the acorn

i. love. this. restaurant.
came here two years ago for the first time on my birthday. i was the only vegan out of a table of 9 and everyone really enjoyed their meals. had such a great time, being vegan thisplaceis a dream. beautifully presented whole food without processed/refined, gross fake meat ingredients.
recently came back for the second time this month and it did not disappoint at all.

food: always amazing. they just know how to cook everything just right, use herbs and other foods for flavour, everything is always seasoned well. it's like thoughtful, fancy vegan/vegetarian in a nice but casual setting. look at my photos and you'll see.

it's always busy and they don't take reservations unless it's for 7 or more i believe. so arrive when they open or be prepared to wait.

i can't wait to go back when i'm in van next.

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 anyplacethat 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! the menu lists 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 the menu as "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 aplacefor 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 their menu isn'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.

expect to wait because thisplaceis small. we came here for sunday brunch and waited for 20 minutes for a table of 4. it took them some time to clean the table and sat us down. waited for another 5 minutes for our server (which is also the hostess) to give us water (complimentary sparkling water btw). another 5 minutes for her to come take our drink order, another 5 minutes to get our drinks, and another 5 minutes to finally take our food order. that was already 20 minutes past we sat down. unfortunately theplaceis so small that they probably won't be able to hire another server but i would strongly suggest they hire someone at the bar just to make the drinks much faster and help out the waitresses a bit. food was not bad (or maybe because we were just too hungry anything would taste good) but portion is a bit small.

man alive! thisplaceis amazing. words won't do it justice, so my advice would be to experience it yourself. i would even go as far as to suggest it is the idealplacefor a first date. why? because if your date manages to find fault with any aspect of their dining experience, there should be no second date. simple as that.

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 the menu did 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 aplaceso 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.

firstly, we subscribe to weekly csa boxes and favor a vegetable-heavy diet, but thisplacewas an unabashed rip-off where meals consist of morsels of farming detritus and playful sauces, backed by an understanding that decorations count as food. it has done everything right in terms appeasing the crowd of the dreaded h word (of which we're guiltily a part of), from cheap ingredients dressed as luxury goods (omg beets) fashioned by visual-centric chefs with a complete ignorance of what taste buds are for, to the obligatory appallingly small portions. and this is coming from someone who enjoys eating plain tofu and has a low-sodium diet. i would not come back if these guys paid me.

we were blown away with our experience at the acorn. thisplaceserves up such a unique and ever changing menu with 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. thisplacewas 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 tasting menu at yew if you're looking for good vegetarian food. thisplaceis not worth the trek or the price tag.

amazing, even for a non-veggie :). not a vegetarian or a vegan and don't mind gluten whatsover but thisplacereally got me. came here with a group of four and i was blown away by the food. the chefs here really take their time to prepare and make art with their food. similarly, the enthusiasm of the waiters was very contagious :) would def. come again!

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 the menu for 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 thisplaceis.

i was disappoint with my trip to the resturant to start with when we asked about something specific about the drinks the waitress said i dunno and waved her hand dismissively. also when i ordered i asked to start with my appetizer (because i was extremely hungry) she came back and asked if i wanted it before my meal and i replied yes then when i got my food she brought it all out at once andplacemy main infront of me when i had asked for my appetizer twice. my friend i was with

great atmosphere and another interesting restaurant on main street but poor value. we had the gnocchi and croquette for appetizers. both looked good but lack lustre flavours were disappointing. we shared the mushroom main which consisted of a few potato slices, a few mushroom slices and a sauce ( which was well done) but nineteen bucks??? give me a break. the wine list was weak for the price too. no big reds... like none.
both my date and i, who dine out a fair bit, left thinking that we had a fun evening, enjoyed theplaceitself but would never recommend it to friends because of the poor value. for the hundred dollar bill (tip included) one should expect more. tapas 23 or the locus would offer you much more

meat eaters will love this place!. went on a sunday night at 8pm and we got a table immediately. we had the sunflower pate to start, really fun little dish which arrives in a pot which is sealed with the smoke inside which creates a beautiful autumnal flavour and is super fun to open and have the smoke escape! i had the halloumi and could barely finish it and my boyfriend had the harvest which was a green cauliflower risotto, both were deeeelish! this is my new fav restaurant although because of the price point will be a treat rather than a weekly thing. our bill with 3 drinks came to $80. so worth it, thisplaceis a must try!

love. where do i start with this place?

i was nervous going here around 8pm with a gf after reading reviews that said there would be a line-up and we'd have to wait outside. i was ready to turn around and walk away if that were the case. and although there was a wait (about 20 minutes, with noplaceto sit) we were offered drinks while we stood and chatted inside. well done.

a spot at the bar opened up first so we sat there. great atmosphere and service. the bartender (french dude?) was attentive and personable. i tried both the ad astra and mirror lake cocktails. amazing both for taste (i heart candied ginger) and value (crazy inexpensive as far as i'm concerned!).

as for food, i'm a pescetarian and my gf is non-veggie but gluten free. she got the harvest, and being the health freak she is, was uber imressed. it looked a little "green" to me; i'm more the yves fake meat type of vegetarian. i got the porcini, and i loooved it. warm and comforting. right up my alley.

we didn't want to leave so we got desert. we got the goji with raw chocolate. i almost stabbed bestie with my fork for the last bite.