Cocktail bar June pushes sleepy Vancouver style forward

It takes a lot for a Vancouver restaurant opening to stand out from the rest. There’s almost always something new launching here, which is exciting if also a tad exhausting. 

Most places debut with the usual fanfare: a few blog articles, some influencer posts, maybe a review, if they’re lucky. But every once in a while, an opening hits the zeitgeist in such a way that all of a sudden it’s properly everywhere: on social media, on media websites, on the tip of your tongue. June didn’t invent this type of buzz, but it sure is exemplary of it.

Launched in April from the minds behind Chinatown’s beloved Keefer Bar, June at 3305 Cambie St. has—seemingly overnight—become the hottest seat in town.

“It’s been really well received,” says general manager and partner Letiicia Castro. “There’s a lot of love and support around the Keefer community and our industry as a whole, but I feel like it’s been going beyond what we expected. It’s a lot of good energy.”

That can likely be attributed to a few things. For one, the Keefer Bar is one of the city’s most important cocktail bars—and was recently named number 28 in North America by 50 Best, during a lively awards ceremony that took place at the JW Marriott right here in Vancouver. So, naturally, all eyes were on what the Keefer ownership team of Cam Watt and Keenan Hood would do next.

For another, Cambie Village was in pretty desperate need of some vibe. Elio Volpe should be credited with doing it first, with the team behind Savio Volpe, La Tana, and Pepino’s converting a former mechanic shop into the light-filled, just-try-to-stop-me-from-Instagramming-it space and opening it in March of last year. But if its instant popularity was any indication, the neighbourhood was clearly ready for more. 

And finally, there’s the concept of June itself: the room, the food, the drinks. Hype is great and all, but you have to be able to back it up with the final product. June does this, and then some.

The space—which used to be occupied by Biercraft—was designed by Mexico City’s Héctor Esrawe. It exudes a warm, sexy aesthetic thanks to a mix of browns, reds, and oranges, with curved ceilings and strategic lighting. It’s immersive, and entirely different. Vancouver, for all its charms, can suffer from a bit of flatness, with many new places having a bit of a cookie-cutter look. June stands out as fresh and transportative. (There’s also a basement listening bar called Lala that has more of a refined 1970s vibe, as well as a pared-down menu.)

“We hear a lot of people be like, ‘Oh my God, it feels like we’re not in Vancouver—it feels like we’re in Mexico City or New York,” says Castro. “People are getting the transformative space that June is and that has been a main goal for our brand.”

The concept is a riff on a French brasserie, but with a definitive sexy twist. That’s there in the design, but it’s also in the menus. In terms of cocktails, June has already become known for its mini martinis: half-priced, half-sized versions, perfect for those who don’t want to commit to a whole one (or who want to try them all, but still have a good night’s sleep). 

“A full martini is great, but it can be a lot,” Castro admits. “So we wanted to give people the opportunity to indulge in our martini list that we created in-house, but in a smaller format.” It’s the perfect first drink: gin or vodka, olive or twist.

On the food side, with a menu created by head chef Connor Sperling, things are refreshingly unpretentious. You want a juicy burger? June has one. What about steak frites? The meat comes in a decadent brandy peppercorn sauce. Then there’s the Pasta for Rachel, which you’ve probably seen on Instagram: a rectangular, uncut sheet of house-made pasta stuffed with Comté cheese and black pepper, and topped with a fresh dollop of Normandy butter. It’s genius in its simplicity.

“We want 90 per cent of the items to be eaten and enjoyed by 100 per cent of the clientele,” says Castro. “We want it to be a neighborhood spot. Cambie Village has been super supportive of us, and we want to make sure that everyone who comes through gets to experience and have access to it without feeling like they have to be or dress a certain way.”

It does present a dilemma of sorts: how can you be an accessible neighbourhood spot when people are already reporting that it’s taken them a month to secure a reservation? To combat the high demand, Castro has a few solutions. First, reservations open just two weeks in advance, at 9 am, to prevent people from jamming up the books. Second, the bar remains open solely for walk-ins. Third, if someone tries to walk in and can’t get a seat that night, the team will help secure them a reservation at a later date.

“We can do that manually ourselves—to try to serve the community, and serve the people that are taking the time to walk in,” Castro says. “And also to seem like we’re not just a very selective place that nobody can ever get in.”

It’s both the blessing and the curse of being the most sought-after place in town.