10 Best Grocery Stores In Vancouver

Home cooks in Vancouver have access to a wide range of supermarkets and markets that sell fresh produce, pantry essentials, and speciality products.

To help locate the best grocery stores in Vancouver, we turned to Vancouver-based recipe developer, food photographer, and food writer Jennifer Pallian of the blog Foodess.com and asked her to curate the list of her picks for where to find the top-notch grocery stores for home cooks in Vancouver.

We asked Pallian for her best advice on where to find wonderful ingredients in Vancouver.

Pallian clarifies:

When at all possible, go local first. Especially for fruits and vegetables, the less time they have to travel, the riper they can be when picked, and the better they will taste.

To receive the freshest goods and professional advice, get to know a local farmer at the market and identify a fantastic butcher, fish shop, and baker in your neighbourhood.

When you’re in doubt, go to Granville Island, where you’ll find almost anything and everything. All you have to do now is deal with the throng!

We also inquired as to what Pallian’s pantry must-haves are.

She explains:

Dried beans, grains (quinoa, oats, whole-wheat couscous, etc. ), Asian noodles and pasta in different shapes, different types of beans and rice, baking ingredients, nuts, and dried fruit are constantly on hand.

Because we are a multi-cultural family, we also have a spice cabinet stocked with Indian and Middle Eastern spices.

If you want to cook, these are the top 10 best grocery stores in Vancouver, according to Jennifer Pallian of Foodess.com, along with why she believes they’re worth visiting and what kinds of supplies are available in each store; 

10 Best Grocery Stores In Vancouver You Can Find

1. Jasmine Halal Meats & Mediterranean Food

“This boutique on Main Street sells Middle Eastern and Mediterranean ingredients that are hard to come by. They also have a very good butcher with numerous fresh lamb selections. For comparable meals, the Parthenon in Kits is your second option.”

4323 Main Street is the address.

604-879-5518 is the phone number to call.

Read also:  Living in Vancouver

2. Young Brothers Produce

“They provide a wide variety of peak-ripe fruit and veggies, as well as loads of seasonal local options, all at rock-bottom pricing.” Asian vegetables are notably well-represented at Young Brothers Produce.

I’d rather keep this one to myself, therefore I’m hesitant to post it. It’s a cash-only situation, so go to the ATM first.”

3151 West Broadway is the address.

604-732-7088 is the phone number to call.

3. Kitsilano Natural Foods

“Even though they changed their name a while ago, I still call this business Dan-D Market. They sell a lot of Dan-D Pak items, as their prior name implies.

Customers will find every type of dried fruit and nut imaginable, as well as cereals, beans, baking ingredients, health foods, and much more. There’s also a fantastic bulk goods department in the store.”

2696 West Broadway is the address.

604-738-0326 is the phone number to call.

4. The Lobster Man

“An off-the-beaten-path find on Granville Island, this business has the greatest shellfish at the best pricing, which is fantastic news for seafood connoisseurs like myself.” This is the place to go when spot prawns are in season.

(Please don’t tell too many people!) They have exceptional quality and freshness, and I’ve seen some of the city’s top chefs buying there.”

1807 Mast Tower Road is the address.

Phone: 604-687-4531

5. Vancouver Farmers’ Markets

“You can locate a market practically every day of the week throughout the summer, and they are by far the finest place to buy peak-season local and organic fruit. I’m completely smitten.

There’s only one open in the winter (Nat Bailey Stadium), but it’s worth the trip even if it’s not close by. Prepare to eat the sweetest, reddest strawberries you’ve ever tasted in June.”

In Vancouver, there are multiple Farmers’ Markets.

6. No Frills/Superstore

“Okay, I know you’re raising an eyebrow, but seriously, they have a fantastic foreign food variety; anything you desire from any part of the globe is likely to be found within their borders.

I stock up on ghee, Indian spices, dried beans, banana leaves, curry leaves, lime leaves, fish sauce (by the litre), and kimchi — all of which are difficult to come by elsewhere and are all very reasonably priced.

For approximately $1 a can, stock up on Thai coconut milk and Vietnamese sweetened condensed milk, as well as large tubs of tahini.”

No Frills has several locations.

7. SPUD Online Grocery

“This online food delivery service has a fantastic product range. You could easily get your entire weekly grocery list online and have it delivered to your home.

They carry a wide variety of organic vegetables (which is probably what they’re best known for), as well as high-quality meats, loaves of bread from outstanding bakeries, dairy from local dairy farms, and a variety of specialized items and pantry staples.

If you’re short on time, this is a great option. If you have more time and enjoy browsing filled shelves, go to Be Fresh Local Market in Kits, which is SPUD’s first physical store.”

8. Whole Foods

“I realize this is yet another well-known brand, but as an avid ingredient list reader, what I appreciate most about them is that they analyze food labels for me and only allow the good stuff in.”

They have a long list of items that they will not sell, which gives me confidence in what I’m buying.

Of course, their organic vegetable collection is unrivalled, and you can find just about any trendy ingredient you require in this month’s Bon Appetit. It’s a foodie’s and health-dream foodie’s come true.”

Multiple addresses are available.

Read also:  Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal.

9. Famous Foods

“With over 1000 goods in their bulk department, they’re bound to have what you’re looking for.”

Famous Foods has a huge assortment of dried herbs and spices, as well as a huge selection of international products (I’ve spotted Mexican cheeses I’ve never seen before).

In addition to fresh vegetables, dairy, deli, and ethically sourced meats, there are plenty of high-quality natural, whole-food pantry staples.”

1595 Kingsway Street is the address.

Phone: 604-872-3019

10. Punjab Food Centre

“Every unusual Indian spice, utensil, or ingredient a home cook could want, including frozen freshly grated coconut, is available at the Punjab Food Centre.”

6635 Main Street is the address.

Phone: 604-322-5502

Conclusion 

Because Vancouver is a city full of foodies and aspiring chefs, it’s only natural that there be a plethora of locations to do grocery shopping. Feel free to head to the top 10 best grocery stores in Vancouver listed above for a wonderful shopping experience.   Godspeed!