When Happy Hour was finally made legal in British Columbia, in 2014, it offered long-overdue compensation to Vancouverites who rightly complain about the provincial and city governments’ continued unwillingness to let responsible adults indulge in afterwork libations like… responsible adults. (This annoyance continues to play out in the endless, ridiculous alcohol-sales-in-supermarkets brouhaha.) If we must live in this cruelly expensive city, let us at least forget about it for a few hours without causing further significant damage to the retirement funds we don’t have.
Happily, in the two-plus years since its launch, local restaurants and bars have been steadily upping their Happy Hour game, offering a wider and better variety of drink specials, often accompanied by very good food for very little outlay. Here are what we deem to be the 50 best Happy Hours currently sating our thirsts and appetites.
CHINATOWN
The Emerald
555 Gore St., emeraldsupperclub.com
Tues-Fri 5-7pm
Snacks $5; share plates and salads $10; select beers $4; house wines $5; half-price cocktails
Juniper
185 Keefer St., junipervancouver.com
Daily 4:30-6:30pm
Food specials $3-$5, “wood boards” $21-$29; beer and cider $5; cocktails and aperitifs $7
The Keefer Bar
135 Keefer St., thekeeferbar.com
Sun-Fri 5-7pm
All food 2-for-1 (with purchase of drinks and parties of nine or less); wines and Aprerol spritz $8 each; nightly specials
Mamie Taylor’s
251 E. Georgia St., mamietaylors.ca
Mon-Fri 5-6pm; Sat-Sun 3-5pm
Draft beer $5; wine $6; the Mamie Taylor cocktail $6; select snacks $1-$2 each
The Union
219 Union St., theunionvancouver.ca
“Late night” Happy Hour Fri-Sat 11:30pm-close; Sun all day
Food specials $6-$17; daily beer features
DOWNTOWN AND COAL HARBOUR
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
845 Burrard St., boulevardvancouver.ca
Daily 3-6pm
Food specials $5-$10; local oysters $2 each; select beers and highballs $5 each; select wines and cocktails $6 each
Café Medina
780 Richards St., medinacafe.com
Mon-Fri 2-3pm
House “libation” cocktails $7; draught beer $5; “coffee spikes” $4
Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar
1055 W. Hastings St., chewies.ca
Daily 3-6pm
Craft beer pints $5; select wines $6; select American whiskey $5; oysters $1-$2 (6 per person, per order); select food $10-$13
Coast
1054 Alberni St., glowbalgroup.com/coast
Daily 2:30-5:30pm
Draft beer, wines, highballs, Sangria and Caesars $5 each; martinis $8; oysters $1.50 each; small plates and sushi rolls $7.95-$12.95
Homer St. Cafe and Bar
898 Homer St., homerstreetcafebar.com
Mon-Fri 2:30-5pm
Wishbone lager, house wines, highballs, snacks and desserts $5 each
Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar
637 Hornby St., hyssteakhouse.com
Mon-Fri 3-6pm
Featured red and white wines $9 each; bottled beer $5; feature cocktails half off; snacks $3-$5
Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House
777 Thurlow St., joefortes.ca
Daily 4-6pm (at bar only)
Wine, highballs and Red Truck pints $5 each; $12 oysters (6 per order, per person); small plates $5.95-$13.95
Market by Jean-Georges
1115 Alberni St., marketkitchen.com
Daily 3-6pm and 9pm-close
Draught beer and house wines $6 each; featured cocktails $8; snacks $9-$11
Tableau Bar Bistro
1181 Melville St., tableaubarbistro.com
Daily 2:30-5:30-pm and 9pm-close
Select menu items half price; Blonde Bombshell lager, select highballs, wines and sparkling wine $5 each
Timber
1300 Robson St., timbervancouver.com
Daily 3-6pm
$4 pilsner; half off “Snacks” menu
Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar
900 Seymour St., uvavancouver.com
Daily 2-6pm
Select cocktails $8-$9; select wines $5 glass, $35 bottle; Brio Icelandic Pilsner $7; Angry Orchard cider $6; antipasti $5-$9
Yew Seafood + Bar
791 W. Georgia St., yewseafood.com
“Reverse” Happy Hour daily 8-11pm
Select cocktails and small plates $10 each
EAST SIDE / MOUNT PLEASANT
The Brighton
2471 E. Hastings St., thebrightonpub.com
Daily 3-8pm
Lonetree cider, Dirty Girl pilsner, house wine and select highballs $3.50 each
Campagnolo Roma
2297 E. Hastings St., campagnoloroma.com
Daily opening-6pm
Featured pizza and a beer $20; daily drink and food specials
The Cascade
2616 Main St., thecascade.ca
Daily 3-6pm
Draught beer and wine $5 each; cocktails $6; Jack Daniels shots $4-$7; beer and a shot $8; snacks $4-$8; banger and a beer $8; burger and a beer $15
Chicha
136 E. Broadway, chicharestaurant.com
Daily 5-6pm
Tequila or Jameson shots $3; local draughts $5; wine $6; select cocktails $7
Colony Bar
2904 Main St., colonymainst.com
Mon-Fri 3-6pm
Appies $7.95-$8.95; lager and pale ale $3; wine and highballs $4
Crowbar
646 Kingsway, crowbareastvan.com
Mon-Sat 5-6:30pm
Daily beer ($4) and wine ($6) selections; burger and a beer $20; rotating food features half price
El Camino’s
3250 Main St., elcaminos.ca
Daily 3-4 pm and 10pm-close; Sundays 4-10pm
Select tapas, tacos and desserts $6-$15
La Mezcaleria
1622 Commercial Dr., lamezcaleria.ca
Tues-Sun 3-6pm
Ceviche Callejero $6; Quesito Fundido $8; house wines, draft beers and Paloma cocktails $5 each
What’s Up? Hot Dog!
