Must-see nightlife in Vancouver

  • Bimini's Public House

    Vancouver

    Packed on weekends, this is a good bar to visit on weekdays for happy hour (3pm to 6pm) and some ales and fries in a darkened corner (of which there are…

  • Dockside Brewing Company

    Vancouver

    Often overshadowed by the other brewers in town (being stuck on the quiet end of Granville Island doesn't help), Dockside's beers are made on-site and…

  • Wolf & Hound

    Vancouver

    At UBC's nearest good pub and one of Vancouver's best Irish watering holes, you'll find plenty of students avoiding their assignments. They come to down…

  • Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar

    Vancouver

    This sexy nook fuses a heritage mosaic floor with a dash of mod class. Despite the cool appearances, there's a snob-free approach that encourages taste…

  • Railway Stage & Beer Cafe

    Vancouver

    The near-legendary former Railway Club has been recreated as a scrubbed-up version of its belovedly grungy original incarnation. There are still regular…

  • Bump n Grind

    Vancouver

    Showing that Drive locals can never get enough good java, this hipster-cool addition to Commercial's coffee-house culture has a loyal following,…

  • 49th Parallel Coffee

    Vancouver

    Main's most popular coffeehouse, this large, brick-lined hangout is routinely crammed with locals, and its alfresco side-street patio is particularly…

  • Matchstick

    Vancouver

    Tucked into the bottom of a shimmering glass condo building, this cool coffee-shop oasis combines a communal table and wood-block perches with houseplant…

  • Cafe Calabria

    Vancouver

    When Vancouverites say the Drive is the city's best coffee street, this is one of the places they're thinking of: the frothy top on a brimming mugful of…

  • Corduroy

    Vancouver

    Near the first bus stop after the Burrard Bridge (coming from downtown), this intimate, cave-like hangout is arguably Kitsilano's best late-night haunt…

  • Small Victory

    Vancouver

    The kind of austere, granite-countered coffee shop you might not feel cool enough to enter (or maybe that's just us), Small Victory is a favorite daytime…

  • Parallel 49 Brewing Company

    Vancouver

    An extensive refurbishment has upgraded the area's busiest brewery tasting room, adding an extremely popular patio – arrive before the late-afternoon rush…

  • Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug

    Vancouver

    The glass front means you can peer through the windows before committing to this small Granville St Irish pub. You'll find a gaggle of beer-swilling…

  • Fringe Cafe

    Vancouver

    A tiny reminder of Kitsilano's counterculture heritage, there's a comfy dive-bar ambience at this memorabilia-lined locals' hangout. The cheapest drafts…

  • Red Racer Taphouse

    Vancouver

    The tavern-like downtown satellite of celebrated BC brewery Central City combines a pub-grub menu with 40 taps of own-made beers as well as choice ales…

  • Delany's Coffee House

    Vancouver

    A laid-back, wood-and-art-lined neighborhood coffee bar that's the java-hugging heart of the West End's LGBTIQ+ community, Delany's is a good perch from…

  • Roxy

    Vancouver

    A raucous old-school nightclub that still has plenty of fans – including lots of partying youngsters who seem to be discovering it for the first time –…

  • Fountainhead Pub

    Vancouver

    The area's loudest and proudest gay neighborhood pub, this friendly joint is all about the patio, which spills onto Davie St like an overturned wine glass…

  • R&B Brewing

    Vancouver

    One of the neighborhood's best brewery lounges (hence the peak-time line-ups) combines a hip-but-cozy rec-room vibe with a look that includes random…

  • Hail Mary's

    Vancouver

    The red-hued walls of this eclectic, snuggly bar are crammed with iconographic images of Jesus and Mary, creating the feel of a naughty Catholic church…

  • Storm Brewing

    Vancouver

    An early pioneer of Vancouver's latter-day microbrewery surge, gritty, fancy-free Storm retains its maverick, almost-outsider status by making some…

  • East Van Brewing Company

    Vancouver

    This is a favorite among Commercial Dr locals. Arrive off-peak (weekday afternoons are best) for a sought-after table at this busy microbrewery. Order a…

  • Blue Chip Cafe

    Vancouver

    The cavernous Nest complex, the student union haunt where undergrads hangout en masse, offers many places to grab a bite and flick through the Ubyssey…

  • 1181

    Vancouver

    New ownership is revitalizing this intimate Davie St 'gayborhood' mainstay, a loungey, two-room late-night hangout where flirty cocktails rule. Check…

  • Modus

    Vancouver

    Close to Broadway's plethora of outdoors stores, this minimalist coffee shop serves expertly crafted java in dinky pottery tankards. Snag a window table…

  • Caffe Artigiano

    Vancouver

    One of Vancouver's most popular local coffee chains serves up arguably Yaletown's best java. Tucked into a corner of the Opus Hotel building, this chatty…

  • 33 Acres Brewing interior

    33 Acres Brewing Company

    Vancouver

    A rec room for hipsters, this white-walled brewery-bar reverberates with chatter in the early evening when tech workers disgorge from nearby offices. By…

  • Bestie restaurant exterior

    Main Street Brewing

    Vancouver

    Tucked into a historic, yellow-painted old brewery building, Main Street Brewing has a chatty, industrial-chic tasting room and a booze roster divided…

  • Dublin Calling exterior

    Dublin Calling

    Vancouver

    In the heart of the Granville Strip, this sports and party pub is crammed on weekends but quieter on weekdays, when you'll have easy access to the…

  • Exterior of Prado coffeeshop

    Prado

    Vancouver

    A beloved java hangout for laptop-wielding local hipsters, this sunny, wood-floored nook in a handsome redbrick heritage building serves up serious fair…

  • Stanley's Bar & Grill

    Vancouver

    Tucked into one end of the handsome, century-old Stanley Park Pavilion. Snag a patio seat under the gigantic red parasols and grab a beery respite from…

  • Charlatan

    Vancouver

    A longtime Drive fixture, this darkly lit neighborhood bar is a perfect rainy-day hunker spot for beer specials and comfort pub grub. But in summer it…

  • Bacchus Lounge

    Vancouver

    A classic, darkwood hotel bar with a grand fireplace and a gentleman's club ambience, this is the kind of place where dressing up always seems appropriate…

  • Royal Canadian Legion

    Vancouver

    Local hipsters have infiltrated this typically basic Legion social club, congregating outside to smoke, then nipping back in for cheap beers and a chatty…

  • Portland Craft

    Vancouver

    With an extensive draft list that includes many unique-for-Vancouver western US beers, this convivial resto-bar taps into the popularity of craft brews…

  • Renzo's Cafe

    Vancouver

    Showing that not all the Drive's Italian coffee shops are traditional old haunts, this bright and perky corner spot is a breath of fresh air, overlooking…

  • Venue

    Vancouver

    Redesigned from its previous incarnation as the Plaza Club, Venue has a much larger dance floor since the removal of the obtrusive central bar. The music…

  • Melriches Coffeehouse

    Vancouver

    With its wooden tables, array of hearty cakes and crowd of journal-writing locals hunkered in every corner, this is an ideal rainy-day nook. Warm your…

  • Wilder Juice

    Vancouver

    At this small-batch juice-pressing bar with a loyal clientele of health-minded Drive fans, you'll find an enticing array of house-made cleanses, almond…

  • Laurence & Chico Cafe

    Vancouver

    The surreal cafe vision of a pair of Canadian womenswear and accessories designers, this unique coffee and pastries spot has transformed a humdrum off…

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