Due to its fortuitous proximity to the vast and plentiful Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is a prime spot to dine on some of the best seafood around. Whether you’re looking for classy, upscale dining or you just want some casual oysters at the bar, Vancouver can deliver the perfect experience. You can enjoy a quick basket of fish and chips, some succulent oysters and cocktails, or a steaming plate of buttery crab legs. British Columbia is famous for its salmon but we also have plenty of fresh trout, steelhead, sturgeon, and halibut throughout the year as well.
Blue Water Cafe
Located in Vancouver’s trendy Yaletown, Blue Water Cafe is well known for its ability to celebrate the exciting flavours of British Columbia. Using only the freshest wild coastal species, Blue Water Cafe transforms local fin and shellfish catches into delightful coastal dishes. Try the legendary “Seafood Tower”, a two tiered masterpiece of oysters, prawns, seared red tuna, salmon tartare, jellyfish scallop ceviche, clams, and mussels. If you like caviar, you’ll have plenty to choose from, with Beluga, Asetra, and Venetian Caviar Baerii Sturgeon among the many choices.
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar is located on Burrard Street in the heart of downtown Vancouver. They serve fresh, local ingredients using classical cooking techniques with infusions of hip West Coast flair. Their stylish dining room is decked out in natural stone, Italian marble, white oak floors, and subtle accents of bronze and gold. For a starter from the sea, try the kanpachi or the charcoal grilled spanish octopus. Your can’t go wrong with the roasted sablefish or the aida gwai halibut for your main plate. The elegant atmosphere and signature cocktails will keep you here well past dessert.
The Sandbar
Tucked away on the cozy streets on Granville Island, The Sandbar is the perfect spot to dine on the freshest seafood while taking in the gorgeous waterfront views from the second floor patio. You can enjoy live piano in the Teredo Lounge or simply relax in the warm and sophisticated atmosphere of the main dining room. The in house Hoshi Sushi Bar is open every night and the fresh oyster bar is always brimming with options. If you’re in the mood for fish they offer sablefish, ahi tuna, wild sockeye salmon, swordfish, and many other mouth watering options, all cooked over a wood fire grill.
The Vancouver Fish Company Restaurant & Bar
The Vancouver Fish Company Restaurant & Bar, another Granville Island seafood spot, is the best place to go for amazing west coast seafood and gorgeous decor. Styled predominantly in leather and wood, the Vancouver Fish Company provides a relaxing atmosphere to share some drinks with friends and experience some top of the line seafood dishes. Their happy hour menu features $5 beers and wines as well as a food menu with everything priced at $10. Their dinner menu is loaded with scallops, crab, lobster, fish, mussels, prawns, and pretty much anything else you would hope to find at a first class seafood spot.
WildTale
With locations in Yaletown and Olympic Village, WildTale is one of the best places to go for a seafood filled happy hour. From 3pm-6pm and 9pm–closing you can chow down on Buck a Shuck oysters, which are served over ice with Tabasco, lemon, and horseradish, and enjoy some local beers or creative cocktails. You’ll find that both WildTale locations emit a warm and friendly vibe, an atmosphere that is inspired by East Coast hospitality, intended to make people want to relax, share stories, and create a connection over a great meal.
Rodney’s Oyster House
Rodney’s Oyster House is a warm and welcoming port full of good ol’ Maritime hospitality. They have locations in both Gastown and Yaletown and they’ve been serving up seafood and entertainment for over 20 years. Mondays to Sundays, from 3pm-6pm, they offer a long list of Low Tide Specials, which includes lobster mac and cheese, bacon wrapped scallops, pan fried oysters, and mini lobster and shrimp rolls. Their dinner menu is a seafood lover’s dream, filled with Atlantic lobster, Dungeness crab, and a boatload of other tantalizingly fresh catches.
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House
Over the past 30 years, Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House has built up a reputation of being one of the most iconic steak and seafood places in the city of Vancouver. This San Francisco styled seafood grill is all about hospitality, variety, and quality. Their wine list offers over 300 wines and they serve more than 50 kinds of fresh fish. For an unforgettable experience, try their famous 3-tiered Seafood Tower, filled with chilled Atlantic lobster, local oysters, marinated clams and mussels, scallop ceviche, albacore tuna crudo, and chilled jumbo prawns.
The Boathouse Restaurant
The Boathouse Restaurant is a favorite for steaks and seafood in Vancouver. They offer tasty, fresh flavours using local ingredients and sustainable seafood from the British Columbian coast. Their year round patios offer incredible views which can be enjoyed from any of the Boathouse locations in Kitsilano, Richmond, Port Moody, White Rock, and New Westminster.
Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio
The Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio experience can be enjoyed from either of its two locations in Ambleside or False Creek. Their mission is to incorporate Peruvian and Japanese culture with the bold flavours of the West Coast. Their menu consists of sustainable seafood along with local and internationally sourced ingredients. They strive to combine flavours that are both modern yet approachable.
Dockside Restaurant
The Dockside Restaurant, located directly off the boutique Granville Island Hotel, offers stunning views of False Creek, the gorgeous cityscape that lies beyond, and the majestic mountains of the North Shore looming in the distance. The dining room, with its floor to ceiling windows, is both relaxed and refined, while the lounge is a cozier and more intimate spot to settle in for some evening cocktails. The Dockside Restaurant’s menu is made up of the freshest Seafood and local ingredients, with their Fresh Sheet menu showcasing seasonal creations made with the catch of the day.
There is no shortage of seafood options in Vancouver. You might opt for the delectable and buttery sablefish or maybe you’re more of a shrimp cocktail type of seafood lover. We have every type of seafood restaurant to choose from and that’s without even getting into the endless sushi options you’ll have to consider. From caviar to sea urchin to octopus, Vancouver has everything under the sea.
