Where to Drink Now in Vancouver, B.C.

Vancouver’s best bars stretch far beyond hotel lounges and classic cocktail bars. On a recent visit, I found listening bars, neighborhood distilleries, and Vietnamese cafés shaping one of Canada’s most quietly exciting drinking cities.

June

3305 Cambie Street, Vancouver

June serves French fare and seasonally inspired cocktails

From The Keefer Bar owners Keenan Hood and Cam Watt, June is an elegant but approachable brasserie pairing seasonally inspired cocktails with rich French fare. The crab dip served with tiny, paprika-toned madeleines is unforgettable, as is the bright Genmaicha Clover Club laced with horseradish or the split-base Lovage Margarita, which lets mezcal and blanco tequila bring out green celery notes.

Downstairs, the team also operates Lala, an intimate all-vinyl listening bar with its own cocktail menu and a cozy date-night atmosphere.

Chupito

2450 Yukon Street, Vancouver

The bar at Chupito

“Little shot” Chupito began as a seasonal back-alley patio extension of La Taqueria before moving indoors. Now attached to Comedor by La Taqueria, a counter-service taco spot in Mount Pleasant, the bar serves its own Mexican-inspired menu of moles, ceviches, and other shareable dishes. Every wine on the compact wine list comes from British Columbia, while the beer and cider offerings span producers from Mexico and Canada. Cocktails are the main draw, and many venture beyond agave spirits into sotol and Mexican rum. Margaritas are available, but the menu rewards experimentation with drinks like the Bonampak, a clarified cocktail made with mezcal, Cynar, spent coffee grounds, and sweet vermouth.

Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions

67 W 6th Avenue, Vancouver

Vintage lamps hang above the bar at Mount Pleasant

Just off Mount Pleasant’s main drag, this charming bar, tucked inside a house-like space, is the kind of place that can easily turn into an all-night hang. Thrifters will notice that nearly every vintage lamp and ice bucket carries a dangling price tag, while drinkers can settle into a menu of classic cocktails, frozen drinks on tap — including a generously spiked Vietnamese coffee-inspired slushy — and Champagne by the glass. A compact snack menu encourages lingering through the afternoon, while evenings bring a livelier mood as the staff clears the chairs and the space shifts into a standing-room-only dance party.

Good Thief

3336 Main Street, Vancouver

Good Thief

From siblings Amélie Nguyễn and Vincent Nguyễn, this café and cocktail bar stands adjacent to their beloved East Side Vietnamese restaurant, Anh and Chi, where their mother, Lý Nguyên, has served as executive chef since 2016. In 2024, the pair transformed their family’s former restaurant, Pho Hang, into a cozy, plant- and light-filled drinking den centered around a curving bar. One standout cocktail reimagines Anh and Chi’s signature Phở Đặc Biệt as a sweet-savory mix of local Bearface whisky, Vietnamese seasonings, and sake.

The siblings also introduced a “Reservation by Donation” program at bothvenues, allowing guests to reserve tables by donating $10 per person to a charity of their choice.

Copperpenny Distilling Co.

288 Esplanade East #103, North Vancouver

The cozy tasting room at Copperpenny Distilling Co.

The welcoming bar at this North Vancouver gin distillery feels more like a neighborhood hangout than a typical tasting room. Co-Founder and Head Distiller Jan Stenc and his team are eager to introduce visitors and locals alike to their spirits, which Stenc describes as “a liquid postcard” of British Columbia. By law, the distillery’s spirits must be made from 100% B.C. agricultural products, giving them a subtle warmth and natural sweetness from locally grown wheat.

Copperpenny’s minerally No. 006 Oyster Shell Gin shines in the umami-forward Sea to Sky Martini, while the No. 005 Social Gin was designed specifically for Negronis — there’s even a Negroni flight for sampling multiple variations. The space is a cozy haven in winter, and in spring the garage door is kept open to allow the B.C. sunshine to bathe the room.

The Botanist

Fairmont Pacific Rim, 1038 Canada Place, Vancouver

The Botanist on the second floor of the Fairmont Pacific Rim

Vancouver’s waterfront is one of the city’s greatest assets, and this second-floor bar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim makes the most of it with harbor views and a leafy patio overlooking the water. Creative Beverage Director Grant Sceney’s cocktail program leans heavily on Pacific Northwest ingredients, incorporating elements like elderberries, sea asparagus, and cherry blossom infusions into polished, contemporary drinks. One standout is the bottled Sakura Gimlet, made with high-proof organic gin, cherry blossom sake, and clarified citrus for a bright, delicately aromatic sip.