Located at 4362 Main Street, this gem is one of the city’s most unique offerings. The bar’s concept hails to the aforementioned tiki era, which the establishment’s decor and atmosphere reflect. What’s more, the room holds weekly and one-off events that are inspired by that theme. These events include entertainment, such as sassy go-go dancers and charming ukulele players, as well as fun parties.

The eclectic watering hole also houses the city’s only rum club, and gives patrons the chance to receive a “members only” t-shirt. In order to receive the famed tee, guests must sample 25 rums from around the world and reach Honorary Status. 

Upon sipping all 50 rums, patrons get their names emblazoned on plaques hanging proudly from the wall.

Shameful Tiki Room

While many of their cups are cool, there’s something particularly enticing about drinking out of one of their exotic bowls – especially since some of them are flaming! Also, the drinks’ names are almost more enticing than they look. From the ‘Mystery Bowl’ to the ‘Voodoo Bowl,’ the ‘Volcano Bowl’ to the ‘Blood of the Kapu Tiki.’

In addition to rum, they include a plethora of colourful cocktails, all perfect for sipping the night away in this fun scene.

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The limited time experience is brought to us by the same team behind The Wizard’s Den and other mystical and fantasy-filled cocktail events that have popped up in the city. This time, fans can .

For the “curiouser and curiouser,” this experience is full of wonderland decor and themed drinks that allows guests to be a part of a theatrical, alternate reality experience which will rival the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

Bookings are available in 90-minute slots, in which you get to:

• Enjoy 2 bespoke Wonderland cocktails
• Solve riddles and challenges just like Alice
• Enjoy “Eat me” treats
• Paint red roses

Here’s a look behind the scenes:

 

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Tickets for The Alice experience are $46.50.

The event first kicked off in April and has since extended dates to May 22 due to popular demand.

With remaining slots quickly filling up, those looking to experience The Alice should .

Alice in Wonderland Vancouver Bar

When: Multiple times and dates now through May 22, 2022

Where: Vancouver Alpen Club (4875 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, BC V5N 4P3)

Tickets: $46.50

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GRETA made its B.C. debut on April 29 following the success of sister locations in both Calgary and Edmonton.

Situated at 50 W Cordova Street, GRETA has taken over the space previously occupied by The Bourbon and has given it a makeover. Inside you’ll find an arcade, ping pong, air hockey, skee ball, street food, and a bar.

RELATED: The Richmond Night Market Is Open For 2022 & Here’s The First Look Inside

The new location plans to operate until 2-3 am daily, setting it up to be a new late night hot spot in Gastown.

New Gastown Arcade

 

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GRETA Bar Gastown

Address: 50 W Cordova St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1C8

Hours:

• 3 pm to 2 am Monday to Thursday and Sunday
• 3 pm to 3 am. on Saturday

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The post Vancouver Has a New Arcade and Street Food Bar & Here’s the First Look Inside appeared first on 604 Now.

For $35 (early bird pricing) you can be transported to the Beast’s castle, hosted at a hidden location in Vancouver.

RELATED: An Immersive & Alice in Wonderland Bar Is Coming to Vancouver

The night consists of a bit of light theatre, with scenes of the movie acted out for your enjoyment. Then it becomes an immersive experience when you are invited to solve puzzles and riddles to ultimately help lift the curse placed upon the Beast and his castle. 

This event is hosted by the interactive team behind The Wizard’s Den, Beyond Cinema and The Alice Wonderland experience.

For those of you who do not know who Lumiere and Cogsworth are, Beauty and the Beast is a story about a woman who is trapped by a prince (turned monster) in his castle. It’s Disney so they obviously fall in love. 

LARP into the realm of Disney Stockholm syndrome fantasy if you dare. 

Beauty And The Beast Cocktail Experience

When: August 31, 2022 – January 2023

Where: TBA

Admission: $35 for early bird

Additional information including dates, location and tickets will be announced soon. To be the first to know more about this event, sign up for our weekly newsletter.

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The former Trump Tower is being rebranded to Paraodox and the old Drai’s nightclub is being redesigned by After Dark, the same hospitality group behind Twelve West.

The new club will be called Mansion. After Dark will also be taking over the lobby bar next the hotel’s main entrance and rebranding it to Karma Lounge.

RELATED: How To Get Into Vancouver’s Best Speakeasies And Secret Bars

Drai’s Nightclub is a beach themed bar in Las Vegas and when it opened a location in Vancouver it was met with mixed reviews.

Residents of Coal Harbour were not thrilled, to say the least.

The Trump Tower itself was protested because of its association with the former president; however, many Vancouverites enjoyed the pool bar.

But it’s different now. Trump’s name has been unceremoniously wiped from the entrance. 

The inside will be different too. Theo hotel previously had a West Coast theme. Now that the 9,000-sq-ft. pool bar is being reimagined, it will have a “South Beach,” theme.

