Elite Event: Cozy Up Pyjama Party at 131 Water Street

So, I’m late to the review party on this one, but at least I made it to the event on time.
It was a fun evening hanging out in my PJs while catching up with my Unilocal friends and meeting some of the newer elites. I even had a nice chat with the owner.
The food and drinks were plentiful and the staff were so very, very nice. Huge props to them, because Unilocalers can go through a lot of food and drinks. Maker’s Mark drinks? Oh hells yes, please!
I loved the gingerbread man idea. Dirty gingerbread men (and ladies) all the way. Their cookies were super soft, too. I want their recipe.
Thanks to everyone for a very fun evening in the comfiest outfits yet.

I was the first one in the door for this pajama party, but am unforgivably late to review. I was nervous about wearing pajamas in public, like one of those much-​maligned skanks shuffling about in flannel at the 7 – 11, but as a party theme, wearing PJs in public kicked ass. So comfy.
The gingerbread decorating/​candy buffet was almost better than horror movies and pillow fights. Loved the themed drinks with ginger and citrus, though its too bad they ran out of the cold one so fast and had to improvise a lesser substitute. On the other hand, the food was so plentiful the friendly staff had to almost push it on me (stuffed with gingerbread and candy, I was). I especially liked the chili spoons.
As others have mentioned, it was a great space with lots of room to circulate and mingle with all my favourite Unilocalers and Unilocalettes. I think I just about ran off my bunny-​slippered feet, there were so many great people to talk to and PJs to check out, from matching purple Snuggies to boudoir wear to classic flannels, not to mention hostess Robin’s flowing Chinese robe. Crystal, you are having way too much fun in those longjohns and special-​issue Unilocal undies!
And … at the end of a long night and few curious stares from fellow Skytrain passengers, when I got home I was already in my jammies! Lazy, stuffed, and buzzed, that’s how we roll in Elite.

Hands down, one of the best slumber parties I’ve been to. And I’m not just saying that because this time I didn’t need to sneak into my friend’s parents’ alochol cabinet. Though the open bar certainly didn’t hurt.
As usual, the details of the night are pretty hazy. In fact, the next morning, I had to stop at two stores on my way to work to look for coconut water to rehydrate myself, which is a testament to the intensity of my hangover.
Two minor nitpicks:
— The layout of the venue was not condusive to socializing. It is split into 3 floors and there are a lot of booths and tables where people sat and stayed rather than work the room. But then again, how could I be complaining when like always, I parked myself at the bar early on and barely left?
— The bar ran out of their featured cocktails and wine way too early. I drank whisky sours for the last hour and my liver is still not speaking to me.
Other than that, it was a lovely, cozy, warm and fuzzy sleep over party.

PJs, Sweats, Silk Robes, Yukatas, Snuggies… I believe us as Unilocalers, we did them all. Oh I forgot about slippers too. and yes there were bunny ones too! :3
Loved the theme, but terrible weather. Oh Vancouver, why you always bad when events happen… :(Overall the night went fairly well! We had tons of fun as the place was so warm, and it was packed with Elites and +1s. There were many new faces and fun people to meet!
The waitress and the waiters were all so awesome. They were friendly and always smiling. I was very happy to be served by such amazing people! I do enjoy that they are so enthusiastic. I gave them a lot of extra tips for being such an amazing crew!
The drinks were great too, the Ginger liquor was the perfect one for the night as it really calms you down at the same time it was a perfect chilling drink on the rocks. The warm apple cider spiked with rum… *drools* enough said.
The ginger bread was perfectly made and I know who made them ;) thanks *COUGHKAT&CRYSTALCOUGH* I enjoyed every bite, and the candy decorations were so good. Amazing choices on candies guys! I can never say no to sprinkles either. SO GOOD.
The food just kept on coming. It was amazing. I had to even reject tons of plates as I was so full already. I just couldn’t eat anymore. The food was amazing as the small sliders were just perfect size and had tons of flavor. There was a turkey, beef, and vegetarian one. I enjoyed them all. I didn’t like the small cobs salad as the little cabbage plate was frozen… didn’t enjoy it a lot. But would go back again for the fish and chips and the sliders, for sure! Didn’t want to try the chili that night either…
Had such an amazing party. I hope to see everyone in the 2012 year! Perfect to end off the year of 2011 and thanks to Robin and Crystal for throwing off an amazing party! Thanks to the both of you Vancouver is still alive and a gung ho community for Unilocal!WOOT WOOT!

