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604-566-9001
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3995 Main St, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5V 3P3
Casual fine-dining modern vegetarian restaurant and bar opened in spring 2012. Serves west coast cuisine and uses fresh produce from local urban farms. Menu items are clearly marked. Reported to HappyCow to use only veg rennet or rennet-less cheeses. Brunch every Sat and Sun. Open Mon-Thu 5:30pm-10:00pm, Fri-Sat 5:30pm-11:00pm, Sat-Sun 10:00am-2:30pm, Sun 5:30pm-10:00pm. Bar service until 12am daily.
Category: Vegan-friendly, Lacto, American, Raw, Beer/Wine, Canadian
Reviews (19)
First Review by kimward8
Contributions +13
Food Disappointing and Overpriced - Edit
First time visit to the Acorn. Appetizers weren't bad. I had the Burrata cheese dish and my wife had a squash concoction. Both dishes were well presented and tasty. Mind you my wife said the next time she would pay attention to the symbols next to the dish...hers had Rw...and yes it certainly was raw. Our entrees were Halloumi Cheese dish and "the Harvest". My wife enjoyed the Halloumi dish....tasty, rich, well presented. The harvest on the other hand was a joke. Sliced cooked potatoes on slices of yellow beets...some tough little wild garlic stalks, a bit of Quinoa...swimming in a tasteless consomme. There was little imagination or talent being exhibited here. That's it for my meal. Generally when I go out to a veggie restaurant I look for how the restaurant deals with a plant based protein source. Other than a cashew cheese sauce, I did not see any attempt to provide protein at the Acorn. A good veggie restaurant would allow me to bring a omnivore friend and them leaving satisfied. Would't be the case at the Acorn. Finally the Acorn is expensive for what you get....2 appetizers, 2 entrees, one glass of wine, plus tip $95.
Pros: Good service
Cons: Parking, No protein, Noisy Atmosphere
Contributions +70
Decent - Edit
I've been looking forward to giving this restaurant a try but unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. I like the decor and the atmosphere, the service was very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. The menu had several vegan options that sounded fancy and appetizing. I chose the daily special which was carrot risotto with wild mushrooms and cucumber cashew creme fraiche. The presentation was gorgeous but it arrived to the table luke warm. I think it just sat there while my dinner companion's plate was prepared. The best part of the meal was the wild mushrooms that were sautéed with wild garlic, they were delicious. Sadly the risotto was not properly cooked and there were hard, starchy centres inside each grain of rice, not appetizing at all. The creme fraiche was okay but there was far too much of it and it was rich and heavy, nothing like creme fraiche. I would try this restaurant again to see if I just chose the wrong thing, apparently risotto is not the easiest dish to prepare, and because the service was lovely.
Pros: Vegan options, Good Service , Cool atmosphere and decor
Cons: Food was almost cold, Food was not properly cooked, Difficult to park
Contributions +135
They make a mean cruelty-free brunch - Edit
If you're looking for a vegan gluten-free brunch look no further, The Acorn has your back. The menu here does change from special to special but there is always delicious vegan choices on the menu. The best brunch I've had there was the gluten free vegan banana french toast with a rhubarb compote and fruit salad & coconut cream on the side.
Other vegan GF brunch options are:
• Kale salad
• A Benny inspired skillet
• Beggars Banquet made from seasonal veggies
• Southern Fried Artichokes on Waffles
• Steel cut oats and porridge with stewed apple
• Sides: roasted potatoes, greens, baked beans, house-made muesli, seasonal fruit and waffles.
The restaurant is popular with locals and does tend to fill up fast so it's good to call ahead or show up early. Waiting time for brunch can be up to 30min. The staff is very friendly and informative on their vegan and gluten-free options and are very attentive checking in and offering fresh water. You may have to circle the block a few times to find parking but it is worth the time, the food is always delicious and beautifully presented.
Pros: Delicious food beautifully presented, Gluten-free options, Reasonable prices
Cons: Parking not always easy
Contributions +25
awesome food - Edit
Everything here was great. Cool staff, great food, cool environment. We had the artichoke and waffle which was amazing and the fried egg which was also really tasty.
Contributions +399
Dark and stylish atmosphere - Edit
I went here one month ago. I ate a delicious Summer Greens salad (mixed green salad, miso rice wine vinaigrette, puffed rice crisps, kohlrabi) and a wonderful Berries Meringue dessert (seasonal berries, toasted chickpea meringue, macadamia nuts, sorrel, cracked black pepper).
Elegant and sophisticated ambiance, great food and well presented dishes, attentive service, fine selection of craft beers, a bit expensive.
