Restaurant in Vancouver, Canada
Gastown tacos, no reservations needed.
Tacofino Taco Bar on West Cordova is Gastown's most approachable late-night option: walk-in friendly, casual, and affordable in a neighbourhood where most dinner spots are $$$$ and reservation-only. It won't replace a night at Kissa Tanto or Masayoshi, but for tacos after 10 PM with zero friction, it earns its place.
Tacofino Taco Bar is easy to get into and worth the stop, particularly if you're eating late in Gastown and don't want to commit to a $$$$ tasting menu. Walk-in friendly and casual by design, this is the kind of spot you book when a full reservation at Kissa Tanto or Masayoshi isn't on the cards — or when you just want tacos after 10 PM without a production.
Tacofino started as a food truck in Tofino, BC, and the Gastown Taco Bar on West Cordova is the sit-down evolution of that format. The format leans fast-casual: counter service energy, a tight menu built around tacos and burritos, and a room that doesn't ask much of you in terms of dress or decorum. This is not a celebration dinner venue in the traditional sense — but if your special occasion is a post-show meal with friends or a low-key late-night eat after a night out in Gastown, it fits that brief better than most of the neighbourhood's alternatives.
The late-night angle is where Tacofino earns its place in Vancouver's eating options. When the $$$$ rooms have wound down their last seatings, this address keeps the door open for anyone still hungry in the area. That's a specific and real utility in a city where late kitchen hours are not a given, especially in a neighbourhood like Gastown that draws evening foot traffic from nearby hotels, bars, and live venues.
For context on Vancouver's broader dining scene, see our full Vancouver restaurants guide. If you're planning a wider trip, our Vancouver hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the full picture. Visitors coming from further afield might also compare notes against Canadian destinations like Alo in Toronto or Tanière³ in Quebec City for a sense of the national range.
Reservations: Walk-ins welcome; booking difficulty is low. Dress: Casual , no expectations here. Budget: Affordable by Vancouver standards; well below the $$$$ tier that defines most of Gastown's destination dining. Location: 15 W Cordova St, Gastown, Vancouver. Leading for: Late-night eating, casual groups, post-event meals. Skip if: You're looking for a formal occasion dinner or a wine-forward experience , consider AnnaLena or Barbara for that.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacofino Taco Bar | Easy | — | ||
| AnnaLena | $$$$ · Contemporary | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| iDen & QuanJuDe Beijing Duck House | $$$$ · Chinese | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Kissa Tanto | $$$$ · Fusion | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Masayoshi | $$$$ · Japanese | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Published on Main | $$$ · Contemporary | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Yes — this is one of the easier solo calls in Gastown. The walk-in format and casual counter-style setup at 15 W Cordova mean you're not awkwardly holding a table for two. No reservations required, so there's no planning overhead for a quick solo stop.
Taco formats generally lend themselves to flexible ordering, but the venue database doesn't confirm specific dietary accommodation policies. Given the casual, fast-casual roots of the Tacofino concept, it's worth asking staff directly before you visit if you have strict requirements.
Whatever you wore that day. Tacofino grew out of a Tofino food truck and the Gastown Taco Bar keeps that same no-dress-code energy. Casual is not just acceptable here — it's the expected register.
If you want to stay in Gastown and step up in formality and price, Kissa Tanto on Johnston Street is the obvious move — Italian-Japanese, tasting menu-adjacent, and harder to get into. For something closer in price but with a more polished room, AnnaLena in Kitsilano offers a set menu format worth considering if you have more time and budget.
Not really the right fit. The walk-in, casual format works against the occasion-dinner brief — there's no private dining, no formal service structure, and no price point to signal a celebration. For a special occasion in Vancouver, Published on Main or Kissa Tanto are better choices that can carry the weight of the evening.
You don't need to book at all. Tacofino Taco Bar on West Cordova runs on a walk-in basis, which makes it a reliable option when other Gastown restaurants are full. Peak weekend evenings may mean a short wait, but booking difficulty is low by any Vancouver standard.
The concept started as a food truck in Tofino, BC — the Gastown location is the sit-down version of that format, which means the vibe is loose and the prices are affordable by Vancouver standards. Come hungry, come casual, and don't expect a long tasting-menu experience. It's a stop, not a destination evening.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
