The Emerald in Vancouver

My favorite place to grab a drink in Vancouver, a true hidden gem that gives you a certain feel you are in a movie directed by Martin Scorsese.Great staff and amazing drinks.

Charming place with lots of space between tables. Appreciated the awesome cocktails and overall ambiance ♥️

Really cool atmosphere, but they were training a bartender on his first shift and the manager was walking him through how to make every drink.They turned out pretty meh. Nice guy though.This was also on a Tuesday and they scrapped the ‘half priced Tuesday’ deal which was a bit of a tradition for us so that was a bummer.Honestly had a better cocktail at Chickadee later that evening and it was a fraction of the price

I live for the Emerald, Im so happy theyre open! Happy Hour is epic, the cocktails are incredible. The room is stylish and retro and the staff are excellent. Is say please go but I dont want you to take up all the tables lol. But please, go. Its great.

I used to live in Strathcona so came here 4 times over the course of a few months. Service was always weak and drinks are classic so not difficult. Went for a "final shot" and met a kid named JR working there. Super good dude and was attentive and friendly. So left me with a great impression. Went back this evening...same weak stuff. A few tables in the place, made a drink order, 2 people working. Small place, 15 people in there tops. Dont get our drinks for 20 mins. Clearly forgotten, so I ask and we get them with a discount. Appreciated but it shouldnt have been necessary. Hire some good peeps who care or theres no point. The 2nd star is for JR.

Good spot for group parties and large private events. Service and drinks are ok... Dont expect the best cocktails in town.

Went for a work event up. Food, service, atmosphere all very good. Waiters and staffs were friendly and knowledgeable. Not the best experience but surely one unforgettable.

Visited for a private event. The food was quite nice, and the drinks were excellent. The staff were lovely as well. My main complaint is that the music was way too loud; my voice is still hoarse two days later from having to shout over it, and my hearing is still a bit dull.

I struggled with this review. I was hoping to give it a better one. Only been here on a Thursday night and it was dead as disco. The bartender makes a mean cocktail of whatever you can think of, but it wouldnt hurt them to have more patrons to look at. I might give this place another chance

Great accomodation for a workplace party. Very nice space, very suitable for drinking and socialization. Location is very close to major bus routes. Looks a lot better from the inside than outside. Would come again.

LOVE the 1970’s mid-century modern décor and ambiance here! The drinks were quite tasty and good, however the food was a complete disappointment. We tried the BBQ platter for two and the ribs were nearly inedible and completely burnt. The chicken wings were average and the corn bread was quite dense. We added a side of truffle fries which were quite good.This place is better suitable for drinks than dinner.

Highly recommend the Emerald for hosting private events. Ive held two events there, with a third coming up soon, and they are wonderful to work with. Very helpful, quick to respond and fantastic service! Its such a great venue with good food and drinks.

We did a Dr. Sketchy night here it was SO much fun. I havent done live drawing in so long. It was very chill no pressure to be a top-notch artist.

Amazing service, amazing drinks, great place to go with friends!

Great drinks, cute hole in the wall! If your looking for an eclectic, sit down bar and delicious craft cocktails, this is the place for you!

Had a private function last weekend and top notch all the way! Lindsay was awesome to deal with, from start to finish. The bartenders were personable and the food was delicious. Thank you for making my birthday special and I had a great night without the stress! Would definitely recommend!

I booked this place for my wedding reception and couldnt be happier about my choice. The planning process was a breeze, they were beyond accommodating! So many little extras (like allowing me to drop off and pick up items at my convenience). The event itself went off without a hitch. The staff were amazingly friendly, attentive and incredibly professional. They managed the whole night effortlessly! The food and drinks were fantastic and everyone had such a great time! I am 100% booking future events here. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!

