Here are all the Vancouver bars that were just named among the best in Canada
Hot off the heels of North America’s 50 Best Bars, Canada’s 100 Best Bars just revealed its top 50 list — and naturally, multiple Vancouver spots made the cut.
The list is compiled by a panel of cross-country judges, each of whom is asked to rank their five top experiences over the last 16 months. Judges were not allowed to vote for a bar in which they had a personal or financial interest, and were all required to include on the bar outside their home province or territory.
“Never before has our selection of Canada’s Best Bars been so diverse,” wrote the awards. “There are quirky wine bars, open-all-day aperitivo spaces and intimate cocktail lounges. There are high-volume bars and ones that seat just a handful of people. There are bars that celebrate Vietnamese heritage and those that explore fermentation.”
Among the top-ranking Vancouver spots, few will be surprised to hear that The Keefer Bar landed at number 3 in Canada. This is not surprising, considering Keefer Bar was also named the best bar in Canada by North America’s 50 Best Bars.
“As suggested by the backlit anatomical illustrations behind the bar and the Prescriptions and Antidotes menu, this 16-year-old Vancouver institution explores its Chinatown postal code, specifically through traditional Chinese medicine,” wrote Canada’s 100 Best.
“Ingredients like bamboo liqueur, motherwort and tofu make their appearance in drinks like the funky, fruity Durian Colada — crafted with rum, baijiu, coconut milk, durian and clarified tofu. Those less moved by the pungent durian should steer toward other house classics, like a Pineapple Daiquiri, which stacks on flavours, including maple and yun zhi (turkey tail mushroom). All cocktails are stirred or shaken to perfection and chilled with crystal-clear ice (carved in-house). The music, usually from live DJs, is funky, too. Do order the dim sum and Taiwanese cauliflower; the dumplings and the lap cheong sausage are sourced from Keefer’s Chinatown neighbours.”
And the accolades for Keefer Bar don’t stop there, as bartender Kate Chernoff was named Bartender of the Year.
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Keefer Bar was the only Vancouver spot to crack the top ten, but there are still many more Vancouver bars that also made the top 50 list, including Prophecy at number 18, which Canada’s 100 Best refers to as a “swanky, sexy cocktail bar with serious drinks, food and pedigree.”
Closely behind Prophecy is Lala at number 19.
“People tend to disappear into the back of June, the brasserie-ish eatery owned by the same folks behind Vancouver mainstay The Keefer Bar. Follow them down the rabbit hole to the subterranean Lala, a velvet glove of good acoustics, great vibes and stellar cocktails,” wrote the awards.
As for the rest of the list, it included Botanist at 23, Laowai at 26, Mount Pleasant Vintage and Provisions at 35, Bagheera at 43, and the recent Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient Good Thief at 44.
And while Elem did not make the list, its former bartender, Winnie Sun, received the Sustainability Award.
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Did your favourite bar make the top 50 list? Let us know in the comments.
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