Killjoy

I’ve never had bottle service. Even when I was riding on the coat tails of the beautiful people in Vegas, it was just the VIP section.
Our friend was having a birthday party and her boyfriend had organized Bottle Service for her. He said we could pitch in to help with the cost. I didn’t because I don’t drink, but my husband did. Our other friend asked if she could «donate» less because she didn’t think she could drink that much. Just being able to bypass the line was good enough for me. We were lead downstairs to a corner table set up with cups and juice on ice. Our server brought out our two bottles and started filling little carafes. What? We don’t get the bottle with a pour-​y spout thing? I was told that it was so the bottles don’t become weapons. Aha… I see.
As the night goes on (I was only there for like 2 hours), the lady comes back to make sure we have enough mixers and glasses and ice. She also refills the carafes with our alcohol of choice. When she was busy, another guy wandered by to make people drinks. My friend was looking for limes for her gin and tonic and this guy comes running with a bunch of wedges. We didn’t even have to ask for them… that was nice.
The music was good. I wanted to dance, but my husband wasn’t drunk enough yet.

Great staff, hot dancers, reasonable lines.
I always have a good time here! Definitely one of my favourite clubs.

Never come back here again!!! Don’t suggest anybody else. Statement about Friday night February 20^th, 2015.
Manager Cole Steward has poor interpersonal and communication skills. Very rude and aggressive, not a problem solver, a problem maker. He needs a proper training. Couldn’t deal with a simple question, addressed to him about a waitress behaviour.
Expectations about the service was high, because it’s a part of Donnelly Group and usually they have a good standards in other places!
HR department definitely have to take attention on professional development or replacement this kind of «management».
Music was good, other staff– nice and friendly, except of one blond girl, with long hair, her name has never been told, for unknown reason. The answers from her and manager were: «It’s doesn’t matter!!!» … Repeated 5 times
Situation was pretty simple in the beginning (two almost full drinks were taken away from a table, cleaned up, Q about this, cause waitress rude response), but hope to resolve it with a managers «help», turned into a problem at the end.
Guests would never like it, because you go to a bar/​club to enjoy your time, have fun and you pay for it.
Guys and girls, don’t take a risk ;) There are many other good places for your pleasure time in Vancity

My review of this is placed is based off my experience on New Years 2015.
Spoiler: Biggest waste of $ 60.
I wish I had researched this place before purchasing NYE tickets for our group. I haven’t heard terrible things, and I had high expectations because it’s part of the Donnelly Group.
Let’s cut to the chase.
Disappointments:
— Their theme for the night was «Midnight in Paris», but nothing seemed to resemble the theme.
— The music started off good while we were sipping drinks upstairs, but once we got downstairs it became house/​techno. (I know some people like that, so this is a personal preference)
— The dance floor was SMALL. Like the size of my living room.
— Their «Live Entertainment» was two go-​go dancers.
— The staff (go-​go dancers, bartenders) would constantly check their phones. The go-​go dancers were checking their phones while on the platform.
Things to note, but not deal breakers:
— They don’t have pitchers of beer, only bottled.
— Drink specials ended around 11pm.
— Did not service food during NYE.
— Our group of 7 purchased «5 tickets + Champagne» and also two single tickets. When we arrived we received a red ticket for the champagne bottle and also single tickets for champagne at midnight. We decided to grab the champagne bottle at the beginning of the night, and was bummed out when we didn’t receive the bottle. The bartender poured the bottle into glasses for us.
The good:
— The manager, Carissa, was nice and helpful.
— Most of the staff were friendly.
Verdict:
I would come back here for a drink with a friend, but never for an event. It was completely over priced. It should’ve been maximum $ 30, not $ 60. Worst New Years celebration I’ve ever had. Thank god I was with some great people.
The clock struck 12:15 am, and we got the hell out of there.

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR BILL! Charged «auto grat» or automatic gratuities twice and still tipped, made them give the tip back after realizing. I will never come back.

Ok

Came here because the other night I heard thumping music down a building hall thing and thought it would be all cool to check out a «basement place». It was a good club. Ladies if you get the complementary passes or put yourself on guest list you are free to get in. The music was good, top 40, house, rnb, trance… All of it. A little squishy cuz it’s downstairs but I’m sure if you hit up the upper level it’s more airy. No one was really dancing at some point (a lot I bachelorette parties) and I’m 5’11 when i put heels on and everyone in the club minus like 2 guys were shorter than me. I will be back though!

It was okay. Really small but was barely packed when I was there… around midnight. I didn’t like the beer selection and when I asked about the rose gin… the bartender looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. Lol. I doubt I’ll ever go back. The music was good… and the go go dancers were a nice touch… but nah.

