From bathtub gin to Instagram: 5 speakeasies to check out in Vancouver
What is a speakeasy? During the four years of Prohibition in Vancouver (1917-1921), they were the kinds of places that served bathtub gin and that you could only find through people with names like Mugsy or Vinny the Viper. Today, they are “hidden” drinking establishments with elderflower-infused cocktails promoted by social-media influencers. Still, the contemporary speakeasy does have characteristics separating it from your ordinary bar — false fronts or hidden signage, small and windowless, sexy interiors and limited hours, among them.
Here are five Lower Mainland spots that tick most of these boxes:
Call Me Back
When:
Tues.-Sat., 5 p.m. until late
Where:
Lions Pub, 888 W. Cordova St., Vancouver
Vancouver’s newest speakeasy is in one of the city’s oldest clubs. Through a classic red British telephone booth in Lions Pub, in Terminal City Club, guests enter a space decked out in black with red roses, plush red curtains, round lighting sconces, and a wall covered with real retro phones. Fully open to the public (same as Lions Pub), the former flower shop seats 22 people. On the menu: Small plates and cocktails.
Key Party
When:
Sun.-Thurs., 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Fri-Sat. 5 p.m.-2 a.m.
Where:
2305 Main St., Vancouver
Info:
narrowgroup.ca
David Duprey opened this cleverly hidden (behind an accounting office false front) spot in 2019 as a kind of sequel to his first speakeasy, The Narrow Lounge. “I had always dreamed of doing the full-on fake storefront as bar entrance,” the restaurateur says. “I had been to some super fun spots all over the world, where you enter through fridges or phone booths, and thought that Vancouver would love it. When we took over the building at Main and 7th, I knew that was the spot. I wanted it to feel like it had been there since the 1970s and was just a forgotten hideaway. Putting an accounting office in the front seems so benign that you don’t think there’s anything behind it. And I wanted the interior to look like a porno movie poster from the ’70s, like a place where the who’s-who of the city would rub shoulders with pimps and con men.” The menu features cocktails with Boogie Nights-ish names like The Side Piece, Moneyshot and The Lovelace.
The Gemm
When:
Thurs.-Sat., 6 p.m. until close
Where:
1815 Commercial Dr., Park Drive Restaurant, Vancouver
Info:
parkdrive.ca
Usually, Park Drive is the kind of local best suited for a patio drink, a game or a trivia night. But on weekends, it’s also a place where you can enjoy a chill vibe and a tiki drink. Hidden by velvet curtains, The Gemm is a bar-within-a-bar, with a menu that includes cocktails, wine, beer, blistered shishito peppers, grilled halloumi skewers and more.
Ama Raw Bar
When:
Thurs.-Sun., 6 p.m.-1 a.m.
Where:
3980 Fraser St., Vancouver
Info:
amarawbar.ca
Windowless and warmly lit, with a street sign visible only in the dark, this second-floor raw bar transforms from an intimate lounge to a thriving neighbourhood hot spot after 10. Drinks include the Zaachila Breeze, with mescal, rose umeshu (Japanes plum liqueur), grapefruit, lime, strawberry and soda. Food items include raw bar dishes, such as sashimi and nigiri, as well as an uni pasta dish and wagyu bacon cheeseburger. Ama also hosts DJs and live music.
Read Mia Stainsby’s review here.
Hidden Wonders Speakeasy Magic Experience
When:
Thurs-Sun, 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Where:
New Westminster
Tickets and info:
$50 (GA) at
Shawn Farquhar’s Hidden Wonders is a speakeasy-style performance venue hidden behind a fake business facade in downtown New West. Confirmed guests are given the address once their tickets have been purchased. Inside the 30-person venue, they’re treated to a magic show that includes tricks that Farquhar has used on Penn and Teller’s hit series Fool Us. Food and beverage-wise, the fare is limited to pops and popcorn. You will have to book well in advance: As of this writing, the next available date was in August.
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Source: vancouversun.com