North Shore
This tiny, darkened hole-in-the-wall just off Lonsdale Ave is the locals' favorite fuel-up spot, so you'll be lucky to find a seat inside. But on sunny…
Must-see nightlife in British Columbia
Vancouver
Close to Broadway's plethora of outdoors stores, this minimalist coffee shop serves expertly crafted java in dinky pottery tankards. Snag a window table…
Vancouver
One of Vancouver's most popular local coffee chains serves up arguably Yaletown's best java. Tucked into a corner of the Opus Hotel building, this chatty…
British Columbia
This refined space in the classic Hume Hotel has some good sidewalk tables from where you can ponder the passing parade. There's live jazz most nights…
Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery
Kelowna
These guys use only BC fruits and grains, distilled with passion in copper-pot stills to produce an amazing range of liquors that include whisky, gin,…
Whistler
The closest bar to the slopes. You can smell the sweat of the skiers (or mountain bikers) hurtling past the patio at this cavernous bar that's known by…
Vancouver Island
A wonderfully disheveled beach shack that doubles as an ultra-friendly coffee bar. Inside there are humorous signposts, a jumble of seats and a wood-fire…
Lower Mainland
Carefully prepared coffee and selected baked goods served in a fresh, lily-white space with cardboard decor. The innovative cardboard chairs (yes, you can…
Lower Mainland
Cultural fusion runs amok at this Asian-owned cafe decked out with a dark-wood German-Dutch–style interior. The menu is equally eclectic with Jamaican …
Victoria
The cavernous brick-lined interior is great on rainy days, but the patio is also the best in the city with its usually sunny views over the harbor…
Okanagan Valley
This sleek, industrial-edged wine bar is right in the center and is a magnificent place to sample the region's wine bounty. There are always 10 varieties…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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.
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…
