A gem, to an ex-pat Brit, found it very difficult to locate great bars in Vancouver, this more than makes up for it. Tiny place, best staff in town, and the best cocktails by a country mile, (pretty good food too!).

1326 Davie Street, Vancouver, @ Broughton

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An intimate live music venue tucked beside the Queen Elizabeth theatre, The Media Club is one of Vancouver's better kept secrets.

The line up is always refreshing, especially in a city that is finally being given the notice it deserves in terms of up and coming bands.
It is a members bar but guests are welcome, there is no pretention as the crowd tends to be music junkies so any attitude is left firmly up the street. The staff are friendly and the bouncers considerate, what more can you ask for?

It is small and loud, so not ideal for a first date but a great venue to come and hang out, listen to some great new bands and have a good time.

695 Cambie Street
Vancouver, B.C.

Tel: (604)608-2871

www.themediaclub.ca

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Having just scored the grand slam of culinary awards, newcomer Nu's awards are richly deserved. The wine list is phenomenal, and it is fast gaining a reputation for its excellent cocktails (Jay Jones is the resident mixologist). The service is second to none and the food a dream. The only downside is the eclectic interior, thankfully there is a patio with an amazing view. Order a Windsor and watch the sun set. Pure bliss.

1661 Granville St, Vancouver;
tel: 604 646-4668

www.whatisnu.com/

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Brew pub and restaurant with good micro-brew beer and food at reasonable prices. Great location in Gastown with harbour views, and good atmosphere.

375 Water Street, Gastown;
tel: 604 689 2739;
www.steamworks.com

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This cafe/bar is the place to see the trendy "drive tribe" in action. There is a cafe du soleil much farther up (past First Ave near the park) so don't get confused. Also, the JJ bean coffee shop is one of our best local places, with really good coffee - not the Starbucks crap.

Finally, everyone who isn't scared of slightly dogdy areas should visit the area around Main and Hastings to see how bad our drug/alcohol/homelessness problem really can be. A real eye opener about the dark side of our city.

2096 Commercial Drive (around 6th/7th Ave, just up from Broadway skytrain station);
tel: 604 254 1195

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Commercial drive is a piece of unique heritage in an area of the world that is dominated by chain stores and coffee shops. The Drive is bucking franchises in favour of amazing shops and stores that are complete one offs.

Start by stocking up with fresh breads, fruits, herbal remedies and more, punctuated by a few coffee breaks along the way in one of many of the NON franchised coffee shops. Then finish your experience in one of the fantastic restaurants (many with outdoor heated patios) dotted along Commercial.

La Grotta del Formaggio is a treasured local purveyor of the best new-world Italian Deli sandwiches and cheeses. If you like kitsch then Urban Empire is the place for you - a shop filled with wonders and surprises. Havana is a great restaurant for good (if not traditional) Cuban food and it has a great photo gallery at the back. Waazubee is also a good rest stop or even better dining experience with a wide range of veggie dishes.

This all comes from a person who doesn't even live in Vancouver. Guess it must be great eh?

Between Broadway and Venables;
www.thedrive.ca

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Great place for a drink or brunch, with a wonderful view of the beach.

1154 Gilford Street;
tel: 604 681 9321;
www.sylviahotel.com

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The website below has info for all sorts of private parties, bars, and subculture events.

gothic.bc.ca/

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Everything a great pub should be - including an outstanding view across the harbour. With a range of finely brewed beers - from the Cascadia Cream Ale to the Ipanema Summer White and the delicious Coal Porter - you'll find a brew that will match your taste. And watch out especially for the seasonal ales - they may sound a bit weird - Great Pumpkin Ale anyone - but boy are they good.

375 Water Street, Gastown;
tel: 604.689.2739;
www.steamworks.com

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South of downtown and awkward to find by car, it is a prime example of urban regeneration. It blends the arts with a top-class public provisions market to provide a unique experience.

www.granvilleisland.bc.ca/en

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This small live music venue plays host to many up and coming bands as they pass through Vancouver. A long gallery running right around offers great views of the stage and the tall mirrored bars add to the appeal. Check the website for who's playing next - many bands who are 'big in the UK' play their first Canadian gigs here.

1036 Richards Street, Vancouver B.C;
tel: 606 688 1099;
email: info@richardsonrichards.com;
www.richardsonrichards.com

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Bosmon's Motor Hotel downtown.
If you go around back, there's a bar that sometimes never closes full of students. Apparently smoking friendly too.

The Brickhouse
730 Main St, Vancouver
Lo-Fi place to relax on some couches, shoot pool and drink in a non BS atmosphere. meet girls and actually be able to talk to them without blasting garbage House music. No idea when it closes. Sometimes 5:00am, sometimes 2:00am.

The Templeton Restaurant
Monday night is movie night. See a movie still in theatres and get blasted on $9 pitchers of ale. It's a diner, but all the food is organic and tasty.

Arts backstage lounge (on Granville Island).
Take a $2.50 ferry ride to granville island from beach avenue. check out the best patio in Vancouver. Full of Emily Carr students, and a secret place to watch the fireworks if you don't want to brave the ridiculous crowds of drunk teenagers.

