Where to eat in Richmond, BC: Food Street, dumplings and night markets

Ask people in Vancouver where to go for Chinese food and many will send you south, over the Fraser River, to Richmond. It is a city of its own, with one of the biggest concentrations of Asian restaurants, bakeries, malls and food courts in North America. A food trip there is one of the best things you can do on a visit to Vancouver.

Why is Richmond so good for food?

Richmond has a large Chinese Canadian community, along with many other Asian communities, and its restaurants serve a local audience that knows exactly what a dish should taste like. That keeps standards high and competition fierce. The result is huge variety: Cantonese seafood and dim sum, Sichuan, Shanghainese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong-style cafés, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and more, often within a few blocks.

What is "Food Street" in Richmond?

Alexandra Road, informally known as Food Street, has one of the highest concentrations of restaurants in the region. Together with the surrounding area along No. 3 Road, often called Golden Village, it is the heart of Richmond's food scene. Walk a stretch, look at the menus in the windows, and pick whatever is busiest.

Richmond's best places are often in strip malls with plain signs. Do not judge by the parking lot.

What is the Richmond Dumpling Trail?

Richmond's tourism board publishes a self-guided Dumpling Trail: a list of restaurants known for dumplings of different kinds, from xiao long bao (soup dumplings) to potstickers, wontons and har gow. It is an easy way to structure a day of eating. Do a few stops with friends, share an order at each, and compare.

What should you eat in Richmond?

Try	Where to look
Dim sum	Large Cantonese dining rooms, late morning to early afternoon
Xiao long bao	Shanghainese restaurants and dumpling houses
Hong Kong-style café food	Milk tea, baked pork chop rice, pineapple buns
Hot pot	Sit-down hot pot restaurants, best with a group
Taiwanese snacks	Popcorn chicken, beef noodle soup, bubble tea
Bakery items	Egg tarts, buns and cakes from Chinese bakeries

Is the Richmond Night Market still open?

No. The long-running Richmond Night Market, a summer weekend institution with food stalls and crowds, closed after its final season, which ended on 20 September 2026. Summer night markets have been a big part of Richmond's food culture, so check current event listings to see what is running when you visit.

How do you get to Richmond from Vancouver?

The Canada Line SkyTrain runs from downtown Vancouver to Richmond, with stations along No. 3 Road close to many of the places. It is quicker and easier than driving at busy times, and you will not need to find parking in a packed mall lot on a weekend.

When is the best time to visit Richmond for food?

• Weekend mornings for dim sum, though expect lines by late morning.
• Weekday lunch for calmer rooms and lunch specials.
• Evenings for hot pot, Sichuan and late-night cafés.
• Summer for outdoor food events and markets.

What do you need to know about ordering in Richmond restaurants?

• Menus can be long. Ask staff what the restaurant is known for, or look at what the next table is eating.
• Seafood is often priced by weight. At Cantonese restaurants, ask the price before ordering live crab or fish.
• Some places are cash-friendly, but most take cards. Carry a little cash just in case.
• Portions are made for sharing. Order for the table, not for yourself.
• Tipping is the same as elsewhere in BC, around 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax bill at a sit-down place.

Can you visit Richmond on a short trip to Vancouver?

Easily. Half a day is enough for dim sum and a walk along Food Street, or a few stops on the Dumpling Trail. If you are flying in or out of Vancouver International Airport, Richmond is right next door, which makes it a natural last meal before a flight.

Is Richmond good for dessert and bubble tea?

Very good. Richmond has a huge number of bubble tea shops, dessert cafés serving shaved ice, mango desserts and Hong Kong-style sweets, and bakeries selling egg tarts and buns. A dessert stop after dinner is part of the routine for many local groups.

Mosey is built around rating dishes rather than just places. In a place like Richmond, where one place's soup dumplings can be outstanding and its noodles ordinary, that is the only kind of tip worth having.

More guides to read next:

• Holiday dining in Vancouver: the Christmas Market, festive menus and booking tips
• New Westminster food guide: River Market, the Quay and the Columbia Street area
• Shipyards Night Market guide: Friday evening food trucks in Lower Lonsdale

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