By Joanna Lee, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the newly opened Union Bar next to the Jimi Hendrix Shrine across the Georgia Viaduct in Chinatown. The restaurant is the fourth from the Cascade group (think the Cascade Room, Habit Lounge and Latitude, all further up Main Street). There are about 80 seats with about 10 to 15 seats at the bar. Much of the space is wooden and the walls adorned with various art installations. The food is Southeast Asian with several rice and noodle dishes, curries, pad thai and nasi goreng, as well as a variety of small plates, including beef satays, salads, and banh mis. Notables include veggie pakoras and the mildly sweet and spicy chilli chicken wings. The Cascade’s Arthur Wynne has created a diverse Asian-inspired cocktails list with a twist. For a sweeter cocktail, try the Banga #1, served in a fashionable little jar, or a virgin cocktail with Lapu Lapu cucumber juice, coconut water, calamansi and pandan syrup.

For a Sunday night, the Union was fairly busy and about 1/3 full. The vibe is hipster mixed with a bit of a trendy warehouse feel to it, with the use of long wooden communal tables, giving it a very simple, minimal, and clean feel. Staff are friendly and attentive and the prices are very reasonable. It is a fantastic addition to the Strathcona-Chinatown neighbourhood and is definitely worth several visits.  The Union Bar is open nightly from 5pm onwards.

The Donnelly Group’s collection of bars and clubs in Vancouver carves a large spot in the Vancouver nightlife scene. The Bimini Public House in the heart of Kitsilano was the first venue that Jeff Donnelly bought in 1999. Bimini’s first opened in 1974 with BC’s first neighbourhood pub license.  In October 2007, the day before the bar was set to reopen after a $250,000 renovation, Bimini’s was decimated by fire, leaving virtually nothing to salvage. Despite four years or countless hurdles and delays, they never gave up on the project and reconstruction is finally complete!

Modern Mix Vancouver was invited to The Bimini to celebrate the grand re-opening of this Donnelly Group Public House.  It had a very familiar “Donnelly Group” vibe to it, even though I hadn’t previously been to the “old” Bimini.  It could have been a Smiley’s or Library Square!  Typical of several of the Donnelly Group bars/clubs, there were barstool and booth seating among wooden finishings throughout the bar.  Other cool game-type fixtures in The Bimini includes a jukebox machine, vintage pinball machine and fooseball table.

The Bimini is open daily – Monday to Thursday 11:30am to 1am, Friday 11:30am to 2am, Saturday 10am to 2am and Sunday 10am to 1am.

Le Club Perrier is at the forefront of an interactive YouTube experience with their “Can You Handle the Heat” videos.  As more viewers watch the video, the party gets “sexier, steamier and wilder”.

The video footage begins with a woman walking through a quiet club. As video versions are unlocked, the scenes become more interesting.  More people show up at the club, the temperature rises and the dancing crowd gets increasingly seductive. To show progress, the channel features a thermometer indicating how high the temperature rises.  As the temperature escalates, the party goers get hot, the atmosphere is intense and the entire scene is melting…then BAM! In comes Perrier as the ultimate refreshment. Check out the teaser video here:

Lastly, visitors to Perrier’s YouTube Channel can also enter a sweepstakes with a grand prize of a three-day trip to New York City for the winner and a friend, including VIP access to the “Le Club Perrier” party on Sept. 20.

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Perrier Sparkling Natural Spring Water comes from a source in the south of France, located near the small village of Vergeze, in Provence. The spring’s unique balance of minerals and strong bubbles provides its distinctively unique and refreshing taste experience.  It is this singular blend of gasses and minerals which have made Perrier the world’s most requested carbonated spring water.

Earlier this spring, I went on my first trip to Las Vegas!  I always hear about my fellow Vancouverites getting fantastic flight deals through Allegiant Air by driving south of the boarder and flying from Bellingham.  Taking their advice, I paid $350 for two-way airfare from Bellingham to Vegas, two nights at Hardrock Hotel, including tax and fees.

