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... 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!

The Cobalt (and their new add on bar next door, The Boxcar) is one of the most fun venues in Vancouver bar none. A total Strathcona institution with a punk rock legacy stemming decades.

Their beer selection is mostly local and super impressive and these guys know how to get the party rocking.

Their staff is always super friendly and not pretentious. It's a great place to see familiar faces... 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... 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... 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!

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... more

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.

Yeah yeah its the "new cobalt", but its also A LOT OF FUN!

A friend was headed there one Saturday night and convinced me to come along. It was the Shin Dig, the monthly Sock Hop. 50s and 60s music, queer friendly crowd, no line ups. I played some pin ball, got my groove on, and was not hassled by a drunk handsy man at any time during the evening. This is my jam. I shall be back to dance the... 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.

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... 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... more

OK, things change. Get over it. Learn to love it or leave it alone.

The current owners showed some of the BIGGEST cojones around when they took this place over - especially after it was 'blacklisted' by the entire Terminal City punk community. On top of that, they didn't even try to change it. Not much, anyway. They didn't 'renovate' the place so much as merely fix it. Not that the Cobalt was... 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... more

You know what I like about the Cobalt. $2 non alcoholic drinks. I've stopped drinking so I ordered a cranberry juice and it was $2. So many places woulda charged me an arm and a leg. Here, $2. Win.

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,... 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,... 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... 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... more

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... 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... 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 s@!t, most of the song... 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... 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... more

This bar/venue is now closed for business

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 -... more

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... more