Beef with Mashed Potatoes.
This means they have options that cater to pretty much everyone, which is ideal for picky groups where nobody can agree on a choice. Plus, they have great daily food/drink specials that make it a fairly affordable option as well.
Admittedly, we didn’t get a chance to try the food here because we only stopped by for drinks, but it had a fun vibe and the food around us smelled pretty delicious (though that might be drunk nose talking). We’ll update this post when we go back to try the food!
True Confections
Last but not least, if you’re looking for dessert options near English Bay, True Confections is a classic option that offers ginormous slices of cake and pie that can easily feed two, plus lots of tasty flavours and options on rotation.
Our go-to is the chocolate caramel cheesecake, but your best bet is going there and seeing which one calls to you most from the display cabinet. While recent reviews have said that the quality here has gone downhill over the years, we still think it’s one of the best places to grab a sweet treat and a coffee close to English Bay.
Did we miss any of your favourite places to eat near English Bay?
Let us know in the comments so we can add more recommendations to our list!