Summer Arts Guide 2025: Vancouver’s best pre- and post-show patios

From a gallery oasis to a perch far above the downtown, here are a few suggestions for grabbing dinner before a performance or exhibit—or just people-watching with a craft cocktail

By John Lucas

Clockwise from top: 1931 Gallery Bistro; JOEY Shipyards, and the Pistachio Sour at Haifa.

IN VANCOUVER, COMPLAINING ABOUT the weather is one of our most popular civic pastimes. It’s right up there with complaining about the Canucks, complaining about traffic, and complaining about how everyone in Vancouver complains too much about everything.

The fact is, there’s not a whole lot we can do about the weather, but we can at least be thankful that all forecasts indicate we’re going to have an amazing summer. While our fellow Canadians in the Prairies are sweating through a heat dome and record high temperatures, we on the West Coast will more likely experience blue skies and the kind of sunny days that won’t have us barricading ourselves indoors with a bathtub full of ice cubes and the AC cranked.

In other words, it’s going to be perfect patio weather. Fortunately, there is no shortage of local restaurants and bars offering that ideal blend of spectacular sightlines, delicious dining, and delightful drinks. Whether you’re looking for somewhere to grab dinner before a concert or play, needing a break from a gallery visit, or just planning to people-watch with an artfully executed craft cocktail, here are a few suggestions.

Best bistro that just happens to be at a major art gallery

1931 Gallery Bistro (at the Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Street)

Did you know that the Vancouver Art Gallery has nearly 40,000 square feet of exhibition space? If you explore everything on display (which currently includes whimsical ceramics by Japan’s Otani Workshop and a Jean Paul Riopelle retrospective), you’ll definitely get plenty of steps in, and you’ll likely work up a decent hunger while you’re at it. Replacing the Gallery Café, which operated in the same space on the VAG’s second floor for 25 years before shutting down in 2019, 1931 Gallery Bistro promises a twist on modern West Coast cuisine, and its outdoor seating offers panoramic vistas of downtown. You gotta try: High Tea on weekend afternoons includes the mouth-watering likes of smoked salmon and lemon-dill cream cheese on rye, as well as Douglas fir–infused madeleines.

The Boathouse Kitsilano.

Best place to see the beach before the Bard

The Boathouse Restaurant (1305 Arbutus Street)

Unleash your inner Romeo or Juliet with a spectacular view of English Bay as the backdrop. The Boathouse isn’t just by Kits Beach, it’s actually on the beach. It’s also just about a 15-minute walk away from Vanier Park, the site of the annual Bard on the Beach festival, which this year is presenting William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, along with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] and Jessica B. Hill’s The Dark Lady. Actually, forget what we just said about Romeo and Juliet. If we recall correctly, things didn’t work out that well for them. You gotta try: The seafood chop salad is a go-to for many, and for those who like a bit of a show with their pre-dinner drink, the bar offers “multi-sensory cocktails” like the Cloche of Essence and the Smoke & Bourbon.

Top spot for Mount Pleasant people-watching

The Watson (3080 Main Street)

Mount Pleasant’s hipster heyday was arguably 20-plus years ago, but very cool things continue to happen in the neighbourhood’s bar and restaurant scene—and no one really uses the word hipster anymore, right? One of the most interesting establishments to open up on Main Street in recent years, the Watson is named after the nearby lane, which is one of the city’s shortest and narrowest streets. It’s also intended as a reference to Sherlock Holmes’s sidekick, Dr. John H. Watson. That explains the room’s take on Victoriana, which steers clear of steampunk or opium-den clichés in favour of a chic postmodernist homage. The Watson is located a block north of Heritage Hall, which is convenient if you’re heading to one of Music on Main’s cerebral new-music concerts. Or a comic-book swap meet. Hey, we don’t judge. You gotta try: It’s all about the cocktails, which are both eyebrow-raisingly experimental and immaculately crafted. Try a Packed Lunch, which mixes together peanut-butter–washed tequila, brioche-vermouth blend, banana liqueur, and summerberry foam.