Butchershop on Main St.
All sorts of stuff goes on here like midnight movies, local artists, great people.

Bosman's Motor Hotel: 1060 Howe Street;
www.bosmanshotel.com

The Templeton Restaurant: 1087 Granville St;
www.thetempleton.com

Butchershop: www.butchershop.ca

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For live music, check www.livemusicvancouver.com

The best hostel in the city (during the summer) is the Jericho Beach Hostel. They organize all sorts of bar-crawls, vollyball and the usual BS. Plus it's a giant dorm right on the beach.

However, if you're coming here anywhere outside of summer, stay here www.samesun.com/vancouver_hostel.html or check out the Cambie Hostel/Bar. Both Hostels have good bars with cheap $6-10 pitchers of beer, full of ex-pats, and opportunities to go into the interior/Banff ect. The Cambie is a rowdy dive of a bar, so expect picnic tables, and lot's of beer being tossed everywhere by 19-23yr olds.

There are a few smaller hotels around Robson St. for about $90CAD a night. There's a million luxury hotels such as the Opus Hotel, and Hotel Vancouver (google for info).

For restaurants, you can either score $0.99 sushi on Davie St or check this www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=12744 (Best of Vancouver).

420!
Contrary to popular belief, it's not 100% legal here. However use common sense and you'll be fine. There are a few cafes around town, and an actual store operating called 'Vancouver Connection'. Read this magazine: www.cannabisculture.com/ and ask around the forum.

Get on the skytrain and get off on Broadway St. Make your way down commercial drive towards the water and you'll come across a billion artist-run centres/cafes/bars galore.

If you really want to do something awesome, look for vacation cabins along Shushwap Lake, Christina Lake, or the millions of other cabins. Rent a boat and party till the sun comes up on the beach in Osoyoos or whatever. Not cheap :(

Finally, if you want to check out local punk/metal bands, meet awesome people and drink the cheapest booze on the planet go here www.thecobalt.net

See above for all addresses.

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Great little bar in a stunning location on the south shore of False Creek. The nearest thing to proper pub food, the fish and chips are delightful, particularly when washed down with a few sleeves of Spring Lager.

Grab a window seat looking out over the marina or top up your suntan on the upstairs deck. My best suggestion is chat to the friendly locals and bar staff downstairs, there'll be some expats who'll quickly pick up your accent. They'll even put some footy on the TV if they like you.

Stamps Landing is next to Monk McQueens, one the best seafood restaurants on the West Coast. By car, exit the Cambie Bridge and turn right onto Moberley Road. Parking is easiest in the pay car parks. Best to leave the car and get the aquabus as Stamps has it's own drop off. Ideal for doing a crawl between here and the Granville Island Brewery.

610 Stamps Landing, False Creek;
tel: 604 879 0821

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Subeez is a really funky yet laid-back eatery/bar, worth visiting for its brilliant food, comedy cocktail menu, and truly random decor: giant dribbly candles, strange sculptures, and psychedelic art work. It gets really bustling on fridays and saturdays, when theres a DJ who usually plays house music. And as it's just a hop skip and a jump away from the downtown bars and clubs, it's a great way to start a night out. At other times the atmosphere is very chilled with a more eclectic soundtrack, and you can enjoy settling into one of the comfy sofa booths with a kentucky julep.

The best thing about Subeez for me is how it manages to be very trendy yet completely unpretentious; the staff are all relaxed, friendly and efficient, and the fantastic menu is really reasonably priced. I would recommend the grilled goats cheese salad with a free-range chicken breast, and the huge platter of garlic mayo fries are a must to share. I practically lived there for 2 months ... go check it out!

look for the twinkly lights and red neon sign on the corner of Smithe and Homer (3 blocks down from Granville street)

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Popular with the Hollywood North set, the list of celebrities who stay here reads like a Who's Who, and even the doormen look like movie stars. If you can't afford to stay here, head over to the Opus Bar for cocktails and pretend you can.

322 Davie Street; Tel: 642 6787; www.opushotel.com

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This has long been one of my favourite hotels in Vancouver. Gerard's bar is great for martinis and star-spotting with none of the pretension you might expect.

845 Burrard Street; Tel: 682 5511; www.vancouver.suttonplace.com

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For something a little more upscale, head to Glowbal in Yaletown. Recently voted one of Vancouver's best restaurants, it is Yaletown's place to see and be seen. Open till 1am, the margaritas go down a little too well so be prepared for heavy heads the next day!

1079 Mainland Street; Tel: 602 0835; www.glowbalgrill.com

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If you are looking for a place to let your hair down try The Roxy on Granville. It's a bit rustic, but it's also where the BC Lions and Vancouver Canucks players converge. Dentist chair shots at the bar are a must.

932 Granville Street; Tel: 331 7999; www.clubzone.com/c/Vancouver/Nightclub/Roxy.html

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I love the Yaletown Brew Pub for pre-club drinks. A favourite haunt for locals, good food and good beer at a reasonable price.

1111 Mainland Street; Tel: 681 2739; www.markjamesgroup.com/restbrew/yaletown/yaletown.html

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