Destination Guide: Gluten-Free Vancouver, Canada
- Alina
- Aug 23, 2024
- 10 min read
Updated: Mar 13
Take the Pacific Northwest’s gorgeous mountains and waters, mix in some Canadian “nice,” and throw in a generous dash of Asian influences, and you’ll find yourself in picturesque Vancouver.
From whale tours, islands, beaches, and forest-lined suspension bridges, to world-class skiing a couple hours’ drive away, Vancouver offers a phenomenal taste of Canada’s natural beauty amongst the hustle and bustle of a fast-growing city. Its restaurants are also one of the preeminent gems of Canada when it comes to foodie destinations.
What are you waiting for? Read on to make this dream trip a reality with our tips, tricks, and recommendations for a celiac-safe, gluten-free vacation to the waterfront city of Vancouver.
Note: Our posts may contain affiliate links. For example, as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase something through those links, you won't be charged extra, but we'll receive a small commission. All opinions expressed herein are our own, and we will only recommend products, services, and restaurants that we have personally tested and found to meet our quality standards.
Restaurants
Recommended Eats
Safety: ★★★★★
Dedicated, 100% gluten-free cafe and bakery, plus take and bakes and some pantry items.
Dairy-free and vegan options are also available
Taste: ★★★★★
Everything is delicious here! We loved their wide selection of sweets and savories, from pizza, sandwiches, pastries, and breads to smoothies, desserts and more.
Must tries: Lemon Tiramisu, Sausage Roll
Overall Experience: ★★★★★
The Gluten Free Epicurean is our favorite spot in Vancouver thanks to its wide selection of foods perfect for breakfast, lunch, a snack or a sweet treat. Everything we ate was beyond delicious, and there are so many additional items left to try in the future too! If you have access to a kitchen, they even have a take and bake section in one of their fridges, as well as a number of shelf-stable pantry items to fill up your suitcase, from jams and flour mixes to dried pastas, sodas, and cookbooks. We can’t wait to go back!
Note: There’s only one table (located in front of the shop), so plan to take your food to a park or back to your hotel if the table is full.
Safety: ★★★★★
Dedicated, 100% gluten-free cafe and bakery.
They also offer vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free options
Taste: ★★★★★
Gluten-free heaven! So many breads, buttery pastries, and the most beautiful tarts and desserts.
Must tries: Croissants (the best gluten-free croissant we’ve had!) and Mango Mousse
Overall Experience: ★★★★★
I wish I could eat their croissants every single day, and their beautiful tarts and mousses made me feel like I was in a fancy French bakery and all my dietary restrictions had disappeared! Needless to say, we love it here. A great place for a breakfast pastry, sweet treat, or a weekly bread shop. The only thing that would make it even better is an expansion with some more seating inside or outside the shop!
Note: There’s only one (two-person) table, so plan to take your food to a park or back to your hotel if the table is full.
Safety: ★★★★☆
Dedicated, 100% gluten-free restaurant (other than the drinks).
Note: As of our visit in August 2024, they were using Pacific Foods oat milk (not celiac-safe), so we’d be careful with any drinks with oat milk or that use the milk steamer. They also had some regular beer in addition to gluten-free beer, so don’t automatically assume all drink options are safe.
Taste: ★★★★☆
A solid selection of breakfast and lunch options make this a great spot to keep coming back to!
Must try: Pulled Duck Sandwich
Overall Experience: ★★★★★
Yummy food and an easily-accessible location make Heirs Pears a wonderful option for gluten-free dining. The chef was also super helpful in recommending what would hold up best for the additional to-go meal we ordered for later that night. He clearly takes a lot of pride in his creations, and we in the celiac community are better for it!
Note: Their closing hours vary depending on the source you look at, and they’ve been removed from the restaurant doors as well, so we wouldn’t rely on it being open longer than late afternoon.
Safety: ★★★★★
Dedicated, 100% gluten-free restaurant + endorsed by the Canadian Celiac Association.
They’re great with other allergies as well, happily adjusting prep as needed to keep you safe
Taste: ★★★★☆
The perfect one-stop shop to satisfy all of your Japanese food cravings! They’ve got everything, from fresh sushi to tempura and gyoza.
Overall Experience: ★★★★★
Iki’s menu states that it is Canada’s first dedicated gluten-free Japanese restaurant, and is also endorsed by the Canadian Celiac Association — music to my celiac ears! The waitress we had was so kind, and the chef was very accommodating of my shellfish intolerance as well (they voluntarily opted to treat it like an allergy so I wouldn't have to worry one bit). We enjoyed our meal here and would be happy to return and try more of their extensive menu.
Safety: ★★★★☆
Not dedicated gluten-free, but staff is knowledgeable about cross contact to safely accommodate patrons with celiac disease.
