The Best Bars in North Downtown

The bar at Botanist sits just inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim, intimate and posh enough that dressing up feels like the point. This is fine dining with a serious cocktail program, and the drinks lean into a nature-obsessed identity, including a glass-fronted lab where the team produces things like a martini built with kombu and sea asparagus. North America's 50 Best Bars placed it at number 38. The kitchen behind it runs hyper-local West Coast tasting menus alongside à la carte.

1. AAA Four Diamonds
2. The Pinnacle Guide 2 Pins
3. The 50 #38 · North America's 50 Best Bars

The two-sided fireplace in the center of the room does a lot of heavy lifting at this sleek hotel lounge inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim. Pull up a seat at the marble bar or grab one near the stage for nightly live music, and order from a sushi-focused menu that leans on local salmon and steelhead. The Michelin Guide has it listed, and the crowd dressed just well enough to be here tends to linger.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
2. The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Vancouver
3. Golden Owl Awards Nominee · Best Hotel Lounge Experience

1. Golden Owl Awards Nominee · Best Pub Experience

1. Golden Owl Awards Nominee · Nightclub of the Year