This was one of the best Unilocal Elite Events I’ve attended this year. It was fun to see Unilocalers dressed in their PJ costumes. The atmosphere was relaxing and the food and drinks were absolutely perfect for this time of year. The hot Melted Gold apple cider drink was so nice on the cold night. There were plenty of food from fish and chips, turkey and veggie sliders, and even make your own gingerbread men. I didn’t leave hungry for sure. The staff were very friendly and they worked very hard to make sure everyone was happy.
This restaurant has three floors and there were plenty seats and tables for those who like sitting down. I’m not really a sit down type of person, so I didn’t mind standing up because there was lots of room to move around.
Thank you Robin for organizing this wonderful Elite Event at 131 Water Kitchen and Bar! For the last Elite Event for this year, it was really nice to see new Unilocalers and friends I’ve known from the past events. Gastown sure looks magical at night in this time of year.

A cold wet night couldn’t have been spiced up any warmer than with a PJ themed Eilte Party!
In my comfiest loungewear and warm alcoholic drinks, this was one of the most relaxed events I’ve attended. Cozy booths allowed everyone to mingle, and lots of seating available which was the perfect spot for lounging.
Of course there was the decorate your own gingerbread man station, and I couldn’t help but eat a few of the delicious treats!
Albeit a brief attendance, I was able to catch up with some Unilocalers. Ending the night off with Whiskey Sours, I rate this party five stars for providing more fun memories!
Thank you Robin (in her beautiful red floral kimono) for another great one!

(I’m in my pjs as I write this)
Due to another event, I had to miss most of this awesome crazy par-​tay, but I’m glad that I did get to stop by for a bit. Throw my panama pants around my neck (literally) and run around to say hi to some friendly Unilocaling faces!
I *loooooved* the gingerbread decorating! That was so fun and interactive. I decorated my man real good, pretended he was my new boyfriend, then promptly ate him: D
I didn’t have much of a chance to partake in 131’s food offerings, but I did enjoy the ample space. I’ve walked by this place SO many times and I only thought it had the space in the front. Lo and behold, it’s got all those levels! Space galore! I’d love to see this in the daytime with all the light streaming in with those gigantic windows.
Thanks Robin & Crystal for being so awesome, as always!

My FIRST EVER Unilocal Elite Event!!!
I love how Unilocal brings together such a diverse mix of people who would, under normal circumstances, probably never find themselves hanging out under the same roof… never-​mind with each other!
Our host venue was fab. It was a little bit cramped downstairs, but luckily we found ourselves a booth upstairs and the rest of the night was smooth sailing. I don’t think I’ve ever come across servers that were so eager to bring me stuff. Lots of nibbles just showed up at our table: Spoonfuls of Chilli, Mini Fish & Chips, Turkey & Veggie Sliders, and some sorta stuffed endive thingy. It was way more food than I was expecting!
I walked away that night with a smile on my face, belly full of good eats, plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of wine, and a few new friends… it really doesn’t get much better than that.
Thank you Robin for hosting a fabulous party! Here’s to doing it all again in 2012 –Cheers!

