It's hard to believe that till merely a couple of years earlier, Vancouver didn't even have a proper happy hour, though a few dining establishments attempted their finest with "happy hour." However, considering that in 2014, when the province legislated the practice of discounting beverages for a specified amount of time, we have completely accepted both mid-afternoon happy hour (generally 4 to 6 PM) and late happy hour (typically after 9 PM).
Here are some of our preferred places to leave the office early for bargain booze and bites.
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
845 Burrard St., Sutton Place Hotel
The crispy chicken wings with fish sauce caramel alone must attract you to this swish hotel lounge for happy hour. But a lot more temptation can be found in the type of octopus ceviche, house-smoked salmon pâté, Korean galbi 'pet dogs, and two-buck-a-shuck oysters, not to mention $6 highballs, $7 feature cocktails, and $7 white wine by the glass—seriously good food and drink from among the best culinary groups in Vancouver. Plus, the menu is available next door in cozy Gerard Lounge too. Happy hour: daily, from 3 to 5:30 PM
Bufala Edgemont
3280 Edgemont Blvd, North Vancouver
This is the happy hour the North Shore has been waiting on. Bufala, which likewise has a location in Kerrisdale, has only just opened in Edgemont Village. The neighbors are currently lining up for the crispy polenta for $4 and arancini with smoky aioli for $7, the rigatoni with Bolognese, the margarita pizza, and the Negronis or house wine for $6. An elegant, modern-day space with fantastic food and drinks? It's simply what the Coast has been craving. Happy hour: daily, from 4 to 6 PM, and 9 PM to close.
Caffè Di Beppe
8 West Cordova St.
How adorable is this captivating Italian caffè, with its vintage décor and appealingly rustic technique to home-style cooking? Its aperitivo hour menu is modeled on the finger foods served at the Venetian wine bars called bacari. The treats start at $2 and consist of olives, salumi misti, burrata, potato meatballs, chips, and crostini, plus there are Italian mixed drinks, $5 glasses of house white wine, and $3 vermouths. Happy hour: daily, from 3 to 6 PM for beverages, and 3 to 10 PM for food.
Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar
615 Seymour St.
You might believe this swanky steakhouse is a hangout for star athletes, celebs, and the well-heeled, and it is. But it also has a quite swell happy hour, with $8 craft cocktails, $9 white wine, $6 beer, and a selection of nibbles including sliders, jumbo shrimp mixed drinks and $2 oysters. But we're there most of all for the 40 percent off champagne and sparkling wine, the best method to end a hectic weekday—happy hour: Monday to Friday, from 3 to 6 PM, and 9 PM to close.
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chophouse
777 Thurlow St.
If you enjoy seafood, then this is a happy hour for you: fried oysters, jumbo tempura prawns, steamed clams, small lobster-and-shrimp rolls, $1.50-a-shuck oysters. There are plenty of other nibbles, too, on this comprehensive list, and a decent deal on drinks, too: $6 beer and highballs, and $7.50 white wine. There's a reason individuals still line up at this traditional Vancouver hotspot, much more than 30 years after it opened. Happy hour: Monday to Friday, from 3 to 5 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 4 to 6 PM, day-to-day 9 to 11 PM, at the bar only.
The Keefer Bar
135 Keefer St.
When one of the leading cocktail bars in Canada-- No. 2 on Canada's 50 Best Bars-- offers a happy hour, you do not even need to know what's on the list to know you require to be there. That stated, the Keefer has a great deal to use: 50 percent off bar snacks, dim amount, and dessert with the purchase of a drink. Then there are everyday beverage specials, like the Keefer Cider (Forty Creek, natural apple juice, lemon, and spices) served on Mondays. Happy hour: daily, from 4 to 6 PM
Nightingale
1017 West Hastings St.
This casual but stylish cousin to David Hawksworth's fine-dining dining establishment (it even has a cameo role in Ali Wong's Always Be My Possibly) provides contemporary Canadian food, a great cocktail program, and, as it ends up, a pretty fantastic happy hour, too. It's not simply the usual snack suspects here. Rather, expect to find beet hummus with za'atar flatbread, a baked sweet potato with smoked bacon and crème fraîche or buttermilk fried chicken. There are highballs and beer for $5, and white wine for $7, plus the signature Bramble mixed drink for $8. Happy hour: Sunday to Wednesday, from 3 to 5:30 PM