2481 E. Hastings, whatsuphotdog.ca
Daily 3-6pm
Pabst Blue Ribbon cans, Lonetree cider, select wines and highballs $3.50 each
FALSE CREEK / WEST SIDE
Ancora
1600 Howe St., ancoradining.com
Mon-Fri 3:30-5pm
Oysters $2 each; select wines $6; rotating food and cocktail specials
Beach Bay Cafe and Patio
1193 Denman St., beachbaycafe.com
Daily 2-5pm
Beer $5; wine $5; mulled wine $8; highballs $5; food specials $10-$13
The Blind Sparrow
751 Denman St., blindsparrow.ca
Daily 4-6pm
Pints $5; wine $6; feature taco $3; food specials $8-$10
Buckstop
833 Denman St., buckstop.ca
Mon-Fri 4:30-6pm
Special Happy Hour food items $3 each; beer pints $5, wine and highballs $4 each
Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar
2201 W. 1st Ave., chewies.ca
Daily 3-6pm
Craft beer pints $5; select wines $6; select American whiskey $5; oysters $1-$2 (min. 6 per person, per order); select food $5-$9
Corduroy
1943 Cornwall Ave., corduroyrestaurant.com
Daily 4-6pm
Past Blue Ribbon (sleeve) and Good Company lager (can) $4 each; select highballs $4.50
Score on Davie
1262 Davie St., scoreondavie.com
Daily specials
GASTOWN
Belgard Kitchen
55 Dunlevy Ave., belgardkitchen.com
Mon-Thurs 3-6pm
Food specials $7-$9, daily wine selections and Postmark brewing pint $5 each
Catch 122
122 W. Hastings St., catch122.ca
Tues-Fri 4-6pm; Sat-Sun 5-6pm
Select beers, wines and highballs $5 each; select cocktails $7; snacks $4-$10
La Mezcaleria
68 E .Cordova St., lamezcaleria.ca
Tues-Sun 3-6pm
Ceviche Callejero $6; Quesito Fundido $8; house wines, draft beers and Paloma cocktails $5 each
Pidgin
350 Carrall St., pidginvancouver.com
Daily 5-6:30pm; 10:30pm-late
Daily food specials; classic cocktails $7.50; wine $6; tall cans of Tiger beer $5
Six Acres
203 Carrall St., sixacres.ca
Daily 11:30am-6pm
Select beers $5; Pimm’s cup $5.50
Tacofino Taco Bar
15 W. Cordova St., tacofino.com
Daily 3-6pm
Food specials $5-$10; all draft beer $5; red or white wine $1 off; margaritas $8
YALETOWN
Hapa Izakaya
1193 Hamilton St., hapaizakaya.com
Daily 5-6pm, plus 9pm-close (Sun-Thurs only)
Food specials $3.50-$6.50; draft beer $4; wine $5
La Pentola
350 Davie St., lapentola.ca
Daily 9pm-late
Food specials $5; draft beer $4; wines $5; negroni $6
Minami
1118 Mainland St., minamirestaurant.com
Daily 4:30-6pm
Select aburi sushi and sushi rolls $16-$17.50; “Kanpai Dui” of feature beer and Kaisen tempura $12
Provence Marinaside
1177 Marinaside Cres., provencemarinaside.ca
Daily 3-5pm
Select wines $5; small plates $5-$6
Rodney’s Oyster House
1228 Hamilton St., rohvan.com
Mon-Sat 3-6pm
Food specials $6.95-$13.95
WildTale
1079 Mainland St., wildtale.ca
Daily 3-6pm and 9pm-midnight (except Sun, to 11pm)
Food specials $5.50-$6.75; wines $5-$7; martinis and cocktails $6-$7; draft beer $5
CHAINS
Cactus Club Cafe
Various locations, cactusclubcafe.com
Hours and specials vary by location. See website for details.
Donnelly Group
Various locations, donnellygroup.ca
Hours and specials vary by location. See website for details.
Earls
Various locations, earls.ca
Daily 3-6pm and 9pm-close
Rhino beer $3 ($15, 64 oz growler); select wines $5-$9; select highballs $3; select cocktails $7-$9; select small plates $3-$9; daily bar features
The Flying Pig
Various locations, theflyingpigvan.com
Mon.-Fri. 3-6pm; Sat.-Sun. 4-6pm
“Appy Hour” appies $6.25-$7.50; rotating drink specials
The Keg
Various locations, kegsteakhouse.com
Hours vary by location; see website for details.
Heineken draught, Keg Caesar, $5 each; Woodbridge wines $6; select appetizers $10-$12; daily $5 drink specials
