Planning a vacation when you or a loved one has multiple allergies is tough! I recently travelled to Vancouver, Canada and did a lot of research beforehand to ensure I could eat safely. In this post I will lay out multiple locations around Vancouver that were allergy friendly, and the dairy free nut free meals I had at each (with no reaction!)
*Always check with your server before ordering to confirm allergen information! Items that were safe during my trip may have different ingredients at the time of your travels.
Hello Nori
Hello Nori was perhaps my favorite spot my group and I ate at. They advised me that only one item on the menu had dairy, and there were no nuts! At this location you sit on raised stools around a bar and are able to order sushi by the roll and it is made quickly (while you watch) and brought right over to you. The service was amazing, the sushi was fantastic, and they were extremely friendly regarding my allergies.
TIP: Large groups may have trouble eating here. At this time there are no reservations and the seating is limited. We arrived around 5pm and waited 10 minutes for an opening.
Lucky’s Doughnuts, Downtown
This chain has a menu online with all ingredients listed! I was going to try one of their cocoa base vegan donuts however when I arrived a sticker said they contained nuts. I assumed that to be to coconut oil listed on their website, but didn’t want to chance it so I skipped a sweet. If you are not sensitive to nuts definitely give this place a shot! Instead, I ordered the Avocado Toast. Although simple, it was tasty and the chickpeas gave it a nice crunch. They checked with the kitchen regarding my allergies, and were friendly.
Water St. Cafe, Gastown
I was a bit nervous to eat at Water St. Cafe. My friend had selected this spot online and there was no allergen menu available. When we arrived, I asked our server if I would be able to have the egg rolls. She let me know that the fryer is a shared space with nuts, so there would be no avoiding contact. She then went and spoke to the manager and the back and came back with quite a few options that would be safe for me and was VERY kind and accommodating with all of my questions. I ended up having the pan seared BC salmon. Throughout the meal the manager came over to check on me and ensure I liked it, and told me they were took proper precautions when preparing my meal. This was possibly the restaurant that took the most care, and had the most compassion for allergies during my trip to Vancouver. The food was great too! Great portion sizes, the rest of my group really enjoyed their meal, and we had a view of the Gastown steam clock (we could even hear it from inside)! I would highly recommend.
Maruhachi Ra-men, West End
A spot recommended to my group was Maruhachi Ra-men. I looked online and to my delight they had an allergy menu! (They have a few more locations so you can check which is the most convenient for you!) I had never had ramen before so I ordered the original ramen and it was quite good. When ordering I confirmed with our server that the allergy menu was up to date and she confirmed that the items I ordered did not contain nuts or dairy. I had no reaction after eating my meal.
A la Mode, Granville Island
After a chilly ride aboard a whaling tour, a warm pot pie was exactly what I needed. I emailed ahead and confirmed that the Beef Stew Pot Pie was both dairy free and nut free. They had vegan options as well! The pot pie I had was tasty and filling for a day at the shops.
Captain’s Oven Pizza
The dough at captain’s oven is dairy free (at the time of writing this post), and you can make your own vegan pizza! I chose options that were dairy free and nut free and was able to enjoy a late night bite with my friends.
Honorable Mentions:
Candied Salmon-Candied Salmon can be found all over Vancouver but there were two spots in Granville where we grabbed some! Delicious, and dairy & nut free.
Supermarkets- I stocked up on snacks to get me through the day, and to have on hand in case I couldn’t find somewhere allergy friendly while we were out.
Maple Candies- Maple themed candies are everywhere in Vancouver. Almost all of them are dairy and nut free so check some out!
Do you have any allergy friendly spots you have found in Vancouver? Let me (and others planning their trip) know in the comments below! 🙂 Thanks for reading!