Commercial Drive is getting an Italian-inspired sports bar that doubles as a morning caffè, from the team behind Sopra Sotto.
Bar Tifo is coming to the corner of Commercial Drive and Graveley Street, and the team is aiming to open in summer 2027.
It’s the newest project from Ionian Hospitality Group, the East Van group co-owned by Stefano Magagnin.
The group opened Sopra Sotto on the Drive and in Burnaby in 2018, followed by Loula’s Taverna in 2021 and Claudio’s Ristorante in Burnaby.
Bar Tifo will be its sixth spot.
It will also be the group’s second address at Commercial and Graveley, where its tapas bar Pax Romana opens its new home behind Loula’s on November 6.
Mornings at Bar Tifo will run out of a café-style nook at the front, with espresso, pastries, pizza by the slice and panini to go.
The team says the idea comes from the bars in Italy that stay busy from early morning until late in the evening.
At night, it turns into a sit-down spot for wine, cocktails, and imported and local craft beer.
The evening menu is set to cover small plates, Roman-style pizza and pasta.
The sports bar part is all over the early renderings.
They show soccer on the TVs, green and white TIFO jerseys hung behind the bar, and a pastry case beside the espresso machine.
There’s a street-facing patio in the plans too, right on the eight blocks of the Drive known as Little Italy.
The team pitches it as a spot for “everything from your morning coffee run to game night with friends.”
No exact opening date or menu prices are out yet, so the team’s Instagram is the place to watch for both.
Bar Tifo joins other new and upcoming Vancouver food spots like Illo Kimbap Cafe, Sammi & Soup Dumplings, and Baan Lao Granville Island.
Address
Commercial Drive and Graveley Street, Vancouver
