Despite the freezing cold weather and bare legs (thank goodness for nice bouncers and no line-up even at 11pm), we had another night out at Ginger 62. If there is such thing as a “resident club” that I frequent, this would be the one. But only on Friday nights with Canthrill’s Lobby Nights. And, what an appropriate way to celebrate my first Friday night out since exams, with a group of 10+ of us and DJs Kamm and Skilla spinning house tracks and a live percussionist and saxaphon(ist) on stage above a comfortably packed dance floor. All I drank that night were rounds of shooters – Red Dragons, Lemon Drops with a sugarcoated shotglass rim and my personal favorite – Pornstars, made with Blue Curacao and Sour Puss Raspberry. But do not be fooled by the sweetness – alcohol content definitely adds up. Ask for any of these 1-oz shots and they’ll know what you’re talking about – especially “Justin”, our bartender for the night.

Despite being the the midst of exam season, I still managed to go out and celebrate a friend’s birthday at The Blarney Stone on Saturday night. The Blarney Stone is more “grungy bar” than modern Gastown joint. However, I was quite impressed by the size of the venue! Two floors with a pool table and a moderately large dancefloor on the bottom floor. On the second floor, picnic-style benches fit about six to a table – perfect for having a drink or looking out of the castle-like window openings to the floor below. However, despite spending my previous New Years Eve Celiah (“cay-lee”) dancing in Scotland, the live Celtic music at the Blarney Stone is not my preferred genre of music. Then again, with 2 for 1 shooters for $6.50, you could just drink a lot and drown out the music.

It’s been a while since I’ve done anything on Cambie Street so when I went on Friday afternoon, I was pleased to walk by and discover a whole bunch of cafes and independent shops, despite the Canada Line Construction. I went to Beans Coffee Shop (3365 Cambie Street) and asked the barista for his recommendation. (I order Chai Tea Lattes alllll the time and wanted something different). He made me a a London Fog (half tea, half steamed milk) but instead of Earl Grey Tea, he steeped a strawberry tea instead. It smelled super good but it was slightly bland – perhaps next time I will add in some honey or sweetener instead. Was it worth my $4? Probably not but it’s always great to support local coffee shops!

Additional perks include free parking at the back and wireless internet – both of which we took advantage of!

On Friday I went to Tunnel Multi-Lounge (622 West Pender Street) for their Traffik Fridays. I haven’t been to Tunnel since May when they first opened for their media/industry party (I wrote an entry about it here) but the service at Tunnel was as if it were opening night all over again. Friendly bouncers, patient bartenders and an efficient door girl who instantly sorted out my guest list issues. The white couches are definitely comfortable to just chill on when you’re taking a break from the dance floor and we didn’t get snobby treatment for turning down bottle service although we definitely gave more than enough business to the bar with our rounds of jagerbombs and gladiators!

Re-entry Espresso (4363 Main Street) is a modern cafe located on 27th and Main with an affordable selection of drinks and pastries and wireless internet access. With booth style seating, large mugs of coffee in the $2 to $3 range and a pot of tea for $2.25, and artwork showcased on the walls, this cafe exudes a laid-back atmosphere for long conversations, catching up with friends or doing some work on your laptop. The only downside are its early closing hours: 6pm every evening.

I went to Lickerish Restaurant and Lounge (903 Davie Street) not once, but twice, this past weekend. It’s a small, two-floor restaurant with a tasty selection of contemporary tapas and drinks. When I went on Saturday afternoon, the patio seating was great for people-watching along Davie Street. Beer on tap and highballs were on special for less than $5. I also ordered a small dish of crunchy spring rolls with a creamy mashed potatoes with a red pepper and spinach filling for $8. I would recommend Lickerish as a convenient predrinking location, for an afternoon beer or an evening snack. Regardless, they need to step up on their marketing efforts as they “just ran out” of business cards when I went on Friday night, their website is still under construction…and there were only four people in the entire restaurant when we went on Saturday afternoon. Perhaps this would be a good time to check out Lickerish before it gets too mainstream and busy.

Jules Bistro (216 Abbott Street) is a French bistro located in Gastown and where I went for an afternoon sit-down on Saturday. Nonetheless, I would not recommend going there for tea and coffee as we did – save that for a specialty coffee or teahouse instead. With outdoor seating and the weekend sunshine, the patio was great for people watching while enjoying a reasonably priced light afternoon dish or a $6 dessert. True to its European flair, the restaurant is closed on Sundays. Otherwise, visit between 11:30am to 10pm.