The shuttered Vancouver restaurants and bars we miss the most
Part of living in a lively city is getting to be there for exciting new openings of restaurants and bars – but the flip side of that is experiencing the heartbreak when a favourite spot calls it quits.
In a city as expensive as Vancouver, it can be tough for restaurants and bars to make a go of it, no matter how beloved they become.
Add to that a global pandemic and major staff shortages and you’ve got a bunch of spots we love that just can’t keep their doors open.
From iconic Vancouver joints that stuck around for a while to quick but memorable flashes in the pan, these are the shuttered restaurants and bars around the city that have broken our hearts the most.
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Bestie
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There are spots that still make us sad when we remember they’ve closed and Bestie is one of them. This joint specialized in currywurst – the German street snack that’s comprised of sausage on fries with curry ketchup and mayo if you got it schranke style – but it also had great beer and cider on tap in a charming space. It closed in December of 2020 and we’ve had a sausage-shaped hole in our hearts ever since.
Stormcrow Tavern and Alehouse
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There were many casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Storm Crow Tavern was one of the earlier ones, closing in April 2020. This Commercial Drive spot was a haven for many, offering delicious pub eats like burgers and fries as well as beer and cocktails. It was most well-known for being a space where you could play board games, go for trivia, and be among other like-minded folks. Its sister spot, Storm Crow Alehouse, also shuttered not long after, having closed its doors for good in January 2022.
Don’t Argue!
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One of the best pizza places ever to grace the streets of Vancouver, Don’t Argue! was a charming and bustling spot to grab a New York-style pie, a cocktail, and people-watch on its perfect patio. What we loved about this place wasn’t just the pies – although they were really, really fantastic – but it was the chill vibe. You could head to this spot on a Friday night and grab a seat at the bar, split a bottle of natural wine with a pal, and have a guaranteed great time. It was special, but it closed permanently in August 2019 after more than five years.
The Cobalt
The Cobalt Hotel SRO at 917 Main Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)
The Cobalt closed down “temporarily” in 2018, but it’s now 2022 and we’re still waiting for it to come back. Situated in a building from 1911, this Main Street spot was a fun place to go on a Friday night for a cheap beer, a drag or karaoke night, or live music from local performers. It was a cornerstone of the Vancouver nightlife scene, and while it may be resurrected at some point in time, knowing how fickle the Vancouver development scene is, we’re not holding our breath.
The Foundation
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Those who were in Vancouver during The Foundation‘s reign will remember the powerful hold it had over us for the nearly 15 years it operated on Main Street. This eclectic spot felt unique, offering giant platters of nachos, jugs of sangria, and vegetarian dishes with names like the OPP in a setting that looked like your grandma’s basement, but cool. Now home to Slim’s BBQ and Key Party, The Foundation was the place you went before going to a show at the Biltmore. It closed permanently in February 2017.
Lolita’s South of the Border Cantina
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This place, which opened in 2005, was always packed, partly because of the Mexican-inspired food but also because of the fun vibes and always-flowing tequila. Lolita’s on Davie served share plates like ceviche, beef taquitos, and tacos, and everyone knew it was the place to go for margaritas. Lolita’s, despite its busyness, closed up shop in April of 2017.
Bambudda
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This innovative and modern Chinese restaurant and cocktail bar existed in Gastown from July 2013 to February 2017. Bambudda felt special, in part because of the way the garage-style door in front of the bar could open right up, giving you a great vantage point for people-watching, but also because of its fun, contemporary take on Asian cuisine. It also had a fantastic cocktail list. The restaurant was forced to close after the landlord decided to do extensive renovations on the building, leaving the owners no choice but to call it a day.
Campangolo
The exterior of Main Street’s Campagnolo. (Facebook)
This no-fuss but consistently impressive Italian spot was a go-to for Vancouver diners from 2008 to 2020, when it closed in large part due to the pandemic. Campangolo served fantastic pasta (the Pomodoro was perfect in its simplicity), great pizza, as well as small sides and a memorable wine list. It also had its sister spot Campagnolo Upstairs literally upstairs, which was a good place to grab a well-crafted cocktail and a platter of fries. After the closure of both spots, thank you notes from the restaurant were painted on the boarded-up windows and remained there for a long time – a reminder of another sad loss.
Nicli Antica Pizzeria
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Launched in 2011, Nicli Antica was the very first spot in Vancouver to be certified by the very strict rules of the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, which meant that its pizza was Neapolitan-style through and through. It was a new concept for Vancouver diners, one that spurred a movement for other Neapolitan restaurants in the city. For a while, this place was so packed that they opened up Nicli’s Next Door where you could grab a cocktail and a dish of olives while you waited for a table. A location in North Vancouver was eventually opened too, but was later sold to a different owner. The original Nicli closed in January 2021.