Vancouver Nightlife

Pubs and Lounges

Bacchus Piano Lounge
Wedgewood Hotel,
845 Hornby St., Vancouver
(604) 689-7777.
The Wedgewood is easily Vancouver’s most classic boutique hotel, a place that revels in its European accents and old-world service standards. Its Bacchus lounge, all cherrywood panelling, gold and burgundy colour scheme and blazing limestone fireplace, lines the front of the hotel’s cosy Hornby Street façade and extends the hotel’s brand of elegance — but despite all these touches of class, this bar is a-buzz. Regularly winning first place in Vancouver magazine’s Best Bar/Lounge category, the Bacchus lounge hops with downtown’s movers and shakers, as big-time developers puff it up in the private room and leggy personal assistants blow off steam in the plush, deep seats.

Federico’s Supper Club
1728 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
(604) 251-3473.
It’s not unusual on any given night at Federico’s Supper Club to witness (a) soaring ballroom dancers, alongside (b) sauced-up bachelorette parties, next to (c) 75-year-old charmers who wanna do the hustle with your almost-willing self — a sort of amped-up wedding-reception atmosphere. Expect the full-meal deal at Federico’s, where an evening of old-fashioned Italian food and dancing begins with a sweet serenade from the accordian-playing Mike Romano, and is crowned by the natty suit-wearing Federico Fuoco belting out standards and cracking jokes with the crowd. Even the most staid diner will be coerced into the conga line by the end of the night. Wednesday to Sunday.

George
1137 Hamilton St., Vancouver
(604) 628-5555.
Yaletown’s newest lounge specializes in cocktails, which should be the focus of any decent bar but sadly is not. Their leather-bound tome lists the Sazerac, the Sidecar and the Negroni — the holy trinity of slightly obscure Jazz Age libations, and that’s just on the first page. We dare you to order a Vodka-7 here; just make sure your turnip truck isn’t double parked.

The Irish Heather/Shebeen
217 Carrall St., Vancouver
(604) 688-9779.
Proprietor Sean Heather has been single-handedly upping the Irish content of Gastown. The Irish Heather was his first, and is still likely the best establishment of the five he now owns about the neighbourhood, but Shebeen is certainly a close second — with brownie points for its secretive entrance (to get to it, you’ll have to walk out the back door of the Heather and into the alley, where you’ll see a big red door). The Heather is a cliché-free, Guinnessloving establishment where the food is decent — Colcannon is a must-try, a heavenly mix of potatoes, cabbage and butter — the staff are friendly, and the atmosphere is casual and warm. Shebeen is a whiskey house, with the largest selection of single malts, bourbons, ryes, and Scotch and Irish whisky in British Columbia, many sold at unbelievably good prices.

900 West Lounge
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver,
900 W. Georgia St., Vancouver
(604) 669-9378.
An impressive wine list is the highlight of this classic meeting place, set in the heart of a venerable institution, yet the experienced bar staff also know how to handle a martini. While prices are near the high end of the spectrum, live jazz and generous heaps of free nibbles help ease any sticker shock, and the service is outstanding. Consider it a fine spot to gather before the evening kicks off.

Opus Bar
Opus Hotel,
322 Davie St., Vancouver
(604) 642-6787.
Very, very stylish indeed in that Chelsea / SoHo-boutique sort of way. The exact borders of the Opus Bar can be hard to pin down, ranging as they do from the loose, slinky area around the check-in desk, dotted with Eames stools, Jacobsen egg chairs, Philippe Starck’s Neoz cubes and pillars to lean against, on to the more classic stylings of the area that washes up on the shores of Elixir, the Opus Hotel’s French bistro. The crowd is a mix of jet-setting internationals and locals who’d dearly love to be jet-setting internationals. Restrooms have video monitors that show what’s going on in the lounge during your absence. Drinks and service are well above par: this is an establishment that is extremely of its time.

