This skuzzy death metal bar used to be a strip club back in the day, and the mounted pedestals with shower nozzles are still located throughout the room, adding an authentic trashy vibe to the already filthy ambiance. The Cobalt is the lowest common denominator of bars in Vancouver, but it manages to take a certain pride in the dilapidated scenario. Typically full of punkish-goth kids, it serves extremely cheap beer and highballs, has ample seating and room for mosh pits, and comes off as unpretentious, in a "too good for good" sort of way. Many loud bands are given their first opportunity here, and many of the better ones return after achieving success for nostalgia's sake. Things can get out of hand, as conventional wisdom tends to get left behind in coat check, and obnoxious teenage drunks start doing whatever they want. I've even seen a band shoot whiskey filled super soakers out into the audience. This is actually the only place I ever did cocaine, taking it for the only time on one of the musty old cars parked out back. I had always envisioned doing blow with nice clothes, beautiful women, a mirror, and a rolled up hundred dollar bill, but the Cobalt was so exactly opposite that it seemed perfect. read more

The Cobalt - Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Stopped in for a drink with some friends at the Box Car, the extended bar to The Cobalt, on Friday night. It was a nice space, long and narrow giving it a cozy and intimate feeling. The long wooden bar dominated the space but was filled with an excellent variety of craft brew from all over Vancouver and BC. I really enjoyed the range of craft beer options, some included: Steel & Oak, Powell St., 33 Acres, Strange Fellows, Four Winds, and many more! There was also a great cocktail list that is keeping pace with craft cocktail explosion, particularly in Gastown/Chinatown. In this instance we got some cocktails "whipped up". Be careful what you wish for, in the best possible way. As the night went on it became a much more social some as people began to gather around the bar and fill up the space giving it a buzzing feeling. The bar staff were awesome! At tentative and accommodating. Will definitely go back. Ps there is a good truck outside so, when you need a snack... read more

The Cobalt - Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

If you happen to be in the area, The Cobalt reigns supreme as the place to get gritty in Van city, an experience to either immerse yourself in or avoid like a foaming Rottweiler. This Vancouver icon is a loud, hot and filthy dive - the type of marginal establishment that entices berserking patrons with hardcore bands, drink specials and Brass Knuckles Night. It's fantastic. This is a dangerous place in a dangerous area - the skid row of Main Street - and the notorious hundred year-old building looks every day its age. Having been the site of numerous beatings, stabbings and shootings, the carpet is stain-colored with liquor, blood, sweat and burns. The toilets and sinks are so grungy you may not realize what you're looking at until the stench provides you with the missing evidence. It's ugly enough in here to cause irreparable retinal damage. Presumably not wanting to pay the $5 cover charge, none of the local fences who frequent bars in the area to sell their stolen merchandise are around, but one slender syringe of a man has the salesmanship to offer me a "clean" handgun at a very reasonable price. When I decline, he slouches his amphetamine attrited shoulders in defeat, closes his trenchcoat gun shop and stalks out of the bar like a leather ghoul. Now a live music venue for heavy metal and punk bands, The Cobalt was a strip joint back in the day and the pedestal shower towers remain present to sprinkle a welcome sleaze over an atmosphere I can only describe as Pedestrian Perilous. The band that's playing tonight are friends of mine, and the crowd is power drinking to work up aggression for the frenzy of the mosh pit. A lot of bands get their first gig here and many of the ones that achieve success come back to play for reminiscence. The show ends up featuring all kinds of nudity, booze dumped on the surging crowd, a negation of all common sense and courtesy - and this is why we've come here. This is dark adventure on the Wild Side, locked away from the ordinary world in a place to abandon all convention and get completely out of control. This is The Cobalt, and it's full of life down here in the abyss. read more

I wanted to love it. Dive bar vibes which are great for small intimate shows, but they literally served us warm draft beer. Not just my lager, also my dates dark (maybe a stout?) It was gross. Sound was okay, but when the artist did some acoustic songs all you could hear was the people talking on the other side of the plywood door separating the two bar. I could handle anything at a show except warm beer! read more

