the acorn

located at 24th and main, the acorn is open for dinner only and you will want to make a reservation. although the small restaurant was fully occupied (according to the rules) and seemed a little bit crowded, we felt safe as they are as serious about social distancing as any place that we have been in recent history. the acorn offers a three coarse dinner for $49 per person which as you will see, is very reasonable considering what they put together. we still opted for a sharable starter in addition. this was essentially pumpkin with lobster mushroom 'fish sauce' vinaigrette, hazelnuts and a taste of cayenne. it was our first amazing moment of many. delicious! themenulists the ingredients for each dish in exhaustive detail which felt a little annoying and confusing at first but as we got into our meal, we found ourselves referring back to themenuas "oh my god, that was amazing! what was that exactly?" moments came. mharie's first course was called romanesco. it was cauliflower in 5 forms with a goat gouda fonduta (her meal was vegetarian but not vegan) and a lemon leaf vinaigrette. i didn't even realize there were 5 kinds of cauliflower (including the romanesco) nor 5 ways to prepare it. grilled, pureed, pickled etc., the result was that each bite was different and needed to be savoured and appreciated. i started with the shitake. if i understood the menu, 2 types of shitake mushrooms prepared 3 ways (including a house-made x.o. sauce) with leeks, kelp and lemongrass! the surprising combination of textures and flavours made us very happy. the kitchen likes to use pickling which cuts through the richness of other elements to provide a balance. mharie's main course was called corn and featured house-made pasta. the pasta was not surprisingly very good and was supported (or the other way around) by radicchio, garlic, chanterelles, preserved corn, buffalo ricotta and something called crosnes. this is also known as japanese artichoke and the root was pickled for this dish. we did not isolate this ingredient at the time but we're convinced that everything contributes to the whole. by ordering the brassica, i did not initially realize that i was ordering the barbeque plate! buttermilk ranch slaw, burdock molasses-baked navy beans. maple syrup collard greens and sour pickles were the give away (and all a step above the usual and perfectly fine barbeque sides) but the savoy cabbage and quince were the stars here. brined, rubbed and smoked, and served with kumbuccha barbeque sauce (which was more than a little piquant), we would never have expected the cabbage (which in no way mimics brisket or any other barbequed meat) to be such a perfect 'viande'. for dessert, i had peach. peach and a sort of peach tuile over gin and peach sorbet and served with sorghum popcorn. another dish where each detail was an enjoyable surprise. mharie had one of the day's specials, western larch tip and squash ice cream topped with squash pearls, oat crumble and candied jelly tooth mushrooms. wow! as you probably have been able to tell, the creativity in the kitchen here is on a different plane from our usual forms of sustenance. they have proven once and for all, that a big old slab of meat is not necessary. small, romantic and dimly lit (made photography challenging and i came close to walking into plexiglass) this is a very nice space. service is very good and our servers were quick to answer our many questions. the acorn should definitely be on your bucket list whether you are vegan or not.

not gonna lie - vancouver has a lot of overhyped food and restaurants in our opinions but this restaurant was absolutely perfect.

from service, to the menu, atmosphere, decor, knowledgeable staff, good value, cleanliness and more - we were impressed. we actually felt like we were dining out as a treat rather than 'bus your own plates' kind of establishment.

the only reason why it wasn't 5/5 was my preference of a larger portion and a lack of a place for my coat (not a deal breaker but it being on the back of my chair had it touching the floor). we got two main courses, and if you come hungry - and usually eat a lot, it probably won't be enough. i do like that theirmenuisn't overwhelming/large, and the server was extremely well versed in it and the ingredients. the food tasted fresh, vibrant flavours, unique combinations (and for someone who's still struggling to eat less meat, i didn't miss meat one bit!) food came out quickly.

washrooms were clean and maintained, spacious, again - nicely decorated. they even had a recording of a bird chirping playing in the background!

i actually can't wait to make a point of coming back here to try what else they have on their menu.

the acorn is one unique restaurant in vancouver where you can indulge in a vegetarian-style gastronomic adventure.  even cnn named them as one of the world’s 11 best vegetarian destinations.  theirmenucaters to vegans and gluten-free diners but still delivers uncompromising flavour and unadulterated pleasure.

my friend wanted to eat dinner here and i wasn't to enthusiastic but figured why not try something new. i was in the mood for meat and it's a vegetarian place...

our mushroom starter was beautifully presented and for the most part had good flavor but i wouldn't have called it mind blowing. i'd stick more with good.

for our main i ordered the deep fried halloumi cheese plate and and my friend ordered the brassica. as a lactose intolerant i know i'm safe with halloumi but sadly no where on themenudid it mention the cream they added to my peas. it just says "smashed peas". it was silly i should have asked or mentioned my intolerance but in a place so specific about what's in the dish to miss the cream i thought was misleading. thank goodness i had my lactose pills in my purse or that would have ended worse than it did.

i was also dissapointed when the waitress brought out the wrong main for my friend. it was an honest mistake and she was friendly but it never makes for a great experience.

the halloumi cheese dish was the best thing we ate in the restaurant, it was rich and decedent. the brassica was a fu fu plate in my opinion with only the roasted red cabbage in rosemary actually tasting like anything. the cabbage was delicious to bad about the rest of the dish.

all in all i wouldn't rush back, it's such a shame as i've heard great things. maybe we ordered the wrong things ??

on the plus side it was a good atmosphere, their food presentation is spectacular and cannot be faulted and although i didn't try one, the cocktails looked amazing.

easily my favourite restaurant in vancouver. the food is something special, and the service is friendly and unpretentious. the beer battered halloumi cheese is probably my favourite bite of the year. theirmenuchanges frequently based on the season so it's always fresh and new when you go. the portion sizes are very good, and you definitely do not leave hungry.