Parker Rooftop.

Best place to rise above the bustle of downtown

Parker Rooftop (Parker Hotel, 1379 Howe Street)

Looking for a spot to enjoy a bite and a sip (or two) before catching some live music downtown? Look up, waaaay up. Located on the ninth floor of the eponymous hotel, you’ll find Parker Rooftop. Whether you’re seated on one of the three patios or ensconced in the living-room-style interior, the views of the West End, beaches, and beyond are hard to beat. With the Commodore Ballroom, the Vogue Theatre, and the Orpheum just a five-minute Uber ride away, the Parker is close to the Granville Entertainment District—but not so close that you feel like you're actually on the strip. You gotta try: Go for one of the signature cocktails, like the refreshing Sucker Punch, which deliciously combines strawberry Aperol, Chambord, lemon-infused vodka, cranberry juice, balsamic, and passionfruit sorbet.

Number-one reason to take the SeaBus

JOEY Shipyards (125 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver)

Okay, there are actually plenty of great reasons to take the SeaBus. These include Lonsdale Quay Market and the always-intriguing Polygon Gallery—which, as part of its Deckchair Cinema series this summer, will screen everything from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars to Spaceballs to David Lynch’s Dune. JOEY’s Shipyards locations earns its spot on the list thanks in large part to its Lower Lonsdale waterfront and its impressive 2,450 square feet of patio space, offering incredible views across the harbour to downtown Vancouver. You gotta try: Go for Happy Hour (which happens daily from 3 to 6 p.m., Sunday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to closing, and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to closing) and you can tuck in to what JOEY calls an “Adult Happy Meal”. You’ll have to see for yourself what that is, but here’s a hint: it involves booze.

Stanley Park Brewing.

Most gloriously verdant setting for a beer on the patio

Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brew Pub (8901 Stanley Park Drive)

Is the main draw of Stanley Park Brewing that it’s, well, in Stanley Park? Sure, but you’ve got to admit, that’s a pretty strong selling point, especially if you’re in the park for a concert or Theatre Under the Stars show (Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Legally Blonde are 2025’s options) at Malkin Bowl. Along with the fact that you might spot a squirrel or a family of raccoons while you eat, Stanley Park Brewing’s award-winning beers on tap, a full menu of pub-style fare, and two covered outdoor patios certainly add to the appeal. You gotta try: Go for a burger (or an Impossible Burger) and pair it with a Park Sesh Lager or Trail Hopper IPA.

Best excuse for taking the afternoon off and driving to Steveston

Pajo's Fish & Chips at Steveston Wharf (12351 Third Avenue, Richmond)

Not that you need an excuse, really. In spite of recent development, Steveston Village remains a quaint place to wander through small shops, Garry Point Park is still one of the Lower Mainland’s best kite-flying spots, and Britannia Shipyard and Gulf of Georgia Cannery (both of which are National Historic Sites) are always worth a visit. Pajo’s, of course, is a local institution, beloved of those to whom golden french fries and perfectly battered cod, halibut, and salmon are worth the pilgrimage. And we’re not talking about the gulls. You gotta try: The fish and chips. This is why you’re here, remember?

The patio at Haifa,

Best pre-show (or not) Middle Eastern vibes

Haifa (410 West Georgia Street)

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the Playhouse, and the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts are all within a five-minute walk, but Haifa is well worth a visit even if you’re not heading to a show. The West Coast outpost of Toronto’s much-loved Haifa Room, this Vancouver iteration boasts the same approach to mouth-watering Palestinian-Israeli cuisine and adventurous next-level cocktails. Best of all, the 1,500-square-foot patio makes it an ideal summer-evening spot. Heck, even if you do have tickets to a play or concert, you might opt to just kick back and order another round of the house-made hummus and pita or fingerling potatoes with garlic toum and honey-butter harissa instead. You gotta try: How can you resist the Pistachio Sour (bourbon, nutty solera, pistachio orgeat, lemon, and egg white)?  

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