I have to say..I was very skeptical the first time I heard I was being taken out to the Cobalt...and even more skeptical that it was a gay event that I was being taken to...at The Cobalt...the scary punk bar...gay + punk = not my ideal night. Much to my delight...things had changed at The Cobalt..re-vamped and de-punked yet still keeping a Main Street edge..the place was packed with hot gay men as far as the eye could see...gays, drag queens, pin ball, hot DJ's..what more could you ask for!!! I have been going there on a regular basis now...they have a lot of awsome nights..queer, straight and everything inbetween...it's so great to have a bar that caters to everyone! The staff are all AMAZING, friendly, sweet...they make you wanna keep coming back....which most staff in Vancouver do not to be honest. Best nights :Tuesday night you can play ping pong, Fridays which feature live bands, Sundays have a weekly drag show called Apocalypstick with hostess Isolde N. Barron and Queer Bash which is the last Saturday of every month. read more

I'm having a pretty hard time writing a review for the Cobalt because of my mixed feelings about the old vs new venue.To explain, just imagine you've been going to a dingy, cheap mom n pop diner with a regular close knit clientele for years, when they suddenly come under new management. The new management doesn't gut the place, but renovates it so it looks a lot classier and still recognizable, and keeps the same name the diner always had. The biggest difference is that their menu changes ENTIRELY, although the food is still good, just pricier. On one hand, the new place is alright, on the other hand, you lost your old diner. Those are the mixed feelings i have about Cobalt. The new Cobalt reminds me a bit of the Biltmore since it has that same dimly lit, bordello feeling to it. It's got beautiful chandeliers, and i like the little detail of using wall lamps as ceiling lamps in the bathroom. They still have the big light up circuit board above the bar like they did in the old place too! I've only been to the new Cobalt for burlesque and regular club night, but it seems to suit the place perfectly! The stage is just the right size and you can see it from everywhere in the venue. The bar is well stoked, but methinks they water down their drinks a bit too much. Despite being able to drink a lot, i still get drunk pretty easily, and after drinking one shot, one double vodka soda and three single vodka sodas in 3 hours, i was just a little drunk. I was so undrunk that i got home, did the dishes and read for an hour because i didn't have enough liquor in me to pass out. I had some friends out last night who were TRYING to get trashed and noticed that it just wasn't working too... This isn't the first time i've noticed this either. Although it's great that Funky's has taken over where Cobalt left off, i still can't help but feel a bit nostalgic whenever i go there. I was there last night and watched a girl in cute little high heels on the dance floor, having a blast on the spot where a friend of mine had peed on (yep, he just pulled his penis out and peed on the floor) Speaking of which, i'm not sure why people always said the bathrooms were terrible. There were some bad nights, but mostly they were pretty on par with your average club, they just didn't look too pretty! I noticed they took out the little stage that the friend i went with always commandeered for us to stand/sit on since i'm usually too short and weak to go in a mosh pit... And the domed roof with graffiti is gone too! Well, you know that the old Cobalt had SOMETHING special going for it when i'm reminiscing fondly about a place that smelled funny. Still, this bar has been open for DECADES and it's cool that they've stayed open for so long, even if their flavor changes. read more

So the "new" Cobalt is the only Cobalt I've ever been to - I like to pretend that I was a teenage punk, but I was really just a weepy little goth and the punk rock Cobalt wasn't enticing enough for me to actually visit. But the "new" Cobalt, the trendy, hipster and queer infested Cobalt - yes, please! I don't know if it's some Main Street magic, but I've actually never had a bad time at the Cobalt. I am a legendary bar disappearer - I'll just take off without saying goodbye when I'm not enjoying myself and don't want to deal with the social obligations associated with leaving a party - but I've never ever done that at the Cobalt. I've been there, oh, 20+ times, and each time I've enjoyed myself. Is it the layout of the bar, with tables for talking, easily accessible bathrooms, a sizeable, high, easy-to-see stage, a good sized dance floor, and a decently long bar? Is it the comfortable decor, that weird blinky light circuit board thing, the wood? Is it the staff, who are far less surly than most bartenders? Is it the clientele, which is somehow always unpretentious? Is it the smoke-pit/bike rack area, sheltered from the wind for a little cool-off outside? I cannot answer that question, Yelp, but I can recommend a night at the Cobalt for just about anyone. Free pinball Tuesdays fill up awful quick, so get there at 9pm if you want a choice of machines. Man Up, the drag king party, is always a great time and is hosted by a total babe. Comedy events, parties, Queer Bashes, just-drinks - the only way I can imagine this place being better is if it opened at 5 and had snacks. I love to snack. read more

