Bayside Lounge

What a terrific find this was! And I do mean “find”! There is no apparent entrance or street level signage for this retro lounge located above the round Starbucks at the corner of Denman and Davie. You have to take the long ramp up from well down Davie Street, or climb the stairs on Denman labeled Lucky Sushi to find a way in.

Once there, you’ll find it was worth your search. It seems like back in the early 60’s everything needed to be round: apartment buildings, revolving restaurants, and spaceneedles. And so, Bayside lounge is round. It turns out to be the ideal shape. The circular bar at the center is orbited by a ring of barstools, which in turn are surrounded by cocktail table planets, the whole thing is encased in a halo of banquettes. It’s incredibly efficient, and you instantly feel transported back to 2001 A Space Odyssey.

But a lounge is nothing without great cocktails, and Bayside has pages of them, both traditional and innovative, plus changing features. Everything we tried was deftly prepared with fresh, lively ingredients.

The food is also perfect for a lounge—really beyond expectations for a lounge. We started with the four cheese dip, which was good to the last dollop, especially with the seasoned naan bread.

The ceviche was also way beyond expectations, with tender chunks of fish in a bright acidic sauce littered with crisp, freshly slivered onions and peppers.

The hamburger was also excellent, with all my favorite ingredients (which is to say everything from bacon to tomato to onion straws) and served on a bun that was up to the task. Accompanying crinkle fries were hot and crisp.

The payoff is that Happy Hour is basically all day on weekdays (noon to 6pm, and a bit later on weekends) making the food and house wines an absolute bargain.

Highly recommended.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bayside-lounge-vancouver

Joey Bentall One

I love this upscale restaurant without the upscale prices. If there isn’t something on this menu that you want, you’re not hungry! It was really hard to choose between all the interesting appetizers, salads, and mains. 

We settled on the spicy crab dip, which was perfect–probably the best I’ve ever had, and served with wonderful grilled sour dough toast.

For my entree I had the yellowfin tuna salad, a wonderful, almost deconstructed combination of rare tuna, perfectly ripe avocado, mango peanuts, and greens served with a perfect champagne dressing.

It’s hard to believe this is a small chain, as the food and service have all the marks of a very passionately managed restaurant. Highly recommended.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/joey-bentall-one-vancouver-4

515 Bar

Excellent cocktail lounge with a small menu of appropriate noshes. Cool ambiance, and a pleasant, not overwhelming soundtrack.

We had several rounds of cocktails, all good, the standout being the Exit Strategy, a sort of coffee-infused Negroni made with tequila, if that makes any sense at all.

The charcuterie plate was particularly nice.

Pleasant and prompt service.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-515-bar-vancouver

The Red Accordion

I love the cozy ambiance of this charming restaurant. Divided into two dining rooms, two lounges, a bar, and two patios, there’s an ideal spot for everyone. Reservations are available on Tock for each separate area.

The cocktail list and wine menu are both extensive. I loved all the cocktails we tried; my favorites were the espresso-based ones. There’s something magical about a tiki drink with espresso, but the one with Licor 43 is even better.

We started with the Aint No Thang spicy chicken wings, which had a delicious sweet heat, especially if you got one of the red chili slices. The cheese plate was also delicious, and the accompanying sourdough toast was delightfully charred.

Entree standouts were the curry mussels and the Caesar salad (ask them to chop it up in the kitchen if you don’t want a whole head of iceberg).

Service was friendly and attentive. Note that it does take a while for cocktails to be prepared, as they are done individually by a single bartender, so plan ahead.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-red-accordion-vancouver