Pourhouse
162 Water St.
This is a distinctly hearty happy hour, filled with rib-sticking meals like meatballs and spaghetti, scotch eggs, poutine, or Caesar salad (perfectly packed with cheese, Hickory Sticks, and pork belly), not to mention the famous hamburger. Drinks include an Aperol or Cynar spritz or glass of red wine for $8.50 and $4.50 draught beer. Be cautioned, though, that you'll be tempted to remain on and take pleasure in more cocktails later on from one of the best bar groups in Vancouver. Happy hour: day-to-day 5 to 6 PM, Fridays 2 to 6 PM, nightly 11 PM to close.
Rodney's Oyster House
52 Powell St.|1228 Hamilton St.
For a few of us, happy hour means, just, oysters, freshly shucked and slurped down with a pint of beer or cooled Gewurztraminer. As it happens, that's just what Rodney's does finest. Its "Low Tide" menu includes $1.50-a-shuck oysters, $6 wine, and $5 beer, as well as a generous list of other snackable seafood. You would absolutely love the Louisiana hot crab dip, coconut shrimp, and lobster mac 'n' cheese, not to mention the charming maritime décor. Happy hour: Monday to Saturday, from 3 to 6 PM
Tableau Bar Bistro
1181 Melville St., Loden Hotel.
The happy hour menu at this trendy French bistro has a certain wonderful je ne sais quoi about it. You will find escargots and beef tartare here, as well as truffled frites, brioche toasts topped with velvety mushrooms, charcuterie and fromage, and one of the very best things on any happy hour menu in the city, the gougères filled with hot, melty Mornay sauce. Plus, there are cocktails from a rock star bar team at $2 off, as well as $6 house bubbles, red wine and beer, and even a deep discount on Veuve Cliquot. Also, check out Tableau's sister dining establishment, Homer St. Café, which has similar happy hour times and pricing, but a different menu—mmm, smoked cheddar croquettes. Happy hour: day-to-day 2:30 to 5:30 PM, and 9:30 PM (10 PM Fridays and Saturdays) to close.
Tacofino
15 West Cordova St.|1025 Mainland St.|122-- 1050 Pender St.|8 East 5th Ave.|1909 East 4th Ave.
With numerous places across the city, Tacofino has you covered for your margarita and Mexi-Cali nacho requirements. Keep in mind that menus may alter somewhat from location to area and are not readily available at the food trucks. Still, you can anticipate finding meals from $8 to $14, such as nachos, tater tots, queso fundido, chicken wings, and chips and salsa. And after that, there are the Margaritas, which are amongst the best in the city, and just $8 during happy hour. Likewise, there's $5 draft beer, $1 off white wines by the glass, and great times to be had by all. Happy hour: every day 3 to 6 PM
The Flying Pig
1168 Hamilton St.|102 Water St.|127 West 2nd Ave.
The Flying Pig is not going to let you leave hungry. Or thirsty, for that matter. Its happy hour menu includes good-value dishes such as beet and bresaola salad, classic poutine, pulled pork sandwich, beef brief rib croquette, jumbo macaroni, and sriracha BARBEQUE chicken drumsticks, all under $9. Plus, there are deal house white wines and cocktails at all this growing regional chainlet's places. Happy hour: daily in the bar or lounge, from 3 to 6 PM, and 10 PM (9 PM at Olympic Village area) to close.
Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar
900 Seymour St., Moda Hotel.
Pull up a seat at this trendy cocktail bar and order anything they're making; you understand it will be good, and during happy hour, it will also be value for money. The menu is mostly Italian-inspired little plates varying from $3 to $12 (arancini, bruschetta, prosciutto e Melone), with function cocktails ($ 7 to $9), house white wines for $6, and beer for $5. Plus, Uva offers one of the earliest and longest happy hours in the city, so you can settle and take pleasure in it. Happy hour: daily from 2 to 6 PM.