PJ Party «what what!!»
Once apon a time there was a night of sipping, mini bite feasting, gingerbread making and pajama swaggin far far away in the TOWN of GAS… (think about it.;) hosted by the fairest one of all, ms Robin! oh what a glorious time it was…
Yet another sick party y’all! these elite events never cease to amaze me! located at 131 water street, this pub looks hella small from the outside but as soon as you get in, DAMN there’s a lot more space than you think! The bar was packed as usual serving warm and traditional drinks, head upstairs and you got your Gingerbread making station! with all sorts of candy decorations. oh man! a fat mans fantasy right there! (sweet touch btw)
The food was great! especially the mini fish and chips and popcorn shrimp!!! OH AND a special shout out to that one server that brought me hot chocolate to dunk my sexy gingerbread cookies into! i’m coming back because of you!!! ;)
And of course u can’t forget about the great company all around you! I freakin love seeing old faces and meeting new ones! this is what i love about this community! everyone is so outgoing and friendly! add a little booze and a few dirty d#$k and V#@ jokes and you got yourself a riotous shindig!
Thank you again, Robin for another successful ppoooorrrttyyy!

What a fun event! We were thrilled when we headed upstairs to find our friends at a booth with room for us. So comfy and chill! They were all busy decorating gingerbread men with the glee of little kids.
A server came around offering a selection of drinks and we went for the cider cocktails. So tasty and the candied ginger garnish made me squeal with delight. Once they ran out of those yummy hot or cold cider drinks they moved on to Whiskey Sours. Fabulous!
The super-​friendly staff brought around a great selection of food items to try and took good care of our vegetarians as well. I asked to see a menu and their prices are very reasonable — I’ll be back for sure. They said they have Trivia nights on Wednesdays so we’ll be rounding up a crew of geeks to check that out!
My hubby had the winning ticket for a prize of chocolates and gingerbread caramels from Beta 5. We opened them up and shared around the table. Heaven!
As always the tables were laden with inspired Unilocal swag. Thanks for a great party!

This was one of my most favorite elite events, and I got to do it in my pajamas… The space was big enough for everyone this time too. The service kicked ass. Best elite event service yet!
Our table got to enjoy everything that came from the kitchen (lots of vegetarian treats) as well as all of the drinks they offered. Our favorites were the hot cider and the winter ale. Yummers. And the gingerbread cookie and candy table was INSANE! Way to spoil us!
Once again, Robin has impressed us all.

Robin and Crystal both took a drizzly dreary night and infused it with cheer. In fact everyone in attendance did this. Even people passing by outside peeked in to see what was going on. They must have thought ‘what the hell are they all wearing?!’ The PJ’s theme was a lark & a half.
I love that 131 has 3 rooms really. I swooped in to free a glass of Barefoot California Shiraz from the bar, which for once was not over populated, the room in back has a cool feel and then the upstairs where I mostly hung out which has a balcony to leer down & ponder whom you might want to harass from above.
I loved the ginger man decorating table, I felt like a kid at an art class. I don’t think I’ve ever decorated gingerbread people! I’ve been so deprived! I can now live freely with my gingerbread decorating spirit finally freed after all these years.
The only bummer was that I was one number off in the raffle :/​
Argh!
–Cheers and happy holidays to all, it was great to see you again.

Wow, the service rocked last night! I’ve never felt so pampered at a Unilocal event — we are so spoiled!!!
This space is deceptively large — from the outside, I never would have guessed that they have 3 levels, the top level is actually quite cozy with lots of booth seats.
Loved the comfy pajama theme, Crystal really knows how to rock those Unilocal undies ;) and Robin looked fab in that red kimono!
The warm apple cider drink hit the spot — gives you that warm & fuzzy festive feeling.
The baby fish and chips were served in a little cone cup which was really cute, and probably the best nibble that I sampled that night. The food leaves a bit to be desired, but the space & service here makes up for it — really great hang-​out spot with the 3 levels to wander about.
Thanks for a lovely wrap up party for 2011 — can’t wait to see what the next year has in store!

