Niche Wine Bar

Not an extensive menu, but excellent food. The tarte flambé is delicious, as are the salads and cheese plates. Nice wine list, very comfortable seating and pleasant staff. A favorite.

Niche is a great little spot in downtown Vancouver. The atmosphere is comfortable and casual and you and learn everything you’d like to know about wine from the staff. Appetizers are awesome as well. You won’t be disappointed.

I’m not the biggest fan of wine bars as I’m not the biggest fan of wine any more. But one cannot deny the cuteness and oh so cool character and feel of this gem in downtown Vancouver. My friend was showing in the Angst gallery adjacent. Since the only edibles there were fortune cookies — we hopped next door for a drink. The wine was lovely — I chose a dry white for $ 8. It’s all the same to me honestly. We didnt eat but saw beautiful plates being served with lovely meat and cheese and bread. Definitely a date place! I look forward to the next time when I will order some food for sure!

Want something different than just northwest wines? Trust Leah for a taste of europe. Great appetizers also. Can’t wait for my next trip to Vancouver.

Niche is a little gem in downtown Vancouver! Wonderful wine, delicious and varied snacks and a very pleasant and comfortable setting. The owner, Leah, has never steered me wrong when recommending a wine. As far as food while everything I have tried has been awesome I just can’t get away from the amazing Classic Tart with gruyére and smoked prosciutto (although the Niche sandwich is a close second)!

My favorite wine bar ever! Best in Vancouver for sure. Leah the owner is fantastic. Great little place right by Kiggins theater, you have to go!
Each time I have been here, I get the rose. It never disappoints. They don’t have a full kitchen so they make small bites and a to DIE for flatbread, tart. Its cheesy, salty (prosciutto) goodness.
I always sit at the bar but they have comfy seating all around. Kind of a hidden gem in Downtown Vancouver.

I love wine! I love art! I love cheese!
Throw amazing hospitality and a home like feel to it and you’re hooked!
I love staying and talking with the owner, Leah and her employees. They really take the time to get to know you and help you on your wine journey! I have learned very much about wine because of them!
Fantastic!

Niche wine bar is a splendid success of atmosphere and vino. Well-​appointed in relaxing Mediterranean luxe, visually tuned by thoughtful paintings, Niche doesn’t have to ask that you sit and stay awhile. A very nice addition to downtown Vancouver, it surely is. Carefully arranged cheese plates are bolstered by choice charcuterie; the menu features various pastries and savory items, none of which are boring or expected. If, in various metropolitan locales across the US, the wine bar meme has been executed in a sloppy or clichéd manner, this is certainly not one of them. The establishment is top quality, overseen by an everpresent owner, and carefully operated by expert staff. I can vouch that Niche will facilitate even the most bumbling wine drinker’s palate (yo, right here!), based on the crudest requests: color, dryness, or flavor profiles (I like a dry red with cherry tartness and peppery finish, but I don’t know a merlot from a cabernet!). In that regard, Niche is possibly a place to develop a wine habit, not merely to nurture a pre-​existing one. This wine bar is a success in presentation and skill, expertly helmed and charmingly appointed, and I hope to enjoy a glass or two there soon.

Found this place out of the blue. The service was prompt and friendly! Had one of their French tartes which was rich and savory with a hint of crunch. The wine section was sizable but if you just want a glass the list is reduced considerably. The atmosphere was comfy with great lighting and many cozy corners to reside. Fun!

A gem… If your looking for a wine bar in Vancouver with great prices on good wine and food this is it. Will be back…

Just wanted to write in and say, service has improved! People working there seem to realize now that you need to appreciate and be nice to people so they come back and we will continue to come back!

I have been wanting to try this wine bar for a while now. I am happy I finally did. The service was good, very pleasant. And the small plates were good as well. They have a few interesting cheeses to try. The only complaint is that I didn’t think they had a very big wine selection. Although I was kind of bummed about that, it won’t stop me from visiting them again. Maybe they will have more to select from the next time.

Fine wine bar and retail wines … lots of choice! Great food.
Go and be taken care of. Our third visit to Niche as great as ever. We asked owner-​artist, Leah Jackson to prepare a non-​dairy cheese plate (you know some are lactose intolerant). She totally understood and accommodated our request making an exceptional plate: two goats and a fine sheep cheese with enough fresh baguette to make it thru the cheeses.
We shared a bottle of a superb Spanish Albariño from the wine list. (5 stars here too) We went early, at about 5PM, just prior to a film festival up at WSU. It’s quiet this early and makes a great place for early date, or afterwork conversation.

