Food trails in Vancouver: how to eat your way through a route

A food trail is one of the most fun ways to explore a city: a set route of places, each known for something, that you work through one stop at a time. Metro Vancouver already has a famous example in Tourism Richmond's Dumpling Trail, which points visitors toward the area's dumpling specialists. The idea works for anything: bakeries, coffee, ramen, breweries, ice cream, or a whole neighbourhood.

Here is how to get the most out of one.

What is a food trail?

A food trail is a curated list of stops, usually in one area or around one kind of food, designed to be visited in sequence. Some are organized by tourism boards, business associations or festivals. Others are made by people who simply love a neighbourhood. A good trail has a theme, a sensible walking or transit route, and a reason for each stop to be on it.

How do food trails work on Mosey?

Where a food trail is offered on Mosey, it is a route of places you can work through and stamp as you go. Each stop you visit gets marked off, so you can see how far through the trail you are and pick it up again another day. It turns a list into something you can actually finish, and it gives you a reason to try places you might otherwise walk past. Trails depend on where they are offered, so not every neighbourhood will have one.

What makes a good food trail in Vancouver?

Vancouver suits trails because so many neighbourhoods have a dense run of small, independent places close together. Good themes include:

Theme	Where it works
Dumplings and dim sum	Richmond, Chinatown, Burnaby
Ramen	The West End, around Robson and Denman
Breweries	Brewery Creek in Mount Pleasant, Yeast Van near Commercial Drive
Bakeries and coffee	Main Street, Kitsilano, Burnaby Heights
Pho and banh mi	Kingsway and Fraser Street
Market grazing	Granville Island, Lonsdale Quay

How do you plan a food trail without overeating?

1. Share everything. Go with friends and order one item per stop between you.
2. Order small. One dumpling plate, one pastry, one taster.
3. Walk between stops. A trail designed for walking spaces out the eating.
4. Drink water, especially on a brewery trail.
5. Split it over days. There is no prize for finishing a twelve-stop trail in one afternoon.
6. Check hours first. Many small places close one or two days a week, and some close mid-afternoon.

Can you do a food trail with kids?

Yes, and kids often love the stamping and ticking off. Pick a trail with short distances, sweet stops and places to sit, such as a bakery or ice cream trail, and keep it short. Market trails at Granville Island or Lonsdale Quay are especially easy with children, since everything is close together and there is plenty to look at.

When is the best time to do a food trail in Vancouver?

Spring and early fall are ideal: mild enough to walk between stops, and without the long summer lines at the most famous places. Weekday afternoons are the quietest, though some small places close between lunch and dinner. In the rain, which is a fair part of the Vancouver year, choose a trail where the stops are close together or indoors, such as a market or a mall food court in Richmond or Burnaby. Avoid the peak hours of noon to 1 p.m. at popular dumpling and ramen places if you want to keep moving.

How much does a food trail cost?

That depends entirely on the trail and what you order. Trails built around snacks, dumplings or pastries can be an affordable day out, especially when shared. Brewery trails add up faster. Remember that in BC, food carries 5 percent GST and alcohol also carries 10 percent PST, and that tipping is optional at counters and expected at table service.

How do you make your own food trail?

If there is no trail for the thing you love, make one. Pick a theme, choose four to six places within walking distance, put them in a sensible order and set aside an afternoon. On Mosey, you can build a list of the places, share it with friends, rate each stop and the dishes you ordered as you go, and see where other people ate on the same street.

What are good self-guided food routes in Vancouver?

If you want to try the idea before following a published trail, a few neighbourhoods make natural routes because the stops are close together:

Route	What to eat along the way
Chinatown	Bakery buns, barbecue pork, dumplings, tea
Commercial Drive	Espresso, a deli sandwich or slice, gelato
Main Street to Brewery Creek	Coffee, brunch or a pastry, then tasting rooms
Granville Island	Market stalls, a bakery, fresh fruit, a dockside snack
Richmond's Golden Village	Dumplings, noodles, Taiwanese snacks, bubble tea

Keep each stop small, walk between them, and leave room for one place you discover on the way.

Why are food trails good for small restaurants?

Trails send people beyond the most famous name on the street, toward small, family-run places that rarely advertise. A good trail mixes the well known with the overlooked, and many people find their new favourite at the stop they nearly skipped. When you rate those places afterwards, you help the next person find them too.

More guides to read next:

• Holiday dining in Vancouver: the Christmas Market, festive menus and booking tips
• Gastown food guide: where to eat and drink in Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood
• Group dinners in Vancouver: how to book a table for 8, 12 or 20

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.