PJs out in gastown in winter? Only for a Unilocal event! Three rockin’ floors of pajama-​party fun is the best way to party in December! Robin is truly amazing as our community manager, pulling out such creative ideas for events like this.
First off, five stars off the bat to 131 Water. The staff were ah-​mazing! The food was delicious and plentiful: mini (almost famous) fish and chips tucked in their own faux-​newspaper wrappers, little turkey (? I can’t remember) bacon chili spoons, mini club salads on a near-​frozen endive leaf, turkey sliders with cranberry aioli, bruchetta with and without cheese, and veggie sliders. So so good! The gingerbread station upstairs was all manned by the staff as well — from the home-​baked cookies to the tooth-​aching candy selection! Crazy! And the drinks? The drinks! The cocktails were fantastic, and the free-​flowing winter ale brought tears of joy to my eyes.
It definitely was one of the most memorable elite events, the best part being the space! I LOVED being able to move around freely to chat to peeps, not sweating in crowds of people (in fact, I was far from sweating, those ceiling fans kept me SO cold!), and not having to yell over music for conversations. It was a great way to wind down 2011, so thank you Robin for everything! I can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store for Unilocal Vancouver!

It’s a cold Thursday and I just finished work feeling drained and tired. I get home and take a good 1 hour nap. Waking up, I knew I slept in, but hey guess what? I’m already in Pajamas!
Having a PJ party in a bar in Gastown was perfect. After all the Christmas parties/​events and having to dress up in heels, it was a welcome change to wear something comfortable and warm.
131 Water Street was cozy with the upstairs area lined with booths. The log screen fireplace made me feel like staying there for hours. On top of this, we got table service, which was a first for me at an Elite event. Good idea, Robin!
Getting our creative juices flowin’ and making perverted Gingerbread women/​men… what’s not to love?

Elite party near Christmas, and a theme’d pajama party too, how can I say no? I came from another dinner function (company dinner) in which I was dressed in work attire. With my partner in check, and not realising (due to my parking skills) that I was parked right in front of this location, me and her decided to ‘theme’ up in the car. If you were a person walking around my car, you were probably wondering whether you should call the cops as you saw a sillouette of two people doing weird things in a small car!
Due to my other engagement, I attended the latter half of this festive Elite outing dressing in my sweats (I guess I would dress like this at home on a cold day). Props for a great multi-​level Christmas hangout for us wacky Unilocalster’s, and for Robin ending of the year with this celebration. I have to give eye opening ‘theme’ like mad-​props to Crystal, there was no way anyone missed what she came in (girl, always has massive game in regards to this stuff!). And to all the ‘arse’ shots she got for that slogan on her rear, I think I helped take a few of them.
The only drink I remember downing was ‘Whisky Sours’ all night, which would have been for an hour. I did not get a taste of the food, yet I did see a small serving of some fish and chips that were swimming by me in people’s hands. It was one last official Unilocal party to end this year off.
The one word and new nickname is what I will be taking from this party from Johnson C. (aka ‘Sniper’) all due to his previous review about a certain restaurant, and the premise on shared washrooms, and who is more messy (men or women). Words like ‘hovering’ and ‘blood’ also came out, with a great debate on the upstairs floor. This is really what these parties are about, sharing experiences and reliving the reviews we write.
On a wet and chilly night, somehow this Unilocal party was one of the warmest things that was happening on this night, oh shoot I think that was the alcohol that was really warming me up!