I liked this place. Cool atmosphere and fun location. I can see myself coming back. It has this old Goodfellas vibe which ages well. Food was good. Prices were decent

Was here for a pvt bday party. Waitress was very nice and good at remembering everyones name but she did forget my first drink order, long island iced tea, which she told me is not on the menu. She also then brought me a double which i did not order. There was another pvt party in another room and they ordered food ahead of our group. When our group went to order we were told that they had run out of burgers and other items because of the other group. The waitress then said she would "go out of <her> way" to make me another iced tea as an apology. Would have been a nice gesture had she not given that disclaimer. The main lounge is cute, small. The venue does not stand out on the street and all the surrounding businesses were closed so made you think you were in the wrong area. Look for the large green door and hold your breath going up the stairs.

Came here for a company Christmas party. Great atmosphere. Cocktails were awesome. Food was okay overall, the short ribs were really good.

Came here one evening with a large group of friends and we were sat right away, which was awesome! Drinks and food were both good. Service was a tad slow, but overall pretty good. The carpet lends a certain charm, but is kinda gross at the same time. Overall a fun evening.

One of the best happy hour menus Ive seen in the city! Great cocktails and delicious food. Cozy atmosphere.

One of the best bar and restaurant staff combinations in the city. The team here - especially the bartenders are phenonmenal: fun, welcoming and friendly.Makes it worthwhile coming to check out their amazing cocktail list. Lavender French 75s - oof - just saying. Great ambience, relaxing lighting and multiple rooms to party in, or book one out with friends. Cant recommend it enough. Youd probably not even know that it is there.

We love the atmosphere here. Great Cocktails and service. Food is good however would love to see the menu a bit tweaked. Well be back..... Edit a month later.... Twice we have organized a group of people to go to this lounge on a Friday evening for food and drinks only to find it closed to private functions. After all our planning and even expense of parking we had to come up with a plan for our friends to stop heading here. Too unreliable. We WONT BE BACK.

Nice eclectic style rooms with 3 bars and stages to hold multiple events or a multi room event. Drinks are super awesome but very pricey $$$$$. Food was also good.

From the outside it looks terrible and not a place you want to go. But the inside is really well done and they do food and drinks with a good selection of beers and appetizers. My only real criticism was that it was really cold in there and we had to keep our jackets on. Turn up the heat and get 5 stars.

Our experience at The Emerald was truly great. Working with Saya to organize our event made everything so easy, and the night was just perfect! The food was excellent, as was the service.

Hands down one of the worst bar experiences Ive had in my life. Rudest server Ive ever experienced, should not be serving. Save yourself time and go to Keefer or juniper instead. Better people

Cheap strong drinks and good appies for happy hour.BUT review your bill was charged for something our group didnt order and service wasnt the best took 15 minutes to get our drinks because orders were forgotten and missed

Hidden gem! Great drinks, huge selection of everything, experienced bar tenders! Good pub type food! Large space! Located in an area that guarantees an interesting experience to remember. Not expected, but highly recommend checking this place out for an over the top experience genuine to Vancouver. The quality and knowledge of drinks here is impressive. Walk in the green door and up the stairs, your in the right place. Music selection is top notch!

We had such a great experience hosting our wedding with Saya and the team at the Emerald. Every step, from first visit, to her lovely thank you letter afterwards was absolutely top notch - couldn’t have asked for better. Saya was quick to respond to any questions we had, and was also really organized and detailed, covering lots of things we didn’t even think of. When you’re planning a big event you find out you’re contacting this person back and forth quite a bit so Saya’s professionalism was very appreciated.The actual event went amazingly, the space was wonderful for our wedding, we had fantastic support to set it up just the way we wanted. The staff was insanely friendly and hospitable and really made us feel great and in good hands - especially on what could have been a high stress day.All night, people were coming up to both of us saying how great the food was and how much they loved their drinks. We had some friends with dietary restrictions and they were so great about labelling platters for them and making sure the special canapés were brought to them first.I honestly can’t recommend the Emerald enough. Both my new wife and I have worked in the hospitality industry and, while pretty easy-going, have high standards for what truly impresses us - and the Emerald blew us away. Stop reading this review and book with them before someone else does.

