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Astoria Hotel
Categories: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Nightlife Bars Pubs Hotels, Beer, Wine & Spirits, Pubs [Edit]
769 Hastings St EVancouver, BC V6A 1R3
Neighbourhood: Downtown Eastside
(604) 254-3355
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- DJ, Live, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Astoria Hotel
Review Highlights
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"There are pool tables for the non-dancers and lots of..." In 6 reviews -
"The drinks are cheap, the staff are pretty friendly and the..." In 5 reviews -
"Live music lots of the time." In 4 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from Tamara H.
1/7/2012
I'm glad there is a place in vancouver where you can get $6.75 doubles and the door guys will offer to hold your coats behind the bar. And where there is the possibility of deep fried pickles.
Combine this with KC & JoJo - well, you always have an interesting night. -
Review from Barry M.
11/29/2011
I totally forgot to write a review about here.
Went with a friend to drop something off for a friend.
This bar has no redeeming qualities beyond a door guy who was actually cool offering us our money back.
You might get shanked on the way here, it's a terrible location. Inside there was a guy "playing" (I use the term very loosely) a sound that could only be described as noise. It was as if a speaker was redlining. I know it couldn't have been an accident, as it lasted for at least 5 minutes and there were 5-6 hipsters standing around him staring at the floor not giving a single fuck. -
Review from Robin M.
10/19/2011
Vancouver needs a good gad-awful dive bar, but this isn't it. Yes, it's in a seedy-ish neighbourhood, yes it's got cheap drinks, yes it smells like the underbelly of a beached whale doused in stale beer, and yes it sometimes looks like a vice magazine shoot -- but no, it is not a good dive bar.
BUT: every once in awhile a good band will play here, AND my friends like it just fine, SO I will continue to go. -
Review from Laura M.
Vancouver, BC
11/2/2011
This place doesn't even deserve one star. I'd honestly rather hang out in an outhouse for the night than go to this place. Sure it's cheap, but its dirty, nasty, too loud, and the people there have a "I'm way too cool" attitude. I was reminded of this place after reading a news article- apparently its the place Robert Pickton liked to hang out at! Bonus!
"Sharon Baptiste told Allan that her last memory of cousin Georgina Papin is the woman leaving in a truck with Pickton outside the Astoria Hotel.
A street nurse, Bonnie Fournier, told Allan "that asshole, he's had his truck parked outside the Astoria for the last 25 years."" -
Review from Rheanna F.
Vancouver, BC
5/27/2011
I concur with Nicole F... I probably *SHOULD* come here more often, because whenever i do, i have a helluva lot of fun. I have been here in attempts to see a few bands play... I say attempts because the drinks are so cheap that half the time i forget actually SEEING the band. I remember having lots of fun with my friends, but that's about it...!
About a month ago some friends of mine and i went on an East Van pub crawl and this was our second to last stop. Turns out it was dance hall night. Normally i am not a fan, but by this point i was so drunk that i was on the dance floor until the bar closed. If you're like me and not a fan of reggae, dance hall or what have you, you should definitely come to this night, if only because it will give you something to say to people who like reggae. Until coming here, whenever people professed to like reggae i would awkwardly say 'oh yea... that's uh, capital' but now i can say 'yea? Have you ever been to the Thursday night at Astoria? It's awesome.' I will be saying this for the rest of my life, even if Astoria closes.
If you're wondering why i've devoted so much of this review to reminiscing about the Thursday dance hall night, it's because normally i'm so drunk i don't remember much of this place.
On to my only other really coherent memory: The basement is set up for boxing! It has a full size rink, dressing room, showers and weight area! I'm not sure if people train here normally or what, but it was one of the neatest backstage areas i have ever seen!Listed in: Best Places to Drink Til You…, Make Mine Music!
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Review from Cyndi H.
Vancouver, BC
11/25/2010
*Sigh* I heart dive bars!
My awesome-o roomie played a show here last night. Naturally I was stoked to come because a) my roomie is awesome b) his band rocks da casbah and c) the Astoria has been on my must-see list for quite some time. Triple score!
Though the Astoria is hella-old and located in the lonely part of the DTES it's actually decent inside. With a charming older gentleman (has seen some tough days in the DTES) collecting glasses all night, every table was kept clean; the whole place was remarkably tidy.
There are two pool tables, decent seating and a small stage. The stage is raised abnormally high for the small space (I think 4 feet high) but that just made it easier to see the band from many parts of the room.
The acoustics were great for my roomies band, Black House Blue Sky (check those dudes out) and I was uber proud like a mother hen. . . or someone who is proud... ummm.
