Comfort Food Havens in Vancouver

Feel-good meals that are good to the last bite

There’s something about this time of year, when the leaves change colour and the temperature drops, that makes you crave certain comfort foods. After trudging through the rain and wind, you just want to eat a quality meal that hits the spot and reminds you of home. We’ve rounded up some favourite hideouts in the city that are bound to satisfy your hankering for a home-cooked, soul-warming meal without having to enter the kitchen.

Burgoo

The tagline of this charming four-restaurant chain is “food for comfort”, and the menu doesn’t disappoint. Burgoo’s classic and always delicious soups (butternut squash, tomato and French onion) are just the thing to warm you up on a rainy Vancouver afternoon. And the menu’s most comforting dish has to be the macaroni and cheese. A far cry from the cardboard box variety, this homemade version is made with aged white cheddar and oven baked until the top is golden brown and bubbling. To mix it up, you can also order the “macaroni and more” that bakes onion, thyme, bacon 
and peas into the cheesy goodness. Point Grey location: 
4434 W. 10th Ave., 
Vancouver North Vancouver location:
 3 Lonsdale Ave.
, North Vancouver Mount Pleasant location:
 3096 Main Street, 
Vancouver Kitsilano location:
 2272 W. 4th Ave.
, Vancouver

Motomachi Shokudo

When you’re looking for a bowl of something hot to fill you up, Motomachi Shokudo is a great spot. This tiny Japanese restaurant specializes in ramen noodle soup in a variety of broths, and what it lacks in size it makes up for with its cozy atmosphere. Our comfort food menu pick is the tasty extra BBQ pork miso ramen that comes with bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, egg, greens and lots of rich pork drenched in a steamy broth.

740 Denman Street,Vancouver

Good Wolfe

This new Yaletown eatery has a menu full of comforting dishes to satisfy your tastebuds. A standout is the melt-in-your-mouth braised beef cheek (a knife isn’t even necessary to cut it), served with a rich and creamy country style risotto.

Second to that, even carnivores will be happy with the very-filling ratatouille noodle-free lasagna that’s chock-full of eggplant, zucchini, tomato and basil and covered in mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Good Wolfe? This place really deserves to have “great” in its name.

1043 Mainland St., Vancouver

Irish Heather

This Gastown Irish pub has loads of old-world charm, serves Guinness on tap and has one of the widest selections of whisky in the city. And when it comes to comforting pub food they nail it with their flaky jam-packed pot-pies (steak and ale or vegetable).

Additionally, if you’ve been missing Sunday night homemade dinners with mom, the Irish Heather’s long table events should become a part of your schedule. You can reserve a spot at their 40-foot-long community table with other locals for a hearty meal of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes with gravy and a beer for only $17.

212 Carrall St., Vancouver

Vij’s Rangoli

A piping hot bowl of curry is a great meal for a cold fall day – even better if that curry is from Vij’s Rangoli Indian restaurant on South Granville. It’s the more low-key cousin of the original famous Vij’s Indian fusion fine dining restaurant. Expect to find more affordable prices and the option to eat in or take out. Comforting favourites include the daal chawal, a split yellow lentil curry with cumin seed and turmeric with basmati rice, and the portobello mushroom and red bell pepper curry with beet salad and naan.

1488 West 11th Ave., Vancouver

Anton’s Pasta Bar

Meaty lasagna, cheesy tortellini, creamy fettucini… if carbs are what you’re craving, then you can’t miss Anton’s in North Burnaby. A staple in the neighbourhood for 30 years, it’s the restaurant known for its big daily lineup out front and its even bigger portions (we’re talking leftovers for days). This is the place to get true homemade Italian comfort food that hits the spot.

4260 East Hastings Street, Burnaby