The surface details will be different but what is consistent between Drai’s and Mansion is luxury.

The new Mansion nightclub promises to be what Vancouverites are missing in terms of a sophisticated nightclub experience. 

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But before the era of multimillion dollar liquor licenses and Donnelly Bars for days, Vancouver had a lot more independent venues, the Pump being one. 

It was the 90’s and rock music was in.

RELATED: A Look Back At Vancouver’s Most Popular Bars From the 80s, 90s, and 00s

Nirvana and Tragically Hip both played their first Vancouver shows there. 

When Pearl Jam played there in 1991, they made $1,794, and the venue on 66 Water St. was packed.

No Doubt also played there, Alice In Chains, Wesley Willis, Sublime and the Dayglo Abortions did too, to name a few. 

These weren’t massive arena shows either, with a designated seat, and security guards everywhere. These were bar shows, where the band mingled with the crowd after the show.

Just because a band played there, didn’t mean they made it big, but having a mix of obscure bands and rising stars marks an artist’s space. A place where culture germinates and actually grows.

But fans of the venue say that when dance music rose in popularity, the Town Pump couldn’t draw the crowds it needed to stay open. Some nights were packed, but many were empty. When the empty nights became too many, the bar then closed. 

It stayed empty for years, then it became Sonar, then it became Rain Ultraclub. That closed too, and it sits empty again.

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As of last Wednesday, February 16, many pandemic restrictions were lifted on clubs and bars, with dancing being made legal for the first time in nearly two years. 

A video shared on TikTok kind of says it all.

@zuzzaism Nightlife is back baby 🚨🧯 #vancouver #vancouverbc #bc #canada #britishcolumbia #daviestreet #granville #downtown #fyp #vancouverlife #friday ♬ Destination Calabria – UK Radio Edit – Alex Gaudino

That being said, the entertainment district couldn’t return to normal without a visible police presence, with Sergeant Steve Addison confirming what can be seen in the video. 

“Large crowds began entering the downtown core in the early evening, with some lining up early at nightclubs and hundreds wandering the entertainment areas. This led to multiple conflicts on the street.”

According to Addison additional police officers were assigned Friday night club duty in preparation for mandates being lifted. 

Thousands of people managed to party in the downtown core on the weekend without incident; however, one Vancouver resident was stabbed on the corner of Smithe and Granville Street. 

A suspect has been arrested and the victim is expected to survive. 

You Might Also Like:

• A Look Back At Vancouver’s Most Popular Nightclubs From The 90s
• Opinion: Vancouver Needs A Nightlife Mayor

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Unfortunately for this New Westminster party crew, their event was so lit that police walked by on patrol and could tell what was happening. 

An illegal, pop-up dance party.

RELATED: American Arrested With Wagon of Eggs at Vancouver Freedom Rally

Approximately 150 people were found dancing, not wearing masks, drinking and they were not socially distanced.

Under current Public Health guidance clubs and bars are ordered closed and uninstructed dancing indoors is strictly prohibited. 

The New Westminster Police press release referred to the event as an “illegal nightclub,” but the people responsible were only leasing the space for the evening. 

They were fined $575. 

The building owner has been found to be uninvolved. Unlike the police who happened to walk by, they had no idea what was happening.

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The post Fines Issued After Police Stumble Across an Illegal Nightclub in New West appeared first on 604 Now.

If you look for it on Google Maps, however, you won’t be able to see it. Even in Street View, all you’ll see is the Yaletown Liquor Store and Barber & Co.

If you look hard enough, though, you’ll come across an unmarked door. Through that unmarked door, there’s a somewhat hidden stairwell. And it’s down that stairwell where you will find the bar known as Hello Goodbye.

RELATED: How To Get Into Vancouver’s Best Speakeasies And Secret Bars

The first thing you’ll notice is the decor and atmosphere.

It doesn’t look like your typical bar. The walls appear to be concrete, but with bumps and grooves that make them look more like an oil painting. (It looks a little like the catacomb club in John Wick 2.)

Some of the colours aren’t even particularly alluring. But all of that makes the contrast with the colourful wall behind the bar even larger.

A variety of drinks sit on lit platforms, highlighting the colour of the drinks or their bottles. Cocktails include the Adult Swim, Seeking Arrangements, Spanish Banks, Oceans 11, and more.

Shot trays are also available, with vodka, tequila, cognac, and whiskey options. Then there’s the table service, with your choice of vodka, rum, tequila, alcoholic gin (as opposed to non-alcoholic gin), whiskey, and cognac.

If you’re in a celebratory mood, there’s also a variety of champagne choices, including the popular Moët & Chandon. To really round out the drink menu, there’s also beer, wine, and red bull (and water).

