You’re tired after the backbreaking work week. You need an escape, some solace away from the daily reality of the world, the troubles that burden you, which no matter how much you try to get away from, you just can’t.
That’s what bars are for.
I’ve already written about what makes a bar special. There’s only three ingredients necessary, yet very often bars try too hard and end up disappointing you with their mediocre drinks and painfully cheerful ambience.
So, here’s the first list of Vancouver’s best bars.
Once you’ve run through them you can take your own sweet time and visit the ones listed below.
It pains me to write this list. I don’t want you to know about them for they all hold a special place in my heart – some more than others.
You’re making a pact with the Gods of Drink that you will treat each of the establishments mentioned on this list with respect, and carry yourself with dignity as you explore them.
Each of these places is excellent, and unique, and it therefore becomes my duty to share them with you.
Cherish them, these ones are special.
8. Key Party
It’s a shame that Key Party is no longer the secret speakeasy it intended to be at the offset.
On the weekends, gaggles of early 20s-ish, hip looking college kids stand outside in the rain in excitement at the chance of entering this mystical space. They’re probably drunk off Nudes and Nutrls (ugh) at the pre-game and have no idea the quality of ingredients they ingest when they finally do make their way inside and have a solitary round before heading off to another chain to get back to their shenanigans.
Be better than this lot.
Key Party has a standard selection of house cocktails – usually three ingredient – that are STRONG, but also very tasty. You don’t need to be an adventurous drinker to enjoy what they have laid out for you on the menu. The bartenders are skilled and patient enough to indulge you should you go off menu and order a classic.
Key Party would be higher on this list, but I’ve run through the drinks more times than I can count, and they’ve lost their sheen. This doesn’t mean that the quality is low, or the ambience isn’t worth it. It’s still a staple bar of mine, and obviously one of my favourites.
8/10
7. Juice Bar
I love natural wine. And I love tapas. At Juice Bar, you get both. The establishment is a North American answer to a back-alley Spanish tapas taverna. And like most things North American, shit is pricey. But you get what you pay for, and the setting adds a certain feel to the air that is quite indescribable. You can’t and shouldn’t put a price on it.
In another life I was probably born Southern European, because they have really perfected the art of chilling out and doing nothing better than anyone else, and it is that trait that I value more than anything else in life. I find Juice Bar the perfect place to put that custom into practice.
Juice Bar has an extraordinary selection of natural wines – probably the best in Vancouver, and they do something quite special in the kitchen. The food is weird-looking and fresh, tasty, and not very filling. It’s not a place you go to eat.
You go there to snack, sit on the street – maybe with someone special across from you – drink wine, and watch the world go by.
I can start to see the sun again – despite Vancouver’s best efforts; and you can catch me sitting here soaking it all in.
8.4/10
6. La Mezcaleria
Mezcal is my favourite liquor. Because it’s the best there is. Anybody that has been drinking alcohol long enough – for its taste as much as the pleasure of the buzz – will have to have tried Mezcal at some point. If you drink Mezcal, we can be friends. If you drink Mezcal it means you might have class, dignity, and interesting story or two to tell. Mezcal is to Tequila what Scotch is to Whiskey. It’s a smokier cousin.
La Mezcaleria has probably single-handedly popularised Mezcal in Vancouver and has thus become the place to visit for the novice drinker. That means long lines, and a rushed feel to the place, which is a shame, because it’s the kind of place you want to just chill out and munch on some tacos with a mezcal by your side.
There’s usually always a waiting list, so I like to go here solo or in a smaller group so that we can nip in and out almost unnoticed, high, and happy.
There’s also a decent selection music playing, and an uplifting chatter of the crowd, La Mezcaleria is one of my favourite places to go to when it’s dark and gloomy outside. The wooden tables, candles and backlit bar all make me feel right at home.
8.5/10
5. Cantina 189
Cantina 189 is a newer discovery of mine, and would be higher on the list if there next few didn’t hold such heavy sentimental value to me. I’m a nostalgic nutjob, and like to look back teary eyed at memories gone and fluff them up to be better than what they were, and I’m sure I’ll do the same with this place the more times I visit it.
You can find arguably the best quality cocktails in here – The Diamond probably beats it by a hair’s length – but Cantina 189 has the best ambience of any place I’ve been to. The lighting is perfect for an intimate chat and a cuddle, and it’s a tight, but open enough place to talk to people and make friends.
The limited space inside suits those that like to travel light. I like going to these bars alone, in the middle of the week to have a quick drink and take the edge off. This isn’t the kind of place you want to frequent to get blindingly drunk on a weekend.
The drinks here are all unique, with a Mexican flair to them – they use a lot of brands of Mezcal and Tequila that I’ve never heard of as their base, and I’m very much a fan of that.
There is an element of class to Cantina. The aesthetics of the place are a photographer’s (my own) wet dream, and when you combine it with the kind of soothing calmness to their service you get the sense that while this place is elegant and charming, they welcome just about anyone in – even if you don't deserve to be treated to their excellence.
8.6/10
4. The Diamond
The Diamond is classy, but not flashy – exactly the type of place I like. It sits just around the corner from Juice Bar, but it isn’t a place you want to go to after a bottle of natural wine. Your palate just won’t be ready for it. You want to cherish the high of the wine and maybe head home with a bottle in tow, some bread and cheese to go with it. Save your trip to The Diamond for another night.
The Diamond is a place you come to when you want to be treated. It’s a place of leisure. It feels like a hug, or the first taste of a warm chocolate cake, I love it here, and you will to.
