Victoria named Canada's most vegan-friendly city

Veggies, nuts, tofu…though these are some of the first items that come to mind when thinking of eating plant-based, they only make up the tip of the iceberg in the vegan food scene.

Underneath, there are thousands of exciting flavours to try, creating an atmosphere that challenges the way we eat and think about food—from finding new ways of enjoying classic dishes to introducing completely new flavours to our palettes.

And as it turns out, there’s no better place in Canada to explore quality plant-based food than Victoria.

With over 140 vegan restaurants and meal services available (49 vegan restaurants per 100,000 people) Victoria has recently been named the country’s most vegan-friendly city by BonusFinder Canada. Data from Tripadvisor, a website that tracks restaurant activity and reviews, shows that Victoria has the top spot on the website’s “vegan friendly” scale with a total score of 8/10, officially making it a top destination for vegans in Canada.

And as foodies are constantly on the lookout for new places to eat, we couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favourites—some new, some old, all undeniably special and delicious in their own way.

Some well known classics that immediately come to mind (with multiple locations outside of the island) include MeeT—a restaurant that seeks to create a welcoming atmosphere to those who are new to plant-based eating by making vegan versions of mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken burgers and other familiar pub foods—and Virtuous Pie, a 100% vegan pizza chain with delicious nut-based cheese sauces (pssst, they make amazing ice cream too!).

Other plant-based restaurants that are unique to Victoria are notably Be Love, serving a wide variety of sandwiches, soups and bowls with an emphasis on seasonal produce, Rebar, a casual brunch and lunch spot (with both vegan and vegetarian options) with an impressive smoothie list, and The Hidden Gem (indeed, a hidden gem), a cafe/ bakery serving dairy-free and gluten-free goodies like carrot cake and double chocolate sea salt cookies.

Not to mention countless restaurants in the city that always carry vegan options, making their menus accessible for everyone. Be sure to take a look at some of the best spots on our list via Tasting Victoria’s Best Restaurant Awards.

Got a vegan or vegetarian restaurant that isn’t on the list? You can nominate it anytime for this year’s awards using our online survey.  

We’ve never been this excited to eat our veggies!