Best hotel bars in Vancouver

You don’t have to be from out of town to check into one of Vancouver’s many stellar hotel bars. By day, a hotel bar tends to cater to the coffee drinkers, by lunchtime the power meeters, and by evening all manner of nightlife seekers and imbibers.

Here is our list of the best hotel bars in Vancouver.

Notch 8 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

All aboard at this elegant revamped bar and restaurant space designed as a nod to early 20th century train travel inside one of Vancouver’s most storied hotels. Notch 8 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver offers a compelling drinks menu for all sorts of imbibers, from the midday lunchers to the nightlife seekers.

Address: 900 West Georgia Street
Phone: 604-662-1900
Twitter: @fairmontvan

Photo courtesy Tableau Bar Bistro

This beautiful restaurant inside the award-winning boutique hotel The Loden features a cozy bar and great cocktail program to go alongside their west coast-inspired French bistro eats. Escape a dreary Vancouver day with their Mai Tai, or check in to their ongoing cocktail “evolution” experiment, where they play with new ingredients monthly. Don’t forget to order their signature Mushrooms on Toast; that buttery brioche plank will help soak up the alcohol.

Address: 1181 Melville Street
Phone: 604-639-8692
Twitter: @TableauBistro

YEW seafood + bar at Four Seasons

You’ll rub shoulders with well-heeled travellers, shoppers, and local power players when you’re at the bar inside YEW. As a bonus for fans of Chef Ned Bell’s delicious seafood-centric dishes on the restaurant menu, the bar has its own exclusive menu and “reverse happy hour” specials (don’t miss their amazing chicken wings). Cocktails are inspired by the oceans and were created by mixologist Lauren Mote (of UVA).

Address: 791 West Georgia Street
Phone: 604-692-4939
Twitter: @FSVancouver

Opus Bar at Opus Hotel

The bar inside one of Vancouver’s best-loved boutique hotels is small but mighty. Featuring a tight cocktail list showcasing their take on classic drinks and flavours, and bar bites from La Pentola, the Opus Hotel’s tantalizing northern Italian restaurant, this welcome escape in Yaletown is a chill hangout by day and a lively spot by night.

Address: 322 Davie Street
Phone: 604-694-2107
Twitter: @OpusHotel

The Keefer Bar at the Keefer Suites

Chinatown’s Keefer Bar, situated at the Keefer Suites, is a local darling of the craft cocktail scene. Apothecary-inspired cocktails are poured using “house-made bitters, syrups, and teas,” and are inspired by the Chinese traditions of using food and drink as cure for ailments.

Address: 135 Keefer Street
Phone: 604-688-1961
Twitter: @thekeeferbar

Lobby Lounge at Fairmont Pacific Rim

Head right to one of the city’s best waterfront hotels and settle in for a drink and some top-notch seafood at Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Lobby Lounge and RawBar. Enjoy drinks created by bartender Grant Sceney, and fresh sustainable bites from the RawBar. Hang out and listen to live music as played on their beautiful piano, or sip on Afternoon Tea.

Address: 1038 Canada Place
Phone: 604-695-5502
Twitter: @FairmontPacific

UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar at Moda Hotel

An unassuming and easy going cafe by day, the UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar at downtown’s Moda Hotel is one of the city’s best watering holes. Cocktails here are the work of award-winning bartender Lauren Mote (who is also one-half of Vancouver’s acclaimed Bittered Sling bitters biz).

Address: 900 Seymour Street
Phone: 604-632-9560
Twitter: @UVAVancouver

Grain Tasting Bar at Hyatt Regency

Get into the spirit of locally made spirits, as well as wines and beers, at the bar inside the Hyatt Regency. It’s a meld of the rustic with the urban chic–which, when you think about it, pretty much on the nose when it comes to the Vancouver vibe and aesthetic.

Address: 655 Burrard Street
Phone: 604-639-4768
Twitter: @Grain_Bar

Bacchus Lounge at Wedgewood

It’s a little old-school when it comes to the cocktail scene, but sometimes you need someone tinkling on the ivories and a cushiony chair to go with your drink. The Bacchus Lounge not only has great views (they overlook Robson Square and the Art Gallery), but also elegant food, drinks, and live entertainment.

Address: 845 Hornby Street
Phone: 604-608-5319
Twitter: @wedgewoodhotel

Xi Shi Lounge at the Shangri-La Hotel

The Shangri-La is by far one of Vancouver’s more relaxing high-end hotel properties, and their Xi Shi Lounge is no exception. Escape by day into their tea service, or wait until the sun goes down to settle in for a drink in this mellow, sumptuous East-meets-West-vibe spot.

Address: 1128 West Georgia Street
Phone: 604-689-1120
Twitter: @shangrila_van

Gerard Lounge at Sutton Place

The Gerard Lounge is a dark-walled, warm wood tones, dignified hideaway in a hotel that remains popular with the visiting celeb set. Despite a major makeover in the hotel’s main restaurant as it relaunched as Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar (with its own bar space more than worthy of bellying up to), the Gerard Lounge remained a dark hideaway perfect for sipping and socializing.

Address: 845 Burrard Street
Phone: 604-642-2900
Twitter: @blvdyvr

Reflections at Rosewood Hotel Georgia

Downtown’s post Rosewood Hotel Georgia certainly has its share of excellent options for grabbing a drink, whether you’re a local or an out-of-towner. Get right to relaxing in the 1927 Lobby Lounge, hit up the bar at the acclaimed Hawksworth restaurant, or wait until the speakeasy-style light goes on signalling the evening opening of Prohibition. But when the weather is good (think: April to October) head up to Reflections, located at the inner courtyard of the hotel’s fourth floor, and enjoy drinks and light fare in this outdoor urban oasis.

Address: 801 West Georgia Street
Phone: 604-673-7043
Twitter:  @RWHotelGeorgia