To Vancouver FIFA watchers!
So I've been trying to figure out where to watch matches that isn't just a packed sweaty pub or a 25-minute bus ride to Hastings Park. I work downtown and honestly the PNE fan fest sounds great but the commute back after a late match sounds awful.
I found Library Square which is steps from BC Place but it's still a bar environment and I'm not really a pub person. I'd love somewhere I can actually sit comfortably, hear the game properly, maybe grab a coffee or a bite that isn't just pints and chicken wings.
Ideal scenario for me: somewhere indoors, downtown or close to it, where you can either book a spot in advance for the big Canada games or just walk in casually for a midweek group stage match. Maybe with actual food/drink beyond bar fare, even just a café situation would be great.
Has anyone found anything like this? Or is the choice basically pub vs PNE vs watching from home?
Bonus points if it's the kind of place that could do a proper private booking for a group. I have a bunch of friends visiting from out of town for the Canada vs Qatar game and I'd love to find somewhere we could book out a table or a section rather than just hoping we get seats at a random bar. My bosses were also interesting in doing a corporate party but don't have the right setup in the downtown office.
Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places, but it feels like there's a gap here that nobody's filling. Like surely someone is setting something like this up in Downtown Van? Would love to know if anyone's heard of anything, or if others are in the same boat and just settling for the pub or home?
Thanks and happy watching (hopefully)!