Hungry? Vancouver cuisine brings together a cornucopia of fresh ingredients from land and sea, a remarkable diversity of ethnic influences from Asia and Europe and top-notch chefs committed to an eat-local, eat-fresh aesthetic. The result, according to USA Today: nothing short of a "foodie's fantasyland."
The signature event of the year for foodies looking to sample the best the city has to offer is Dine Out, held each winter. Hundreds of eateries - from formal French restaurants to contemporary Chinese bistros - offer deeply discounted three-course dinner menus. For visitors, it's a great chance to taste-drive the diverse threads of Vancouver cuisine.
Looking for something to pair with your meal? British Columbia's Okanagan wine region has been dubbed Napa North by the New York Times. And every spring, the city hosts the Vancouver International Wine Festival, among the largest wine tasting events in North America. For one full week, hundreds of wineries from around the world descend on the city, pouring thousands of wines at events ranging from intimate dinners to enormous tastings attended by thousands of oenophiles.
The undisputed hub of Vancouver's culinary universe is the Granville Island Public Market. On the edge of downtown, the waterfront market is home to hundreds of stalls selling some of the freshest produce, meats and fish in the province, as well as an enormous selection of artisan cheeses, baked goods and desserts. Foodies can even sign up for chef-led tours of the market, offered by Edible Canada and the Pacific Culinary Institute.