Pros:
Gluten-free modifiable options are labeled on the menu (nothing is default gluten-free, even if the symbol is there, so be sure to tell your waiter you want the gluten-free version and clarify if each item is safe for celiac)
Staff is very knowledgeable about the difference between celiac vs. those whose gluten intolerances are able to handle cross-contact, and will advise you which GF-labeled items are not celiac-safe
Let your waiter know you’re celiac and sensitive to cross contact, and they’ll put in your order accordingly and are happy to walk you through precautions they take to reduce risk
In addition to the waiters being knowledgeable, even the staff that just brought out our meals had been told I was celiac and would actively warn me not to try the non-gluten-free dishes they brought for my gluten-eating family members
Cons:
Some items are occasionally unavailable gluten-free due to ingredient shortages (we weren’t able to order the miso soup at the time of our visit)
Taste: ★★★★★
Everything we ate was AMAZING! One of the best meals we’ve had.
Must try: Kyoto Saikyo Miso Sablefish and Aburi Oshi sushi (torched and pressed sushi)
Overall Experience: ★★★★★
Besides serving the most delicious food from the most reassuringly knowledgeable waitress, Miku wowed us with a lovely view of the harbor to top off the night. They definitely earned themselves a high spot on our favorite restaurants list! Miku also has a Toronto location, although we have not visited it ourselves yet.
Safety: ★★★★☆
Not dedicated gluten-free, but most of the menu is gluten-free and staff is knowledgeable about cross contact to safely accommodate patrons with celiac disease.
Pros:
Gluten-free items are clearly labeled on the menu
Majority of the menu is gluten-free — at the Yaletown location, it appeared the only items with gluten were pita, flatbread, orzo and tabbouleh
Staff members will mark celiac on your order and change gloves
The pan used for halloumi is not used for any other gluten dishes
Romaine lettuce or cucumbers can be substituted instead of pita for dips and such
Great for vegetarians as well, and they can also make substitutions for dairy-free
Cons:
Gluten-free options vary by location (brunch appears less accessible, depending on location), so we recommend viewing the location-specific menus before heading over
Taste: ★★★★★
If you haven’t had Lebanese food before, it’s a tasty subtype of Mediterranean cuisine that features well-known dishes like hummus, falafel, baba ghanouj and more.
Must try: Halloumi Cheese, ask for some lettuce to wrap it in
Overall Experience: ★★★★★
We only had time for a brief takeout snack, but we hope to go back soon for a full meal! We went to the Yaletown location, but there are multiple Nubas dispersed around Vancouver. We love this, since it gives celiacs the rare opportunity to build a bit of spontaneity into their travel planning!
Safety: ★★★★★
Dedicated, 100% gluten-free patisserie.
They also have dairy-free options
Taste: ★★★★☆
Every single macaron flavor is gluten-free!
Overall Experience: ★★★★★
Though a bit sweeter than we prefer for macarons, we still quite enjoyed the freedom of being able to pick absolutely any flavor we wanted. The variety is HUGE and so fun, from fruity flavors to chocolates to unique offerings like bacon and sake.
Others We Tried
Juke Chicken
Safety: ★★★★☆
Not dedicated gluten-free, but gluten-free options are available
Pros:
Dedicated gluten-free fryers
No loose flour on-site (currently, only the sandwich buns contain gluten)
All menu items are default gluten-free except for their sandwiches (which can be subbed for a gluten-free bun)
Will take extra precautions if you mention you have celiac (and they have a gluten allergy option to select for online orders)
Cons:
I did feel sick after eating here when I visited back in 2023, but it appears the owner recently claimed the listing on the Find Me Gluten Free app and takes proper precautions (see pros above), plus other reviewers have had positive experiences, so my experience may have been a fluke
Taste: ★★★★☆
The greasy fried food of your pre-celiac hangover dreams. If you’re in the mood for fried comfort food, this is the place.
Overall Experience: ★★★☆☆
On the Find Me Gluten Free app, you’ll see the majority of reviewers have had great experiences here and really enjoy it. In my case, although it was quite tasty, I did feel very ill and nauseous afterwards. Granted, it could be the extreme amount of oil rather than cross-contact (I don’t typically get sick from fried foods, but to be fair, this was some of the greasiest I’ve ever had) since others haven’t had the same experience. I don’t feel comfortable putting the Celiac by the Bay stamp of approval on it due to my experience, but we think it still warrants a mention on the guide since it’s well-loved by many others in the gluten-free community and appears to have quality cross-contact procedures in place.