Pros: excellent food quality , mise en place, service
Cons: expensive, portions
Contributions +22
Go here! - Edit
A bit pricey, but worth it. Very fresh and delicious. A no-fail, never had a bad meal. You can go somewhere else cheaper or you can spend a bit more money for excellent quality and out-of-the box dishes. Proves that vegan food can be exquisite and doesn't have to be yet another veggie burger.
Contributions +100
meh..... - Edit
Not a fan.... Too expensive for what it is. The vibe is extremely pretentious.
Contributions +52
Good effort - Edit
But not good enough. I have very high standards having been a professional vegan and gluten free commercial baker and a pretty great cook myself. This place offers a few yummy vegan options but for the price it feels pretentious. The raw zucchini noodle dish I had was delicious but I can make it better at home. Also, spending $20 for a small bowl of raw veggies is ludicrous. The atmosphere is nice but a little squishy. Service is attentive. Good overall but not great.
Pros: vegan options, nice setting
Cons: Not all vegan, too expensive, pretentious
Contributions +1684
Consistently delicious and vegan friendly - Edit
Having been to Acorn several times since they opened in 2012, I can safely say that the food has been consistently delicious.
There were some comments about some or one server not being friendly and the one I can think of is no longer there.
Service is attentive, food is delicious and more vegan friendly than it was when they first opened.
Very impressed that we have the Acorn in Vancouver!
I wish they had more vegan options. We managed to find what we needed though. The restaurant is pretty small and of course packed. We went there for a friend's birthday party. The food was absolutely beautiful and very well presented. We shared the beetroot ravioli and the kale salad as starters. The kale salad came with perfectly fried tempeh cubes and with a cashew and lemon vinaigrette. It was delicious. Then we had the king mushroom dish, it was exquisite, although for the price, pretty small. For dessert, we had the peanut butter raw terrine and again, between the presentation and the taste, we were not disappointed. Even though it is a great gourmet option for Vancouver, it still doesn't match the Milleniums or Portobellos of this world. I would still give it a 4 because it's better than average.
Updated from previous review on Saturday October 13, 2012
Pros: Beautiful presentation, Almost soy free, Creative
Cons: No reservations allowed, Small space
Contributions +6088
Perfect Desserts - Edit
It was late at night, and we were looking to get some dessert. We heard that The Acorn was a top choice for desserts and decided to go here.
We ordered a couple of desserts: the vegan cheesecake and the rhubarb pie. Each dessert was flavorful and fresh.
The ambiance of this restaurant is dark, yet classy at night, and would be a solid choice for bringing a date or just hanging out with friends.
Pros: Delicious desserts, Great service
Contributions +34
sexy enough for date night! - Edit
Ahhhhh, this place is awesome.
I mean, not only the music, the cocktails, the décor, and even the bathroom are cool, but the food, the food!
I've had too many a pleasant evenings here and that is why, if I am going on a date, this is my place of choice. Everything is sexy and sophisticated; I am just glad I don't have to compromise my food choices to enjoy that!
I have never had a bad meal here, all is delicious and caters to everyone from vegan to vegetarian to pescetarian, and more. On top of it, it is local. the only thing is that it gets packed so show up early to avoid disappointment.
All food here is made with care and you can tell someone in the kitchen loves to please people with their creations.
Pros: inventive, sexy, local
Cons: sometimes service lacks
Contributions +151
very yummy - Edit
We finally got to eat at acorn on sat night . We got the last 2 stools at the counter which added to the ambiance.
I started with the Brussels sprouts and the the root veg risotto. Both were. Very yummy.
My husband started with the soup which he loved.
He also had the risotto which he found very tasty and ate it all.
Pros: good food, friendly service
Cons: do not take reservations
Contributions +18
Consistently amazing - Edit
Every time I come here the food is amazing. The vegan version of the kale salad is my go-to, but I have also had their variation on raw zucchini pasta time and time again and it is so good! Overall anything I have ordered from here has delectable flavor combinations that make me savour every bite!
I have tried almost all the vegan restaurants around Vancouver, and The Acorn is my favorite. Just a little cheaper than the other vegan restaurants that attempt to be upscale, but is the only one that actually serves food that tastes gourmet.
If you don't get here before 6 the line can be up to an hour, but we usually plan for that and get a coffee/tea before. It's worth that wait.
Pros: AMAZING food, less $ than other vegan upscale places
Cons: can be a long wait, loud, busy place (makes sense)
Contributions +14
Pretentious But Good - Edit
I took my sister (non-veg) for dinner. We showed up promptly at 5PM and were the second table seated. Sweet! Missed the lines everyone complains about. But that's when the pretentious attitude started with our server. The whole time there was this snooty air which was totally undeserved.
