Divey type hole in the wall pub on Hastings by Nanaimo…read more Parking is available on the side streets. Place is pretty low key. Place is pretty dated and has that vintage feel. The front windows open completely (as in it's a large square hole), which is actually pretty awesome during a summer evening. Staff were very friendly and chatty. I guess the claim to fame here is they do cocktails here, and pricing is pretty reasonable. Didn't try the food so can't comment. Looks like mostly sandwiches, and maybe 3-4 entrees. They have an in house lager that I think is brewed by Phillips. Pretty decent. My buddy was happy with his cocktail too. Pretty decent place to hang out and chill.

Went in Friday aft to try Happy Hour. Coasters were thrown…read moreon table then asked about order. Two beers and a burger. Burger was thrown on the table in a wrapper. No plate, no sides as shown in pictures. When time to pay, they had the largest tip menu showing no way to change. No impressed. Yes burger was good, but ???? I really did not feel welcomed...

This bar is SO FUN for a stop with friends while bar hopping along main. The drink options are…read moreendless but beware they are very strong. Every time I come here I try something new and I even hear they have a secret menu of drinks you can ask your server for. If I had to give one complaint- it is that this place is very busy. I wish they could expand or have another location given the demand to get in. Odds are slim on a weekend night with a group and no reservation. That being said, this is a must-try place in Vancouver.

5 stars for this revamped (new management + menu + staff), retro, tiki bar…read more I saw that they had their opening night this past weekend so I dragged a large group of my friends here to enjoy some tiki cocktails. We came in a little before 8 and there was no one there. I had to double check with the staff to make sure they were open. Lucky for us though since no one else was there we were able to get a table for a group of 9 right away. Our server Becca was awesome. She looked after us and made sure our drinks were always filled. We decided to get the punch bowl to share. I'm just going to say that we ended up ordering 3 of these bowls and I woke up the next morning with a Top 5 hangover. These tasted like juice and I just remember my glass never being empty. I also remember having a taste of their mojito, which was delicious. As the night went on the place began to fill up and by the time we left it was packed. A musician came in at some point in the evening and performed some island tunes, which added to the fun island tiki vibe. Overall, the Tiki Bar was a ton of fun and it was a Saturday well spent. I'm so happy that we could be part of their opening night. I'd love to come back to try some of their different cocktails soon.

We visited Bar Corso during happy hour. It was nice ambience and service was very good…read more What we ordered: Crostini - Wagyu(Wagyu tartar Smoked bone marrow emulsion, onion ash and pickles) Tonnato(Confit Albacone tunnel belly Fried capers) Stacciatella(house stracciatella, balsamic,Perl's and basil) Tapenade(olive, sun dried tomatoes, roasted pepper and Calabrian chill) Wagyu was the best. It was full of flavor and wagyu was tender. Great item. Tonnato was also good. Very solid item. I did not have stacciatella. Tapenade was sour side, with strong olive and roasted pepper flavors stand out. Vongole(savory clams, fermented Taragu mares chilli white wine and parsley, squid ink linguine) Highlight! Clam and Vongole sauce were very delicious! Squid ink linguine was also good. It was good to have sauce with bread. Bistecca(Babette steak, Amaro jus, garlic scapes, frisee and hazelnuts) This item was also very delicious. Medium rare steak was tender(a bit chewy) the garlic scapes, hazelnut and frisée combination was excellent. i really enjoyed having together with meat. Overall, I really liked this restaurant. I would like to visit late night next time.

What a lovely discovery. I had walked by this place a number of times and never stopped. Foolish…read moremistake! Four of us went for dinner and had the tasting menu. We weren't sure what to expect especially because the price was so reasonable. The food was absolutely delicious. Each course was innovative and delicious. The service was fantastic. Finn and our waitress both made it a memorable experience. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and will be back. Highly recommend.

My friends and I go there on occasion, in the beginning it was good service and good food , it also…read morehad a nice ambiance and a little outdoor patio But the last few visits were horrible the food was so so , the service sucked the guy at the bar was very rude and unhelpful when parts of the menu were unreadable. Talk about a bad attitude, anyways being said I vowed never to go back there again . It's looking like a failing business, cause with a bad attitude will not go to far, when treating the clients like that. I also tell my clients about that place too. And I work in the area so I'm not giving anyone a positive feedback on this joint.

I had planned to come here specifically for their cheese fondue, which to this day is still up on…read moretheir website menu. When my friend and I arrived, we were told that they haven't served the fondue in over a year. The server did not at all seem concerned by this, and was not at all apologetic that we came all this way for a food no longer on their menu. She kept pushing the asiago cheese dip instead, as if it was the same thing. I find it very unprofessional to not have the menu updated in 1.5 years, and for staff to not care about it, especially after getting requests from customers to do so. I won't be going back.

