Entertainment in Vancouver
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Lennox Pub
This narrow Granville St drinkery never seems to have enough tables to go around at the weekend, when the noise levels prevent all but the most rudimentary of conversations. It's a different story during the week, when calm is restored and you can savor a good roster of 15 drafts from Belgium and beyond – try the Leffe or Big Rock Grasshopper. The decor is reproduction old-school and the upstairs seating area is a popular couples' nook.
reviewed
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Cambie
While this increasingly gentrified area still has plenty of dodgy dive bars that are best avoided, the Cambie is a local legend that most Vancouverites love, even if they haven't been here for years. Summer nights on the raucous patio are grungy fun, but perching at a sticky bench table inside with the boozy-but-friendly regulars is a blast. You'll be treated to some of the cheapest suds – go for a Cambie Pale Ale – in town plus a $7.50 burger and beer deal that's seriously good value.
reviewed
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Charlatan
Reinventing the old Bukowski's bar, the charming Charlatan has quickly become a Drive favorite. In summer the windows are flung open and the tiny patio is crowded, while in winter it becomes a cozy joint to watch the game or just chat in a corner. The hearty food covers a wide array of comfort dishes, while the 20-strong draft beer selection runs the gamut from Strongbow to Sleemans. Food-wise, go with the pulled pork burger or brisket sandwich.
reviewed
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Steamworks Brewing Company
The signature beer at this giant, edge-of-Gastown microbrewery is Lions Gate Lager, which is a good summer tipple, but the Empress IPA is also worth a try. A favorite of the after-work crowd, the pub downstairs can get noisy, while upstairs is all about serene views across to the North Shore. The menu is packed with pub standards, but the pizzas and fish-and-chips are standouts. Drop by for the monthly Green Drinks social, where local chatty enviro-types flirt with each other over a few brews.
reviewed
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Irish Heather
After moving across the street from its original location, the Heather has become a slicker version of its former self. And while not all the old regulars are happy about the upgrade, it's still undeniably one of Vancouver's best gastropubs. Pull up a chair on the bar side – the floor is reclaimed Guinness barrels – and dip into a great list of Irish drafts and international bottled brews. Or head to the narrow room next door where the regular Long Table Series – beer and dinner for under $15 – has become a runaway success. A great spot for charcuterie plates or hearty, homemade fare like bangers and mash or steak and Guinness pie.
reviewed
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Orpheum Theatre
If you’re lucky enough to catch a show at the Orpheum Theatre, be prepared to gasp when you enter the auditorium. Built in 1927 and now designated a national heritage site, the sumptuous Spanish baroque interior of multiple arches topped by an ornate painted dome harkens back to a time when theaters offered a fantasy escape from reality. But the beautiful old gal isn’t just a well-preserved relic. In fact, she’s steeped in theatrical history. Originally part of a Chicago-headquartered chain of vaudeville houses, stars who have hit the boards before the near-3,000 seats here have included Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine and Harry Belafonte – check out the commemorative wall…
reviewed
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Rogers Arena (GM Place)
With a new corporate sponsor officially renaming what everyone still calls GM Place in 2010, you’ll likely hear both names bandied around. Whatever the moniker, the newer of Vancouver’s two downtown stadiums hosts the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League. Game nights, when the 20,000-capacity venue heaves with fervent fans, are the city’s most exciting sporting events – you’ll enjoy the atmosphere even if the rules are a mystery. The main hockey venue during the 2010 Winter Olympics and the home of a large Canucks team shop, this is also a favored arena for money-spinning stadium rock acts. Behind-the-scenes tours take you into the hospitality suites…
reviewed
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Cultch (Vancouver East Cultural Centre)
This once-abandoned 1909 church near Commercial Dr has been a gathering place for performers and audiences since being officially designated as a cultural space in 1973. But following a comprehensive $14 million renovation that was completed in 2009, the Cultch (as everyone calls it) has become one of the city's best performance spaces and the performance jewel of the Eastside. Appearing on the charming Historic Theatre main stage is an ever- eclectic roster of local and visiting drama plus music and dance troupes. After the show, hang around in the lobby wine bar to mull over the show and chat with the locals.
