H Tasting Lounge at The Westin Bayshore Hotel

Walking in to the lobby of The Westin Bayshore hotel in Coal Harbour, you can’t help but admire the 1954 Porsche 356 Speedster parked in front of H Tasting Lounge which is our destination for the evening.  The lounge’s decor is inspired by the elusive billionaire film director and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes, who checked in to the hotel in 1972 and stayed for six months. The chic and inviting atmosphere encouraged us to stay a little longer to indulge in a few drinks and delicious bites on a Wednesday evening. 

H Tasting Lounge is an art deco fan’s dream.  With a touch of old Hollywood glamour, the Howard Hughes inspired aviation/Old Hollywood theme can be seen throughout the spacious room. My girlfriends and I settle in to the comfy velvet chairs at the beautiful white marble topped bar to enjoy a glass of vino and a few laughs with the beautiful sounds of the music provided by Siegel Entertainment filling the room. 

If you do happen upon H Tasting Lounge on a Wednesday evening like we did, you’ll be happy to know that it’s now Wine Wednesday! This newly offered evening features 50% off of select bottles of international wines so you can indulge in your varietal weapon of choice for half-off, and pair your selection with Chef’s globally-inspired creations. Mondays, however, are reserved for the girls! Ladies Night, offered weekly from 5:00pm, includes a selection of four signature cocktails inspired by cities visited by Howard Hughes during his infamous world tour, as well as Chef Alex Mok’s seasonal delicacies, all for $60. Perfect for four friends to indulge in good company, contemporary cocktails, and a line-up of all-female Siegel Entertainment musicians.   

We decide to grab one of the plush velvety dusty pink and powder blue banquettes to enjoy some of the craft curated cocktails and a few bites. Of course, being my friends, we can’t stop laughing and talking long enough to get it together to order our food, so we ask for a selection of sushi, tuna poke, and canapés and it does not disappoint! We thoroughly enjoyed a delicious spread of fresh and tasty snacks created by Chef Alex Mok.

The bar menu at H Tasting Lounge has an array of international vintage wines, rare cognacs, table-side crafted curated cocktails for you to choose from. The favourites for our crew were definitely the Muscovite (their twist on the Moscow Mule) with Ketel One vodka, lime juice, haskap berry syrup, ginger beer, beet powder and siberian sweet flag and the Bayshore Inn – a Pina Colada with Havana Club, J Wray, coco lopez, pineapple star anise bitters served in an original coconut cup from the iconic Trader Vic’s. 

After a wonderful evening of sipping and savouring, I have to admit, my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. There’s nothing better than an night out with great friends, curated cocktails and delicious food! The Westin also makes it easy for you to pop in any time providing free valet parking services for patrons. I’ll definitely be back again!

All photos by Brooklyn D Photography