Dinner and drinks with friends is great and all, but sometimes you just want your typical night out to turn into something more. Like one of those nights that breeds so many funny stories that you and your friends will reminisce about it for years to come. From video games to ping-pong to eating in complete darkness, Vancouver is filled with restaurants and bars that are sure to add some spice to your next night out.
1. Back and Forth Bar (303 Columbia St)
Imagine a great bar with cool decor... Pretty good right? Now add a ton of pig-pong tables, TV's dedicated to nintendo classics and more board games than you could ever play through in one night... Better!
2. Storm Crow Tavern (1305 Commercial Dr)
Vancouver's "original nerd bar and restaurant" is complete with board games, sci-fi movies, nerd trivia and awesome events like piñata crafting and escape-room-style puzzle events. Release your inner nerd!
3. The Black Lodge (630 Kingsway)
Fans of David Lynch will certainly feel at home in this East Van tribute to Twin Peaks' legendary Black Lodge. Complete with red and black decor and Twin Peaks ephemera, the bar serves a campfire inspired, fully vegetarian menu of sandwiches, smokies, salads and desserts. Surprisingly, they don't serve coffee...
4. Revel Room (238 Abbott St)
A New Orleans style supper club and cocktail bar with live music through the week! This speakeasy style Gastown go-to is the perfect way to relive the glamour and decadence of the South and one of the best places to hear live cajun music, blues, jazz and more.
5. EXP Restaurant and Bar (309 West Pender St)
Level up at Vancouver's premiere destination for "grown-up gamers". EXP aims to redefine the term 'social gaming' with great food and drinks, plus social mixers, game industry Q&A sessions and various other special gaming throughout the week.
6. Dark Table (2611 W 4th Ave)
Dinner plans got you feeling bored? Why not try dining in complete darkness! An evening at Dark table will take you on a culinary journey through uncharted territory, where the familiar—food, drink and friends—becomes a wonder to be explored. People claim food tastes better in the dark, but we'll let you be the judge of that.
7. The Tiki Bar at the Waldorf (1489 E Hastings St)
A retro tiki bar with the cocktails to match. Nights at the Waldorf can get pretty wild, so have fun.
