British Columbia
Head out to Fernie Brewing's attractive brewery and tasting room, a couple of kilometers east of town on Hwy 3, to try some excellent local brews. There…
Must-see nightlife in British Columbia & The Canadian Rockies
Okanagan Valley
A great selection of tank to tap brews, including lagers, ales, IPAs and stouts, in this popular spot in Penticton, approaching 20 years in the craft-beer…
Calgary
This old arts-and-crafts-style house is still clinging on for dear life amid the spanking new condos. Downscale and snug, Civic Tavern has good tunes, a…
Squamish & Around
Savor the best java in town at this narrow, wood-lined pit stop dedicated to making seriously great coffee. Grab a seat, flick through a copy of the local…
Edmonton
Theater-district pub just off Whyte Ave with a good quotient of arty types. There are well-selected ales, including local stalwarts Yellowhead and Alley…
Victoria
If you like your coffee ethically sourced and sustainably produced, hit Habit, where the potent brews and simple snacks are made with practically zero…
Kelowna
Right downtown, this pub boasts a vaulted interior lined with wood, as well as tables on the street. Perfect for a drink or a meal; the fish-and-chips are…
Okanagan Valley
A tad on the rough and ready side for some, the Owl is a classic Osoyoos drinking spot. Take a pub meal out on the deck, perched above Osoyoos Lake, or…
Southern Alberta
This large barn-like pub attached to the Lakeside Convention Center is where what passes for wild Waterton nights happen, aided by live music, pool tables…
British Columbia
This local favorite corner cafe roasts its own coffee in 20 blends. Outside there are tables in a garden that burbles with water features amid statues…
Okanagan Valley
If you've had enough of that wine stuff, this craft brewer in Oliver township is well regarded for its line of ales, which you can enjoy in its small…
British Columbia
An old-style pub with a decent food menu, the Com is the place on Friday nights for live jazz and funk. Other nights, DJs spin pretty much anything. Enjoy…
British Columbia
This gritty old pub on Baker gets some of the region's best music acts. It has a whole section of tables outside on the street and serves decent pub food.
Calgary
The HiFi is a hybrid. Rap, soul, house, electro, funk – the dance floor swells nightly to the sounds of live DJs who specialize in making you sweat.
Northern BC
You'll enjoy this grizzled, old bar if you ignore the touristy 'get Hyderized' shot-swilling shtick and settle in with the crusty but affable locals.
Calgary
Consistently voted the best queer dance venue by the local community, this club has weekly drag shows, karaoke nights and DJs spinning nightly.
Calgary
Calgary's oldest gay bar has cheap drinks and often live bands. There's karaoke on Monday and Thursday. Drag shows too.
British Columbia
Bowling alley, bar, outdoor-gear store and art gallery: it's a cool spot serving a few snacks to go with the beers.
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…
Gastown & Chinatown
A few steps from Gastown's Steam Clock crowd magnet, this never-changing, fancy-free bar still manages to feel like a hidden watering hole. In summer,…
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…
Gastown & Chinatown
This brick-walled Gastown satellite of a popular Kitsilano beer bar has a long and diverse tap menu, packed with gems from some of the region's most…
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…
Gastown & Chinatown
A large, loud and fun exposed-brick tavern dominating one side of Maple Tree Sq, this is Gastown's best summer-patio spot. There's a good array of BC…
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…
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…
Fairview & South Granville
It's easy to walk obliviously past this dark-fronted, near-hidden coffee shop. But step inside for an unexpected taste of continental Europe, complete…
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…
Fairview & South Granville
Bubble-tea joints have swept across the Lower Mainland in recent years (especially in Richmond) but this sometimes clamorous Taiwanese cafe is one of the…
Fairview & South Granville
With a chatty, wood-lined interior plus two popular street-side patios, this beer-forward resto-bar is a great spot for ale aficionados. Dive into the…
Gastown & Chinatown
A pilgrimage spot for gin fans. Head upstairs at this intimate mood-lit resto-bar and prepare for exquisite drinks that require serious savoring. There…
Fairview & South Granville
A casual West Coast restaurant on one side and a funky lounge bar on the other, the main reason to go Rogue is the excellent craft-beer selection. Expect…
Fairview & South Granville
A sometimes clamorously busy spot, this neighborhood coffee shop is ideal for hanging out on a rainy day – especially if you dip into their groaning…
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…
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…
Gastown & Chinatown
One of Gastown's remaining dive bars, the Cambie is a local legend that most Vancouverites fondly recall (perhaps hazily) visiting at least once. Summer…
North Shore
It's a hike from the SeaBus up Lonsdale Ave to this trad-style, gable-roofed neighborhood pub, but just think how easy it will be to roll back downhill…
Gastown & Chinatown
If you can't find any hipsters in Chinatown at night, that's because they're all at this contemporary Union St resto-bar. The Union is ever-friendly, and…
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…
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…
