88 Best Bars in British Columbia, Canada

This sound-system-centric dance club and performance venue keeps the audience guessing with a mix of shows (often with hip-hop leanings). The second-floor space has red oak flooring and manages to incorporate local and eco-friendly elements into the design.

This 25-seater wine bar is contemporary and carefully cultivates an interesting list of organic wines and craft cocktails. It's next to the acclaimed, seasonal, farm-to-table eatery, Farmer’s Apprentice, so the bar nibbles are equally inspired. It gets busy, so go early and enjoy a happy hour cocktail of the day and charcuterie board.

The menu at this Gastown favorite features lagers, pale ales, pilsners, stouts, and ciders, and then there's what's on tap, a wine list, and a cocktail menu—in short, the thirsty have many ways to imbibe. The food menu offers lots of sharing options. In addition to rock bands (plus jazz, folk, and blues artists), there are also burlesque and cabaret nights.

You'll find quality cocktails blended with house-made bitters, fresh herbs, and other local ingredients at this Vancouver hot spot, which, although it's leather-paneled and clubby, is surprisingly unstuffy. Also in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia are the narrow, mahogany-paneled 1927 Lobby Lounge (ideal for a discreet rendezvous), and Reflections, an open-air (heated in winter) fourth-floor oasis.

Dinner, dancing, and live jazz, blues, and Dixie are on the menu at this venerable Downtown restaurant and jazz club. Arrive on time for special acts as doors often close once the show is underway.

Tourists and locals flock here for the stout on tap, live music nightly, the summertime patio, and a menu of traditional (think Irish stew) and modern pub fare. Located inside a former bank building on Victoria's main shopping strip adds grandeur to the fun, and very Irish, setting.

This large, sports-inclined bar is blessed with an enviable proximity to Kits Beach. The spacious but usually packed patio is across from a grassy park and Kitsilano Pool. Inside, multiple televisions show whatever sports game is happening, while the kitchen serves inexpensive pub grub.

A veteran of Victoria's nightclub scene, Lucky's draws DJs, live bands, and a friendly younger crowd of locals who make the most of Lucky's great sound system and dance floor.

Its hot central location makes Moe Joe's a perennial favorite. Theme nights from Ladies' Night Saturday to Feel Good Friday to Glow-in-the-Dark giveaways on Sunday appeal to a diverse crowd. If you're traveling in a group, reserve a party booth or snag a VIP pass to skip the lines.

Victoria's longest-running LGBT night club draws a mixed crowd to its below-street-level environs with resident DJs, fun drag, karaoke, and club nights.

This entertainment mecca encompasses a casino, two high-end hotels, several excellent dining options, and a spa. The 72,000-square-foot gaming space features 600 machines and Fortune high-limit slots, as well as table games that span two floors. Access to the casino is 24/7.

The brick-and-beam 1910 architecture, antiques, and a 38-foot bar are in keeping with the menu of classic cocktails. Most are inspired by the 1862 bartending bible How to Mix Drinks by Jerry Thomas, the first bartending manual ever to put oral traditions to print, with recipes such as a Tom Collins. There's also live music several days of the week.

Designed to look like a truck stop, Red Truck Beer Company serves beer and pub fare like wings, burgers, chili, and fries. They also have an all-day breakfast menu that includes dishes like corned beef hash and southern fried eggs. There's always something fun happening here—from sports on the TV to live music (they have an outdoor summer concert series) to events like bike meetups or axe throwing.

During the summer months, there are nightly educational shows at 8 pm at the theatre at Redstreak Campground.

This multilevel brewpub welcomes urban professionals with a selection of traditional ales and lagers brewed in-house, in small batches, using the neighborhood's steam heat—the same stuff that powers Gastown's Steam Clock. When the weather permits, there's patio seating with harbor views.