Michael Brennan (The Heatley), Christian Chaumont (Cuchillo/Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions), Justin Cameron (Habitat Coffee Co.) and Dan Uhrich (Mum’s the Word) took possession of the 2500 sqft space near the corner of Broadway and Macdonald (previously Yagger’s Sports Bar) in the fall of 2022. A few months and a serious amount of scrubbing, painting and re-wiring later, The Painted Ship is now ready to open doors.

The name The Painted Ship is borrowed from a late-60s local psych-electro folk rock band, who were a short-lived but popular outfit that played around Kits back in its counterculture heyday. The team’s aim since the start has been to restore some of those vibes to their Kitsilano neighbourhood. To give you a better idea of what you’ll be walking into: a retro colour palette, on-point and carefully sourced vintage light fixtures, bold 70s-style line work running the length of the west wall, and a slightly trippy surrealist mural behind the bar fully embodies The Painted Ship aesthetic.

We recently paid a second visit to the 80-seat (plus 25-seat patio) restaurant, bar and music venue to admire the finished room and taste some of Chef Chaumont’s ‘Tultepec-inspired’ dishes that will be hitting the menu when they open (softly) later this week. For an idea of what sort of bold Mexican flavours to expect, have a read through the following menu. For more visuals, see the gallery below, and then make some room in your schedule to head in and check out The Painted Ship for yourself, starting Thursday, March 2nd (yup, that’s tomorrow).

MENU

Guacamole Maya with Sikil Pak Pumpkin Seed Purée & Tajin Totopos

10 oz Ribeye Aguachile with Soy Salsa Negra, Avocado & Fermented Chile Serrano

Smoked Binchotan Cauliflower with Chipotle Meco Chili Oil, Roasted Poblano & Coconut Cashew Cream

Shiitake Mushroom Zarandeado Crispy Taco with Ancho Chile Papitas, Salsa Cruda

Manila Clams & Chorizo de la Casa with White Bean Frijoles Charros & Avocado Leaf Broth

South Pacific Ahi Tuna Tostada with Smoky Morita Aioli & Sesame Guajillo Salsa Macha

Pork Rib Carnitas Taco with Hibiscus Glaze & Tomatillo Pico de Gallo

Oceanwise Stir-Fried Fire Prawns with Veracruz Chilpachole Sauce & Fennel Crudo

Chermoula Roasted Sunchokes with Blistered Shishito Peppers & Arbol Chili Oil

Flan La Tultepec with Toasted Horchata Caramel

For some backstory, here’s an excerpt from what we published about the place earlier this year, in January:

“[C]o-owner Brennan logged in more than a few hours reacquainting himself with the neighbourhood, acting as a patron to many of the restaurants and bars in the area. His chief observation was that people on the West Side tended to travel east for more of an ‘experience’, after which they would return to their home turf for an end-of-the-evening drink (or two). For Brennan, the observation begged the question: why not bring a little ‘East Side experience’ out West?

…Brennan, who opened The Heatley back in 2015, knows a thing or two about what it takes to create an inclusive and unpretentious environment – the foundation of any successful neighbourhood bar. So, with the addition of a solid chef and some experienced partners (Cameron is the owner of Habitat Coffee Co.; and Uhrich is part owner of Mum’s the Word on Commercial Drive with Cameron), he decided to put his theory to the test.

A deal was struck, and in October 2022, the team began gutting the space: ripping up old flooring, refurbishing the washrooms, stripping back the low-hanging ceiling to expose skylights and long hidden windows, and adding some fresh paint – ultimately transforming the old sports bar into a community-forward gathering space, complete with a stage.”

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The Painted Ship

Neighbourhood: Kitsilano

2884 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6K 2G7