Richmond, B.C.: A destination worth visiting for the food alone
Some places ask you to stop by. Richmond, British Columbia, asks you to show up hungry.
Whether you are coming from B.C., Alberta, or Ontario, this destination is worth the trip for the food alone.
People have been coming here for years, eating incredibly well, and quietly telling their friends to do the same. But a place this good cannot stay a secret forever.
This is the kind of place where you plan lunch, accidentally find three more things you need to eat, and start wondering why all weekends are not built like this. Luckily, they can be in Richmond, B.C.
First Discovery: Dumplings
Head straight to the Dumpling Trail and you will quickly see why Richmond calls it one of the world’s greatest food trails. This year-round trail lets you wander from spot to spot tasting just how many forms a dumpling can take.
It is a pretty charming way to get to know Richmond through the communities behind the food. You walk, you eat, you keep going. One stop for steamed dumplings, another for pan-fried, another because, well, you are already there. It turns eating into the afternoon plan, which is exactly what discovering a new place is all about.
Richmond is celebrated for its Asian cuisine. (Tourism Richmond)
Three blocks. Endless opportunities.
Speaking of discoveries, let’s go a little more off the beaten path.
Richmond is celebrated for its Asian cuisine, and in Canada, that is really saying something.
Some of the best food here is tucked into street corners, markets, and blocks you could wander for hours. Richmond is home to more than 800 restaurants, markets, and bakeries, all shaped by people who know exactly what they are doing.
Richmond Public Market is a great place for an early morning visit or a lunch stop. It is where you can settle in, chat with local farmers, pick up fresh produce and baked goods, and try global flavours all under one roof.
And if that inspires you to cook something yourself, great. But you absolutely do not have to.
Next up is Food Street, a fun, walkable three-block stretch along Alexandra Road in the heart of the Golden Village district. It is one of Richmond’s best-known spots for Asian cuisine. Grab some ramen, hot pot, tea, noodles, barbecue, or whatever you are craving; it is all packed into one delicious stretch.
(Tourism Richmond)
Sunset, seafood, Steveston
When you are ready to watch the sunset over dinner, head to Steveston Village. There is something about it that makes you feel part of a community, even if you have only just arrived.
Steveston’s fishing heritage is part of what makes it feel so special. At Fisherman’s Wharf, you can watch the working boats come and go, chat with local fishers, and pick up fresh fish, prawns, and crab right from the source.
And if you are hungry right away, Pajo’s Fish & Chips is sitting there like a very good idea. It has been serving fish and chips in Steveston since 1985, and yes, I highly recommend ordering some on the spot.
This part of Richmond makes the world feel a little simpler again. You are by the water, eating seafood from the source, and remembering that sometimes the best experiences are the least complicated.
Fresh food. Ocean air. Good people. That’s the kind of magic we know and love in Canada.
Remember when I said you would tell your friends about this place? Consider this me doing it for you. Sometimes it is the smaller communities, tucked beside the bigger hubs, that hold the best food, the best stories, and the meals you do not forget.
P.S., put this on your calendar
There is still more to look forward to. The Richmond Night Market returns in spring, with more than 200 food and retail stalls, plus nightly entertainment that makes the whole thing feel like an event, not just a stop.
Summer seafood season gives you another excuse to plan the trip, with fresh spot prawns at the wharf, seafood specials across Richmond, and chef demos that make Steveston feel even more alive.