The Lido
This small and retro-chic bar has been around for almost a decade and serves up beers, cocktails, live music, and good vibes. There's also a patio covered in lush greenery. Cash only.
56 Best Bars in Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver might be best-known for its outdoors activities but this hip, young, innovative city delivers plenty of entertainment once the sun goes down.
Gone are the days of prohibition-era liquor laws (well, most, anyway) and the general loosening of regulations has helped liven up the city after dark. When you add in a surge of modern craft breweries, wine bars implementing the latest technology, a lively mix of festivals throughout the year, and the inspiration of a fantastic wine region nearby (the Okanagan),Vancouver's nightlife scene looks as fit as any seawall runner.
In nice weather, Vancouver is all about the patios—preferably waterfront. Otherwise, the younger set migrates to dance clubs while more laid-back types gather in friendly pubs (perhaps to watch the hockey game), live music venues hosting up-and-coming stars, and splashy cocktail bars where savvy mixologists cultivate city-wide followings.
Local Public Eatery
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.
The Main
This pub-meets-Greek restaurant is a long-standing neighborhood hangout, with after-work crowds stopping by for microbrews, signature cocktails, big-screen sports, and pub fare that ranges from souvlaki to nachos.
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The Morrissey
There’s a melancholy, lost-in-time feel to this quintessential Granville Street bar. The decor features aged chandeliers, a fireplace, and old-world kitsch. It's the kind of place where rock 'n rollers (old and new) hang out into the early hours. There's a wide selection of beer, comfy seating, and dark corners in which to disappear.
Numbers
This veteran of the Davie Street strip features three levels of furious fun, from nightly DJs to karaoke, darts, and pool. There's dancing, too.
Opus Bar
Traveling executives in suits and film industry creatives sip martinis (or perhaps a cocktail made with bourbon and blood oranges) while scoping out the room, on the ground floor of the Opus Hotel. During the day, it's a sleek café.
Parq Casino
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 Portside Pub
Nautical kitsch and a friendly maritime vibe attract many a person to the Portside Pub. Live bands, weekend DJs, and whiskey on tap turn the two-level bar into a packed venue. Pub eats are above par, but lines start early and get long.
Pourhouse Vancouver
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.
The Red Room
A club for the crowds featuring a sunken dance floor and a mix of styles including reggae, salsa, hip-hop, merengue, and top-40 favorites.
Red Truck Beer Company
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.
Revel Room
A slightly older Gastown crowd comes to indulge at this two-story bar and eatery with a late-night kitchen. The Southern style means bourbon-focused cocktails and an overall welcoming charm. There's live music most nights.
Salt Tasting Room
The allure here is the selection of local and international wines, beers, and sherries that can be paired with a rotating selection of cured meats and artisanal cheeses. You can choose your own tasting menu or leave it to the professionals. Legend has it that the address, Blood Alley, is so called because this used to be the city's meatpacking district and the name comes from the buckets of blood butchers threw down the cobblestone street.
Steamworks
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.
Storm Crow Alehouse
This is the definition of a nerd bar: Star Wars memorabilia, displays of planetary objects, and a wall of board games. It’s cozy and friendly, serving a variety of craft beers, two-hander burgers, and sci fi–themed cocktails.
Tap & Barrel Bridges
This iconic bright yellow landmark near the Public Market is now the flagship location of local group Tap & Barrel and location of the test kitchen for its culinary program. Interiors boast local artwork and reclaimed industrial materials that celebrate Granville Island's history, while outside is the city's biggest marina-side deck. In warm weather the outdoor seating has breathtaking views of the harbor, mountains, and city. The bar menu features 32 British Columbian craft beers and 16 BC wines on tap, an extensive wine list, and handcrafted seasonal cocktails.
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Upstairs at Campagnolo
In complement to the cozy Italian restaurant downstairs, this second-floor bar is a welcoming and romantic spot for cocktail lovers and carnivores. A selection of upscale bar meals include the devourable dirty burger, a 45-day dry-aged beef burger.
Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar
At street level in the century-old Moda Hotel, Uva puts a modern spin on the Italian wine bar concept, with bold decor and sleek furnishings. The well-dressed crowd comes for the not-too-wild atmosphere, often for a drink before heading to one of nearby Granville Street's performance venues, particularly The Orpheum (across the road).
Vogue Theatre
A former art deco movie palace, the Vogue hosts a variety of concerts by local and visiting performers.
The Whip Restaurant and Gallery
This lofty space with Douglas fir–beamed ceilings, exposed-brick walls, and rotating art exhibits attracts a hip, Main Street crowd. A long list of microbrews meets some interesting cocktails and a well-curated menu of locally sourced comfort food. Try the organic beef burger, the kale Caesar, or the veggie poutine with mushroom gravy. Breakfast and brunch menus appeal to a morning-after crowd.
Wine Room
The Wine Room is devoted to nurturing the inner oenophile in all of us by offering wines usually only available by the bottle—this is one of a growing number of bars offering by-the-glass service, thanks to cutting-edge, wine-dispensing technology. It's part of the Joey Bentall One restaurant.
The Yale Saloon
Home to all things country, The Yale attracts a friendly crowd. There's Southern-style family eats from a huge in-house smoker, rockabilly music, and even a mechanical bull. Line dancing lessons and live music gets raucous on some nights.
Yaletown Brewing Company
In a renovated warehouse with a glassed-in brewery turning out several tasty beers, this always-crowded gastropub and patio has a lively singles scene and reliable happy hour. Even though it's super popular, it still feels like a neighborhood place.
Yuk Yuk's
This is the place to go Tuesday to Saturday evenings for some of Canada's best professional stand-up comedians and up-and-coming amateurs.
