Well known in the farm-to-table dining scene, Vancouver restaurants are no strangers to sourcing fresh, seasonal, local ingredients and promoting green dining practices. Whether it’s restaurants like The Acorn, who emphasize using every possible element of an ingredient to eliminate food waste, or Published on Main, who partner with local farmers to ensure the freshest ingredients, many of Vancouver’s restaurants are prioritizing sustainable dining.
According to Andrea Carlson, owner and chef at Burdock & Co, “The growth in people’s interest in sustainable sourcing is really exciting to see and farm markets continue to grow and flourish in many neighborhoods. At the restaurant, we continue to grow our supply lines of new farmers while supporting key foundational relationships with our primary producers.”
At The Acorn, founder and general manager Shira Blustein founder and head chef Matt Gostelow feel “Sustainability only works if it’s delicious and welcoming. Guests leave full, happy, and genuinely cared for, proof that low-impact, green dining is flavour-forward and hospitality-driven.”
Read on to find the restaurants that are leading the charge in Vancouver’s green dining arena.
The Acorn
Among the top Vancouver restaurants prioritizing sustainable, green dining, The Acorn offers upscale vegetarian cuisine using the freshest local ingredients.
As Blustein and Gostelow put it, “Sustainability isn’t a trend for us; it’s built into the fabric of how we cook and operate. Our menu is led by farm fresh sheets, full stop. If it doesn’t grow here, we don’t use it, so the team finds flavour through technique and creativity.”
They explain, “Being fully locavore means no out-of-season imports; we preserve peak-season produce so tomatoes and peaches can appear in winter without flying anything in. Zero-waste thinking guides prep, nothing goes to compost until we’ve taken every bit of flavour from it. Operationally we recycle comprehensively, partner with growers who deliver in reusable totes versus single use packaging and keep our carbon footprint low by sourcing exclusively locally. The bar works kitchen trim into cocktails, and our wine list favours sustainable farming and minimal-intervention producers.”
For Blustein and Gostelow, The Acorn’s shiitake dish is a staple that shows their whole-ingredient approach. “Locally grown shiitake are roasted with Haida Gwaii seaweed; the stems are fermented and turned into an XO-style sauce. Fresh, locally grown ginger becomes a silky emulsion, and the ginger leaves are made into an aromatic oil to finish the dish,” they share.
Burdock & Co
Another of Vancouver’s fine dining establishments making waves in the green dining space is One-MICHELIN-Starred Burdock & Co. This high-end eatery implements a variety of sustainability-forward practices including sourcing local organic and biodynamic produce and sustainable seafoods, delivering farm products in reusable totes to reduce cardboard and plastic waste, and highlighting peak local produce throughout the year.
According to Carlson, responsible dining practices have been top of mind from the beginning. “I have always been inclined toward sustainable practices in life and work. My partner Kevin and I dug deep into really identifying our reason for having Burdock, Harvest, and Bar Gobo and realized that at its core it is to support local food security. Supporting organic growers and a sustainable local food economy are why we do this work. We wouldn’t do it any other way,” she shares.
Diners looking to taste a menu highlight should opt for the sea urchin gelato with almond, burdock, and radicchio crumb – one of Carlson’s favorite dishes. “As part of the ‘eat the invaders’ initiative, we are highlighting sea urchin and its devastating impact on local kelp forests. Climate change and the loss of natural predators have allowed red urchin to flourish to the detriment of kelp forests,” she explains. “This dish allows us to bring some awareness to the issue and encourages people to make sustainably minded choices when eating,” says Carlson.
Published on Main
Vancouver’s Published on Main is a farm-to-table hotspot that prioritizes relationships with local farmers to guarantee the freshest possible ingredients. Executive chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson reinforces this point, sharing with The MICHELIN Guide, “The backbone of our restaurant is sourcing locally and highlighting our incredible farmers, foragers, fishers, and makers.”
When asked what inspired Published on Main’s sustainably minded practices, Stieffenhofer-Brandson shared, “I come from a background where cooking holistically is a natural path for me. I am inspired by ingredients, and so we cook within the seasons, focusing on the bounty available from the farms, the fields, the orchards, the forests and ocean. If it has to get on a plane to get to us, for the most part, that's not the right fit.” He continues, “We also find a lot of ways to mitigate waste, by taking food trim [and] scraps that might end up in the green bin or garbage and use them to build layers of flavour in different ferments, such as misos, garums and shoyus.”
Per Chef Stieffenhofer-Brandson, one dish that best highlights their green dining initiatives is the sidestripe shrimp. “We gently poach sidestripe shrimp, and the shells are used in a sauce for a different dish. Apples and cucumber are punched into pretty little discs, and then the trim from the punchies is juiced, and used to make the dressing. It's a zero-waste dish that is pretty, refined and clean,” he shares.
Farmer's Apprentice
At Bib Gourmand Farmer’s Apprentice, upscale contemporary cuisine works to give every ingredient a second life using creative sustainability strategies. Head chef Alden Ong shares that “For us, sustainability isn’t limited to local sourcing — it’s about respecting the ingredient, wherever it comes from, and making sure we use every part of it. The goal is always the same: to bring out the best flavour possible while minimizing waste.” He continues, “We try to find small, meaningful ways to reduce waste and make the most of what we use. For example, all our spent citrus peels are mixed with sugar to create oleosaccharum, which we use in cocktails and desserts instead of throwing them away. We’ve also eliminated plastic straws — our straws are made from wood or stainless steel, and our tasting straws are paper-based. Every little decision like this adds up and helps us operate more responsibly.”
According to Ong, a dish that best illustrates the ways in which sustainable dining complements their refined, farm-fresh menu would be one of the seasonal vegetable mains, typically a cabbage or cauliflower dish. “These dishes are like the poster child for our philosophy. We take humble vegetables and treat them with the same care, attention and technique you’d give to a premium cut of meat. For last year’s cabbage dish, for example, we blanch it, smoke it, then roast it slowly until it becomes incredibly tender and rich. It’s finished with a burnt coconut sauce inspired by Pianggang, a burnt coconut chicken dish from Mindanao in the Philippines. We garnish it with toasted coconut, a spicy sofrito, preserved fruit pickles, cilantro, dill and puffed wild rice for texture and brightness,” he shares. “It’s about taking something ordinary and elevating it — applying technique, creativity and a mix of our diverse culinary backgrounds to create something unique, sustainable, and deeply satisfying. It shows that with care and perspective, even the simplest ingredients can feel special,” Ong explains.
Hero image: Gabriel Cabrera / Acorn