reviewed
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Celluloid Social Club
Visiting movie nuts with a penchant for making their own flicks – or just chewing the fat with those who do – should unspool their film over at one of Vancouver’s coolest underground hangouts. Held every month at the community hall ANZA Club, the Celluloid Social Club is a drop-in for local filmmakers and video artists who want to show their shorts to anyone who happens to turn up. The results – seven mini-epics are shown over the course of a couple of hours – are always interesting, and the screenings are followed by a few beers and a chance to rub shoulders and chat with the local auteurs.
reviewed
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Stella's Tap & Tapas Bar
Leading the Drive's friendly neighborhood bars, Stella's is a pilgrimage spot for fans of great Belgian brews. Leffe and Stella Artois are on tap but it's the multipage bottled list that'll do you in. Try fruity Mort Subite Kriek, coppery Chimay Rouge, strong Golden Draak and dark X.O., a brooding, end-of-the-night beer made with cognac. And don't forget that other nutrient group: moules et frites (mussels and fries) is recommended, or a cone of addictive fries (served Euro-style with mayonnaise) is always a good idea. There's also a more food-forward Stella's on Cambie.
reviewed
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Brickhouse
On a sketchy strip of Main St that most people avoid, you'd expect the Brickhouse to be just as skuzzy as the nasty-ass dive bars surrounding it. But stepping inside here is a revelation. In Vancouver's most eclectic bar, you'll find redbrick walls lined with Christmas lights and fish tanks. The room is studded with junk-shop coffee tables and sagging couches. Popular with artsy locals and in-the- know hipsters, it's like hanging out in someone's old-school den. Grab a Storm Scottish Ale at the bar, slide onto a perch and start chatting: you're bound to meet someone interesting.
reviewed
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Bimini’s Public House
A Kitsilano institution that’s been drawing the locals like a booze-soaked magnet for years, Bimini’s is a trad-looking bar-restaurant where you’ll feel equally comfortable sipping cocktails or knocking back a couple of beers. Drop by on Tuesday, when all draft domestic beer and hi-balls are $3 each, and consider busting your weekend hangover by returning to the scene of the crime for Sunday brunch. A devastating fire had just wrecked the joint during the write-up period for this book, but the owners were planning to rebuild and reopen as soon as possible.
reviewed
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Rio Theatre
A recently restored 1980s movie house with very comfy seats, the one-screen Rio shows one Hollywood blockbuster every night. Even better are its extras: there's a baby-friendly screening for parents and their mewling progeny every other Wednesday, while Friday night brings a midnight double bill of classics like A Clockwork Orange, Back to the Future and, of course, the Rocky Horror Picture Show – there's a $2 discount if you arrive in costume. Check the website for additional special events. All matinees are $7, as are all Tuesday shows.
reviewed
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Nevermind
Casual-but-cavernous, this dark, subterranean bar is popular with University of British Columbia (UBC) students. They come for the cozy log-lined back room – there's also a large patio outside for summer quaffing – and a large drinks list that covers all the bases. Sleeman and Okanagan Springs beers are available but there's also a large and well-priced cocktail selection – some are available by the pitcher for group imbibing. The food menu is equally intriguing, having standard burgers and pizzas alongside lesser-expected recommendations like mahi mahi tacos.
reviewed
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Yaletown Brewing Company
Entering from the street, there's a brick-lined brewpub on the left and a giant dining room on the right; both serve pints of on-site-made beer, but the restaurant adds a long menu of comfort foods. In summer the pub's tiny patio is a popular perch (the restaurant's is much larger), but in winter playing pool at the back of the barroom is recommended. Check to see if there's an unusual small-batch beer on offer, otherwise hit one of the mainstays: Brick & Beam IPA is recommended. Beer nuts should drop by at 4pm on Thursdays, when a special cask is tapped.
reviewed
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Pacific Cinémathèque
This beloved nonprofit repertory cinema operates like an eclectic ongoing film festival with a daily-changing program of movies. A $3 annual membership is required – pick it up at the door – before you can skulk in the dark with the chin-stroking movie buffs, who would name their children after Fellini and Bergman if they ever averted their gaze from the screen long enough to have relationships. Although it's $9.50 to catch a flick here, you can watch two movies a night for just $11.50. The high point of the year is August's annual classic film noir season.
reviewed
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Scotiabank Theatre
Downtown's shiny nine-screener was big enough to attract its own corporate sponsor when it opened in 2005, but it's actually the city's Cineplex chain flagship. It's the most likely theater to be screening the latest must-see Harry Potter sequel or in-your-face comic-strip action flick. In contrast, it also shows occasional live broadcast performances from major cultural institutions like London's National Theatre and New York's Metropolitan Opera. For 3-D movies, add an extra $3 to your ticket price. There are no matinee or Tuesday discounts here.
