Seven Delicious Happy Hours in Vancouver, BC
I’m basically on a mission to find the best happy hours all around the world at this point, and I’m not mad about it. While I continue my travels around Canada, I’m highlighting seven delicious happy hours in Vancouver to try out whenever you’re in the city!
Vancouver has a great food scene in general, but I’m always looking for a deal where I can get one, so happy hours were a big focus of my time spent here. Luckily, I found some great options with cheap drinks, yummy food, and some gorgeous views. I will say that my default happy hour meal has become wine (or a cocktail), truffle fries, and oysters (if available), but I tried to get some variety in for the sake of the blog. Sorry, I’m a creature of habit! If you find yourself in Vancouver, especially this summer, check out some of these delicious happy hour spots for great food and drinks in the city!
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1. Lift Bar and Grill
One of my absolute favorite spots in Vancouver, and a really awesome happy hour! They might have raised the price of their oysters since I visited (I remember them being $1.50 or $2 each, but now the menu says $2.50) — however, I’m still biased considering the US dollar is strong in Canada right now and everything ended up cheaper for me than the prices on the menu. Regardless, I’ll always get wine if it’s under $10, so at $9 a glass, Lift is doing right for happy hour. The truffle fries are absolutely worth $12 as well, with a lovely crispy texture and a delicious aioli (and ketchup) for dipping. These were my #2 French fries in Vancouver, and I’m something of a French fry connoisseur, so that’s saying something. All in all, this is a great happy hour deal for a prime restaurant location — you’re directly on the water with lovely views and yummy food, so what more could you need?
Food & Drink Recs: Truffle fries, shucker’s choice oysters, HH white wine
2. Cardero’s
Another great waterfront happy hour option in Vancouver is Cardero’s! It’s seemingly fancy from the outside, but walking into their marine pub (the only section of the restaurant where HH is served), it was like stepping into someone’s cozy coastal living room. I was able to snag a seat by the window overlooking the boats in Coal Harbour while I enjoyed my $7 wine, and it was a great experience all around. Their happy hour menu is small, however, so I opted for the full-priced fish & chips, but they offer some discounted pizzas and both regular fries ($5) and truffle fries ($7)! Great prices, great views, great vibes, great service — highly recommend.
Food & Drink Recs: House white wine
3. El Guapo
El Guapo in Yaletown was a spontaneous visit for me — I usually have all my must-try restaurants on a list and pick from those, but I do leave some room for random spots if they look good enough. I walked past El Guapo enough times to get tempted by their cute patio and made my way over on a warm afternoon for their happy hour, and it did not disappoint! Delicious tacos (2 for $7), a huge portion of guac and chips ($12), and a delicious passionfruit margarita ($12) made for a super satisfying happy hour meal, and I highly recommend visiting during their early HH hours to get a good spot on the patio for people watching, reading, or just vibing and enjoying the weather this summer. Do note that the margarita was part of a rotating daily special and not part of their set HH menu, but the lime margarita is always $12 during happy hour!
Food & Drink Recs: Al pastor tacos, guacamole, margaritas
4. PIER 7 Restaurant + Bar
Of all the happy hours in Vancouver I checked out, I think PIER 7 was my favorite. I almost didn’t even visit North Vancouver because I had so much to do in the city, but I’m so glad I ended up taking a day trip up north and exploring a bit! I got to the restaurant right as happy hour started and got the best seat in the house on their waterfront patio. The HH prices here were the best I found in Vancouver, too — $6 sangria, $9 truffle fries, and $1.99 oysters, all of it absolutely delicious! These truffle fries were by far the best I had in the whole city. The perfect thickness and texture, super crispy but still moist and fluffy inside, and tossed in the perfect amount of parmesan cheese and seasonings. The oysters could have had slightly better garnishes but they were still delicious, and the sangria was fruity and tangy and crisp. Genuinely a top tier meal at a really great price, so if you’re in Vancouver anytime soon, don’t miss PIER 7!
Food & Drink Recs: Truffle fries, oysters, red sangria
5. Six Acres
I initially thought about going to Six Acres for brunch because I’d seen it all over TikTok before my trip, but when I saw they had guava margaritas ($12) for happy hour, I decided to stop in after a day of shopping in Gastown. I also initially planned on just getting the parmesan fries ($8), but I switched to their fried chicken sandwich meal ($16) when I realized how hungry I actually was. It was a really solid meal! The fries could have had better seasoning, but the sandwich was juicy and filling, and the guava marg was tart and sweet and really hit the after a day in the sun. Definitely check out Six Acres if you’re in the area on weekday afternoons!
Food & Drink Recs: Fried chicken sandwich, guava margarita
6. Social Corner
Social Corner is a solid spot for happy hour, albeit a bit pricey. It’s Michelin recommended and I enjoyed the ambiance there, so I’m including them despite their higher prices! There was a slight mixup with the actual happy hour menu when I went as well, so I’m not sure if it was a one-off or if the HH menu on their website is only for a certain location, but I’d suggest asking the restaurant if they’re honoring the website prices before you dine in. The patatas bravas weren’t my favorite, but the meatballs were delicious and so was the sangria, and the patio was really lovely on a warm spring afternoon!
Food & Drink Recs: Meatballs, red sangria
7. Cactus Club Cafe
Okay, I know Cactus Club is probably a bit overrated (or is seen that way by the Vancouver locals on TikTok), but I actually thought they had a pretty great happy hour menu — just prepare for a chaotic environment, at least at their Coal Harbour location. It was SO incredibly packed on a weekday at 2pm, but I was able to snag a bar seat inside, though I would have preferred something outdoors. The frozen peach Bellini ($8) is, in fact, worth the hype, and the truffle fries were delicious, too. Could have been thicker, but for $8.50, I wasn’t complaining. The aioli was bomb, too — super rich, creamy, tangy… all the good stuff. They have a really big selection of happy hour bites at great prices, so I definitely recommend a visit to one of their locations around Vancouver — they have a ton!
Food & Drink Recs: Frozen peach Bellini, truffle fries
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