Surprisingly, I went to the Cobalt for the first time this weekend. I am still amazed I never came here before for a punk show, or had the chance to throw up on the floor back in the day. Cover was $12 for the new fetish night called Noir that was happening on Saturday night. I had no problem getting in and getting down, even though I thought the sound quality was a bit shit, most of the song choices were pretty stellar. I had a double rum and diet for $9 which is pretty average for a Saturday night in the big city, and coat check was only $3. The place was bumping with different types, gay, straight, cross-dress, or just crazy like me. The bathrooms could have used some better lighting, once you get yourself locked into the stall it's pretty dark, so you can't really see what you're doing, and when you drink like I do, a little light goes a long way, it helps the beer goggles focus. The capacity of the Cobalt is pretty small (like 150 people) so even when it doesn't seem smokin' busy, its full enough to look like a good party. I'd go back to this night and the Cobalt for sure, I can't believe it took me this long to do it in the first place! read more

I need to put this out there into the universe and subsequently the internet, for 2011 The Cobalt will be the underdog favorite of Vancouver's watering holes. In stark opposition to the cover-every-night cabaret giants of East Van, The Biltmore and The Waldorf, this cozy reinvention of a Vancouver institution offers a pub shaped sanctuary. Its proximity to transit makes it easy for anyone who fondly remembers its origin as a grungy cave of debauchery to make this their neighborhood bar. Don't worry, the floor still feels the same, it's just not carpet anymore. If you like myself made a vow the summer you turned 19 that you'd never drink draft beer from The Cobalt again, now is your time to reconsider. You might find yourself a new favorite. read more

Breaking News: The Cobalt is about to be reopened! And let me tell you, my guess is that you will love its new evolution. I was in there last night, and although it's not officially open (i.e. no Grand Opening yet), already a group of very cool and friendly people have begun to give this place a new and very cool vibe against a backdrop of brick walls, friendly staff, and great music filling the space. My top 3 reasons I think this place is going to be very popular: 1) Mingle space. One of my top criteria for a good hangout/bar is lots of mingle space where it welcomes people and it's easy to talk to everybody and anybody for no reason in particular. The way they have set it up definitely lends itself to this. And so far the people do too. 2) Atmosphere. Brick walls cleaned of past scuzz but still echo charm (and even a couple of posters plastered on there from once upon a time ago), clean and open vibe but still with an edge, elements kept of its...er, colourful, past kept alive. 3) The music being spun by Chris was brilliant. I would pay good money to get that as a playlist on my iPod. The kind of music that makes you notice it, and notice the energy it gives a room. They will apparently be having lots of live music to rock the crowd in days to come...only more of the 'rock and roll' variety than the punk rock that the Cobalt had previously endured. As Cameron M mentioned, it definitely has a lot of 'viability as a music venue'. Lastly, the staff are really friendly and you can tell the owners put a lot of personality and love into this place. I was instantly won over by its atmosphere and comfortable appeal. read more

Wow! I hate to admit it but I'd never been to the Cobalt before. I never got to experience the punk days of this place but heard the stories of nasty odours and horrifying washrooms. Those days seem to be long gone. We went for an event last night and I was impressed with a few things; - the staff are super friendly from doormen to bartenders - the room is sexy with comfortable couch seating and other areas conducive to chatting - the beer selection is really good! I had Steamwhistle but there were a lot of interesting options all displayed through glass fridge doors. - the alley for smokers (or cooling off) has a super cool feel to it, is floored with wood and doesn't smell bad at all. - the bathroom was perfectly acceptable and I like the big, rectangular sink. Last but not least... - they have a wall lined with pinball machines!!!! I'm looking forward to checking this place out for more events down the road, maybe even a punk band or two. read more