Dancehalls

Library Square Public House
300 W. Georgia St., Vancouver
(604) 633-9644.
A surprise right inside the downtown library complex. With a nice rotating mix of music, club DJs on the weekends and a casual patio, this off-the-beaten-path bar suits both suits and khakis. Atop the next bar stool you might find your favourite CBC host. (You have one, don’t you?)

Honey/Lotus
455 Abbott St., Vancouver
(604) 685-7777.
Honey’s plush, Asian influenced décor features velour seating meant for cuddling with those you want to give love to. Honey kicks up the groove with Mod Club Fridays: Brit-pop, soul and new wave. The Lotus booms downstairs with deep house grooves, hosting one of the city’s best basement parties.

Shine
364 Water St., Vancouver
(604) 408-4321.
In a city of clubs that play it safe with their music, Shine takes things just a little outside the ordinary: Friday nights, ’70s funk teams up with ’80s hip-hop hits; and Wednesdays feature one of the only dancehall and dub nights in town. The eccentric music mix also makes for an unusual crowd: frat kids and club kids meet on the same floor. A warm retrostyled room makes way for the dancers, and the red lounge out back is comfy for the chill crowd.

Sonar
66 Water St., Vancouver
(604) 683-6695.
As our city battles its “no-fun” rep, Vancouverites happily point to Sonar. Voted by the U.K.’s Ministry magazine one of the 20-best dance clubs in the world, Sonar brings in top DJs to perform for a reasonable cover charge; the likes of Mr. Scruff, Coldcut and Crystal Method have all graced the stage. There’s a regular line-up, too, with R&B, hip hop, old school and breakbeats strongly favoured. The attendees wanna dance. And they do.

Gay and Lesbian

Celebrities
1022 Davie St., Vancouver
(604) 681-6180.
The grande dame of Davie Street was a little down on her luck until a multimillion-dollar facelift returned Celebrities to celeb status. The dance floor is packed on Tuesday nights for the $2 specials, and weekends will find the city’s hippest bumping and grinding. Gay, straight, undecided — it don’t matter, Baby, as long as you look good.

The Mix
455 Abbott St., Vancouver
(604) 685-7777
One of Vancouver’s only lesbian bars, The Mix has succeeded in this unassuming location kitty-corner to Tinseltown where others have passed before it — a killer rotation of groovy beats and tunes being the key to its success. Although the décor is nothing to write home about, it’s a great place for intimate conversation (among other things). Look for Danceteria Fridays, with rotating DJs. Open Thursday-Saturday.

The Oasis Pub
1240 Thurlow St., Vancouver
(604) 685-1724.
The shuttered windows, terra-cotta fountains and Mexican floor tiles lend this martini/piano bar and its adjoining rooftop patio a distinctive haciendalike feel. With over 200 martinis to choose from, you’ll never lack the courage necessary to sing along with the Elton John or Barry Manilow medleys coaxed from the baby grand in the corner. The Oasis also plays host to Bingo for Life on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

Editor's Choice — Live Music

Vancouver may not be Seattle when it comes to live music venues, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality.

The Railway Club
579 Dunsmuir Street (upper level), Vancouver
(604) 681-1625
One of the best for independent music, keeps its prices reasonable by selling memberships to its regulars. You won’t need to buy one, but you’ll pay a slightly higher cover charge. The atmosphere is only mildly rough around the edges (in a good way), and live music is on seven nights a week, including the ever-popular Saturday Roots Jams.

The Media Club
695 Cambie Street, Vancouver
(604) 608-2871
Offers a diverse lineup from acid pop to singer-songwriters to funk and reggae, seven nights a week.

The Cellar
3611 W. Broadway, Vancouver
(604) 738-1959
For the best jazz in Vancouver, head over to Kitsilano to The Cellar (not to be confused with the dance club of the same name on Granville Street). In fact The Downbeat International Jazz Club Guide rates the club one of the tops in the world, and it showcases both international and Canadian acts.

Kino Café
3456 Cambie St., Vancouver
(604) 875-1998
Finally, for something a little different, the Kino Café has a regular flamenco show, performed by talented dancers and accompanying musicians.