We spent the day at a trendy juice bar by day and cocktail lounge by night
There aren’t many places in Vancouver where you can hang out with an organic cold-pressed juice in the morning, a cocktail in the evening, and a meal at any moment that will appease any appetite or dietary need. In fact, there’s only one place — and it’s Kevin & Kevin.Â
So when I found out I would be not only be visiting the trendy bar, but would also see its transformation into a stylish cocktail lounge in real-time, you could say I was pretty excited.
Walking up to Kevin & Kevin on a sunny Friday afternoon, I was instantly drenched in light and the all-encompassing aesthetic details. The interior is so trendy and cute, you almost think to yourself “is this for real”?
Kevin Frank, owner and founder of Kevin & Kevin, brought the dynamic space to life from the inspiration he gathered while travelling through Scandinavia. He aimed to create a space reflective of the atmospheric, loungey coffee shops and health-focused cafes he visited in Iceland and Norway. Kevin wanted to create a one-stop-shop, a place where one can have a juice and get work done and meet friends on a Friday night, have drinks, and indulge in the joys of being social.Â
“I kind of thought that there was something missing in Vancouver, or even in Canada,” says Kevin. “You’ve got a lot of cocktail bars where it is kind of loungey, but nothing on the healthier side. So I thought, let’s bring this kind of concept here, tweak it a little bit, and have a juice bar with a healthy menu.”
This concept is one that Kevin says is popular in Europe as well as Australia. “They have juice bars and cocktail lounges at night, which I thought was really cool, because it’s kind of all about a balance, right?” When balance looks and tastes like this, we completely agree.
The setting is playful to the next degree, with suspended cocoon swings and wooden ring chairs making the space feel like a sophisticated jungle gym for adults. Colourful details fill each nook of the space, from the dining room to the communal high-tops to the lounge boasting purple booths with marble tabletops.Â
The interior was curated by Kevin and features many pieces by local designers, such as the statement light fixture in the lounge area. When you visit next, ask yourself if you see a cluster of rainclouds or jellyfish. I was incorrect in my guess, but it’s a stunning chandelier nonetheless.Â
It’s a tough balance to be a place that is equally as fitting to come to for a healthy brunch while studying or late-night drinks with friends (did we mention there’s a live DJ?) — but Kevin & Kevin nails that harmony.
The restaurant offers a wide array of organic, cold-pressed juices from the Green AF to the Basic B*tch, which taste as fresh as they are bright. “You’d be surprised how many people buy juice at 10 pm before they go home. They’ll have one before they leave, and they’ll have one in the morning,” says Kevin.Â
As the sun sets and the room takes on a purple, the music goes up, candles are lit, and you’re in the exact same spot yet another realm. Somehow, the playful green-scaped lounge has become even more chic.
For food, Kevin & Kevin lacks no variety. No matter what your dietary restrictions are, not only is there something for you but there are options.
From a weekend brunch menu so famed that it almost always requires a reservation, to dinner mains and share plates featuring Vancouver favourites like tuna-tataki, a prosciutto flatbread, and vegan nachos, the kitchen offers a variety of crowd-pleasers.
Kevin even claims that some say the double cheeseburger is the best they’ve ever had. So naturally, as someone who loves anything between a bun and has had many burgers, I had to try it. It did not disappoint in the slightest, and I truly wish that whatever was in that K&K Secret House Sauce was not a secret.
Kevin & Kevin Double Cheeseburger (Kevin & Kevin)
“You come with a group of people — not everybody’s vegan, not everybody’s vegetarian, and some like their meat dishes,” says Kevin. “So we really carefully chose a variety of each category to offer to everybody.”
Shocker, the full drink list is not sparse, either. Kevin & Kevin offers a variety of house cocktails, featuring a long list of classics and in-house creations. Kevin also vouches for their espresso martini to be the best in the city, as a ton of research went into making the popular favourite a top-tier drink at the restaurant.
Kevin & Kevin espresso martini (Kevin & Kevin)
Kevin & Kevin’s vast signature cocktail menu has been curated by Adam Domet — an award-winning mixologist and bartender at Pourhouse Restaurant.
Most uniquely, however, is the lounge’s “Get Juiced” list — featuring upscale mixed drinks complemented by a generous splash of house-made, organic pressed juice.
“I don’t know of anybody who does that,” says Kevin. “For me, if I’m gonna have a cocktail and I know there’s an organic, cold-pressed juice as the foundation? I’ll take that.” Same here, Kevin — and I personally recommend the Strathcona Sunrise.
Get Juiced cocktail Strathcona Sunrise at Kevin & Kevin (Sophia Delafontaine/Daily Hive)
And you can expect more exciting ventures from the Kevin & Kevin brand this year. The Jungle Room — a high-end cocktail lounge concept that will offer similar healthy options during the day and an elevated cocktail lounge in the evening — is set to open in the West End later this year. Kev’s Juice, a direct-to-consumer juice line offering delivery and subscription services to fresh juices and plant-based-milks, is also in the works.
Jocelyn Smith, general manager (left), Kevin Frank, CEO and founder (front middle), Elliott Graham, brand director (front-back), and Eric Arrouzé, executive chef (right) (Kevin & Kevin)
As the night carries on, friends meet friends and the music and laughter get louder. The space fills, and it’s apparent — for many reasons — why Kevin & Kevin is a frequented destination.Â
To learn more, check out the menu, or make reservations, visit kevinandkevinjuice.com.
Kevin & Kevin
Address: 488 Gore Ave, Vancouver
Hours:
- Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 10 am to 4 pm
- Thursday: 10 am to 9 pm
- Friday and Saturday: 10 am to 12 am
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