Went here for the first time as the last stop in my bachelorette/stagette party last night, and it was great! Awesome vibe, reasonable cost ($10 for cover/drag show happening last night), everyone was very friendly, well-made drinks, busy but not overly crowded. I would say it had sort of your typical hipster/Main St vibe. Definitely queer-friendly, although I can't tell if that was more specific to last night due to the drag show or a more general scene. They were playing lots of awesome 90s hits - it was great! What actually prompted me to go to the effort to make a review was when one of the women working there, I think somehow connected to the DJs, came over and wished me congratulations on my impending nuptials (I was wearing a crown/veil...the things our friends ask of us at bachelorette parties!) and brought me a drink on the house! Definitely went above and beyond, and I felt very welcome by both staff and other patrons. Would definitely go again! read more

Come here for cheap drinks ($5 vodka soda!) and to hear great local bands. Just sayin'. Yes it's not in the most "posh" neighbourhood of Vancouver, but that means everyone is relaxed and the atmosphere is super chill. Mind you I was here on a fairly quiet weeknight to hear a friend of a friend's band, and judging from other reviews, it seems things are a lot crazier here on the weekends. But I would be willing to give it another shot for the refreshing change from the all-too-common overpriced drinks and pretentious atmosphere of other bars downtown. read more

I used to come here in 2000-01 to mosh, drink, play punk rock bingo and meet new people. Then I stopped... Since then, I've come for a birthday party last year, halloween 2010, one other night (?), and then for the burlesque show (shoes booze and girls with tattoos...) and don't remember it ever being so cool. I guess times have changed. Owners have changed. And most of all I've changed. It suits my fancy and I will always suggest this venue for any random night out... I'm not THAT old :) read more

PINBALL REVIEW List of Games currently as of Oct/13 Road Show, Game Show, White Water, Tales of Arabian Nights, Fish Tales, Sopranos, Junk Yard, Cyclone Probably the best place for pinball in the city based on the variety of games, cheap drinks, and best of all Tuesdays is free pinball. read more

Coming to the Cobalt with virgin eyes (aka. never been pre-revamping)... I liked it. What's to like about it? - upon entering you're welcomed by a line of pinball/arcade machines - drink specials - post separating the moshers and the people just chilling/watching Came on a Friday night for live band night $10. Not too crowded (A PLUS!). The crowd was similar to those that frequent Asotria, Biltmore and Waldorf. Prrrobablyyy because they're all very very similar and ride the same frequency. I must say I prefer the stage here though because it's elevated just enough so shorties can see the band playing as opposed to just the tops of their heads. So if you like those places, you'll probably like this place too. Nothing makes this place WOW but it's a fun venue. AAAnnnnddd if you find yourself checking your watch one too many times, there's tons of bars around the area for you to stumble in to. Or take the train. read more

Came here on Friday and I am so happy I did! Nestled between the Cobalt and Pizza Farina, the place is surprisingly big! HINT: check out the outside table in the back! Happy hours was $5 for a Four Winds beer! We ordered pizza next door and ate at the bar. They even have there own oils from Farina which is awesome! Service was great which is an added bones! Good times!! read more

The Cobalt is exactly what it needs to be! It's a badass dive bar with decent enough drinks, revamped kickin' decor, and killer entertainment. I've been here for a few different events, and although dive bars aren't my usual haunts, I can always get into the vibe at The Cobalt. The space is well laid out, apart from the semi-awkward pillars in the middle of the room, although they do provide good centre points for tables/stools. The stage is high up enough to see everything that's going on, but not prohibitively high. I like the renovations, it's still dirty and dark and dingy in a fun way (not a scary way!) but I'm not creeped out to use the bathrooms now! I do miss the old bathtub though, and I haven't seen the new shiny bar get used yet. Try the Storm Pilsner, get your groove on, and get into it!! read more