I love you, Astoria! -
Review from Andrea B.
12/4/2010
Astoria is a breath of fresh air. Gone are the days of waiting in line for hours (yes, HOURS!) and paying obscene $$$ to get in and play skin-to-skin contact with the sweaty stranger next to you while watching outdated music videos on the big screen.
Astoria is the exact opposite: no line, cheap cover (if any), huge space, live bands. Can you say AWESOME?! The ceilings are super high so the space feels even huger! The dance floor is a bit on the tiny side but it seems like 1/2 the people dance while the other 1/2 stand around the edges watching (not in a creepy way...i think...) leaving tons of room to get your groove on. Be warned: after 1AMish, people start to get sloppy and "accidentally" start pushing. When I went a mosh pit started.
Drinks are cheap and people non-creepy. There are pool tables for the non-dancers and lots of chairs to sit and contemplate life...or drink yourself silly.
The only downside is the location. It's hard to get to by public transit and it seems like taxis rarely drive by for a hail down. If you plan on coming here, be sure to plan a way home or it's going to be a looooonnnnngggggggg night. -
Review from Malloreigh M.
Vancouver, BC
8/9/2010
Okay, I maybe find all of the other reviews slightly offensive because I am a hipster, but you know what, we are not that bad. The Astoria has some decent hipsters for a hipster-frequented bar, and frankly, they are what turned this place from a crackhole into a decent place to drink with clean bathrooms, okay? So stop hating.
I visit the Astoria maybe once a month or less and I generally have an awesome time. The drinks are cheap enough that I bother to have one rather than predrinking so I don't spend money, and often there are good bands. Even if the place isn't full, it's a fun time because it's a kind of cozy setup, and I find it unpretentious enough that I can dance with one other friend alone on the dance floor and pull out some sweet moves without being too self-conscious. EVEN ON HIPSTER NIGHT.
The Power Shandy is a drink that I make all first-time Astoria-ers get. You order them two at a time and each one is half a beer, half a Smirnoff Ice, and a shot of vodka. Two of these and I'm having "deep meaningful conversations" outside by the community garden.
Local residents have complained many times about the loud jerks outside the bar so try to keep it down, mmkay? -
Review from Cameron M.
Toronto, ON
11/20/2008
So , yes, first off: This is a review of the Astoria bar. I wouldn't touch the hotel with a 10 foot pole and would likely be murdered in the boxing gym. It's in a colorful end of town, yes, but the Astoria clearly has been standing as long as it has for its ability to clean up its act.
When I first went it was definitely more of a daring-do. The crowd was scarier and the night was scarier and it was a punk show involving a nude man hanging from the rafters. See, daring. Still, for a somewhat scary place we got seats, service and had fun completely unmolested.
Nowadays, The Astoria is even less scary. It frequently hosts hipster nights, it has solid and unpretentious bouncers and bartenders and hosts some of the best indie concerts when it comes to local talent. Their lighting and sound work is also surprisingly up to snuff considering the general surroundings.
But all that pales in comparison to this: clean bathrooms. Not like 'your home' clean but I'd say about 1 billion times cleaner than you'd assume from the general surroundings. It's that sort of thing that shows the Astoria's dedication to service, that's something you don't see in a lot of Million dollar bars in Gastown that know they can survive no matter what.
So yes, absolutely not for everyone. Not even kind of. But, if you like some indie rock, can handle some hipsters, and don't mind leaving around 1 am then don't be afraid of an invite to The Astoria. It's mostly harmless and fun and you can impress your friends from the suburbs by pointing it out as you whiz past it in your car. -
Review from Fonny C.
Vancouver, BC
1/14/2011
With the Waldorf pub transformed into Nuba and all clean and pretty, I had to find my next closest dive bar, and so Astoria it was. It was a Thursday night and the game was on but there were only a few longshoremen there, (guess they had to move their hangout as well). The minute I walked it I got slapped with a stench brewed from the 70s and reminded me of the Jolly Taxpayer pub.
Local pitchers are $12.00 including tax, can't really beat that. The waitress is super sweet, although all the "sweethearts" and "darlings" made me think I was in the set of Sons of Anarchy, lol
DO NOT and I warn you...DO NOT eat there. Trust me, just don't. -
Review from Ian D.
Vancouver, BC
8/24/2010
Every city needs a Brooklyn-style dirty hipster bar: the kind of place that, were this America, would have PBR on tap and lots of ironic facial hair inside.
