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Alibi Room
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Ratings by colebenoit:
Reviewed by colebenoit from Canada (BC)
4.88/5 rDev +6.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
4.88/5 rDev +6.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
The best place around to get BC beer on tap with a huge range of local beers and breweries. At least 14 beers on tap, all BC brewed, one of the best bottled beer selections around, beer dinners and tastings, and more. They just did a chocolate and beer pairing that was a top notch experience. The owner, Nigel, is doing a lot to help beer in Vancouver which is always appreciated. I also cant forget to mention the stellar food these guys serve up! A definite must for anyone in Vancouver seeking out good beer.
May 13, 2008More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Rasmonton from Canada (AB)
4.6/5 rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
4.6/5 rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Excellent gastropub with a well curated list of (mostly local) beers, with a good selection from all the major beer types. I had a flight of four, plus one or two extras, and they were all excellent. Nowadays you can find a place serving food and a hundred beer on tap on every street corner. The difference here is the obvious care and attention they have paid to finding quality beers.
Food: tried a veggie burger. One of the best I’ve had. Can’t comment on anything else. The food menu had a decent selection.
Service: this was the one weak spot. My waiter was friendly and knowledgeable, but after taking my initial order I never saw him again. Had to flag down someone else to get another beer. The place was busy so I guess he deserves a bit of slack but it was still below par.
Overall I would definitely go back for the beer and food.
Feb 12, 2020Food: tried a veggie burger. One of the best I’ve had. Can’t comment on anything else. The food menu had a decent selection.
Service: this was the one weak spot. My waiter was friendly and knowledgeable, but after taking my initial order I never saw him again. Had to flag down someone else to get another beer. The place was busy so I guess he deserves a bit of slack but it was still below par.
Overall I would definitely go back for the beer and food.
Reviewed by Mista_Carta from California
4.64/5 rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
4.64/5 rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
This is your "must go" Vancouver beer spot or as they call it "Modern Tavern." There are a couple other great breweries/brewpubs and plenty of good bottle shops but if you only have time for one...
Alibi Room is conveniently located in Downtown Vancouver just off the beaten path a couple blocks away from the busier portion of Gastown. Great space with high ceilings, a warm wood/brick interior and adorned with a few cool contemporary art pieces. Trains can be seen moving in the yard behind...
Boasting 50 taps roughly half land in their "LAGERS, PILSNERS, PALES, IPAS, STRONG ALES, ETC." category, the next largest category being "SAISONS, BELGIAN STYLES, WHEAT ALES & SOURS," followed by a few "STOUTS & PORTERS" and "CIDERS." It's a daunting yet well-curated menu which they keep up-to-date on their website. The bulk of the taps feature the best of the best from "local" breweries—Brassneck, Parallel 49, Dageraad, Superflux, Boombox, Moon, Fuggles & Warlock, Beere, Twin Sails, Yellow Dog... They will occasionally tap kegs from the US but they predominantly feature Vancouver/BC brews. The brews on offer are great. There are several BC breweries that do IPAs & Pales well (yes they even have great NE-Style "hazys") and Alibi has numerous to choose from. There are also great options for sours, saisons, blondes, wits. Alibi currently has four stouts on one of which is barrel aged. Again, tremendous beer menu—you should be able to find something (if not several things) that you want to try. They do offer a flight of four. Bartenders are knowledgeable and helpful.
Food is exceptional. Their motto is "Local. Free-run. Ocean-friendly. Naturally raised." and you can tell. Sophisticated (but not too fancy) takes on small plates, charcuterie, salads, sandwiches, burgers and a few "entrees" all well crafted from local, artisanal ingredients. They do brunch on the weekends but DO NOT do lunch (believe they open at 5) weekdays.
Alibi Room does have a full bar so you can tell your wine/cocktail (again mostly local, well crafted/curated) friends it's not "another beer bar."
One of the only downsides is that they do get busy (as would be expected in a place like this). If you can plan your visit I would suggest making a reservation, if you can't (and you get there at a busy time) be prepared to wait. I think there is a Vancouver (or BC) thing where every patron must have a seat... So even though it looks like there is PLENTY of standing room near the bar they won't let you in.
This place serves truly top-notch food & drink. If visiting Vancouver make sure you get here. If you don't have a lot of time, start here.
Mar 11, 2018Alibi Room is conveniently located in Downtown Vancouver just off the beaten path a couple blocks away from the busier portion of Gastown. Great space with high ceilings, a warm wood/brick interior and adorned with a few cool contemporary art pieces. Trains can be seen moving in the yard behind...
Boasting 50 taps roughly half land in their "LAGERS, PILSNERS, PALES, IPAS, STRONG ALES, ETC." category, the next largest category being "SAISONS, BELGIAN STYLES, WHEAT ALES & SOURS," followed by a few "STOUTS & PORTERS" and "CIDERS." It's a daunting yet well-curated menu which they keep up-to-date on their website. The bulk of the taps feature the best of the best from "local" breweries—Brassneck, Parallel 49, Dageraad, Superflux, Boombox, Moon, Fuggles & Warlock, Beere, Twin Sails, Yellow Dog... They will occasionally tap kegs from the US but they predominantly feature Vancouver/BC brews. The brews on offer are great. There are several BC breweries that do IPAs & Pales well (yes they even have great NE-Style "hazys") and Alibi has numerous to choose from. There are also great options for sours, saisons, blondes, wits. Alibi currently has four stouts on one of which is barrel aged. Again, tremendous beer menu—you should be able to find something (if not several things) that you want to try. They do offer a flight of four. Bartenders are knowledgeable and helpful.
