Vancouver, British Columbia
Hookups and casual encounters in Vancouver, rain or shine
Cocktails in Gastown, a nightcap in Chinatown: meet Vancouver singles who are up for something easy. Join free.
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In short
Vancouver is a cocktail city: Gastown and Chinatown pack speakeasies and award-winning bars close together, and on a wet night a small bar is the plan. Joydate shows you who in the area is after a hookup, and signing up is free.
- Where to meet: Gastown and Chinatown for cocktails, South Granville for somewhere intimate, the West End close to English Bay.
- Ride home: TransLink's NightBus runs every 20 to 30 minutes, seven nights a week, and from 9 p.m. drivers can stop closer to where you live.
- Membership: a Classic profile costs nothing and includes a few messages a day; unlimited messaging comes with VIP, which starts at C$19.99 for seven days.
Vancouver mixes beaches, mountains and one of the best cocktail scenes in North America, which makes it a good city for a casual first meet. On Joydate you can see who in Vancouver is up for a hookup and the towns around it, keep your details private and pick a bar when the chat is going well.
From Gastown to Mount Pleasant
The best first-meet bars cluster in a handful of neighbourhoods: hidden speakeasies in Gastown, late cocktails in Chinatown, hotel bars downtown and small wine rooms in South Granville. When the rain returns in autumn the city moves indoors, which only makes those small bars busier. The guide below lists where to start.
The Vancouver dating reality
What makes hookups in Vancouver different
Know these before you plan the first drink.
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A serious cocktail city
Vancouver's Botanist has made North America's 50 Best Bars list, and the bar scene around it is just as ambitious.
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Bars behind fake shopfronts
One speakeasy hides behind a pet psychic's window, another behind an accounting office. Finding them is half the date.
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Rain changes the plan, not the mood
When the rain comes back in autumn, nights move from the beaches to small, cosy cocktail bars.
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A downtown night bus hub
From about 1:30 a.m. every NightBus leaves from Howe and Dunsmuir or Seymour and Granville, seven nights a week.
Vancouver at a glance
Handy to know before a first meet in Vancouver
- 6neighbourhoods in this guide, each with bars to try
- 20-30 minbetween NightBus departures, seven nights a week
- 9 p.m.the time you can start asking a bus driver for a safer stop
Where Vancouver goes out
Where to meet for a first drink in Vancouver
Six neighbourhoods and the bars Destination Vancouver keeps pointing people to.
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Speakeasies
Gastown
Cobblestones, old brick and a cocktail bar on almost every corner.
Places to start
- Arcana Food & Spirits: a tarot-themed speakeasy hidden behind a pet psychic storefront
- Greta: 50-plus retro arcade games and proper cocktails
- Clough Club: an intimate bar with lounges tucked away at the back
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Late-night cocktails
Chinatown
Neon, late nights and one of the most awarded bars in the city.
Places to start
- The Keefer Bar: apothecary-style cocktails with house tinctures
- Chickadee Room: neon '80s decor and playful cocktails
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Dress to impress
Downtown
Hotel bars with world-class drinks, ideal when you want to impress.
Places to start
- Botanist: the award-winning cocktail bar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim
- Prophecy Bar: an ornate bar below the Rosewood Hotel Georgia
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By the beach
West End
Close to English Bay and Davie Village, relaxed by day and loud by night.
Places to start
- Sylvia Hotel lounge: Vancouver's first cocktail lounge, opened in 1954
- Celebrities Nightclub: an inclusive Davie Street dance floor since 1978
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Intimate
South Granville
Small, intimate rooms made for sitting close.
Places to start
- Grapes & Soda: natural wine and only six seats at the bar
- Bar Asra: share plates and globally inspired cocktails
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Retro and relaxed
Mount Pleasant
A short ride from downtown, with breweries and a cheeky hidden bar.
Places to start
- Key Party: a 1970s speakeasy behind a fake accounting office
- Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions: a nostalgic cocktail bar that has made the extended top 100 of North America's best bars
Plan a first drink in Vancouver
Bars from Destination Vancouver's guides to the city's coolest bars and date-night ideas. Bars change, so check before you go.
Picture the night
Three Vancouver evenings worth planning
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Gastown
Speakeasies
Old brick, cobblestones and a cocktail bar on most corners.