This is a very small cozy wine bar with a neat black raven/​bird decorative theme. The have a great selection of wines by the half glass and glass. They have a fairly limited selection of beer. They offer small bites and tarts to snack on. There is ample seating at the bar, but limited away from the bar.
We sat at the bar and received a brusque welcome and a strained smile. Not feeling particularly welcome, we soldiered on and ordered the rioja, an amber ale, some bread and oil. The service was fast, but distracted and not exactly pleasant. Sitting at the bar, we had a direct view of the dish washing area, scrubbers and tupperware. All of their prep and cooking happens behind the bar, but is a fairly unattractive set-​up. Being that most of the customers face that area, it might benefit from a bit of an overhaul.
The wine was delicious, but the unwelcoming staff and bar seating view kind of dampened my enthusiasm for this wine bar.

I have read the other reviews and wonder why my experience has been so different. I have been to Niche 3 times now and each time, I have enjoyed the wine but the service is questionable.
This past visit, I had family in town and really wanted them to enjoy a wine bar that is a bit like some we have visited together in New York. We got there late — about 20 minutes before closing. We were greeted with a firm, «we are closing and you cannot order anything from the kitchen. We can pour a ½ glass of wine.» I enthusiastically said we were there to share Niche with some out of town family and would love to just have a glass and be on our way. The person looked at us and I asked if we could just quickly see the menu. She pushed them over to us and walked away.
Really, I wouldn’t think twice about this because we did get there close to closing time, but this is the 3^rd time I have been greeted there in this way. I will continue to give this place a chance because it is local, and hey, it’s a wine bar and I love my wine!
It is my hope that the service becomes warmer, and that my choice to support Niche is considered worth accommodating with a smile and a «welcoming» attitude.

If Vancouver took the time to count its blessings, Niche would be at the top of the list.
Great wine selection, a small, but interesting beer selection, wonderful ambiance, tasty food, live music, art… what else do you want?
If you are intimidated by wine, don’t be. Just let the experts here set you up with a well-​matched pairing of wine and cheese or meats and you won’t be disappointed.
I’m going to miss it when I leave!

This quaint little place has the true vibe of the Pacific NW. It has nice décor and a cozy atmosphere. It’s adjacent to an art gallery so you can have your wine and browse the art. It’s location in downtown Vancouver is very near other art galleries and cool shops.
We had the classic tart, which is like a pizza with extremely thin crust. They make it right in front of you and put it in the over sized toaster oven which I thought was ultra cool. The tart was very good. It was full of flavor which I didn’t expect.
I had the blush my husband had a Riesling. They were both awesome. I would have had more, glad I didn’t because I thought we were getting the $ 4 glasses but our ticket showed $ 8 glasses. Hmmmm.
I’ll check out their special events when they have them.

Great wines. I’m a rank amateur, but they’ve got it in spades. I had a wonderful red with complex flavors from Argentina, and a few others. Proscuitto is great. So is the sopressatta. They have great cheeses.
ALL the beers they serve are real. No children’s beers in this place. The lightest thing was an IPA.
All in all, a great place to get started on an evening out.
Atmosphere is cool. More like a wine store, (which it is) than a bar.
it is NOT a cheap place to eat and drink however. 1 person, 3 glasses of wine, and one beer, and one appetizer plate with an extra side of hazelnuts. $ 53.
I would/​will go back.

Hello Unilocalland,
This is your Duchess (of Niche)…I would like to invite you to my favorite little haunt in Vancouver. Awesome snacks, great prosecco and fun ladies to help you select a new favorite wine. So come on down but save me a seat because once word gets out this place will be hard to get into.
The original tart is a MUST! Gruyère cheese bubbling on top of smoked prosciutto YUM. You will love it!!! Good cheeses and salumi also.
See you there!

Good wines at fantastic prices in downtown Vancouver! Most bottles, yes bottles, are only $ 16 with a small $ 5 corkage fee if you decide to stay and enjoy. Otherwise you can take with and enjoy elsewhere. The atmosphere is not typical Vancouver which is a nice surprise. Vancouver has been in serious need for a place exactly like this.
I recommend a bottle of Malbec and the Classic Tarte (it’s more like a pizza) with a side of olives. They also serve a variety of great cheeses from around the world among a handful of other salads and tapas.
Definitely worth the stop if you’re looking for a hip-​ish place to relax in Vancouver and enjoy some vino and fantastic food.