Best Bar/Lounge 2010

Bacchus at the Wedgewood (Bronze) dominated this category for years—“It’s still one of the best places in town to feel like a grown-up ordering a grown-up drink”—but Uva (Gold) finally shakes things up. “ Sebastien Le Goff’s smartly chosen list is intelligent and playful, pairing well with elegant nibbles like the fried egg bruschetta. Here, at last, is a bar that offers interesting and changing wines by the glass.” At newcomer Pourhouse (Silver), “Jay Jones provides a steady hand with whisky-based house specialties that balance warmth and smoke against a touch of sweet.” Honourable Mentions to stylish Gastown bar The Diamond for its Prohibition-era cocktails and to Chambar for wowing with its innovative bar program.