I planned a surprise birthday for my wife with the help of Saya at the Emerald. Saya accommodated all our requests and was always fast to respond. Saya is very friendly and is nothing but accommodating. The venue is very reasonable. All of my guests had a wonderful time and I was told by friends that were there early that the all the staff were absolutely amazing. They catered to everyones needs and were the most friendly when doing it. When meeting the staff myself I couldnt agree more. The bartenders were awesome, friendly, and were happy to have us. I will 100% be using the Emerald for future parties.Thanks so much for having us!Alasdair

Fantastic cocktails and retro decorThis hidden away on a Chinatown back street gem (youd miss it if you werent specifically looking for itof a cocktail lounge is a must-experience. Their cocktail menu is creative and they are generous and well crafted. They do their own gin-infusion with lavender for the Lavender 75 cocktail which is amazing. The decor is tastefully done and feels authentic, not overdone. The appetizers we tried were also excellent. I havent booked a private event here but have considered it and have corresponded with Saya, the event coordinator, who is very professional, prompt, friendly and helpful. The extensive choices of the four separate rooms and detailed event pricing guides are just what one needs when planning a large private event, so I am definitely considering the Emerald for this in future. But even just for a regular night out with divine cocktails and classy decor, this place in the back alley with the green door is well worth seeking out.

The Emerald hosted my book launch in one of their private rooms and it was fantastic. Saya, the event coordinator, made everything a breeze and the night went off without a hitch. Very recommended for your private events (or just for a casual after-work drink).

I threw a 30th birthday for my partner at this location last night, in the dining room. It was perfect. Enough space for 70+ people, room to dance, excellent bartenders, and the team at Emerald was amazing. Saya is especially great- she was so organized and punctual with replies. I was stressed out a little throwing such a large party, but everyone at Emerald was so professional and reliable- the night ended amazingly. I would highly recommend this place for private events!

Good drinks and decent food. The bartender s are top notch, the drinks are made with care and precision. When the make an old fashioned, the stir both ways. Cool Decor. But it stinks in there, it used to be a chinese restaurant in the 80s, its the same carpet from that time. That carpet looks and smells like its never been cleaned since then.

I came here for an event with friends. It has a very bohemian feel to the place and the neighborhood is the historic side of China Town. There are a lot of stairs to get up to this place and there is only street parking. Lots of fancy cocktails available. Food was good too. Bathrooms were clean but a bit cramped.

We chose The Emerald to host our wedding reception because it is a beautiful space that suited our tastes and could accommodate our party size of 80-100. This was a great decision! The owner and staff were such a pleasure to work with, as they accommodated all of our needs to customize the night to make it our own. The communication was great. They asked all the right questions to ensure we had exactly what we needed for food and drink, and the night went as planned - all logistics were covered in advance. The owner, Rachel, even let us in at 9:30am Saturday morning to set up as this was the only time that could work for us. The bill was exactly as discussed at the end of the night and there were no surprises. Thank you to The Emerald! Great service from start to finish.

Really good drinks and amazing prices for happy hour. Just a bit tight. Had to sit at the bar (not super comfy with a group of 3)

Very odd experience. After asking some basic questions to the bartending staff, I was met with condescension and dismissiveness. When my friends and I did sit down, it took at least 20 minutes to get a drink, and only got our drinks after the staff overheard us saying wed find a new bar. Its too bad, seems like everyone else has had really good experiences, but ours was just bizarre.

The Emerald is more like a diamond in the rough. I love this place, the cocktails are great and the service is usually friendly. They have a great happy hour and on Tuesdays cocktails are half price all night! They sometimes have shows in the back, we saw a burlesque show. You can also rent the back room for parties and such. The food is reasonably priced and good! Try the crispy cauliflower, only $5 during happy hour!

Pretty fun and divy local pub. They have surprisingly good cocktails, decent beer selection and function as a great event space. Recently discovered was their back room which hosts even tinier shows than their front room - neat!