The drinks are spectacular. There’s a high cost to entry (the drinks aint cheap), which also means the riff raff stays out. You can enjoy your time here as small groups huddle around the wooden table enjoying whispered conversations amongst themselves.
The Diamond has an intimate feel to it.
I’ve been here a few times and haven’t come close to running through the menu yet, there’s just too many awesome drinks to choose from. The bartenders are top shelf, just like the bottles of liquor they have on display, and the cocktails are strong and dusky. There’s a type of drink for everyone and for every mood. The menu is extensive and covers a range of tastes, which means regular visits are a must if you want to drink it all in.
It’s dark and cozy, and you’re not going to want to make any sudden moves when you make your way down the narrow staircase and back into the world. Savour that buzz, and slow things down, The Diamond is an institution to be cherished.
8.7/10
3. Narrow Lounge
The Narrow holds a very dear place in my heart. I discovered it my first winter in Vancouver – a dark, gloomy January night when Zeus had unleashed his wrath on the world. It was pissing rain outside and I was lonely and depressed – new to this city, disappointed by its lack of nightlife and character.
I had ventured out in search of this beloved speakeasy, and after floundering in the dark for a solid 20 minutes, I found the door to paradise in the most unexpected of locations. Google would’ve helped, but the struggle was what made that first Narrow Caesar just so bloody good.
The Narrow is like its name suggests long and narrow. It is the perfect blend of a dive and a speakeasy. The lighting is phenomenal, and the use of space means that despite your best interests you will end up talking to your neighbour. The drinks are what they are, unpretentious, strong, and diverse in taste. I have my favorites and I stick to those; I don't go to the Narrow to discover a new drink. The bartenders are friendly and are always up for a chat; don’t try to impress them with your bartending knowledge, just vibe with them and soak in the place for its magnificence.
Another thing about the Narrow is that their music choice has always been tremendous. I have discovered many a new band and song while drinking at the corner tables, sneaking in a Shazam in between monotonous conversations on first dates, the Narrow has been a very wonderful escape from what has at times felt like a dreary Vancouver life.
It’s rated the third best, but that’s just so you lot don't go there. I want it all to myself.
9/10
2. The Keefer Bar
The Keefer has the best selection of drinks in all of Vancouver, and I will go to my grave defending that statement. There are just so many drinks on the menu, and they all look phenomenal. Even the most dedicated would find it impossible to go through them all, because you're going to want to go back to your favourites every time you go there. Every single one I’ve had has been crafted perfectly. Ingredients that you didn’t know work together do a little tango in your mouth to give you an orgasm that not even your best lover has.
The Keefer Bar is sophisticated, but not pretentious. It’s weirdly designed, and is very unique in its concept. It’s a neighbourhood bar, but not a dive; you would want to frequent it often, and perhaps savour it more if you spaced out your visits. It’s got a warm vibe inside, and for the most part, the only noise you hear is the chatter around you. You're scrunched up, but you don't feel your privacy being invaded, it’s spectacularly designed.
Like most of the places mentioned here, the Keefer is another one that is ideal for solo drinking, or a maximum group of three. You don’t want to be noticed here. Enjoy your drinks, have hushed conversations over candle light, maybe get some below the table action if you're with your significant other, and be on your way.
NOTE: I am talking about the Keefer Bar, NOT the adjoining mini golf pop up shed that opens every summer and is swarmed by white girls that dress identically. The two bars may share a name and a toilet, but they are completely different entities. Go there on your own time.
9.2/10
1. La Boqueria
The undisputed best bar in Vancouver.
Remember ages ago when I mentioned how I was probably born Southern European in a previous life? I am almost certain that I was Spanish in that life, and to satisfy that need to live like that again, I frequent La Boqeuria. It is a Spanish refuge for me and provides an escape to that realm whenever I want to forget that I live in a cold, rainy, grey city on the edge of the Earth.
I love the Mexican flavour this city has. But Mexico is not Spain, and Spain is not Mexico, and while there is an abundance of Latin and Central American food and drink here, there isn’t enough from their European cousins.
La Boqueria bucks that trend, and in doing so has etched itself into my mind like no other place in Vancouver has.
My first time here, I was treated to a Mezcal Negroni that blew my mind into a dimension that I never knew existed. I had heard about the food at La Boqeuria - some of the best tapas that could be had in Vancouver, but I was shocked at the quality of the drink. That swirl of chocolate smoke ferociously grinding with that Campari and Cynar, it was stunning how good it was.
Their drinks list isn’t extensive, but it doesn’t need to be. Quality over quantity, and the drinks at La Boqeuria are certainly the former.
The tapas – Pinxtos to be precise – transport you directly to the Basque Country to San Sebastian where you’re sitting at a café overlooking the seaside, munching on food so delightful that if Poseidon himself struck you down in that moment, you would die happy.
Doesn’t that sound nice?
Besides the liquor and snacks, there is also some spectacular Spanish wine or Vermouth that is designed to ensure all of life’s problems ebb away slowly.
And if you’re not sold on just the drink and the food, there is also the vibe – it doesn’t feel too try hard inside, and there’s a leisurely mood hanging in the air.
I love it here, this is undoubtedly my favourite, and the best bar in Vancouver.
Step inside, savour it, tell your friends, but most of all respect it and yourself by keeping your mind open and trying things that you wouldn’t normally try.
You’re welcome.
9.5/10