Unlike most of the Brooklyn hipster bars I've been to, however, the crowd at the Astoria does not suffer from too-cool-for-school-itis, and most everyone is friendly. It's also one of the few places in town that books entry-level live music acts, which can be hard to find in my beloved Vancouver.
Pros:
-Cheap drinks.
-Nice enough crowd.
-Pool tables.
-The bathrooms aren't as wretched as you'd expect.
-Live music lots of the time.
Cons:
-Tons of hipsters = epically long lineups.
-Ironic facial hair.
-The food might kill you. -
Review from Simon R.
BC
12/12/2008 1 photo
Known locally as simply "The Ass", this is a dingy bar in the Downtown Eastside clearly dominated by what are now internationally known as scenesters. The place is old and dirty, but it compensates by charging very little for draft beer and highballs.
It's a classic, with two pool tables, a large area with big round tables, and a cleared out area next to a small stage for dirty dancing. The music isn't really bad, its just rehashed mash-ups of stuff you thought you were sick of. It's really loud though, and conversations will have to be yelled out.
There's no cover, which is one of the attractions for the people who like to get tacky decked-out but can only afford to buy second hand clothes. The staff is really great, but the crowd can get pretty pretentious, with every other outfit screaming "look at me", and every other person from either Ontario or rural BC. It was even the featured venue for a series of photographs that went along with a terrible Adbusters article about scenesters. -
Review from Sahra G.
6/21/2011
Fun? Pshaw. I seriously had the most boring night of my life here. Dive bar? They do it a little better in Toronto. Cheaper too... and better atmosphere. What is with the bathroom? 3 stalls? Uber small? eeps. NEVER AGAIN.
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Review from pete d.
Vancouver, BC
6/7/2010
Review of the Beer Store only
Years ago, the Provincial Government of the time got it into their heads that the East End residents were such a danger to themselves that the old Liquor Distribution branch that used to be in Chinatown should be closed down. The result at the time was an epidemic of rice wine drinking, Lysol quaffing and the Cold Beer and Wine Store at the Astoria.
Today, The Astoria CBW is still pretty much the only option in the hood to score some take home hooch (other than beer off-sales in actual bars). The selection is pretty mediocre - mostly watery big brewery stuff: Molson, Labatt, Bud, Coors. Pilsner and Blue Ribbon for the ironically inclined hipster type, High Test and Colt for the hardcore. Apparently a lot of people miss that there are some further coolers down the hall towards the boxing gym - with bottled beer, Sleeman's and OK Springs type stuff.. They also stock a limited selection of European import tall boys. A smattering of ciders, coolers and girly-drinks.
Wine ranges from litre and a half jugs of horrible to the ok - there's also a modest selection of overpriced hard liquor.
Like all private CBW's, prices are jacked by 10-20%
You'll find a better selection about 6 or 7 blocks east at The Waldorf
.. But until we get something better the Astoria's the only game in town -
Review from Mandy R.
8/6/2010 3 Check-ins Here
This place is like Cheers. The bouncers hug me (and don't ID anyone I'm with, so if you're 18, sexy, and want to go to a bar... call me), the bartenders know I like about 4 limes in my drinks, the management is good, the DJs are friendly, and despite being in the buttcrack of Vancouver, this place is fairly clean. If you are looking for a place to dance with your friends without getting hit on (okay, you will get hit on, but by drunken metalheads, hipsters, and confused barely-legal boys, and they are all harmless and will back off easily), this is the place to do it. It's only super packed when popular local bands are playing here, the drinks are cheap, the pool tables are free (I think? I've never paid) and there are plenty of tables if you're into sitting.
I would be willing to bet $20 that every Friday and Saturday night, one of the toilets will be overflowing by midnight. That said, the bathrooms are cleaned on the regular so the next time you're there, you've got a fresh start to plug it right back up again with... whatever you use to plug a toilet. How do you plug up and overflow a toilet? I've never managed this, not even in a dive-bar. I digress. The bathrooms get cleaned.
The Astoria! Where everybody knows your signature drink and bad dance moves. -
Review from Sam W.
9/3/2010
Better than Pat's , not as Good as Funky Winterbeans.
If your visiting Van, add it to your list of a bar crawl.
Prices are Canada prices so bring $500 for a beer. -
Review from Nicole F.
11/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
Every time I visit the Astoria, I ask myself why I don't come around more often.
I always have a good time here, no matter what is happening.
The drinks are cheap, the staff are pretty friendly and the washrooms are always surprisingly clean!
There are pool tables for those of you who play, plenty of tables and chairs if you want to enjoy yourself sitting down, and a jukebox..? Although the only time I've ever seen the jukebox in use, it was during a club night and I watched the DJ walk over, pull it away from the wall and turn the volume off himself while the guy who had chosen the song just stared at him.
