Last summer, Tara Davies got the call: The building she was running her business out of was coming down. That meant curtains for Chupito Coctelería, the cocktail-forward Mexican restaurant accessed through a sneaky back alley entry; as well as for Cantina 189, the sibling bar out front. Basically a one-two gut punch.

For three years, Davies had poured everything into Chupito — and she’d had to fight for it. In addition to setting a gold standard for hospitality – warm, kind, intuitive, generous, and completely unpretentious – Davies is also fiercely driven. She wasn’t ready to let Chupito go. So she picked it up, moved to Mount Pleasant, and turned things around to have Chupito up-and-running within a few months.

Though the latest iteration of Chupito has a proper floor (previously, it was only gravel) and an actual roof (which didn’t exist in the back alley version), it’s still not flashy. But that’s the point. The room is easy, lively, and cool as heck. There are nods to both Cantina — hand-painted Flip, Swizzle, Sour, Fizz on the light fixtures — and the original Chupito, with the same bright yellow pulled from its shipping container bar. More than just a pop-up situation, Chupito 2.0 is acting as temporary headquarters for something that knows exactly what it’s doing. And although the footprint is smaller and the start-up budget is leaner than most of the city’s top bars, there’s zero compromise on flavour or experience.

Chef Maria Ponce is back in the kitchen, pulling off the same magic she did before: deeply satisfying, no-nonsense Mexican dishes that manage to feel both rustic and elevated. A few favourites have returned, joined by new additions that prove this team hasn’t lost momentum. Meanwhile, Davies and Erick Vazquez are still running the beverage program, putting out cocktails that are vivid, tight, playful, and distinct in Vancouver’s cocktail scene.

Chupito never chased attention, and that’s why it worked: it was hidden, calm, and confident. For sure, the new location doesn’t have the same “Is this a trick? I have to walk down that alley?” vibe, but it still carries that feeling of finding something slightly off the radar. Chupito’s underdog energy is intact, and it’s moving like it’s got nothing to prove – just how a comeback should be.

Chupito 2.0 opens doors in Mount Pleasant on Wednesday, April 16th.

Hours:
Wednesday & Sunday: 5–11pm
Thursday – Saturday: 5pm–Late
(Closed Monday & Tuesday)

No reservations. Walk-ins only.

WHY WE CARE
A great cocktail bar is one of the first things we seek out while visiting other cities; and Vancouver needs to protect places doing it right, on our own home turf — especially those run by people who genuinely give a damn. This team definitely does. Here they are, building something compelling on a shoestring budget, even during tough economic times. If we want a city with real culture, good energy, and a genuinely world-class food and cocktail scene, these are exactly the kinds of projects we need to show up for.

Chupito 2.0

Neighbourhood: Mt. Pleasant

2450 Yukon St.

WEBSITE