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West End
By the beach
English Bay at sunset, Davie Village after dark.
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Mount Pleasant
Retro and relaxed
Breweries and a hidden bar, a short ride from downtown.
Joydate in brief
Why start a Vancouver hookup online, and what is Joydate?
Joydate is a casual dating site where adults look for hookups, flirts and no-strings dates. Signing up is free, you say what you want, and Joydate shows you members in Vancouver and the towns nearby who want the same.
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Plans you can see
A profile spells out whether someone wants a one-off or something regular, so nobody has to guess on a first meet in Gastown.
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Nothing that points to your home
Matches see your username and nearest town; your address and real name are yours to share or keep.
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A wet night in still counts
Joydate runs in your phone's browser with nothing to install, so a rainy evening on the sofa can still turn into plans.
Join free and browse Vancouver members How Joydate works in Vancouver
Before you go
First-meet tips for Vancouver hookups
Five ways to make a first meet in Vancouver easy.
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Pick a bar you can find
Hidden bars are fun, but send your match the exact address so nobody is stuck outside a pet psychic.
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Have a rainy-night plan
Pick a cosy cocktail bar rather than a patio when the forecast turns.
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Choose somewhere you can hear each other
Save the dance floor on Davie for later in the night.
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Keep the chat here first
Joydate warns you when someone pushes to move to WhatsApp before you have met.
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Know where the NightBus leaves
After about 1:30 a.m., downtown buses leave from Howe and Dunsmuir or Seymour and Granville.
Joydate prices for Vancouver
Browsing and matching cost nothing on a Classic profile. Upgrade when you want to start messaging; below are both paid tiers in Canadian dollars, with a weekly figure under each price.
| Plan length | VIP | VIP Plus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | C$19.99 | C$22.99 |
| 1 month | C$51.39C$11.99 a week | C$59.96C$13.99 a week |
| 3 months | C$115.59C$8.99 a week | C$154.16C$11.99 a week |
| 6 months | C$179.74C$6.99 a week | C$231.17C$8.99 a week |
| 12 months | C$260.19C$4.99 a week | C$338.41C$6.49 a week |
Shorter plans renew until cancelled. The year-long plan is one payment with no renewal. See every plan in every currency.
Meeting safely in Vancouver
- Public first. Any of the bars above is a good place for a first meet, and your Joydate profile only ever shows your town.
- Late rides home. TransLink's NightBus runs every 20 to 30 minutes, seven nights a week. Between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. you can ask the driver to let you off somewhere safer between stops, except on express or limited-stop sections.
- Getting tested. The BCCDC STI clinic at 655 West 12th Avenue is free and confidential, and you do not need an MSP card. BCCDC also runs GetCheckedOnline for testing without a clinic visit.
Your questions on hookups and dating in Vancouver
Where can you find a hookup in Vancouver?
You can find a hookup in Vancouver on Joydate: create a free profile, browse members in Vancouver and the towns around it, and suggest a first drink in a busy spot such as a Gastown cocktail bar.
Which Vancouver neighbourhoods are best for a first drink?
Gastown and Chinatown are the easiest Vancouver neighbourhoods for a first drink, with speakeasies and award-winning cocktail bars close together. South Granville is more intimate, and the West End puts you near English Bay.
What does Joydate cost in Vancouver?
Joining Joydate in Vancouver is free. VIP costs C$19.99 for a week, and on the 12-month plan it comes to C$4.99 a week. See all plans.
How do you get home late at night in Vancouver?
Late at night in Vancouver, TransLink's NightBus runs every 20 to 30 minutes, seven nights a week, leaving downtown from Howe and Dunsmuir or Seymour and Granville. From 9 p.m. you can ask the driver for a stop closer to home.
Where can you get tested for STIs in Vancouver?
You can get tested for STIs in Vancouver at the BCCDC STI clinic at 655 West 12th Avenue, which offers free, confidential testing with no MSP card needed. You can also use BCCDC's GetCheckedOnline.
What do you do on a rainy first date in Vancouver?
On a rainy first date in Vancouver, head for a small cocktail bar: Gastown's speakeasies or an intimate South Granville wine bar are made for wet nights.