The pub scene has
undergone an extensive makeover, replacing wood panelling with chic décor and your standard pint with upscale
cocktails that promise a joyful happy hour indeed. Catering to professionals looking for an upscale night out
in classy environments, these trendy bars promise to deliver fashionable flavour and fun.
Vancouver’s Opus Bar, situated in the world-renowned Opus Hotel Vancouver, is a hot spot for the style-savvy.
The décor is chicly modern; designer furniture meets glass, and the live video feed running throughout the
bar ensures that you don’t miss out the action as you mingle with other sophisticates and dance to the live
DJ.
Their innovative cocktail menu consists of a “Lifestyle menu” — we love the name! — featuring five Opus
personas and their associated cocktails. Here you can sample “Susan’s” favourite, the fashion exec’s blend of
Skyy vodka, Campari, grapefruit and pineapple with a basil garnish; or perhaps “Pierre,” the food critic from
Paris, can tempt you with his blend of Chartreuse, Hendricks Gin, passion fruit and lime juice.
Located on Calgary’s bustling 17th Avenue is The Bungalow, where professionals and visiting
celebrities alike gather for an after-hours drink. With an impressive cocktail menu boasting wines,
champagnes and 16 varieties of martinis (clearly the darling drink here), there’s enough variety to tempt
Carrie Bradshaw away from her iconic cosmopolitan — although they offer one of those, too.
The martini lounge is done up in understated dark tones and comes complete with both a covered and uncovered
patio for patrons who enjoy a glass of wine beneath the stars. As one of Calgary’s trendiest spots for a
relaxed evening out, The Bungalow is sure to deliver on ambiance and flavour.
Toronto’s King West/Queen West offers a variety of unique lounging experiences. Here you’ll find the hideouts
of Toronto’s young professionals — and their bosses. Nestled in the heart of trendy King West is Cheval Bar,
a trendy new lounge that got its name from a past life as an RCMP horse stable. Don’t let the barn background
fool you, however — cowboys need not apply. While subtle references to its stable past can be found in the
chic décor, with saddles framed in glass and luxurious cowhide stools, the ambience here is sleek and
sophisticated.
Cheval boasts an extensive mixed-drink menu, with their Raspberry Martini (garnished with lychee fruit) being
a popular favourite. Patrons can enjoy their martinis in an intimate booth setting before heading down to the
romantic, sunken lounge area for a dance or conversation.
Voted as the maker of Halifax’s best martini and Bloody Caesar is The Bitter End, an upscale lounge featuring
soft music and stiletto-clad patrons. They have been voted best martini in town six years in a row, and
that’s no surprise; a sip of one of their creations impresses at first touch — glasses here are kept face
down on ice to ensure a pleasantly cold rim. Guests can expect this subtle finesse from the attentive
bartenders and trendy décor.
Known as the premiere cocktail and martini bar, you can expect an “out-to-be-seen crowd,” elegant meals and
expertly mixed beverages. The Bitter End is anything but — in fact, one trip promises many sweet returns.
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Photo courtesy
Opus Hotels
