The Ionian Hospitality Group (IHG) has just shared the news that East Vancouver’s popular tapas bar Pax Romana will be returning to the city in a new home.
Pax Romana first opened in 2023 and quickly became a must-visit spot for its warm ambiance, tapas bar-style menu focused on small bites and share plates, and its extensive selection of wines, cocktails, and aperitivi. Back in July, the restaurant shared that it would be closing ahead of the move.
Now, the restaurant is making its long-awaited comeback, this time to Vancouver’s Little Italy, behind the IHG-owned Loula’s Taverna, with its own dedicated entryway in the alley at the corner of Commercial Drive and Graveley Street.
And don’t worry, many of the same team from the original Pax Romana will be coming to this new spot, including head chef George Lesner and bar manager Prateek Balraj.
“That feeling of the familiar neighbourhood bar where guests have a sort of kinship with a bartender who can observe the entire room was one of the best features of the original Pax Romana, and one we wanted to preserve in the new space,” said Balraj.
Pax Romana
Folks will be able to find a signature list of cocktails here such as the Pax Negroni (aged rum, Campari, and medium cream sherry), Pax Martini (Sheringham gin, Tanqueray, rose vermouth, and fino sherry), and Pax Espresso Martini (brown butter fat washed dark rum, crème de cacao, Kailua, and espresso), in addition to takes on classic cocktails like the Martini and Tonic (Tanqueray, Greek vermouth, Casa Mariol, Fino, olive brine, and tonic), Fernet Highball (Fernet Branca, amaro Etna cherry cola, and lemon), Naked and Famous (mexcal, Aperol, Darmbuie, and lemon) and Rebujito (fino, Amontillado, lemon, lime, simple syrup, and mint).
Additionally, Lesner’s Mediterranean-focused and seasonally inspired menu is returning with new dishes in addition to former favourites from the original location. Think Patatas Bravas (fingerling potatoes, bravas sauce, truffle Manchego, fried herbs, and aioli), Rabbit (Iberian farrotto, roasted acorn squash purée, sobrasada, Iberia cheese, oak-aged wine, kale chips, and smoked kelp), and Basque Cheesecake (rotating fruit soaked in spirits, sweetgrass syrup, apricots, rose Chantilly, milk crumble, and fried roses).
Pax Romana
“We feel lucky to be able to write a new chapter for Pax Romana in a familiar space,” said IHG co-owner Stefano Magagnin. “The roots we’ve put down in the Commercial Drive neighbourhood run deep, and it was important for us to remain here as part of such a warm and welcoming community.”
“While we truly loved our old home, when the opportunity arose for us to relocate Pax Romana to a new space with a larger kitchen, we couldn’t turn it down. This new location will allow our team to expand the menu and give our culinary team the opportunity to share many more dishes that weren’t technically possible in our former space,” he added.
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Pax Romana officially reopens on Friday, Nov. 6 and will be open Thursday to Sunday (Thursday and Sunday it will be open from 5 to 10 p.m., while Friday and Saturday the bar will be open until midnight).
This isn’t the only exciting news from the IHG team, as they’ve teased that they’ll be opening a new Italian caffè-by-day and ristorante-by-night concept dubbed Bar Tifo.
Pax Romana
Address: 1608 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
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