Who starts up a jukebox when there is a DJ? Rude weirdos, that's who.
I like the layout of the Astoria a lot. It's gigantic, and although it is one giant room, there is a large random wall in the middle to give it more of a separated feel (without feeling TOO disconnected!).
Most recently, I visited for a "secret show". Alexisonfire and 3 Inches of Blood had just played a show at the PNE Forum, and had scheduled a show at the Astoria for afterward under fake names for (I think..) $12.. I guess it sold out pretty quickly because anyone who showed up without a ticket was turned away immediately and not given the option to pay cover. My friend had gotten her name on the VERY TINY guest list (they were only allowed one person :\), thanks to our friend in 3 Inches of Blood and I figured I would pay when I got there. I was told "no" immediately and was standing outside with my sympathetic friend trying to figure out what the hell to do with myself, when the bouncer remembered a guy walking past who had a ticket for sale, called him over and I was given the ticket for free! I was so grateful! Especially considering everyone else was being turned away without a second glance. Thank you Mr. Bouncer man, and thank you to the wonderful gentleman who gave me the free ticket! I had an awesome night! :)
PS: I also have a friend who runs the night "Careful!" on random Sundays. You should ALL GO.
PPS: 3 INCHES OF BLOOD. YEAAAAAAAAAAAH \m/ -
Review from Tabatha Anne Y.
Richmond, BC
8/14/2010
I've only been here once, and it was a Sunday, but I have every intention of going back.
Free cover, pool, beer for less than $5, double hi-balls for some crazy low price that I can't recall right now. My friend has a night here on Sundays called Careful! that is a good time, that draws a friendly crowd. There is also a juke box for when there isn't a dj or live music.
The bar isn't in the nicest part of town, but certainly not the worst either. Once inside, the bar is clean, set up well and has a nice sized dance floor. Lots of tables, seats and room to mingle. The bathrooms are clean, as is the rest of the place.
All in all, no complaints about this place at all. -
Review from Mathieu Y.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 11/10/2009
I didnt know this at the time of my first review, but the Astoria is great between Sundays and Tuesdays! Free pool, free cover, cheap beer, and even a kareoke event on Monday (that may be a competition soon). The bar is almost completely devoid of hipsters on these days and is actually a lot of fun to bring some friends down to, shoot a few games of pool grab a kitchen special and leave drunk, bloated, and happy for only $20!
I still dislike going here on weekends, although I have to give them credit for the diverse selection in local acts they are now hosting, along with the much more reasonable cover charges. Besides, I think I will always have a bone to pick with vapid fashion conscious teenagers.Listed in: Dive drinks
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/6/2009
Welcome to hipster hell! The amount of lens-less prescription glasses, flannel shits, high top shoes… Read more »
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Review from Alice A.
1/28/2011
It's a dive bar all right, which obviously appeals to its target market. The DJ spinning reggae wore dreadlocks, the staff wore dreadlocks, the customers wore dreadlocks. I see where this is going... I should get some dreadlocks and go Rastafarian! No, not really. Anyone's welcome here. It's perfectly okay to be different even when different was normal. Some people go the music, others to chill and play pool. I was there for a mate's birthday. It's all cool. 4 bucks cover? I don't get it but i don't mind it. One for the downtown east side.
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Review from Dani B.
9/18/2009
This place is dark, dirty, and plays a nice variety of music 7 days a week. There are hipsters oozing out of every corner, but the drinks are cheap and ambiance is relaxed and friendly. They have pool as well, if you can find the freaking 8-ball! Come here with a bunch of friends to have a good time and not worry too much about the bill. Listen to good music (if you come on the right night) and worry about whether your plaid shirt is hipster-chique or scenster-nouveau.
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Review from Jordan H.
10/23/2009 3 Check-ins Here
The Astoria got its act together over the past couple of years. There's live music 2 or 3 nights a week and local dj nights on the others. The beer is cheap, the staff is young and fresh and the doormen are friendly. And don't be afraid of hipsters just because most them are dressed better than you.
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Review from Ali L.
Montréal, QC
12/3/2009
The definition of a DTES dive bar. The Astoria is a blend of hipsters and beardos - both down-and-out style beardos, and dudes who compete with each other over whose ancient road bike is cooler. You will jockey with both in the line for cheap beer from overly-hassled bartenders.
Don't take my four stars to mean this place is anything but a dump. All the same I have a strange affection for it because it has many decent live bands.