I was really excited for the nightlife aspect of Vegas, as that is what people who return from a whirlwind weekend speak most excitedly about.   And I thought it would make a great personal post on MMV, to see the perspective of nightlife in Vegas from someone who has pretty much only known Vancouver nightlife.

Although there are some up and coming clubs in Vancouver which could be considered unique (ie. 560 on Seymour Street), it pales in comparison to the two clubs at the Wynn Hotel that I visited in Vegas.

Half indoors and half outdoors, Tryst Nightclub (3131 Las Vegas Blvd S) is the upscale main club located in the Wynn Hotel on the Las Vegas strip.  You enter the club through the Wynn Hotel, within view of the casino and slot machines and indoor shops.  It felt like I was lining up inside a shopping mall  (think Oakridge mall, maybe?) so I had no idea what to expect inside.  When we got through the line-up (I was with three guys, so there was a slight delayed before we got fast tracked to the front via prior arrangements through MMV), I was amazed at the sheer, cavernous size of Tryst.

There were multiple lounges, outdoor patios, seating areas.  But the most eye-catching part of Tryst was the 90 foot high waterfall and lake in the middle of the club, directly behind the DJ booth.  The main dance floor was average-sized compared to the rest of the club, but because of the club’s expansive sound system, it felt like any part of Tryst could be a dance floor!

Next on the list was XS NIghtclub at the neighbouring Wynn Hotel, which has 16,000 square feet of indoor space.  There was a huge chandelier in the middle of the club, which I passed under in order to go to the back outside area of XS.  Think of a summer nighttime backyard pool party (although I don’t think you’re actually allowed in the pool in the evenings, since I only saw people dipping their feet in).  There was a gazebo-like platform in the middle of the massive pool, with musical performers on stage.

So as you can imagine, from the perspective of someone who is used to Vancouver nightlife, Vegas nightlife was definitely an experience worth checking out.  If you get a great flight deal and you’re off to Vegas sometime soon, be sure to check out Tryst and XS.  Cover is usually $20 for the ladies and $30 for the gents.

It’s that time of the year again – the nominations are in and the Clubvibes Nightlife Awards are ready to be voted on!  Vote in categories including Nightclub of the year, Best Restaurant and Lounge and Best Promotors.  Late day to get your say in is May 31st at Midnight.

I drive past this area most mornings, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Donnelly Group has opened yet another bar/restaurant .  This time, the group brings “its signature style and a little taste of Britian to Yaletown with the opening of The New Oxford” (1144 Homer Street).  Read below for the press release – I hope to check this one out for myself soon:

A tongue-in-cheek nod to both the world-renowned University of Oxford and British sporting culture, The New Oxford sits proudly on the edge of Yaletown, a welcome addition to Vancouver’s notoriously trendy neighborhood. Vintage touring bikes line the ceiling, leading the eye to a looming portrait of literary genius, misfit and Oxford alumni Oscar Wilde. A long view of the room – which runs the width of the entire city block – reveals rustic gray millwork, classic pub-style furniture and black & white photos of various other notable Oxford grads. The 50-foot long cantilevered bar serves as the room’s centerpiece, leading visitors into a ‘study’ motif, complete with taxidermy, original-print hardcover books, vintage sporting gear and even more comfortable seating.

Caprice Nightclub will be transformed into a Hollywood / Las Vegas style party. “Complete with a red carpet, photographers, custom decor, exclusive VIP areas, beautiful models, hostesses and classy go-go dancers. It will definitely be a place and night for the exclusive elites of the industry and party goers to see and be seen.”  Get your tickets now from Clubzone for only $20 (earlybird).

The space has been given a sleek makeover that has drawn both thankful regulars and new clientele. Smiley’s Public House delivers the style of a modern, British-style pub while retaining the warmth and character of a traditional pub. The open-concept room boasts 240 seats and a range of table sizes, including 16-seat picnic tables. Guests come in to loosen their ties, tuck into modern pub food, watch a football match and engage in good-natured banter around the pool table. The dance floor brims on busier nights, and a DJ spins to the after-work crowd on Fridays.