The Killjoy was our third, and final destination on our girls’ night out. There was nothing spectacular or noteworthy about the place, in my opinion (then again, I’m not a clubber, so perhaps I don’t know what to look for). My friends and I were having a good time – chatting, drinking, and dancing. The place was crowded and narrow, so there wasn’t much room to dance. As we were dancing, all of a sudden a guy, an employee of the club, walked by and violently yanked on my friend’s arm, accusing her of hitting him, and tells her he’s throwing her out.
We weren’t flailing our limbs about wildly, but dancing does involve some form of movement, so I figure what must have happened was that her arm came into contact with the guy as he tried to squeeze through the crowd, and the guy was in a pissy mood and decided to take it out on her. We didn’t even notice him until he grabbed her! The guy ushered us outside and left us, where we spoke to another staff member who told us that the angry guy was the manager (or a manager – not sure which).
I’m not sure of exactly what happened next, but the girl who had organized our night talked them into letting us back in. But talk about a killjoy.

This used to be my favourite establishment until they took all their great drinks off their menu and replaced them with all gin. Since the bartender changed you can’t even get a mojito! What a shame.
Also, they’ve completely redone their upstairs seating to be more like a pub/​booths etc. Too bad, they used to have these great open seating booths and best of all standing tables so when it got busy you could mingle. Now it’s like all the other places in Vancouver where people don’t mingle much or talk to each other… yes, room seating and layout does change this!
That being said, I still do really enjoy the dance floor and the music. Staff are still really nice (except bartenders who turn their noses up at you when you try and order something other than gin!)…
Maybe they’ll change it back to it’s golden time :)

Came here based on the recommendation of Unilocal while looking for a good gin based drink for my girl before grabbing sushi across the street.
The first thing to note about this place is that it is impossible to locate. It is inside the building, in a hallway behind a black unmarked door. The name of the restaurant is on the glass window next to the door.
The Gin selection was extensive and the bar tender knew what he was doing. The gin and tonic that we were served was absolutely delicious.
Then I had them make a drink off menu, as most of them were made with lemon juice and I’m not a fan of citrus. We ended up putting together a gin, cucumber, mint and rose gin drink that was just awesome.
The only downside to this place is that the music is rather loud and when this place is full I imagine it isn’t the type of crowd that I would want to hang around.

Never been to a place like this. The service was sub par, the crowd was mainly guys and the drinks ranged from $ 8 and up. It was 1:25 am and the club/​barimmediately shut off all its music, the guys who had bottle service next to us just bought a Goose. It’s $ 650 for 2 bottles. The VIP section is tiny. Anyways all the music ended and promptly followed by the lights turning on. We had a friend in the restroom and the bouncers told us it was time to get out rudely. I felt like I was a kindergarten kid.
I have never seen this happen before in any club ever. Top it off, Ryan Kesler in a walking boot strolls into the bar as everyone is ushering you out. Never coming back and I want my money back for the drinks I just bought! Terrible.

I love gin. Need I say more. Rose gin cocktail is delicious if you like grapefruit bitters. But if you aren’t a gin lover, don’t despair. They serve other spirits and the bartenders are flexible and talented enough to adjust or make any cocktail to your taste.
Plus they have wine ON TAP. It’s starting to become something of a trend in this city, but there’s still only a few bars doing it so far. The idea is that the wine is served exactly how the wineries intended them to be, fresh and aerated. My reco would be Nichol Vineyard 9 Mile red wine. You’re welcome. They were out of the Blasted Church white blend which I will gladly go back to try.
Funky industrial décor on the main level with a good vibe, the downstairs feels more like Yaletown with its neon lights and faux leather booths so I quickly went back upstairs. In terms of food, have only tried the pork belly which was delicious. If you don’t mind that it is trendy (but let’s be honest, we wouldn’t be on Unilocal if we didn’t follow trends), then get your gin and wine-​on-​tap fix here.

I really don’t understand why this place isn’t packed more on a Friday night.
Good drinks and interesting cocktail concoctions.
Reasonable prices.
Really great décor and a great story/​history to the space too! (Ask the bartenders for the story)
Perfect place to chill and unwind with friends.

I really like the vibe at Killjoy. This bar/​pub is located in Yaletown, so naturally I expected a slightly pretentious place. However, the staff and especially the manager were accomodating and friendly.
The décor style is very simple with concrete walls and unfinished ceilings. Not a favorite with everyone, but you have to appreciate the look they are going for. It would be boring if all restaurants and bars looked exactly the same. Killjoy is quite dark inside, but it makes my makeup look fantastic!