Friday night at the Cobalt to see Joseph Arthur. Unimpressed. Good beer selection. That was about it. An empty room with no seating save a few stools at the two small bar tables and one bench at the open door to the womens washroom. Nowhere to sit! Then the sound system crapped out as Joseph Arthur took the stage. The place needs work. read more

Probably one of the best bars in East Vancouver for good people and great music. How can you go wrong that they have free pinball on Tuesdays and some amazing eclectic parties on the weekend. read more

So this review is skewed because I only visited this joint once, and it was because I was an extra in the movie "If I Stay" starring Chloe Moretz and the ever so sweet and sincere Jamie Blackley. So it was soon after Halloween 2013 they filmed one rock concert scene here. It is the part where the skeleton costume says "want to give me your bone number" to Chloe's character. Upside: super cool bar. Lots of liquor behind the bar. Old school get down and dirty. To stage right is a cool lounge mini area to sit, slightly raised from the dance floor. This place doesn't mess around and you don't take your "out of town" friends here on a weekend... Or you could actually. :) There is a stage inside that's relatively big enough for a normal rock band. I will have to come back one day, maybe this Halloween. read more

A true gem. The Cobalt has one of the best rosters of entertainment in the city in addition to being one of the best venues. The bar is very safe, friendly, and a stupid amount of fun. Great dive ambience with stellar staff, well priced drinks, pinball, and a new tap bar - the Boxcar, which allows for a casual to rowdy time. Can't give enough love to this amazing place! read more

I love going out drinking with my friends... but I don't want to talk to them the whole time I'm there. That's one of the reasons I love the Cobalt, and its' dancefloor and more importantly its' pinball machines. I love being able to enjoy all the great stuff that's going on and still being able to slip away for some mindless good times on the games. Did I mention the drinks are also ridiculously cheap and there seems to be a fun and different sort of event happening most nights? Oh and the staff are babes, that's right Tadia I'm talking to you and the crowd is great too. Go, it's good times. read more

We took Friday night to step out of our age and revisit our youth! Jmac, Stevie and my brother bought tickets to see the seminal Vancouver rock band Japandroids at the Cobalt. It was everything that i've become shitty at lately. Including staying up late, lining up, dealing with crowds and waiting for a drink. We started early in the hope they would have as well. I dont know how we did it. It seemed like such a struggle coordinating cabs to arrive before an unspecified time at a complete shit hole that seemed to have no concern that we were thirsty and unacustomed to having to fight our way through a bar line up that seemed oblivious to our ability to tip our way through this. Johns first rye and ginger arrived as a red bull and rye . The pretty thing at the bar was unimpressed with our ability to buy service and looked in disgust when John complained, threatening to take his businness and his tye dye Tshirt out of there and back to Browns!! It began to get even hotter and the crowd swelled beyond the legal limits of capacity. I thought, why didnt we bring a fireman? I switched to canned beer out of frustration. Cheap, cold and less of a line up. I felt young. My power wained even further. I went outside to cool down . When I rentered my glasses immediately fogged up to the point of blindness. I scratched my hands across the table looking for the beer I thought i had left there only to find my self running my fingers through a hipsters beard. As I screamed my apology through the ear splitting cacophony of a to near speaker , my glasses cleared long enough to see him wipe my spittle from his forehead and hear his girlfriend ask me if I needed to call someone. At this point I was unsure if I was having an anxiety attack or a stroke or both . I leaned back and pushed my self into the hipsters bench without invitation. Surely i was leaving on a gurney regardless. As the crowd looked at me with no concern whatsoever I became mildly at peace and gave in. And it happened. I cooled down for no acceptable scientific reason. my blood slowed, my vision cleared. I stopped sweating and the overwhelming sense of doom associated with a full on panic attack stopped for no reason other than the ativan i couldnt push under my tongue became nothing other than a belief in its psychosomatic effectiveness. I stared across the crowd and 200 hipsters were singing " its raining in Vancouver and I dont give a fuck, Cause im alone with you tonight" Screaming the lyrics to a song. I wanted to take a picture but I noticed no one else was. It was beautiful . They were singing along. Joyfully. Im not young enough to do this anymore but i still undertand why I did.... And if you need any particulars of the actual space . Yeah, Ayla's sums it up nicely. read more