Food is exceptional. Their motto is "Local. Free-run. Ocean-friendly. Naturally raised." and you can tell. Sophisticated (but not too fancy) takes on small plates, charcuterie, salads, sandwiches, burgers and a few "entrees" all well crafted from local, artisanal ingredients. They do brunch on the weekends but DO NOT do lunch (believe they open at 5) weekdays.
Alibi Room does have a full bar so you can tell your wine/cocktail (again mostly local, well crafted/curated) friends it's not "another beer bar."
One of the only downsides is that they do get busy (as would be expected in a place like this). If you can plan your visit I would suggest making a reservation, if you can't (and you get there at a busy time) be prepared to wait. I think there is a Vancouver (or BC) thing where every patron must have a seat... So even though it looks like there is PLENTY of standing room near the bar they won't let you in.
This place serves truly top-notch food & drink. If visiting Vancouver make sure you get here. If you don't have a lot of time, start here.
Reviewed by atigerlife from Hawaii
4.76/5 rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
4.76/5 rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
I've been to Vancouver many times over the years, and always wanted to stop by this place. Finally, on this trip, had a free couple of hours and walked on over. Glad I did.
First, I got there b before 11 a.m. on a Sunday. Many tables taken with people eating brunch. They all looked happy. I sat at the bar, about 10 chairs, which were all empty when I arrived. Relatively small place. Nice vibe. Funky.
About 40 beers on tap, mostly local. Very nice. The bar person, Francesca [I think] was exceptional. During my time there, I watched her do her job. Very professional. Very busy going around. Enjoyable to watch someone who takes pride in there work. She recommended a couple of beers, which I tried. Very nice.
Overall, a very pleasant experience. I'll definitely stop in the next time I'm in Vancouver. Worth the visit.
Apr 23, 2017First, I got there b before 11 a.m. on a Sunday. Many tables taken with people eating brunch. They all looked happy. I sat at the bar, about 10 chairs, which were all empty when I arrived. Relatively small place. Nice vibe. Funky.
About 40 beers on tap, mostly local. Very nice. The bar person, Francesca [I think] was exceptional. During my time there, I watched her do her job. Very professional. Very busy going around. Enjoyable to watch someone who takes pride in there work. She recommended a couple of beers, which I tried. Very nice.
Overall, a very pleasant experience. I'll definitely stop in the next time I'm in Vancouver. Worth the visit.
Reviewed by surfcaster from North Carolina
4.98/5 rDev +9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
4.98/5 rDev +9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Can't say enough good things. Fortunate enough to go on a British Columbia takeover so everything was super local and many were things that would have taken several days in B.C. to have tried.
Beer was incredible.
Service fantastic and food was on par with beer. Just on edge of Gastown and the trains going back and forth behind just add to the character.
A must visit in Vancouver if into beer and food is top notch. A 5$ (ca) 13oz pour for most everything a bonus.
Apr 12, 2017Beer was incredible.
Service fantastic and food was on par with beer. Just on edge of Gastown and the trains going back and forth behind just add to the character.
A must visit in Vancouver if into beer and food is top notch. A 5$ (ca) 13oz pour for most everything a bonus.
Rated by Stanislager from Canada (BC)
4.75/5 rDev +3.9%
4.75/5 rDev +3.9%
This place breathes with brew culture. Always a night to remember, always a brew to remember.
Nov 15, 2014Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio
4.51/5 rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25
4.51/5 rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25
I stumbled across this place in an article when researching my trip to Vancouver, and am I ever glad that I did. I had the opportunity to go on a Friday evening. The place was packed. There were three bars in here and my friend and I were lucky enough to find a couple seats.
The beer menu was phenomenal. It was tough to select a few beers to try. My palate had grown weary of the IPA's, amber ale, and pale ales that were prevalent in the Pacific Northwest. I was happy to see a wide variety of styles. I had a porter, pumpkin stout, barrel aged wheat wine, a Flanders red. They were all great. The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable.
The only drawback to the experience was the guy I sat next to. He seemed mentally unstable. When he went to the restroom one of the bartenders asked if he was bugging me and offered to remove him from the premises. I was having such a great time trying the beers that he was merely a minor annoyance to my evening.
I ordered the bison cheese steak sandwich. I'm not gonna lie. I don't remember how it tasted. It just soaked up some of the fantastic beers that I was trying. But it's probably safe to say that it was great considering how awesome everything else was.
I really liked this place and wish I would have had a couple nights to sit in this place and try more of the beer and food. I would go back any chance that I had. It was THE highlight of my trip to the northwest.
Sep 13, 2014The beer menu was phenomenal. It was tough to select a few beers to try. My palate had grown weary of the IPA's, amber ale, and pale ales that were prevalent in the Pacific Northwest. I was happy to see a wide variety of styles. I had a porter, pumpkin stout, barrel aged wheat wine, a Flanders red. They were all great. The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable.
The only drawback to the experience was the guy I sat next to. He seemed mentally unstable. When he went to the restroom one of the bartenders asked if he was bugging me and offered to remove him from the premises. I was having such a great time trying the beers that he was merely a minor annoyance to my evening.
I ordered the bison cheese steak sandwich. I'm not gonna lie. I don't remember how it tasted. It just soaked up some of the fantastic beers that I was trying. But it's probably safe to say that it was great considering how awesome everything else was.
I really liked this place and wish I would have had a couple nights to sit in this place and try more of the beer and food. I would go back any chance that I had. It was THE highlight of my trip to the northwest.
Alibi Room in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Place rating:
4.57 out of
5 with
78 ratings
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