Pourhouse is a bar in Gastown, Vancouver.
Pourhouse on Water Street in Gastown is a heritage-room cocktail bar since 2009 with a long wood counter, classic builds and a modern American kitchen.
Food program: Modern American small plates
Tip: Bar walks in; the dining room books on OpenTable for the late-evening service.
Address: 162 Water Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1B2
Juniper Kitchen & Bar on Keefer Place since 2017 is the city's reference gin and botanical-cocktail bar, plus a Pacific Northwest small-plates kitchen.
Signature drink: Botanical gin and tonic flight
Food: Pacific Northwest small plates
Tip: The gin flight pairs four house pours with tonics; the bar walks in earlier in the evening.
Gerard Lounge at the Sutton Place Hotel on Burrard since 1986 is Vancouver's longest-running hotel cocktail lounge, the Hollywood-North celebrity bar.
Signature drink: Classic Sutton martini
Food: Bar bites and afternoon tea
Tip: Live piano from Wednesday to Saturday after 18:30; the fireside seats are the calmer pour.
The Shameful Tiki Room on Main Street since 2012 is a windowless Polynesian-style tiki bar, the city's reference rum bar with no daylight inside.
Signature drink: Zombie
Food: Tiki snacks
Tip: Walk in early on weeknights; the Zombie cocktail is limited to two per person.
The Cascade Room on Main Street since 2008 is Mount Pleasant's reference late-night neighbourhood cocktail bar, the city's pioneer craft-cocktail dive room.
Signature drink: House old fashioned
Food: Pub bites, fish and chips
Tip: Walk-in only; weekends are full from 21:00. Pub kitchen runs until 23:30.
Key Party on Powell in Chinatown is a hidden basement cocktail bar since 2017, entered through a faux accountant's office, the city's reference speakeasy.
Signature drink: Dealers' choice
Food: Hong Kong cafe-style snacks
Tip: Reservations on the website; the door key code is texted the day of. Dealers' choice is the bar's standard.
Havana on Commercial Drive since 1996 is the city's reference Cuban-Caribbean cocktail bar, the patio strip's longest-running corner room with a back gallery.
Signature drink: Cuban mojito
Food: Cuban-Caribbean small plates
Tip: The patio takes walk-ins for the mojito and Cuban sandwich pairing; back gallery for late-night live music.
