If Yaletown does happy hour, Chinatown does the whole night. This is the neighbourhood that put Vancouver’s cocktail scene on the map, and it hasn’t slowed down since: apothecary-inspired bars, retro listening rooms, a Michelin-awarded duo building their own address on Keefer Street. Add in a wave of wine bars and restaurants that make a seriously good cocktail, and Chinatown might be the best few blocks in the city for a drink.
Here are our team’s picks for where to go.
1. Chickadee Room
Neon, an 80s soundtrack, and a happy hour that’s genuinely too good to be true. The Chickadee Room sits on Keefer Street doing shaken-and-stirred classics with a wink, and their happy hour, daily from 4-6pm, comes with a great perk: your first drink comes with two free pieces of fried chicken from their sister restaurant, Juke, right next door (and yes, it’s gluten-free!).
182 Keefer St
thechickadeeroom.com
2. Meo
Step into Meo and you land somewhere between 1970s Hong Kong and a very well-appointed fever dream. The design leans hard into retro glamour: pink drapery, dark wood panelling, a glowing jukebox, and live music through the week. For groups, ask about the Honeymoon Suite – a cozy eight-person booth watched over by Princess, Meo’s resident Persian cat. The cocktail list reimagines the classics with an Asian-inflected twist, best paired with small plates built for sharing.
265 E Pender St
meochinatown.com
3. The Keefer Bar
Named the top-ranked bar in Canada by North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026, Keefer Bar built its whole identity around the apothecaries that once lined this block. Cocktails are styled as “prescriptions,” built with house-made bitters, teas, and infusions drawn from traditional Chinese medicine. The room is dark, narrow, and a little theatrical, exactly the mood you want for a drink that comes with its own backstory.
135 Keefer St
thekeeferbar.com
4. Touski
By day, Touski is a cafe. By night, it flips into a French bistro-inspired wine bar, serving small share plates alongside a tightly curated list. It’s one of the newer additions to the neighbourhood, and one of the more understated: no big theatrics, just good wine and food that knows what it’s doing. And yes, you can still get the iconic meatballs from its sister-restaurant, Say Hey Cafe, just next door.
154 E Pender St
heytouski.com
5. Bleach Listening Room
Equal parts wine bar and sound system, Bleach is built for people who love music as much as their drink order. The space is intimate by design, with elevated share plates and a rotating cast of DJs and artists.
611 Gore Ave
bleachstudios.xyz
6. Bao Bei
Down the street from Keefer House, Bao Bei has been reworking Chinese classics with French technique and a Japanese eye for plating since 2010, and it remains one of Chinatown’s most consistent kitchens. It’s also, somewhat unexpectedly, home to a really, really, really good piña colada. Even if you’re not in the mood for a full meal, it’s reason enough to grab a stool at the bar. And while you’re there, why not order a plate of their handmade dumplings?
163 Keefer St
bao-bei.ca
7. Thank You Pizza
Pizza truck, meet natural wine bar. TY Pizza sets up inside Hunnybee Bruncheonette once the sun goes down, firing sourdough pies out of a wood-burning oven parked curbside. On a sunny evening, the tables spill right out onto the sidewalk, making it one of the more relaxed, unfussy stops on this list.
189 Gore Ave
typizza.ca
8. Bar Supernova
Coming soon to Keefer House, Bar Supernova is the next chapter for Max Curzon-Price and Andrew Kong, the Michelin Award-winning duo behind one of the city’s most talked-about drinks programs. While construction finishes up next door to The Keefer Bar, they’re already shaking things up: catch their rooftop pop-up bar at Keefer House, running through the summer.
125 Keefer St
supernovabar.ca
Where to Stay in Chinatown
Right in the middle of all of it sits Keefer House, Chinatown only hotel. Designed for you to stay like you own it, whether you’re here for a weekend or settling in for the long haul, Keefer House offers modern apartments with full kitchens, thoughtful layouts, and everything you need to make our house your home. The city’s best bars, restaurants, and cultural landmarks are all within walking distance, making it the perfect home base in a neighbourhood with more character per block than anywhere else in the city.
Ready to explore Chinatown? Book your stay at Keefer House.
Looking for more things to do in Chinatown? Check out our Chinatown neighbourhood guide.
