Our Take on Bagheera
You find Bagheera by walking into Happy Valley Turf Club at 518 Main Street and placing a wager on King Louie at the betting counter. The shop is the front. Behind it waits a Victorian India fantasy that Canada's 100 Best named the best new bar in the country, as the Georgia Straight reported.
This is your room when a date needs to feel like a secret, or when you want one serious drink made with theater. Bring six loud friends and the room will fight you. Chinatown has better options for that night.
Reading the Room
The space reads like a train car parked inside a Delhi bazaar. A 42 foot illuminated bar fronted in reclaimed teak runs the length of the room, hung with more than 1,000 coins and bangles collected from Delhi and Jaipur markets, all of it under a 45 foot hand painted jungle mural.
The bar's own site describes the brief as Victorian India, and the room commits completely. Claim a seat at the teak counter if you can. It is the best seat in the house and the fastest service.
What to Order First
Who Shows Up, and When
Doors open at 5pm, Tuesday through Sunday, and the bar takes no reservations. You are seated first come, first seated, so the early seats go to cocktail people who know the door trick.
By 8pm on a Friday or Saturday, expect a line forming at the betting counter. Midweek at opening you can usually walk straight to the bar.
The Pattern in the Reviews
- Yelp reviewers keep praising the bartenders for knowledge and friendliness; across 49 reviews the service pattern holds.
- The repeated complaint is value. Portions read small against the prices, so budget for drinks first and food second.
- Several reviewers flag service slowdowns at peak hours. Sit at the counter rather than the banquettes if you want the bartenders' attention.
Go If, Skip If
- 01A second date that needs to land. The hidden door does half your work for you.
- 02Cocktail people working through the Chinatown crawl, between The Keefer Bar and the newer rooms.
- 03Skip it for big group nights. The room seats pairs and trios well, crowds badly.
Inside the Room
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