amazing, inventive vegetarian food. the dishes are like pieces of art, exploding with colour and flavour. you won't find tofu stir-fries or veggie burgers on themenuhere. only creative masterpieces.

acorn is a world-class restaurant and vancouver is lucky to have it.

we were blown away with our experience at the acorn. this place serves up such a unique and ever changingmenuwith a focus on farm to table plant based foods. we couldn't believe the amount of depth and flavour each dish had, with a refreshing and innovative take on vegetarian food. our favorite dish of the night was the halloumi! we will be back to try their brunch menu!

the worst. this place was terrible. $19 for undercooked risotto topped with overcooked root veg? unbelievably rude and pretentious service. i had some simple questions about the wine list and the server looked at me like i was crazy. she had no idea what she was talking about. nice room but geez, i really can't understand the hype. go get the vegetarian/ vegan tastingmenuat yew if you're looking for good vegetarian food. this place is not worth the trek or the price tag.

the acorn when people ask me where to take their vegetarian friends, the acorn always comes up. if you’re a vegetarian, chances are you already heard of this place.  the acorn was a game changer in 2012. it set a higher standard for vegetarian fare when the main options for vegetarian-only restaurants were the naam and the foundation, amongst other casual places. the acorn made vegetarian food  fancy . it made vegetarian food an art—a delicious art. it let us know that vegetarian food could be inventive and interesting.  i don’t really have anything to add to what others have said. it’s as good as you’ve heard it is. they have an ever-changing seasonal menu, so they’re always keeping it fresh here. there are some staples, however, such as the kale salad and the fried halloumi (they’re fixtures on themenufor good reason!). you can’t really make a bad choice here even if you tried. since opening, the acorn has always busy, which is just a testament to how good this place is.

best meal of my life.. a couple weeks ago, i had the best meal i have ever eaten at the acorn. in my opinion, the best items on themenuare: the artichoke paté, halloumi, and hen of the woods. the flavours were all so multidimensional and everything was cooked perfectly, especially the mushrooms. also, their cocktails are so lovely! if i could eat here every day, i would.

it’s a super new star in vancouver! it’s the top three must try restaurants in vancouver last year and signature for vegetarian. are you excited? locates on main street of vancouver east. more and more nice and unique restaurants are growing there. it might be easy to be overlooked but don’t worry, there is usually a line of people waiting outside;) theirmenuchanges from time to time, which is good. beet beet tartare, goat cheese panna cotta, horseradish, watercress, honey gastrique   the display is nice. but what surprised me the most is taste of it! i have never expected beets and goat cheese could be that match!! i just don’t know how to describe it in words. just wonderful. walnut  walnut & portobello pate, pickled shimeji mushrooms, gin, juniper croustinis it’s another surprise of the day:d the pate is super smooth and delicate. must try! porcini braised porcini mushrooms, da

theirmenuitems are nicely labelled with gf (gluten-free), raw (raw food that has not reached 115 degrees farhenheit), and v (vegan). as a person with a semi gluten allergy, it was nice to see so many choices to choose from because you don't usually get that in many restaurants. we started off with the sunflower ($10) which consists of a leek  sunflower seed pate, watercress emulsion, pickled pearl onions, and taro chips. this was our favourite appetizer of the night and we couldn't get enough! the pate was scrumptious but it would've been nice to have a few

the acorn is a trendy vegetarian restaurant along main street / king edward – next to zakkushi charcoal grill . it is where hipsters rejoice, independent and consignment fashion stores congregate, and eateries compete. the concept of the acorn is for refined presentation of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian cuisine. chef-owner brian skinner previously interned at noma with chef rene redzepi. there seems to be a constant fan-base here and line ups are outrageous. they do not take reservations and your full party must be present before they would seat you. i came here after dinner with a few girlfriends for drinks and dessert. the hostess barely greeted us and sat us down. the standoff-ish attitude was already not appetizing. we ordered a few drinks as we examined themenuand proceeded to share one main entree and two desserts amongst 4 girls (our hostess was not pleased).

great food but long waits and no reservations. i always enjoy the food here, but it is after having my mood largely spoiled by longs waits for a table. we have waited near an hour a couple times. they offer you a drinkmenuwhile you wait, but standing there in your coat in a crowded little foyer doesn't make holding a drink all that appealing. i don't think i will go back until they take reservations - if you have limited time this place is not a good bet for dinner.

the acorn- all hype...under deliver. at the suggestion of a friend, we decided to try this new spot on main st. upon walking into to a semi full restaurant, i tried to make eye contact with some of the staff...usually when you walk into a restaurant, at least one of the staff "acknowledges" you. i could go to a hole-in-the-wall chinese restaurant in chinatown and not get ignored this hard!!!!....my companion had to walk right up to the bar and basically had to waive at the staff member behind the bar for them to acknowledge us.

we settled on sitting at the bar, and were presented with the menu. the space is fairly small, but cozy.....there were 2 servers/bartenders on. 2 staff to take care of the room.... manageable if the staff is efficient.........the key word being efficient.....when we asked questions about themenuitems, we were answered with what we felt was a less than spectacular attitude.

we finally settled on a main and an appy....the presentation was nice, the food flavors was no more than average...and when we asked for extra pepercorn sauce....it was like we asked the server to walk across the world to get it. we weren't asking for him to move mountains...just an extra side of sauce.

i hate to say, but for $40 i would have rather eaten at cactus club, earl's or joey's.....they don't mind making mods to your food....and the serving staff asks how you're doing once in a while

i think the acorn is fitting name for the place...'cause that is the object that is stuck in the employees behinds!!...

visiti the acorn is you're looking for a typical entitled hipster attitude and less than spectacular overpriced food.....