Best of all, Hello Goodbye has Happy Hour, which runs from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Thursdays and Fridays. (They’re only open from Thursdays to Saturdays.)

Where the experience starts to differ even more, though, is with the in-house DJ. Thursday nights are “L.O.V.E.” nights, curated by DJ Floetic (and also feature a special menu), whereas Fridays feature DJ Geni3 and Saturdays feature DJ Lokoboy.

All-in-all, the experience “creates a comfortable and intimate escape from the ordinary”, Hello Goodbye says. Along with Key Party, a bar hidden behind a fake accounting office, and One Under, an underground pub with world-class golf simulators, Hello Goodbye looks to be one of the more unique bar experiences in Vancouver.

If you liked this article, check out our Food section!

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The post Hidden Underground, Hello Goodbye Bar Is A Truly Unique Bar Experience appeared first on 604 Now.

Chances are, if you grew up during the 80s, 90s, or 00s, you probably witnessed the rise and fall of at least one or two of your favourite watering holes.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane and explore some of the best bars in Metro Vancouver’s past.

RELATED: Vancouver’s Once Popular Night Clubs: Where Are They Now?

Iconic Vancouver Bars

Donnelly Run (Now known as The Lamplighter)

While many residents enjoy the Donnelly run version of the lamplighter, many long for the days before the venue switched hands. Previously, the atmosphere was more focused on live music, and it had a long-running history before the new owners came into the picture.

“The pre-Donnelly Lamplighter seized a moment way back in the spring of 1925, when it received the first B.C. beer parlour licence issued following the repeal of Prohibition,” BC Business reports.

It’s not hard to see the Donnelly influence in Vancouver: there seems to be a pub or bar owned by them in every neighborhood; however, not everyone thinks that is such a good thing.

Honey in the Lotus Hotel

Located in Gastown, It had a few club nights each week and offered a vibe that was in between scenes. Moreover, it was a big hit with many people. With a McDonald’s located conveniently across the street, it was a perfect place to listen to a DJ and have some drinks and then grab a midnight snack. For some, it was their favourite place to dance in Vancouver.

Malones Kitsilano Beach

Known as one of the best beachside haunts, Malones was one of the best places to grab a snack and brew from the comfort of your towel. Its doors officially closed in November of 2008, but people still reminisce about the days of snacking by the shore. After 20 years the neighborhood, the popular patio and its adjacent eatery/bar are dearly missed. Beachside delivery was a hit with customers, but failed to impress the city’s health inspectors.

Cheers/All Stars sports bar

Cheers was once a popular nightclub, and even once hosted an afterparty for the Backstreet Boys in 1998. The Delta venue was a favourite amongst locals, and even after the bar closed. After its closing, numerous attempts to keep the spot a club were made. It’s latest attempt as Cloud 6, failed with all the rest. It still had a liquor store and the All Stars sports bar, and they continued to run after its closing, but they eventually closed, as well. Those who grew up during the 80s and 90s in this area will no doubt recall many memories from this popular establishment.

The Yale

While The Yale is still up and running, it may seem recognizable to its former fans. What was once a centre for some of the best blues and jazz in Vancouver has become a country bar. Many people feel strongly against this change, has the lower mainland has quite a few country bars and not as strong of a blues presence. Established in 1888, the Yale is part of a historical landmark building in Vancouver and is one of the most emblematic properties in the city. The Yale closed its bluesy doors in 2012 and went on the market in 2014.

The Rumpus Room

While there are plenty of sports bars and traditional watering holes in Vancouver, this one had a special feel to it. Located near 11th Ave on Main, The Rumpus Room had an extremely laid-back, comfortable feel, and offered a selection of fun activities for patrons to enjoy while they drank and ate. With board games such as Jenga, and an extremely funky decor, this spot was decidedly cool and different. It was a favourite of many locals who preferred something a little more unique. It closed down in 2015, but the operators opened up a spot on Main Street called Uncle Abe’s.

The Marine Club

Operating since 1957, this local gem was a favourite amongst locals who liked to see a live show with character. While it wasn’t as fancy as some of the establishments that have recently popped up, it was no less popular. In its prime it had hundreds marching through its door. What’s more, it offered free pool a few nights of the week, so pool sharks had ample reason to want to drop by for a brew. It closed down on January 15th, 2007 for the long haul. In recent years, the area has welcomed some newer bars, such as The Pint, that are taking the area in a new direction.

The Railway Club

This popular venue held numerous shows over the years and was a long-time favourite of locals. With a tiny toy train running the perimeter of the bar, the decor was decidedly unique and loveable. Not only that, but the bar was a couple floors up, and had a cozy vibe high above the city streets. All that seemed to change when the bar noted that it would be closing, but then the Donnelly name came into the mix. Although they promised to keep everything the same, many people were suspicious of their words and vehemently against the transition.

For more history stories, check out our History section.

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