I went here for drinks with some friends. A pal of mine decided to celebrate and kick off the night with a round of whiskey shots. We all clinked our shot glasses and knocked back our whiskey. I had this terrible after taste in my mouth and a weird texture. I immediately spat out the little that remained along with black ashes of what I discovered was a cigarette butt in my shot glass. I showed it to the bartender, he didn't say a word and just poured a new whiskey in a new shot glass and walked away. A little bit in shock I started looking around the bar with new eyes. The hip looking older busboy collecting glasses from tables was not an employee but someone collecting the bottoms of drinks to combine his own modern cocktail. This did happen about 5 years ago so uh maybe its better now... read more

I always have a blast here whether it be for an event or a regular night out. Great drink prices and friendly staff. Monday night karaoke is great fun and never busy (let's change that!). Be sure to check out the Hustla event every month and the newish NSFW hip hop striptease. The next event is May 29, the first 2 were a blast! read more

The Cobalt used to be the best place in Vancouver to see an alternative band. Many people maintained that, of all the medium sized venues in the city, this place had the best sound. Now they've taken out everything special about the bar it and turned it into a second rate dance club. Seriously, this place is pathetic. Don't waste your time. read more

OK .... so I met a buddy the other night for a drink and he told me he was going to the Cobalt. I'm like .... WTF ????? Isn't that the sh*thole down the street from the other sh*thole Ivanhoe bar ??? My friend say's yeah, it's his buddy's place and he renovated it. I'm all for a new experience and thought why not. I'm not the usual alternativey type of guy. I'm pretty mainstream for the most part but I do have an eclectic side to me too. So to the Cobalt I go for the first time ever and much to my surprise, it was awesome !!! The place was divey, but not was I thought it was going to be. I've been to some crappy places but this by far wasn't even close. The bar was spacious and had a DJ playing some tunes. There was a pinball tourney of some kind going on which was pretty cool. In the back a ping-pong table drew quite the crowd !! There was lots of seating around the bar and had a cool looking stage setup. Lots of local art was up on the wall too. The barman Patrick was awesome !! Friendly and very willing to do lots of shots with his guests. There was a great selection of bottled beers that I'm definitely gonna have to try !! The crowd was very cool and unpretentious. None of that downtown club bullshit that I usually have to endure. This place is a great place to chill, listen to some cool music, and get away from the typical downtown scene. Give it a try !!! I'm sure you'll be surprised too ! read more

Dig that Boxcar! That's a perfect spot for a gathering and some top quality local beers.

Good times! Drinks and the service are decent. This place is unique and fun. Lots of fun games to check out. If you like pinball, this is the place. Dating Score: 2 out of 5. read more

This is the kind of place thats fun if your already drunk LOL. The live bands are good but its stuffy inside and stinks like smelly feet, so if you have low standards and dont mind, this is the place for you :) read more

The Cobalt is a fantastic establishment. From karaoke, to pinball, to the finest selection of draft beer that I've seen in Vancouver as of yet, the cobalt is simply put, a great time. Try their Friday night: "Come Friday", or their karaoke Monday's. Chances are I'll be there, from here until the end of time. read more

The Cobalt may be dark, dingy and fairly grotty, but one must admit that it is honest. This is not a winebar/gastro-pub/lounge with some covers-band crammed awkwardly in one corner, nor is it a "space" (loft, gallery or otherwise) in which various "projects" (in this world bands don't exist) can perform. This is not hip, but that's why it works. Its a band venue where bands play loud music - punk, rock, metal, hardcore,doom, thrash, grind, metalcore or any other sub-genre you care to throw on the heap. An honest music venue where local bands get their first break, which may not lead to super-stardom, but perhaps some local notoriety, free beers on the rider and a poorly recorded demo. Either way, we all need venues like this in our city. The late 90's goatee-sporting, wallet-chain wearing, denim vest with patches/Metallica t-shirt guys here took me back 10 years, but I couldn't help but wonder; "Are they almost extinct?" Without bars like this, I would say yes. That's up to you whether or not that would be a bad thing, but I must admit that if Vancouver did not even have one bar where I can stumble across a long-haired bogan head-banging to Slayer, it would be a glaring omission. If sticky floors, scruffy clientele and toilet doors that fall of their hinges bother you, don't go to the Cobalt. If an unpretentious vibe, cheap drinks and a general public that are simply there to enjoy the show appeal, then get on board! read more