Additional Researched Options
You can find our full list of researched restaurants, including some we didn’t get a chance to visit ourselves, on Find Me Gluten Free here (get $5 off FMGF Premium here). **Please note, all places on this list were well-reviewed for celiac safety at the time of our visit. We were only able to visit the above guide restaurants ourselves, though, so if venturing to any places on the larger app list, be sure to read the reviews and do your own due diligence before visiting.
Food Safety Tips
Tourist Attractions and Activities
We tend to stay in downtown Vancouver for its convenience and walkability, but Vancouver’s public transit makes anywhere along the SkyTrain route doable. Once you’ve got the food and lodgings sorted, here are a few fun attractions and activities to consider in Vancouver as you’re planning your trip.
Explore the Great Outdoors
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
My favorite part of our trip, I highly recommend a visit here even if you’re not the hiking type. The bridge over the river, surrounded by the trees, is such a breathtaking experience and feels so far removed from Vancouver’s skyscrapers. If you have the chance to visit over the holidays, the forest takes on an extra festive mood with beautiful Christmas lights and orbs strung throughout the park. Ticketing is done in half-hour entry slots (but you can stay inside as long as you want), so you may want to purchase in advance to avoid a delayed entry or any risk of tickets selling out.
Stanley Park
This park reminds us of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and has enough activities within it to pack a full day if you want to. These include bike and walking trails along the coast, swimming and beach volleyball (Second Beach for more activity, Third Beach for more tranquility), a ride on the Stanley Park train, the First Nations Totem Poles, the Vancouver Aquarium, and more. There are plenty of bike rentals in the West End who will gladly equip you to take a whirl around Stanley Park.
Vancouver Island
Any fans of Netflix’s Virgin River? If so, you have to visit Vancouver Island, where much of the series was filmed! Take a seaplane or ferry over (you can bring a car on the ferry as well) and make it your base for a few days. And even if you haven’t seen the show, this is a nature lover’s paradise and well worth a visit.
Whale Watching Tours
April/May through September/October is prime whale watching time in Vancouver, with thousands of whales migrating to the area
Queen Elizabeth Gardens
Come for the flowers, stay for the panoramic view of the city
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Another beautiful botanical garden, VanDusen is beloved for its Laburnum Walk, which reaches peak-bloom in mid-May
Culture It Up
Granville Island
In the 1970s, Granville Island was transformed from an industrial wasteland to an artistic and cultural hub honoring the rich history and contributions of the First Nation communities on this ancestral island and within Canada at large. Today, the colorful streets are lined with shops displaying artisans’ craftsmanship, as well as vibrant indoor markets. Traffic and parking here is a bit of a mess, so you can also look into getting a ferry onto the island to skip that headache.
Gastown
Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, Gastown is known for the Steam Clock, Victorian-style architecture, indie shops and galleries, and a trendy restaurant and bar scene
Get Your Shop On
McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport
If you’re flying into Vancouver, the very first stop on the SkyTrain (this stop is free to ride to/from the airport) is the airport outlet. This is a decent enough outlet mall, so if that’s your kind of shopping, shop away.
Tsawwassen Mills
With the closure of the Lululemon Outlet at the airport outlet, we ventured further to Tsawwassen Mills, which includes stores such as Lululemon Outlet, Aritzia, and Harry Rosen Outlet, amongst others. We particularly want to point out Lululemon and Aritzia, as they tend to keep the prices 1:1 with the U.S. (i.e. a shirt that’s $20 USD in the U.S. is $20 CAD in Canada), which means that if you’re from the U.S. you’ll automatically save 20-30% (depending on FX rates) — on top of the outlet discounts — compared to what you would have paid back home.
Downtown Vancouver
With all the high-end stores you can shake your wallet at, particularly on Burrard and Robson, downtown Vancouver has a wide assortment of brands to browse
South Granville
On the other side of Granville Island is a cute stretch of stores on Route 99. Our favorites include the TNA store and William-Sonoma, but you’re sure to find something cute / useful along this street no matter where you go.
The Village at Park Royal
There are definitely more malls to call out, but The Village at Park Royal is home to La Maison Simons, a Quebec-based department store that stocks plenty of high quality, reasonably priced house label clothing
Embrace Your Inner Child
Science World
Hands-on interactive activities, live science shows, and rotating feature exhibits abound at this kid-focused science center on the waterfront
Vancouver Aquarium
Canada’s largest aquarium is a favorite for all ages and is conveniently located in Stanley Park. With over 65,000 animals, 120 exhibits, a 4D theater, and hands-on activities, there’s so much to see and do. Plus, you can feel good about your visit, knowing that the Vancouver Aquarium is also one of the world's largest hospitals for sick, injured or orphaned marine mammals and has numerous accreditations for its conservation and animal welfare work.
***Dates of travel: January 2023 and August 2024