Sylvia's Bar & Lounge

Top choice in Vancouver


Part of the permanently popular Sylvia Hotel, this was Vancouver's first cocktail bar when it opened in the mid-1950s. Now a comfy, wood-lined neighborhood bar favored by in-the-know locals (they're the ones hogging the window seats as the sun sets over English Bay), it's a charming spot for an end-of-day wind down. There's live music on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

There's a full dining menu here, including a 'late-riser breakfast' that's served until 4:30pm daily. And here's some scurrilous history for you: this is one of the bars Errol Flynn is reputed to have frequented during his booze-fueled final days, before dying in the city in 1959.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Vancouver attractions

1. A-maze-ing Laughter

0.09 MILES

Created by Yue Minjun, one of Vancouver's most-photographed public artworks is just a few steps from English Bay Beach. Expect to see groups of smiling…

2. English Bay Beach

0.11 MILES

Wandering south on Denman St, you'll spot a clutch of palm trees ahead announcing one of Canada's best urban beaches. Then you'll see one of Vancouver's…

3. Stanley Park

0.39 MILES

One of North America’s largest urban green spaces, Stanley Park is revered for its dramatic forest-and-mountain oceanfront views. But there’s more to this…

4. Stanley Park Nature House

0.48 MILES

Illuminating the breathtaking array of flora and fauna just steps from the busy streets of the West End, this charming nature center is a great…

5. Roedde House Museum

0.48 MILES

For a glimpse of what the West End looked like before the apartment blocks, visit this handsome 1893 Queen Anne–style mansion, now a lovingly preserved…

6. Lost Lagoon

0.5 MILES

This rustic area near Stanley Park's entrance was originally part of Coal Harbour. But after a causeway was built in 1916, the new body of water was…

7. Second Beach & Third Beach

0.53 MILES

Second Beach is a family-friendly area on Stanley Park's western side, with a grassy playground, an ice-cream-serving concession and the Stanley Park…

8. Lord Stanley Statue

0.67 MILES

A 1960 bronze commemorating Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, the man who gave his name to the park plus the National Hockey League's top trophy, the Stanley…