Vancouver Bottle Service Guide

By Matt Coolen

Let me just start this off by saying that I make it no secret that I feel if you are planning on going to one club with a group of friends and have the best time possible then bottle service is a must.

Vancouver Nightclubs are moving away from using bottle service as the correct term and moving more towards table service. Not only because it is more appropriate but because Vancouver Nightclubs are handcuffed by BC liquor laws. Yes you are buying your alcohol by the bottle, but unlike other Canadian cities, or other countries, you do not actually get to keep your bottle at your table, unless of course it is champagne or wine. The way this works is you pick your bottle type and they hold it behind the counter, you get your ice bucket and choice of mixers at your table and every few minutes your waitress will pop by to see if you need anything.

As of recently some clubs have taken measures to alleviate the annoyances this can sometimes cause and have gotten creative, for example at Ginger Sixty Two if you are fortunate enough to get table service in the VIP section, then there will be a lit up cage at the top of a pole coming out of the middle of your table, you will be allowed to keep your bottles in this cage and when you want a drink you simply turn the light on and your waitress will come tend to you.

Some of the best perks about reserving table service are that there is virtually no head aches when arriving at the club, you will be greeted at the door by your VIP host and they will walk you through the front door directly to your table where you can then expect to order your bottles for the night.

At most clubs there is a one bottle minimum per every four people in your group, this means if you have 5 people you can expect that they may ask you to buy 2 bottles, but Vancouver is usually not really strict on this rule and some clubs will let that slide.

Bottle prices vary but are a lot less expensive than in other cities, for example at most clubs the menu price for a bottle of Grey Goose is about $285, when you add service charge (tip) on top of that (which is automatically billed in with the bottles at 18%) you are paying just over $300 per bottle, which is not bad.

Math Alert:

Think of it like this; if you get a group of 8 people and are all involved with paying the $600 bill equally, you are only looking at roughly $75 per person, and that includes; skipping the line, not paying cover (which is $15 - $20 per person on average), getting walked through the club with full on VIP treatment to your own private / reserved booth for the night, having a personal waitress pour your drinks for you without having to get up and wait in any long lines at the bar and you basically get to do whatever you want all night. You can't beat it.

A few things to remember:

-If you are at a club that provides you with a host and you have them running all over the club for you all night collecting random groups of girls, or you are making special requests in general, then make sure you tip him at the end of the night, especially if you liked the girls enough to ask them to stay, or all of your requests were met. A good tip is on a low end $100 to $1000 depending on how much you made the man work.

- Your choice of mixers are free, but Red Bull isn't. For a 6 pack depending on the club it'll cost you about $50. Same for bottles of water.