Canada Travel Guide

Rio Rio

Food is served tapas-style, and plenty of expatriate Latins and hip west-siders come to party and have their libidos elevated by the sinewy sounds of the in-house Latin dance band known as Latin Connection. Clench a rose in your teeth, but if you’re a rookie, remember to watch out for thorns. ■ 102 Water St; 685-1144; full bar; every day.

Santos Tapas

Down on the “Drive,” the Sunday ritual is an af¬ternoon visit to Santos Tapas Restaurant, where a live band churns out blues and rock with a Latin flavour. An interesting array of the colourful locals makes for great people-watching. »1191 Commercial Dr; 253-0444; full bar; closed Mon.

Automotive

The pool hall used to be strictly a male domain— a place where monosyllabic greasers, smelling of Brylcreem and leather, would congregate to smoke, squint, and swear. Au¬tomotive is an example of how much things have changed in Vancouver. This hip Yaletown billiard room is ensconced in a former auto dealership. White walls, a high ceiling, and abun¬dant windows keep it bright and cheery, and the original garage door swings open (weather permitting) to keep the air as fresh as the juices and snacks that are offered up front. You’ll wait anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour in the ’60s-furnished holding lounge if you arrive between 8pm and lam. ■ 1095 Homer St; 682-0040; alcohol Mon nights only; every day.

Barracuda

Like its namesake, Barracuda is aggressive—at least in its quest to put the pool hall in the forefront of Van¬couver’s entertainment scene. The atmosphere is darker than you’ll find in Automotive but no less inviting. The floor is made of dark, weathered planks, and the walls combine rustic brick and soothing sponged blues. This former art gallery remains true to its history, with a revolving display of modern artistic works and hanging table lights fashioned from plumbing fix¬tures. Saturday night features a live band and dancing, and at Wnchtime area workers pop in to take advantage of the exquisite food service. ■ 562 Beatty St; 687-6588; no alcohol; every day.

Wnstone

This new spot has already caught on as a lunch s °P for the downtown business crowd, who seem to appreciate -e streamlined, tasteful decor and tasty food. A sound system pumps out mellow jazz during the day and switches to rock when the sun goes down. All 10 pool tables are busy until 2am most nights. ■ 830 WPender St; 684-7665; no alcohol; every day.

Seymour Billiards

This is the grand old man of Vancouver pool halls, an immense structure that’s filled with 22 full-size snooker tables, six pool tables, and enough cigarette smoke to grow a tumour the size of a Buick. It’s a grimy people-watcher’s paradise, a grungy version of Noah’s Ark, where you’ll find at least two examples of virtually every form of humanity that can walk, crawl, or slither through the door. ■ 999 Seymour St; no phone; no alcohol; every day.

Soho Cafe

You can credit this establishment with instigating the wave of upscale pool haunts that are washing over the city. Since day one, the seats and pool tables have been full of Kit-silano yupsters and Yaletown hipsters. The walls are clad in the original rustic brick, and the place looks and feels super. The food alone is worth a visit. ■ 1144 Homer St; 688-1180; no al¬cohol; Mon-Sat.