238 Abbott St,
Vancouver, BC

Phone: (604) 336-4006
Hours: Tues to Sun 5 p.m.–1 a.m.
Menu: arcanabar.com

To get a seat at Arcana Food and Spirits, it’s best to make a reservation. This guarantees you a seat because this operation has the feel of a vintage speakeasy. Whether you’re here for a quick drink or a bite, that depends on when you visit. On a busy Friday night, I knew it’s going to be busy, and I have to wonder how many peeps Fan Expo Vancouver squeezed in back when they booked the space to get people excited about the convention? I suspect not many, as it may hold 70 folks at most (there are two levels), and to look around requires navigating the corridor.

Ever since it opened in December 2023, it’s been doing well. I’m 100% in love with this theme bar. While the food is a step above the typical bar food, albeit with some nicely named treats to satisfy my interest in the occult, I’d come back just to try a few more dishes. I dressed for the occasion! Not only that, but I was wearing my Viking Cthulhu themed bomber jacket, and Anubis tee, so I was really loving the dark atmosphere where it felt like I was here to witness a ritual summoning!

This place loses a point for closing early. It wasn’t even midnight or close to during the night I went (this was last year). For my convention weekend, I made sure I had my booking in and also got some video gaming on since this operation isn’t too far from Greta Bar and Arcade. Although this corner of nerd central is tiny where Abbott and W Cardova intersect, maybe time will tell showing if these two places can replace EXP Bar, which sadly closed in 2018. Nerdy dining establishments don’t seem to last in this town, and I’m referring back to when Storm Crow Tavern was around. Too many things, including the pandemic, forced that operation to shut its doors.

While all I had was the Ritual Steak Tartare, the presentation was beautiful! The way it’s served, and the chive crème fraîche had a tart touch when paired with the crispy bread. I should’ve ordered the sliders because I love bison, but when there’s no information on the menu if they’re Albertan or not, I’ll have to wait another time. They look delicious, and I love the branding on the bread, but I didn’t want to summon up the wrong thing.

The desert took its time to arrive, and overall, it was a sweet way to top off the night. The Balefire Bread Pudding is made with a brioche butter pudding in whipped sabayon, caramel date silan, brandied sultana raisins and candied orange zest. It’s a dense treat which I liked, and the sweetness was not overpowering. After winding down from the buzz from the Cthulhu inspired cocktail I had.

Although some patrons are here for the tarot card themed drinks, once I saw this Great Old One listed, I knew what I wanted and did not go insane! This thyme-infused vodka had enough kick to get me cackling (not loudly), and the fusion of bitters, orange, pineapple, passion fruit, orange mango and citrus cordial had me seeing a lot of colours of the rainbow for a while. It has a lot of sweetness to it, so that the alcohol is not noticeable, and the huge selling point for me, is the dry ice used to get it smoking! There’s also a very cool-looking Death cocktail that comes with a “custom dice,” and as a collector of them for role-playing games, I suspect they’re just something simple and are not d20s. When I already own some with the bone theme, I was in no rush to look at what this entails.

The ambience and vibe are perfect for anyone who is into the occult. And when Gastown is famous for a few ghosts said to linger about, I have to wonder when this operation will partner up with Ghostly Vancouver Tours or some other operation, I’m sure that’ll come in time! While the Fan Expo promotion is to get the word out, I certainly noticed!

5 Blokes out of 5

Postscript: I’d provide more pictures, but for some strange reason, they disappeared from my smartphone and cloud backup site. I know I took a bunch … but. Could there be a ghost in my machine?