Nightlife in North Vancouver

Rendezvous Club may not have a hidden stock of cupid’s arrows, but it does have its fair share of date cards. While they may not be as whimsical as love-yielding weaponry, club founders Hillary and Chris have found they tend to be just as effective. At some chapters, Rendezvous Club's hosts hand the cards out during speed-dating parties and dinner-dating events that serve three-course meals. Using them, singles can jot down the names, characteristics, and preferred Monopoly game pieces of people they’re interested in meeting again. For those who prefer more organic dating atmospheres, Select locations feature less-structured singles parties and mix-and-mingle events that round up singles and let them converse on their own, aided by complimentary appetizers.

At three locations across Vancouver, Samz Neighbourhood Pub invites patrons to hobnob with friends and enjoy a menu of classic pub favourites. As TVs broadcast UFC events and Vancouver Canucks’ slumber parties, cooks dish up everything from fish ’n’ chips and chorizo mac ’n’ cheese to pierogies stuffed with cheese and potato. Among more than a dozen burgers and sandwiches, the salmon burger—stacked with tartar sauce, pickles, and onion—stands out as an uncommon option.

Chef Alex Mok—who apprenticed with the former chef to the King of Belgium—melds classic French and Asian culinary techniques with a modern twist. Mok wraps ribbons of bacon around quail stuffed with dried cranberries, and covers baby back ribs with an Asian-style barbecue glaze. He also builds seven-course menus with dishes such as a pan-seared duck breast with blueberry compote, as well as burgers made with house-made patties and buns and baby back ribs featuring a barbecue glaze. Out in the dining room, patrons melt into red tufted banquettes as servers deliver burgers with quirky touches such as yam fries.