by Shaun Layton | A great barstool is just as solid a score as a great table in a restaurant. The food and drink might be the same, but bar perch’s tend to be a little more social (thus less formal) and you never lose sight of the person serving you . Here’s our top five barstools in the city, dished in no particular order for your ranking considerations,

La Mezcaleria | THE DRIVE | 1622 Commercial Dr. | www.lamezcaleria.ca
Sit at seat #32 on the corner directly in front of the grill. The action from this vantage point is incredible; watch these kids bang out enchiladas and tacos while sipping on a mezcal margarita. If you happen to be there when there’s live music it’s a double win. Make sure to order the queso fundido!

L’Abattoir | GASTOWN | 217 Carrall St. | www.labattoir.ca
It’s 5:30pm on a warm weekday afternoon, and happy hour is starting! Grab coveted seats #107 and #108 — the corner seats that overlook the bar, kitchen, and Gassy Jack Square. The glass partitions above act as a forcefield, separating the few lucky patrons who’ve secured bar seats from the rest of the madding crowd. Order the local classic Meat Hook cocktail, with veal sweetbreads on toast with sauce gribiche.

Mamie Taylor’s | CHINATOWN | 251 E. Georgia St. | www.mamietaylors.ca
If you’re lucky enough to get seat #6 at the bar after work on a Friday or Saturday evening, get comfortable and enjoy the show. The zigzag like nook on the corner of the wood provides a double corner, so it’s double prime real estate on a bar. Order the ham grenades, and wash it down with the namesake Mamie Taylor (scotch, lime, bitters, ginger beer).

Bambudda | GASTOWN | 99 Powell ST. | www.bambudda.ca
Seats #3 and #4 on a summer day could very well be the best in the city. With patio space so sought after in this town (and dreadful for the most part when it comes to good food and drink to match), this is the best of both worlds. Grab a Powell Street Sour, some crispy chicken skin, and watch the idiosyncratic magic that is Gastown unfold.

The Alibi Room | GASTOWN | 157 Alexander St. | www.alibi.ca
For years B5 or B6 have been, and still are, two of the best seats in the city. View of the best rotating taps in the city, the mountains, and the charming sounds of shunting trains in the background make these stools hard to beat (one of few bars where having your back to the room is a good thing). Mix in some free run chicken wings with sweet chili garlic sauce alongside whatever the latest is from Brassneck Brewery.

Did we miss your favourite bar stool? Let us know via @scoutmagazine

OTHER POLLS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE