Gay and Lesbian Bars

1181
Cork walls, polished concrete underfoot, low slung benches—this gaybourhood room, designed by modernist architects David Battersby and Heather Howat, is as sexy as the crowd that frequents it. The leather-bound menu offers pages and pages of expertly poured cocktails; sweet, sour and salty are the organizing principles. But beware: there’s no food to temper the booze and the drinks are always a stiff pour. Look for style hounds, international playboys, and your hot and campy hairstylist. The unisex washrooms are a sea of beautiful blue tiles; the large and fully enclosed stalls conducive to any imaginable activity—and, ladies, it’s unisex. 1181 Davie St., West End. 604-687-3991.

CELEBRITIES
The city’s largest gay dance club, Celebrities boasts a typically young, hot and virtually hairless crowd bumping and grinding the night away with their fag hags in tow. When it comes to special guest nights, “Celebs” truly lives up to its name — be they old-guard (Ru Paul workin’ it onstage and former Dee-Lite “Groove is in the Heart”-er Lady Miss Kier recapturing former glories), avant-guard (the shirtless shenanigans of renowned German club troupe Envy My Music) or oh-my-gawd (monthy live “performances” by top porn stars). Tuesday nights attract a bridge-and-tunnel element of (mostly) straight university students sniffing out the $3 hi-ball specials. 1022 Davie St., West End, 604-681-6180.

DAVIE VILLAGE CAFE AND BAR
Nestled on the second floor of what once was the most notorious illegal boozecan in town, this homey little restaurant and café boasts polished hardwood floors and local artists’ work on the walls. The friendly staff strive for a family atmosphere, and succeed—you’ll feel as if you’re having brunch at your favourite aunt’s house (although the lace curtains are only implied). The back patio keeps the suburban feel going with its multiple decks and bijou planters. A great place for a quiet meal or a cocktail. 1141 Davie Street, West End, 604-228-1429.

THE FOUNTAINHEAD PUB
The Davie Village’s favourite neighbourhood pub boasts a clientele that runs the entire spectrum of sexual orientation and a staff to match. The laid-back vibe comes complete with all the trappings of your more traditional “straight” pubs (the pool table, the weekly dart league, the loud carpeting and enough televisions to induce an epileptic fit), with just a few touches of gay for good measure (speaking of measure, check out the giant paintings on the walls). Friday and Saturday nights, “The Head” becomes a staging area where revellers prime their pumps for the long night ahead. The (late) morning-after finds those same partiers toasting their survival skills with a boozy brunch on the see-and-be-seen patio. 1025 Davie St., West End, 604-687-2222, thefountainheadpub.com.  

LICK
There was a time when a lesbian bar in this town lasted about as long as an inning of softball. But within the past five years, if Lick is any indication, things have definitely turned around. Open Thursday to Saturday, this cosy (some might say tight) hole in the wall offers up a hot and sweaty dance party for girls who like girls. The room’s ramshackle tiled floor and dark wood panelling may recall a basement-level bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, but experience teaches that the cramped quarters only heighten the fun. A stringent door policy means that frat boys hoping to catch a little girl-on-girl action will find themselves out of luck. 455 Abbott St., Gastown, 604-685-7777.

MAJESTIC
The newest addition to the gaybourhood is a work in progress. The self-styled resto-lounge has set up shop in what was a cavernous cafeteria-style restaurant, and while the new owners have spent a pretty penny to class up the joint, it still has all the charm of a church basement. Fitting, then, that Majestic hosts Bingo for Life (a.k.a. Gay Bingo), Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Also on the schedule is the Friday night drag show, Dressing on the Side, hosted by the inimitable Symone, and Sunday’s Brunch with the Queens, where breakfast sausage takes on a whole new meaning. The cocktail menu is exhaustive, but the highlight is The Queen Mum (equal parts gin and Dubonnet Rouge), which we’re told was the late monarch’s favourite tipple. 1138 Davie St., West End, 604-669-2013.

NUMBERS
Five levels of intensely cruisy fun await at this veteran of the Davie Street strip, conveniently located next door to the local bath house. Though laughably small, the dance floor nonetheless offers the perfect excuse to rub up against the hottie of your choice. Recent renovations have done nothing to update its kitchy ’70s rec-room feel. The strains of disco hits sung off-key signal Dance Club Karaoke on Wednesday and Sunday. Amateur Strip (first Monday of the month) is a Vancouver institution where men bare it all for a surprisingly small cash prize. If all this has you feeling a tad overstimulated, the Cockpit bar in the basement has a quieter, more intimate feel. 1042 Davie St., West End, 604-685-4077.

THE ODYSSEY
Gayest. Place. Ever. Getting in is only half the fun. Men can enter through the men-only back door (insert obvious joke here), while women must use the front. You’re just as likely to see that cute boy from the gym, as you are a middle-aged same-sex married couple or a gaggle of giggly girls from the ’burbs. Thursdays bring Shower Power, where go-go boys clean up their acts by stripping down and soaping up. A venerated Sunday night ritual, Feather Boa (curtain time 10:30 p.m.), hosted by Joan-E and Justine Time, is the longest running drag show in town. Be sure not to miss the closing number to find out why. 1251 Howe St., West End, 604-689-5256.

THE OASIS PUB
Like its name suggests, this second-floor resto-pub is a tranquil haven overlooking the hustle and bustle of Davie Street. The jewel in this queen’s crown is the heated patio with communal table. The sociable can make new friends and share tapas (try the spicy green bean frites), while the shy can focus their attention on the vintage movie clips running on the flat-screen TVs. The unisex bathroom offers the ultimate ice-breaker, just remember to wash your hands. 1240 Thurlow St., West End, 604-685-1724.

THE PUMPJACK PUB
The bare cinderblock walls are the perfect counterpoint to the peanut shells littering the floor in this unassuming leather and denim bar. Overall design concept: butch. On weekend nights, when the blackout curtains go down (among other things), the lineup down the block features every conceivable combination of chaps and/or harness. The much tamer Sunday afternoon line-up is for the Pumpjack’s famous kegger, the object being to prove that one has survived yet another weekend. 1167 Davie St., West End, 604-685-3417.

SCORE
Nominally a gay sports bar, Score has benefitted from a name change from the cringe-inducing “Sugar Daddy’s.” The three big-screen TVs pump out international satellite offerings from hockey to lacrosse, rugby to cricket, while the kitchen pumps out pub grub. Regular BC Lions and Canucks ticket giveaways keep the sports fans happy but aesthetes may find the decor as uninspired as a high school locker room (plans to demolish the shared wall with the gutted storefront next door to double the floorspace have yet to materialize). The covered patio, whose atmosphere is as inviting as sitting under a bridge, could also benefit from some serious renos. Stay tuned... 1262 Davie St., West End, 604-632-1646.

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