Pourhouse

The Pourhouse is a restaurant and cocktail bar on Water Street in Gastown, close to the Steam Clock. It occupies a heritage building from 1910 that was originally home to the Leckie Boot Company, and the interior plays up that history. The centrepiece is a 38-foot bar made from reclaimed Douglas fir, set among antique-style furnishings, which gives the room a warm, old-fashioned feel.

Drinks are the focus. The bar is known for classic cocktails, and it serves them alongside a casual menu of premium burgers and signature dinner dishes. The Scotch egg is one of the dishes the Pourhouse highlights, and there are separate menus for lunch specials, happy hour, dinner and desserts. Live music also features on its programme.

Happy hour is a good reason to visit. It runs every day from 3pm to 6pm, and there is a second, late-night happy hour from 10pm on Sunday to Thursday and from 11pm on Friday and Saturday until close. The Pourhouse opens at 11:30am on weekdays and at 10am at weekends, so it also works for lunch or a weekend late breakfast before an afternoon in Gastown. Closing times differ between sections of the website, so check the latest hours before a late visit.

It suits couples, groups of friends and visitors who want a well-made drink in a historic setting without the formality of a hotel bar. Reservations can be made online, which is sensible at weekends and for larger groups.

The location puts the Pourhouse at the centre of a night out in Gastown. The Steam Clock at Water and Cambie Streets is a short walk away, Revolver Coffee at 325 Cambie Street is nearby for a daytime coffee, and the Alibi Room and Guilt & Company on Alexander Street are close by for craft beer or live music later in the evening. Canada Place and the Vancouver Lookout are also within walking distance for sightseeing earlier in the day.

Gastown is the city's oldest neighbourhood and a National Historic Site, and since 2024 parts of Water Street have been car-free or car-light under a pilot scheme, which makes it pleasant to walk between bars. Many of the district's old buildings survive because residents campaigned against a planned freeway in the 1960s.