On a sunny Friday afternoon in June, all 18 seats at Dear Gus are occupied, and nearly every table has a glass or bottle of wine on it. The tiny Mount Pleasant spot is part of a growing crop of Vancouver wine bars, each with its own carefully curated list and distinct personality. Here are five worth pulling up a chair at.
Dear Gus Snack Bar
2040 Quebec St. | deargus.com
Owner Rachel Lee was a development and marketing manager at Westbank before opening this Mount Pleasant wine bar three years ago. “I wanted to focus on European wines only because I personally really enjoy European wines and had difficulty finding wine bars in Vancouver that carried traditional style European wines,” Lee said. “We are constantly rotating our list based on seasons and also our team preferences, which makes the list very fun and exciting. The entire vision of Dear Gus was to replicate the style and vibe of wine bars you would typically find in Europe.” The spot has a small open kitchen, wall-size windows that open onto the street, and a tight but varied menu that includes prawns, mussels, and spaetzle. We tried, and loved, the oysters with pomegranate chili vinaigrette and ricotta gnocchi with asparagus and hazelnuts. Lee’s current favourite wine on the list is a Garnacha from Madrid, Bodegas Bernabeleva’s Navaherreros 2023. “This was the wine that made me fall in love with Spanish varietals,” she says. “It has spice, red fruits, earthy notes, and is served slightly chilled. We had it on our list last year (a previous vintage) and we just got it back in the 2023 vintage.”
Bar Tartare
54 Alexander St. | bartartareyvr.ca
Natural wine and rotating chefs are two of the hallmarks of this Gastown hot spot. There’s no wine list per se — instead, guests browse the ever-changing selection in the wine fridge, where prices are written directly on each bottle. By day, the space is home to Birds & The Beets Café. Weather permitting, the patio is a popular spot to settle in with a bottle and whatever the guest chef is serving that week.
Le Café Brocante
228 Esplanade E., North Vancouver | lecafe-brocante.com
Those looking for a break from beer in the Shipyards Brewery District will find one at this second-floor boutique wine bar. Opened in 2025 above its sister restaurant, the Mexican-style brewery La Cerveceria Astilleros, Brocante offers views of the downtown Vancouver skyline and decor that celebrates traditional French flea markets. The wine list focuses on vino from lesser known regions (Crémant de Bourgogne instead of Champagne) while the food menu encourages sharing with charcuterie and small plates.
Grapes & Soda
1541 West Sixth Ave. | grapesandsoda.ca
