Inspired by classic Japanese kissas, retro and vinyl-inspired listening bars are shaping a new culture in drinking, snacking and grooving across Canada
The pop-up Hibiki Cocktail + Listening Lounge at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Photo courtesy of Hibiki
“Listen, closely.” That simple sentence, painted on an exterior wall of Amber, a new hi-fi bar in Vancouver’s Gastown, seems to sum up the ethos of so-called listening bars, where the curation of music is as critical as the cocktails and cuisine. But every bar plays music: what makes a place a listening bar?
It’s about intention and restraint, says Thomas Eleizegui, one of Amber’s partners. Music is at the forefront of his hi-fi bar concept, but “I wanted to do it right,” he says. “We’re not just blaring the music out. We want to contain it.” The idea is to ensure guests can chat and not have to compete with the music.
Vinyl gold and a Persimmon Martinez at June. Juno Kim photo
To orchestrate his vision, Eleizegui sought the expertise of Clint Moroz, who owns Space Lab, an antiques shop that also offers a speaker-service clinic. The audio consultant and supplier of vintage components set up the sound system for Bar Gobo’s recent refit as an audiophile escape, and designed the one at Osteria Otto. Naturally, the selection of hi-fi gear such as speakers and turntables is integral, but so were design and architecture elements at Amber. For instance, the kitchen is completely closed off to avoid leaking noise into seating areas, while sound-absorbing panels and the use of cork temper echoes and reverb to achieve acoustic balance.
Although listening bars seem to be proliferating across Canada, the idea is far from new. Meikyoku Kissa Lion, which opened in Tokyo in 1926, is said to be the first ongaku kissaten, or music café; it’s still going strong after a century. Early Japanese kissas (cafés) were small, sophisticated spaces often hidden down alleys or in basements. These indie establishments, echoing European salons in places like Vienna and Paris, served tea, coffee and sometimes alcohol. But music was the magnet. People would turn up, tune in and relax, listening to vinyl records from the establishment’s expansive collection, while sipping a beverage. Conversation was often prohibited to encourage immersion in the music.
The Little Jerry became Toronto’s first listening bar in 2019. Photo courtesy of The Little Jerry
After the Second World War, hi-fidelity jazz kissas in Japan became increasingly popular, especially since reams of records had been destroyed and new vinyl was prohibitively expensive. That fallout ushered in a new era for these sanctuaries of sound, which reached their apogee in the 1950s. They eventually faded in the 1970s as Japanese people could afford vinyl records and began to play more music at home.
Slow down and get lost in a lovely experience.
Half a century later, Moroz sees the listening-bar revival as a return to an era of more “sophisticated interaction and respect for guests,” he says, noting every hospitality team’s innate desire to nurture customers. Hi-fi bars become so-called third spaces for creating community, mixing music into the sensory experience of drinking and dining.
In a time when minds are overstimulated and small screens dominate, listening bars invite low-tech contemplation and connection. They’re places where you can stop the device doomscrolling, talk less, listen more and, as Moroz says, “slow down and get lost in a lovely experience.”
Driftwood Vinyl Club guests can bring their own LPs. Tonellacam Films photo
Cities of sound
Skip the canned playlists and tune in to curated sounds at these hi-fi bars from Victoria to Toronto.
VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER
Amber
Located next door to sister café Celeste in Vancouver’s Gastown, this day-to-night listening bar puts sound at the forefront, while serving up Pacific Northwest cuisine and cocktails by Alper Fonte. amber99.com
Bar Gobo
The self-proclaimed “hi-fi wine bar at the end of the world” (really, on the edge of Vancouver’s Chinatown) is all about eclectic wines, complemented by Filipino-inspired small plates and snacks, and great vinyl spinning all the time. bargobo.com
Bleach Listening??Room
Middle Eastern and Asian-inspired cuisine meets natural wines and open decks at this community listening room in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown. bleachstudios.xyz
Doze HiFi
This Vancouver pop-up vinyl bar offers ticketed monthly events at rotating venues, often collaborating to curate customized menus and music. @dozehifi
Driftwood Brewery Vinyl Club
BYOV (your own vinyl) to Sunday Sessions on the last Sunday of every month at the brewery in Victoria, and the first Wednesday of the month in Vancouver at The Irish Heather. @driftwoodvinylclub
Hibiki | Cocktail + Listening Lounge
This pop-up in the basement of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver presents Suntory Sessions on weekends, live vinyl-forward DJ sets, accompanied by Japanese-inspired cocktails and cuisine. fairmont-hotel-vancouver.com/dine/hibiki-cocktail-listening-lounge/
LaLa
Head downstairs beneath June On Cambie restaurant to this cocoonlike room, nestled behind a velvet curtain, where a DJ spins vinyl at the bar. juneoncambie.com
TORONTO
915 Dupont
Music is always playing at this Japanese-inspired kissa, with live performances on Sunday evenings. @915dupont
Boogie
Vinyl and digital sounds coexist at this venue, where you can settle in for a cocktail and enjoy special events such as 45 Sessions on Thursday nights. boogieonqueen.com
Standard Time
This bar melds Japandi-style minimalism with music, including vinyl-only DJ sets. standardtime.to
The Little Jerry
Eat, snack, listen. Rotating DJs and a high-end sound system make Toronto’s first listening bar a must-visit for audiophiles. thelittlejerry.com
Vinny Restaurant and Vinyl Bar
Thursdays through Saturdays, this restaurant transforms into a vinyl bar with DJ sets until late. vinnytoronto.com