We had the best time at Odd Society, and I am still smiling two days later. Initially perplexed,…read moresince our Uber dropped us off one block away, we had no idea where we were in the dark of the Canadian night. Surrounded by warehouses, did the driver want us to experience a "call of the wild?" However, Odd Society beckoned one block from the corner, and two seats were available at the strange bar. Strange because our view was blocked by a kind of ersatz plastic and wood wagon wheel blocking our view of the servers and bar. It was reminiscent of Utah's Zion Curtain. Later, I was told it was part of Odd Society's Covid protection and helped the bartenders stack things up. Okay, fine, but tear the damn things down. They're obnoxious. Odd Society creates an array of liquors made from ingredients sourced locally by law. It's required by their license. I tried almost all of them, and most were fantastic. Abby and Colin, our servers, were charming, fun, and educational, answering my questions, which became increasingly inane as the alcohol took effect. The distillery also mixes fantastic cocktails, and mine, named Midori, was friggen unbelievable. I had two of them along with my liquor tasting. My Midori was made with a special concoction called Portuguese Sweet Milk, or something like that. It was amazing. I want one for breakfast. The fun kept coming, and I didn't want to leave. Alas, we had reservations at Lunch Lady up the street. We should have stayed at Odd Society. Lunch Lady was a disappointment. Try Odd Society out as both a distillery and cocktail bar. You won't be disappointed about either one.

I have a friend who loves to drink so when he was back in town, I bookmarked this place to bring…read morehim to as I saw many great reviews and pictures. In summary, the place was ok, but noticed after the fact that we were overcharged for the drinks. It's a small space - about 3 high tables, one lower one, each seating 4 to maybe at most 5 people, plus a bar. I reserved a table for the 2 of us at 3:30 pm on a Sunday (earliest reservation they had as they open at 3 pm) and we were seated at 3 pm. They checked our vaccine passports and then seated us. Not long after we were seated, the remaining tables were all taken just after opening for 30 minutes so I would recommend reserving if you prefer tables over bar seating. The waitress brought over a drinks menu and food menu. The menu showed cocktails at $13. We chose our drinks and ordered, then the waitress came by with a second menu that she said was for Sunday only. She apologized and said she normally doesn't work Sunday's so she didn't know this promotional menu was available. This menu had some cocktails on promotion that I would have not minded to try, but I had already received my cocktail. Oh well. I had the Violet and Claire, which looked great and tasted pretty good for the first half. However by the second half of the drink, it started to taste too sweet. It was not bad for a cocktail, overall. My friend said the Smoke Between the Sheets cocktail was alright as well. We got our bills quickly as we had a second place to visit afterwards. After paying, I snapped a picture of the bill at the time but did not notice until I got home that to my surprise, each cocktail was listed on the bill at $14.95. I recalled their physical menu saying $13, and verified this with their menu online. Unfortunately, I did not notice the discrepancy until I was home, otherwise I would have mentioned something. Note that our visit was at the end of November 2021, and at the time I'm writing this review (December 26, 2021), their online menu still has cocktail prices at $13. So, I am not sure if this was a one time mistake when we paid, or if they have just forgotten to update their menu? Either way, this was disappointing. Because of the entire experience I probably won't visit again, especially with all the other options Vancouver has for cocktails.