My son & I (a senior) attended the JJ Shiplett show on Sunday night. The show was fabulous but the venue was not! Only seating is metal bar stools and not enough to go around so many had to stand. The bathrooms have no doors and I was "entertained" by a guy using the urinal! We parked in their lot behind the Cobalt/Sidecar and my son had to kick a rat away before I could get out! So if you're looking for a very different experience you might like this place but I will never go back no matter who is playing. read more

Well since i just did the commodore i feel i have to do the Cobalt. Now i know the Cobalt for most people is like buying meat from a crackhead in an alley. For all of you people who think its just a scum bucket dive, I say nay to you. Just like anything else nobody has the right to knock something until they have experienced it themselves. Aside from the looming feeling of an overdosed hooker falling through the roof at any given time. The occasional leaks in the roof spilling over to the mosh floor, and on one occasion a pearing knife falling mysteriously from a window a few feet in front of me. You gotta love this place it is one of the last arteries for good local bands of several genres. Cover is always reasonable drinks are always cheap even though i haven't been brave enough to try the house brew, mostly because of my love for 3 buck mooseheads. Its almost like cheers except nobody knows your name the closeness most likely come from the lack of closed doors on the washrooms and broken bottles underfoot. You have never felt closer to someone than the time you peeled somebodies glued sneaker off the beer soaked floor or saved them from bailing after they tripped over a bottle. A huge favorite of mine and it should be of yours. DONT CLOSE THE COBALT. read more

Good place to go for a cheap show. Saw a really good act for $12 entry, drinks were average price, and the sound quality was okay. Sparse seating but if you get there early it shouldn't be a problem, and they have a Street Fighter II arcade console which is fucking awesome. read more

The Cobalt is definitely a highlight of Main Street near Downtown. It's a dive bar in the best way possible, an unpretentious, stripped-down space that's great to hang out in for drinks and shooting some pool, playing some pinball and watching some talented folks do live art (or play Mario Kart on the projector). The staff is always really friendly, the craft beer selection on tap and in bottles is a good variety of quality and taste. I don't get here nearly as often as I'd like, but I've never had a bad time when I do - it's one of the first places that come to mind when I'll be going out near Main St. read more

O.k. wow, amazing, I don't know where to start. The Cobalt has got to be Vancouvers only real, live venue for real music. Period. I predict the Cobalt will take Richards old spot as the go-to live music venue in the city in 2012. Everything about it is awesome. The people, the lighting, the prices, and the venue is downright amazing. Intimate and very live feeling, with one hell of an amazing sound system. For hip hop this venue is the only one in the city where you can experience what hip hop actually feels like live..(something you just can't see in Vancouver) and all around the Cobalt there is new developments including what they are doing at Science World a block away. Things change, I remember this area in the 90's I would never go to, but wake up its 2012 and the whole area is full of brand new condos, clubs, restaurants, and young hip people with disposable income. From Prior St. To Terminal along with the revamp of the big train station, is the spot to be for live music, and the spot to go in 2012. The Cobalt is by far my favorite place in the city now. Not fortune, or anything can touch this places history and ressurection as a live music venue. Props to everyone who was involved in making Cobalt what it is today. From a strip club to metal bar in the 90's to the go-to venue in the city for live acts in 2012, you just can't get over the "realness" of this venue. Wow, just wow. Vancouver is a live city, you just have to know where to go. Simply the best venue experience I have had in a longtime. Most underrated in the city. 5 stars + ! And p.s check it out and see for yourself, I created an account on yelp just to write this review, that's how kick ass this place is. Also don't forget the pinball machines ! read more