Restaurant

The Magnet

Name: The Magnet
Address: 309 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1T3, CA
Price range: $$

Bar•Vancouver•$$

Editorial restaurant image stand-in for The Magnet

Google

The Magnet is one of the best bar restaurants in Vancouver for date night, especially if you want a strong option in Vancouver.

Editorial review•May 5, 2026

The Magnet on West Pender is what happens when the people behind Brassneck Brewery and the Alibi Room — two institutions that collectively redefined Vancouver's beer culture — decide to build a bar with an actual kitchen. This is not a brewery tap with a food afterthought. Owners Nigel Springthorpe and Raya Armstrong, along with Brassneck head brewer Conrad Gmoser, conceived something specific: a beer parlour where the cooking holds its own weight, built from scratch and seasonal from the start. The room reflects that intent — booths lining the walls, tables filling the centre, the kind of layout that accommodates a quiet pint or a full table dinner without either feeling like a compromise. The kitchen runs under Chef Paul Finlay, who spent years overachieving at Gudrun in Richmond with limited equipment and picked up multiple Van Mag best-of-Richmond nods for the effort. That scrappiness translates at The Magnet. The Magnet Burger and fried chicken sandwich are the crowd anchors — the dishes that keep regulars coming back on a weeknight without requiring much justification. But the kitchen's personality shows up in things like the scotch eggs, which ditch the standard pork sausage filling for a fudgy blend of smoked salmon, poached steelhead, and polenta, finished with pickled fennel and a spicy salsa verde — a distinctly Pacific Northwest riff on a British pub staple. The butter chicken single-serving Perfect Little Pie and the sticky toffee pudding are both frequently praised as signatures, the latter showing up consistently across reviews as the dessert you didn't know you needed at a bar. The Magnet pairs its food menu against one of the broader BC beer selections you'll find in this part of downtown, which is the point — the two programs are designed to work together. Grab a booth if you can; the side seats give you the room without the foot traffic of the centre tables. The fried chicken sandwich and the scotch eggs are the move if you're eating seriously rather than grazing.

Carlos Mendez, Food & Drink Editor

Methodology•Vancouver guides•Editorial team

cocktail date night

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Rating (Google) 9.4

639 reviews

Vancouver

At a glance

The fastest read on whether this place fits tonight.

9.4

Rating

Based on 639 reviews

Best used for

date night and cocktail

Price and pace

Moderate spend

Neighborhood

Vancouver · 309 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1T3, Canada

Price

Moderate spend

Google rating

9.4 from 639 reviews

Address

Vancouver | 309 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1T3, Canada

Photos of The Magnet

Google

Why go

What makes The Magnet worth the move

The Magnet looks like a good night-out option in Vancouver because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 639 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

9.4 from 639 Google reviews

Best used for

date night and cocktail

Style

Bar in Vancouver

Spend

Moderate spend

Best for

cocktail date night

Know before you go

Google rating: 9.4 from 639 reviews

Price point: $$

Website linked on this page

TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Carlos Mendez for The Magnet

Google snapshot

9.4 from 639 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Carlos Mendez · diner notes coming in

This page is ready for real diner notes from the app database.

We only show authentic public TastyPals reviews here. Once diners leave public notes for The Magnet, they'll appear in this section automatically.

In the meantime, Google currently shows 639 reviews with a 9.4 rating for this spot.

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Quick details

Visit Restaurant Website Menu Directions

Address: 309 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1T3, Canada
Price: $$
TastyPals score: Coming soon
Google rating: 9.4 (639 reviews)
Cuisine: Bar
Neighborhood: Vancouver

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does The Magnet serve?

The Magnet is a Bar restaurant located in Vancouver, Vancouver. The Magnet on West Pender is what happens when the people behind Brassneck Brewery and the Alibi Room — two institutions that collectively redefined Vancouver's beer culture — decide to build a bar with an actual kitchen.

What is The Magnet best for?

The Magnet is best for cocktail, date night. The Magnet looks like a good night-out option in Vancouver because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 639 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at The Magnet?

The Magnet is in the Moderate spend price range ($$). Google rating: 9.4 from 639 reviews

What should I order at The Magnet?

Start with Magnet Burger, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Scotch Eggs and Butter Chicken Perfect Little Pie. These dishes are shown from TastyPals notes or restaurant data on this page.

Is The Magnet worth visiting?

The Magnet holds a 9.4 Google rating from 639 reviews. The Magnet looks like a good night-out option in Vancouver because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 639 Google reviews.

Where is The Magnet located?

The Magnet is located at 309 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1T3, Canada. Directions are available via Google Maps.

Is The Magnet good for a date night?

Yes — The Magnet is tagged for date night dining. The Magnet looks like a good night-out option in Vancouver because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 639 Google reviews.

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