Yes, the food was good. Yes, the food was pretty. But this is the West Coast - there was no table cloth, they didn't change the cutlery or dirty side plates between courses (I can't stand it when the waiter handles my cutlery and then doesn't take it way) and she couldn't describe the food to save her life - not worth that snooty air.
We started with the mushroom satay. Yummy and I'm still trying to figure out how I can steal the recipe for the sauce. Almonds, tahini and something else that is torturing me.
Food-chain Fannie had the halloumi and was satisfied - I sampled the pancake and the pea mash and it was pretty tasty.
I had the Orecchiette minus the butter finish and it was delicious. Carnivore Cate agreed but mentioned some parmesan would complete it.
Appetizer, two mains, three glasses of wine = $105.
Would go back if another person requested but not as my idea.
Contributions +132
Worth the wait - Edit
They only take reservations for parties of 6 or more. We had to wait more than an hour for a table on a Friday night. I almost gave up because I was do hungry. I'm glad I waited. The food was spectacular and the entire staff was super friendly. Go. Trust me.
Pros: awesome food, great staff, full bar
Cons: not a vegan restaurant, long wait
Contributions +26
Not good, Not Vegan and not really Vegetarian - Edit
I ate here with a group. Unfortunately they slipped dairy into my food which made me quite ill for the night. They knew I was vegan - but first they brought a dish with dairy cheese on top which I clearly saw and forced them to take it back. Then, somehow somewhere they slipped in dairy again :(
[edit by staff]
In addition to all of this, it's very crowded with meat eaters trying to be trendy and the food isn't special enough to make the risk of getting slipped cheese worth it.
Pros: A few of the staff are nice, Nice decor, Good location
Cons: Very expensive, Might slip you dairy into a vegan dish
Contributions +25
Over-hyped - Edit
I read the reviews on here and on yelp and thought that I had to try it. It sounded so good. When I read reviews and 95% of them are 5 stars and 5% are 1 star, I assume the bad reviews are due to bad days or simply people who have extreme standards. But I have to say, the bad reviewers have some points to be made.
Their system of how they line people up outside until after opening and then fill the tables full, is ridiculous. This means that if you don't get a table right away, you're waiting at least an hour. People seem to really like to chat and take their time eating here. We ended up waiting 1.5 hours. To make matters worse, they don't want you sitting at the bar waiting. They want you to go outside. I was with some pushy type people, so we were able to wait inside due to the fact that the hostess seemed timid. But we got looks the entire time.
Once seated, the waitress was quite friendly and the service was okay. She never did ask to refill my drink though. I then ordered the Halloumi. I LOVE cheese. To be fair, I've never had this dish before, so maybe this is normal. But it tasted like pure salt. I ate it because I was hungry, paid $20 for a chunk of cheese, and waited 1.5 hours for it. But honestly, if it were say, $10 (which would seem more reasonable), I probably wouldn't have finished it. Our bill was well over $100 for 4 of us.
I feel like they're trying to create this upscale feeling simply by having people line up outside. But it really is overhyped and way overpriced! I highly doubt I'll be returning. I'm sure some of their other dished are good, but nobody at my table seemed too terribly impressed. And if I'm going to be paying $20 a dish, I better be getting something fantastic!
Pros: Unique items
Cons: Expensive, long wait, no waiting area inside
Contributions +58
Exquisite cuisine, with excellent presentation.. - Edit
We were a group of four who ate here for the first time.
We ordered two appetizers: an artichoke paté, and beet ravioli. With the paté, you receive toasted bread (crostinis), but there aren't enough provided- we had to ask for extra. Not a good value for the $10. The beet ravioli tasted delicious, but was only eight thin slices of beets (red and golden). It wasn't worth the $10 price.
For the main course, I had the Houllimi cheese which was superb. Tasty green peas underneath, a zucchini pancake, and the portion size was fine. We were all satisfied by the entrées we ordered, although at $19 each they were a bit pricey compared to other vegetarian restaurants in the city.
That being said, the level of presentation of the food, the quality of preparation, the attention to detail and the flavours are absolutely wonderful. I would not hesitate to come here again.
Thus, my recommendation is to skip ordering the appetizers, order a salad to share instead. We didn't have any desserts either here, but they again should probably be shared unless you aren't on a budget (I think each was around $9).
Pros: Beautiful presentation, High quality food, Superb flavours
Cons: Wait time for a table-25 min, Service is very busy
Contributions +378
Classy - Edit
The food was very fancy looking and tasted good. I had the Aubergine main dish and the tomato salad and collard rolls. We also tried the chocolate peanut butter dessert with coconut whipped cream. The food all tasted good, but I would have preferred if they had more vegan options. It's also a bit expensive. I wish they had some good tofu dishes, or some more complete vegan meals, like Millenium in San Francisco.
Pros: Decor, Location
Cons: Expensive, Busy
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