The must-visit spots in town for creative cocktails and cool, speakeasy-like spaces.
By Cinda Chavich
Winner: Little Jumbo
Photograph by Jeffrey Bosdet.
Marked with a purple neon elephant and hidden down a hallway off a downtown street, Little Jumbo is our go-to bar for its speakeasy vibe and imaginative craft cocktail menu that’s as much fun to read as it is to sip. The food is the other secret to uncover — chef Gabriel Fayerman-Hansen offers creative plates for late-night noshing, from tuna tartare and Humboldt squid in chickpea crust, to crispy pork belly with shaved fennel and apple.
Little Jumbo, Down the Hall, 506 Fort St., 778-433-5535, littlejumbo.ca
Runner Up: Q at the Empress
We also like the new Q lounge at the Fairmont Empress, a hip, modern addition to this historic downtown hotel.
Q at the Empress, 721 Government St., 250-389-2727, qattheempress.com
Runner Up: Veneto
The re-imagined Veneto lounge is just as bright and buzzy in a new street-side space that’s perfect for people-watching.
Veneto, 1450 Douglas St., 250-383-7310, venetodining.com
Honorable Mention: Clarke & Co.
More Best Restaurants
The 2018 Best Restaurants were selected by a panel of judges. Meet the judges here.
This is from the July/August 2018 issue of YAM