Wonderful cocktails! Decor and ambiance are top-notch. On the expensive end, but their Happy Hour is 50%, cant beat that!

Nice happy hour location. Appies were bang for the bucks. Hidden gem in the China Town area.

I hosted a 40th birthday party for a friend recently at the Emerald and it was an awesome experience from beginning to end. I honestly cant say enough about Kylie and Mark and our fantastic bartender. The party was held in The Cabaret room and it was a perfect space for a private party. We brought in our own DJ , the food we pre-ordered was great and everything went extremely smooth. Far exceeded my expectations!

Awesome, fun place with very nice staff and excellent bourbon sours! Will be back for their half price cocktail Tuesdays! Only downside is the very bad smell of bathroom through the place.... eek

The quasi divey Vegas theme is pretty cool and retains character a lot of places dont have in Van. Granted the entrance way smells of dank chow mein, dont let that welcome put you off. The cocktails are pretty decent and there is a wide selection of beers, wines and harder liquor. Ha want had the food in a long time but the menu has stayed similar to what we had 2yrs ago which was substantial.

I went about a year ago and enjoyed it, so i suggested it to my girlfriend for her birthday, it was without a doubt the biggest let down i have ever witnessed for someones birthday. First major problem, we got reservations for 20, and they gave us ONLY 1 WAITRESS for our table, which is ridiculous considering that other than our party only ONE other table had people. The service was terrible, food took over and hour and drinks went forgotten. i ended up leaving my table to go to the bar to get drinks. When the food came, it was not warm and just soggy. When the bill was received (which alone took 30 minutes). They then got extremely upset that myself and others didnt want to pay 18% gratuity, the manager had to be called, he same out in a black oversized wife beater (I am dead serious, im not making this upin a threatening manner and attempted to heavy us into paying the 18%. Not to mention we also overheard the waitresses trash talking our whole table at the end of the night (Being the only party there, real class act). Overall I will never EVER go back here, management and service is a joke. Though they did have OK cocktails.P.S They also removed a friends similar review off the Facebook page

I chose this venue to host my B-Day on a Friday evening for the ambiance and drinks, but it stopped there.I started by coordinating with a rep to reserve the boardroom table: a table in the middle of the restaurant that gives you the "VIP experience", (they waived the min spend, which we wouldve surpassed anyways I was also told the in house drag queen would be serving drinks with her little martini cart - but she was no where to be found. They took my credit card info to reserve the table, and never sent a paper trail confirmation.The service was terrible - for whatever reason they had 1 waitress for our table of 20 that I booked 3 weeks previously - Maybe they were short staffed? But no one ever apologized for the delays or communicated with us whatsoever.The drinks and food took forever. There were 2 bartender and only 2 other tables in the entire restaurant (I waited 40 mins for my first drink - which was forgotten about). Most of my guests waited an hour for food and noted the food was cold and soggy by the time they got it... No one wanted to send the food back, because it took so long to get it in the first place! The only good thing anyone ate was the waffle fries....Again, I never heard any apologies for the delays, even from the manager on duty- instead I overheard the waitresses trash talking my table at the end of the night (super professional).After posting my experience through social media, my comment (similar to this commentwas taken down, and I was never contacted to discuss that nights event.Overall, I had an incredibly disappointing experience with The Emerald. Nothing about it felt like the "VIP experience" they promote, and the beloved house drag queen was no where to be found (she really gets things going! - there was really low energy in the room without her). It really felt as though they werent to do anything well - because we HAD to pay the 18% gratuity anyways...Luckily I had a group of very patient friends with me. They have tasty drinks, but their horrendous customer service left a bad taste in my mouth and I would never recommend this place again.Alas, Vancouver has many cool places to get a good drink.... "The Diamond", "Guilt and Co," "Uva," "Bambuddah"- Just to name a few.

Just celebrated a birthday there, and the staff was world class-- without exception. They did a lot to accomadate on a very busy night. Great room, with some exceptional grub, too.