reviewed
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Vancity Theatre
The state-of-the-art headquarters of the Vancouver International Film Festival screens a wide array of movies throughout the year in the kind of auditorium that cinephiles dream of: think generous legroom, wide arm rests and great sight lines from each of its 175 seats. It's a place where you can watch a four-hour subtitled epic about a dripping tap and still feel comfortable. Check the ever-changing schedule for shows and special events, and remember that a $2 annual membership is mandatory. Double bills are available most nights (adult/student $13/11).
reviewed
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Diamond
Look for the unassuming entrance and head upstairs and you'll suddenly find yourself in one of Vancouver's best and coziest cocktail bars. This high-ceilinged, renovated heritage room is studded with sash windows – try for a view seat – and while it's popular with local hipsters it's never pretentious. A list of perfectly nailed cocktails (try the warming Penicillin of blended scotch, peated scotch, ginger, lemon and honey) is welcoming, but you'll also find a roster of intriguing, Asian-focused tasting plates, such as pork gyoza and green-tea noodles.
reviewed
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Monsters in the Meadow
It’s hard to beat Stanley Park for a movie backdrop. Which is just as well, since Monsters in the Meadow screens scary B-movie classics in its Creperly Meadow area near Second Beach every August. The free-entry movies often include the scream-triggering likes of Godzilla,King Kong or Creature from the Black Lagoon. It’ll be chilly once the sun goes down (although you may be trembling in fright), so bring a sweater. Flashlights are also recommended so you can find your way back out of the park after the show.
reviewed
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George Ultra Lounge
One of hedonistic Yaletown's favorite haunts, George attracts the local glitterati with its perfectly executed high-concept cocktails – anyone for a Sazerac, featuring bourbon in an 'absinthe-washed glass'? Work your way down the menu as you hone your chat-up lines on the locals, or just sink into that lip-shaped sofa in the corner and try to figure out what the giant swirly glass thing above the bar is. Food-wise, it's all about tasty side-dishes (the pork buns are especially recommended), while the DJs hit the turntables on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
reviewed
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St Augustine's
Looking like a regular neighborhood sports bar from the outside, step inside St Aug's and you'll find the largest array of on-tap microbrews in the city. Most are from BC – look out for highlights from Salt Spring Brewing, Central City Brewing and Tin Whistle Brewing – but there's usually an intriguing selection or three from south of the border. Drop by for Monday evening's cask night and you'll find an extra special tipple on offer. The food is of the standard pub-grub variety and if you drink too much, the SkyTrain station is just a few steps away.
reviewed
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Salt Tasting Room
Tucked along a cobbled back alley reputedly named after the area's former butcher trade, this chatty and atmospheric little brick-lined wine bar offers around 100 interesting tipples, most of which are unusually offered by the glass. Beer fans will also find a small menu of treats, including the excellent Anchor Liberty Ale. From your communal table perch, you should also peruse the giant blackboard of house-cured meats and regional cheeses, then go for a $15 tasting plate of three, served with piquant condiments – go for Brit-style piccalilli.
reviewed
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Railway Club
A local-legend, pub-style music venue, the upstairs 'Rail' is accessed via an unobtrusive wooden door next to a 7-Eleven. Don't be put off by the grungy-looking entrance: this is one of the city's friendliest bars and you'll fit right in as soon as you roll up to the bar – unusually for Vancouver, you have to order at the counter, since there's no table service. Expect regional microbrews from the likes of Tree Brewing and Central City (go for its ESB) and hit the hole-in-the-wall kitchen for late-night nosh, including burgers and quesadillas.
reviewed
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Narrow Lounge
Push through the door just around the corner on 3rd Ave – the red light above tells you if it's open or not – then descend into Vancouver's coolest small bar. Little bigger than a train carriage and lined with stuffed animal heads and junk-shop pictures, the hipster-luring Narrow is an atmospheric nook where the absence of windows means it always feels like midnight. Ask the friendly bar staff for recommendations (cocktails like the Bramble or beers including Blue Buck Ale are popular) and refuel with an 'unburger' – meatloaf on a baguette.
reviewed