it took a few attempts to finally nail down a lunch date with the ladies, but with a lot of…read morepersistence and determination, we made it happen: a party of four with a 1:00 pm reso on a tuesday. claudio's came recommended by a friend, run by the sons of the family behind la roca on commercial drive, many moons ago, and also the team behind pasta amore. the restaurant is named after their dad, claudio, which automatically sets expectations a notch higher. finding the place itself was easy enough on google maps. the parkade, however, was another story. finding my car after lunch turned into a misadventure that no one asked for. inside, claudio's is bright, open, and airy, with soaring ceilings and generous natural light. warm wood tables, a cozy booth with deep leather seats invite lingering, and vintage style photos line dark walls, adding nostalgia. greenery spills down from a ledge near the ceiling, softening the exposed pipes and ductwork above, like a leafy curtain politely disguising the ventilation system. the open kitchen, anchored by a wood fired pizza oven, is a strong visual cue that pizza is serious business here. our arrival, unfortunately, was...odd. one friend became convinced the front door was locked. diners were clearly inside, but she swore a staff member made eye contact and didn't move to help. we circled the building like confused cats looking for a secret entrance before returning to the front door. still nothing. i finally called the restaurant and was told, cheerfully, that the door was open. eventually, another customer attempted entry, gave the door a heroic yank, and voila, it opened. shoutout to that stranger. less so to the brunette staff member whose vibe leaned towards standoffish. once seated, spirits lifted quickly. we were celebrating a birthday and decided to share, which felt right given the generous portions. the table filled up nicely: calamari fritti, a verde salad, and a capricciosa pizza topped with tomato, fior di latte, prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, olives, and artichokes. the spread looked inviting, exactly the kind of lunch you want to linger over. the calamari arrived first and was a highlight, absolutely stole the show. lightly breaded, crisp without being greasy, with a mix of rings and jalapenos and a side of pale, creamy aioli, it was the dish everyone kept reaching back for. if there's one must order at the table, this is it. the verde salad, dressed in a pinkish vinaigrette and sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts and shaved cheese, leaned a bit heavy handed on the dressing and felt slightly wilted, though the flavours were there. the pizza arrived last, rustic, with a blistered, wood fired crust and toppings scattered generously. the crust was thin and pleasantly chewy, not oily, though a touch soggy in the centre. still, it held its own and disappeared quickly. we shared an affogato with gelato, espresso, with crumble and a generous portion of tiramisu with a dusting of cocoa powder spelling out happy birthday was a thoughtful finishing touch. both hit the sweet spot without tipping into overly rich territory. all in all, it was a lovely afternoon, good food, plenty of laughter, and the easy comfort of catching up with old friends. claudio's has a lot going for it: a beautiful space, standout calamari, and solid pizza. the parking maze and the great door mystery were 'character building', to say the least. i'd definitely come back, though next time, i might bring a crowbar.

Claudio's ls located at 103-4402 Skyline Drive,Burnaby,BC…read more This was our first time visiting Claudio's, and it was a very pleasant experience. The restaurant looks clean, comfortable, which made me feel relaxed as soon as I walked in. The food was very good and easy to enjoy, even we are not familiar with Italian food. The dishes were well presented and looked fresh. The pasta was cooked nicely, not too soft, and the sauce had a rich and comforting taste. The flavors were balanced and not too heavy, which made the meal enjoyable from start to finish. The service was friendly and attentive. The staff were polite, patient, and helpful when explaining the menu. They made sure everything was okay and did not rush us, which made the dining experience even better. Overall, Claudio's is a great place for a casual meal or a nice dinner with friends or family. It is a good choice if you want to try Italian food in a comfortable and welcoming environment. I would be happy to come back again.

Didn't use the bathroom so don't know about that. Was there for a happy hour grilled cheese with a…read morefriend. Loud environment. Very dark. Not really my thing. Service was great though.

Walking into this coffee shop / bar is such a cozy vibe and experience. You get met by multiple…read morecouches so it has a very Friends cafe vibe in the sense of comfortable places to sit and catch a coffee or an alcoholic drink with friends! We came by in the afternoon, and it was not very busy at all so it was nice to have a choice of any seat in the place. Service was great, you get menus and then order at the bar. Noticed they also had Cards Against Humanity available to play as well which just adds to the comfortability factor! Both the beverages were tasty - the dirty martini olives do have pits. Would have been a 5/5 stars except for the large amount of fruit flies that surrounded my friends and me the entire time. Also the ceiling had cook decorated paintings on it too.

Fabulous little spot along Commercial drive! Always packed but open late!!…read more This place has delicious, unique cocktails and tasty small bites. I tried several cocktails here and found them all to be really good in their own way. The cocktails are a twist from classic drinks and they do not disappoint. I tried Tonka, Suika, Kuri and Ume. Loved all of them and each had distinctive tastes from each other. My faves were Kuri and Ume. Can't wait to try other things on the menu. The service is great. Staff are eclectic and happy to help. This place is small, and a bit dark. It is also quite loud. Better for friends gathering to try drinks and food than an intimate date spot (unless you're into loud but lively bars, and don't mind loudly talking to your date). Highly recommend making a reservation ahead of time as spots fill up fast. I only got a reservation in day of, late at night!

5/5 service, vibes, novelty. food was alright…read more Nomo nomo is a super fun spot for when you're feeling shareables and having drinks! Lively atmosphere and cute colourful decor no matter which angle you look. Service is wonderful, drinks are unique, and the bartenders put lots of care in their prep. Unfortunately, the food was pretty average imo maybe we didn't get the right items. *Hamachi tartare was cool! 4/5 *Prawn toast tasted like a costco hotdog to me T-T maybe that was the goal... I was not a fan but my friend REALLY liked it *Wagyu sliders, fun concept but didn't seem so different from a regular burg As a non-drinker I'm not compelled to return, but worth a try!