Vancouver raises the bar – earning our place on North America’s 50 Best Bars
Spring sunshine and cherry blossoms weren't the only things we welcomed this April. Over the past week, some of North America's best bartenders descended on the city – and Vancouver was ready to party with an exciting week of guest shifts and collaborations at local watering holes.
From April 26-29, Vancouver hosted the fourth annual North America's 50 Best Bars, with an extra-boozy reveal party at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver on Tuesday night.
As Emma Sleight of 50 Best noted, Vancouver's "dynamic culture and stunning beauty" made us the perfect host for the awards' first Canadian stop.
But the results proved we weren't just good hosts, but serious contenders, with longtime favorites Botanist (#26) and The Keefer Bar (#28) cracking the Top 50, plus three more spots on the extended Top 100 list.
Hosting North America's 50 Best Bars wasn't just a milestone—it was a reminder that Vancouver's bar scene belongs in the same conversation as the NYCs and CDMXs of the world. The 2025 list might be drawn up already, but why not tap into your inner cocktail critic and make an outing out of it? Whether you're a local or a visitor, pop into one of these bars for a truly award-winning experience.
No. 26 Botanist
Perched atop the Fairmont Pacific Rim, Botanist is not your average hotel bar. This light-filled oasis combines mixology magic with a true dedication to local ingredients. Their Douglas Fir Gimlet, featuring house-made fir cordial and locally distilled gin, tastes like a walk through British Columbia's coastal forests. Their ‘laboratory’, complete with evaporators and dehydrators, fuels boundary-pushing, whimsical creations like the Raincouver, which arrives under an edible helium cloud that dissolves into a yuzu-vodka sour.
📍1038 Canada Place, Downtown
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No. 28: The Keefer Bar
This Chinatown institution has been setting the standard since 2010. Behind its unassuming façade lies a moody, apothecary-inspired den where drinks, live music, and Asian-inspired tapas flow deep into the night. The Keefer's cocktail menu reads like a modern herbalist's handbook, featuring creations like their signature Sichuan Pepper Negroni. The space itself—with its exposed brick, vintage medical equipment, and red lantern lighting—perfectly captures Vancouver's East-meets-West identity.
📍135 Keefer St, Chinatown
More Reasons to Celebrate: The Extended Top 100
No.53 Prophecy Bar
Step through the unmarked door beneath the Rosewood Hotel Georgia and you'll find yourself in Vancouver's most glamorous drinking den. Prophecy is a love letter to the Jazz Age. While the velvet banquettes and Art Deco lighting channel 1920s elegance, the cocktails are thoroughly modern. Canada's Bartender of the Year Jeff Savage works his magic with truly local ingredients like foraged herbs, B.C.-distilled spirits, and yes, even the ice is from a B.C glacier.
📍801 W Georgia St, Downtown
No.67 Laowai
Finding Laowai is half the fun. Squeeze through a freezer door in the unassuming BLD TGER dumpling shop and find yourself transported to 1920s Shanghai with its golden lantern lighting and plush booths. The menu reads like a novel, with drinks inspired by historical figures and regional Chinese flavours, like the Baijiu Pappi, showcasing Canada’s best selection of Baijiu. Pair them with Tibetan-inspired momos or smoky tofu noodles for a delicious journey into the East.
📍251 E Georgia St, Chinatown
Walk-ins Only
No.92 Meo
A riot of 1970s Hong Kong nostalgia, this pink-velveted, disco-ball-filled den from the team behind Michelin-starred Kissa Tanto serves up some of Vancouver's most playful cocktails. Their "Fruits Are Not Vegetables" menu turns everyday produce into liquid delights - try the "Espresso Carrotini" for a surprising blend of blood orange gin and carrot reduction. Come for the drinks and stick around for late-night bites like their juicy Korean McRib sandwiches.
📍265 E Pender St, Chinatown
A Toast to Our Bars
Hosting North America's 50 Best Bars was a celebration of how far Vancouver's cocktail scene has come, and a glimpse of where it's headed. With world-class bars, incredible talent, and a growing community of passionate drink-makers, there's never been a better time to explore Vancouver's vibrant bar scene.
So raise your glass - whether it's a cloud-covered sour at Botanist, a baijiu cocktail at Laowai, or something entirely new at one of our many world-class venues. Your next great Vancouver cocktail experience is waiting to be discovered.