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LGBT
NIGHTLIFE
Vancouver has the largest gay population in
Canada, and its colourful nightlife attracts
discerning LGBT visitors year-round. The city
features a number of visible and vibrant gay
communities, most notably in Davie Village
where the nightlife sizzles with trendy nightclubs
and bars that writhe with energy after dark.
Favourite venues for mingling include Pumpjack
Pub and 1181, but clients looking to truly let
out their inner dance star can head to heart-
pumping dance clubs like Numbers Cabaret,
The Junction and Celebrities.
GRANVILLE STRIP,
GASTOWN AND
YALETOWN
Clients keen for a night on the town?
Gastown is a good place to start: it's the
city's oldest district, and has retained its
historic charm while evolving into one
of the most stylish parts of Vancouver.
Clients can sip fine wines, cocktails and
beers at one of many hip hotspots like
L'Abattoir and Bambudda. Yaletown
exudes a more contemporary vibe, full
of redbrick warehouses converted into
chic taverns (Killjoy Barbers) and
clubs packed with beautiful people
(The Distillery). And Granville Street's
parade of neon signs aptly reflects the
youthful energy pulsing out of its clubs,
restaurants and bars. Party-goers can
choose from laid-back resto-bars like
Vancouver FanClub – its can't-miss
envelope-pushing evening shows have
included Cirque de Soleil-like acrobats
and Atlantis-themed experiences – to hip
and happening clubs like Republic,
which attracts top DJs from across
the continent.
COCKTAILS AND
TASTING BARS
Like a fine wine, Vancouver's craft
cocktail and spirits culture gets better
with age. The city is considered the
heart of Canada's cocktail scene with
local bartenders proving to be consistent
fixtures in global competitions. When
it comes to sipping cocktails, ambience
is everything – and clients will get the
best of both worlds at Clough Club,
whose dark spirit-forward craft cocktails
are enhanced by the century-old space's
old-fashioned feel. Over in Gastown,
Pourhouse is the venue of choice for
locals hankering for a bespoke cocktail
that perfectly matches their mood
and taste preferences. Of course, your
clients would be hard-pressed not to
sample wine sourced from B.C.'s fertile
Okanagan Valley region, and there's
no better way than trying a flight at a
wine bar like Salt Tasting Room or
Vancouver Urban Winery. Lovers of
the dram needn't feel left out: they can
appease their whisky desires at a handful
of whisky-focused bars around the city
(try Gastown's Shebeen Whisky House in
The Irish Heather or The Butcher &
Bullock downtown, for starters).
DANCE CLUBS
It's a good thing Vancouverites love to
dance, because the city is chock full of
raging clubs and live music venues. Most
are concentrated in the Granville Street
Entertainment District, which fills up
with revellers every weekend. Colourful
neon signs direct the way to a slew of
hopping joints, including The Roxy
and Republic. Your clients can indulge
their hipster itch by heading over to
Main Street and grooving in their skinny
pants at The Electric Owl or The Cobalt
(there are plenty of cool cocktail taverns
and pubs here for pre-club fortification,
too). Yaletown's dance spots are all
sophistication with the luxe George
Lounge and Hooker's Green. And in
summer, clients can indulge their inner
flamenco dancer by shimmying over to
Robson Square and taking part in free
outdoor salsa lessons.