Great room, great guys running the show. Finally a cool place in Yaletown. Maybe the last one opened here back in ’97.
Me and a buddy got here super early — at a time when maybe most people were out on patios. We chose this gorgeous cave.
Started out with organic beers from the bottle, this ain’t a pub holmes. The beers were fantastic. I went on to a lovely pinot. We had pork belly and smoked tuna with avocado. Lovely. Just lovely.
We met Liam, the chef who came by personally to see how we liked everything. He then came back with some honey garlic tapenade on a warmed crisp with honey comb on top. Gawd that was good.
I can imagine how this place must rock at 11:00 pm. Love this place.
Welcome to Yaletown guys.
g

Everything that’s been said about Killjoy is true – it’s a small enclave in Yaletown serving up high quality gin cocktails, and amazingly, wine on tap. And the setting feels hip and quirky, but I’m just not sure it’s anything we haven’t seen before. It’s Alibi Room, Six Acres, L’Abattoir – albeit with much less of an emphasis on the food.
The early round of the menu is small and focuses on charcuterie and cheese – all were delicious – but Killjoy’s space tells you they’re not for noshing and chatting. A dance floor and bottle service booth downstairs confirm this point.
Even if Jeff Donnelly created a mellower space, the question remains: ‘How many craft cocktails and charcuterie plates do Vancouverites need?’

Wines on tap. Crafted cocktails. Charcucterie and cheese. Dance floor.
The interior has a raw, underground feel, the main entrance a discreet black door along a corridor. This ‘cocktail tavern’ is the newest addition to the Donnelly Group. The drink menu consists of a cocktail section focused on gins, as well as signature house cocktails and classic ones. There’s a selection of BC wines are on tap.
I tried a Rose Gin Cocktail, with a G’Vine Nouaison gin, chamomile rose tea syrup, Bittermen’s ‘Hopped Up’ grapefruit bitters, fresh grapefruit juice, egg white, and grapefruit zest. This was just the right sweet/​bitter balance.
The unique cheese and charcuterie plate features meats from Oyama, and is complemented by condiments such as fresh honeycomb, and grainy mustard.
Don’t leave the place without checking out the downstairs dance floor and bottle service tables. Yes, the heart of Donnelly is still there, but Killjoy is a good alternative to get some fancy cocktails when in Yaletown.

Meana and James, I see your 4 stars and raise you a 5. You normally think Donnelly Group, and you think big conglomerate, faceless, same-​menu-​everywhere, has-​no-​personality sort of place. Killjoy is a whole different breed, and may embody the company’s efforts to change the perception of their brand.
First off Trevor their «director of mixology» or whatever, has put together an incredible cocktail menu based around gin that words can’t really do justice to. Award winning cocktails, nods to some of the great mixologists, classics, and Trevor’s own creations, it’s all in there. As for the wine, it is all BC based save for the sauvignon blanc. The cheese and charcuterie included tasteful choices that are elevated when paired with the cocktails /​wines.
The space that is where the place really shines. The beauty is in the meticulous details. You have to see for yourself, and it might be tough, as you might walk right by it a few times before you figure out the dark looking place that looks closed is actually open. But you’ll feel like you’re no longer in Yaletown when you walk inside. I’m told credit goes to the-​never-​fails-​to-​impress Craig Stanghetta here but everything is cool: the piano components glued to the wall, the «fetishist» art, the dog tags, the obituaries engraved in metallic brick behind the bar downtairs, the wine selections crayoned behind the bar upstairs, the open wall concept downtairs, the strategic placement of drink stands and hooks to hang your purse everywhere and much much more.
I’m sorry, the yuppies in Yaletown don’t deserve a place like this but it’s lucky Killjoy is here anyway. If you want to get away from the vibe (and types) you find at Society, go to Killjoy.

I can’t wait to come back here. In fact, I hope to become a regular here. What an amazingly beautiful and classy bar just stumbling distance from my home. Wow, I don’t have to go to Gastown to get away from the typical Yaletown scene?
This place is incredibly gorgeous inside. The amount of detail that went into the design and décor — from the charred wood that comprises the upstairs bar to the drink rails on standing tables to the deconstructed piano and the beautiful obituary backsplash (downstairs). I dig how this place looks, big time.
I’m hoping that I’ll upgrade my rating in the future once I’m here outside of a Unilocal event. I really really hope to, because I need a new place to hang out that’s closer to home and offers great eyecandy and music, not to mention fabulous wine and food. Oh, and the drink menu — lots of Gin so if you’re a fan, come on out.
I realize that if I post this review — people will start coming here and I can’t keep this backyard secret to myself. Maybe others like me who are misfits in Yaletown but love the convenience will seek shelter from the yuppies here. It’s just… so different. I love that there is no front door. I love that it’s hidden. And dark. It’s mysterious… Yet quirky and cozy.
The place has only been open less than 2 months and I know there’s quite the nightlife scene here already. I hear the downstairs gets packed on the weekends. Oh, did I mention the kitchen is open til 1am?
I’ve had a selection of cheeses and charcuteries which were excellent, but I can’t wait to try a few more items.
Killjoy — welcome to the neighborhood.