Unilocalers are hardcore — really hardcore. Who else dresses in pajamas in the middle of December to a party in Gastown? Seeing everyone in their strategically planned pajama outfits made me feel ashamed I didn’t dress up for the event. But I’m a wuss in cold weather and I don’t own pajamas — yes, I’m aware that most people weren’t in their *actual* PJs — but I keepz it real! So be thankful I didn’t show up in my usual sleep attire: faded/​stained/​frayed t-​shirts usually with holes in ‘em and shorts so tattered they are at the brink of spontaneously dematerializing at the atomic level. I think I would have denied entry — if not for indecency, then for being mistaken for a Gastown vagrant.
But luckily, I did get in and it was awesome event as usual. Most of the food was good and it kept coming. And the staff were awesome — they were chipper and actually having fun. Usually at these things, by the 3^rd or 4^th visit to the bar in a short timespan — the bartender usually has a slight glint of annoyance/​shock at my boozehound ways. And by the end of the night, the looks turns into «Well-I’m-helping-this-man-drink-himself-to-death» resignation. But hey — the crew at 131 are dope — warm smiles and knew instantly my poison of choice.
Lots of space for this event, so glad to see that +1s were back. The booths on both levels offered some respite from the minglers — but did lend to a bit of cliquing. Hey cliquers: you missed out on me slurring out toilet humour and dick jokes — your loss for not witnessing me at my most base. But that’s just Unilocal chitchat for you — you can have enthralling conversations about statistical analysis, computer programming, travel plans, new restaurants in the area… and then it can promptly swing to tittering at pee-​pee and ca-​ca jokes and daring your friend to eat a gingerbread cookie the size of his face.
But hey, what’s a pajama party without some girl talk and some truth or dare? If this was a sleepover, we could have shared lifelong secrets that bond us, braided each others hair and talk about who have crushes on right now… the captain of the football team is «soooo dreamy». I mean — that’s what goes on at girl sleepovers right? Either that or there’s a lot of tickling each other in lingerie. Or movies have mislead me. Oh well — I had a great time.
How about a male counterpart to the pajama party for the next event? Not sure what the theme would be — but likely involves standing around a BBQ and/​or car with the hood up — with one person actually working and everything else thinking they are helping by standing around and talking about recent sexual conquests. Burping, ball-​scratching… the whole works. Okay — party planning is not my forte, but thankfully, we have Robin putting these things together.
Thanks to Robin for putting this on and 131 for being awesome hosts.

How else can I sum it up? Just read all the reviews below and you’ll have an idea.
If you are reading this and not an Elite member yet, then maybe this is something you should look into.
It does have it’s privaleges of course.
For me? I like simple and sweet. The drinks were perfect for an evening buzz and the staff were really very helpful and polite. I was in some sort of bliss until the evening wore off and I had to depart and reality sunk in.
Robin, you’re starting to develop quite the following now!
Always great to see the Queen! And of course I am a loyal supporter of the Monarchy.
For me the word of the evening was
Sniper.
You’ll have to ask Johnson why.
Looking forward to see those fabulous pics!!!

To be honest, I wasn’t too sure about the whole pyjama party theme. It was cold, windy, and rainy, so I was actually tempted to keep my costume packed away. However, once my friend and I were inside, all of my doubts literally melted away. 131 is very cozy. Reminded me of one of those movie scenes, with an armchair and a fireplace.
The venue is super-​cramped. The back and upstairs aren’t too bad, but there is a major choke point just to the left of the entrance. Watched several people spill their drinks as they were bumped and jostled around. I immediately thought of those poor kids in Africa that don’t get open bars.
It was great seeing some familiar faces, and of course Crystal and Robin again. I had a good laugh when Crystal stamped my guest’s name tag with the word NEWBIE.
The food was, to be honest, hit or miss. I had a chance to try (I think) every dish offered. Some were very good (in particular the fish and chips, and the red stuff in the spoon), but others were actually mediocre at best (slider burgers). The buns were cold and tasted rubbery.
Service was friendly. I liked how the waitress took the time to explain each dish to us. Many other Elite venues don’t do that at all.
In terms of beverages, the mixed bourbon drinks rocked. I was surprised that they were served warm/​hot, but this totally worked. Nothing like some good cider that also makes you tipsy.
Lastly, the washrooms are TINY. Oh wow. There is barely enough room to turn around inside. But they were mostly clean.
Being a Unilocal Elite seriously brings a tear to my eye. I still remember how I got my start in Unilocal,when my friend Anthony N. brought me as his +1 guest to an Elite party. I was instantly hooked, and the rest is history. Why do I bring this up? Today I finally got an opportunity to pass the torch, and show another lost soul the Good Life. Mike L., I’m looking in your direction.

This was my second Unilocal elite event, and it was absolutely fantastic! There was tons of Unilocalers present, and everyone was super cozy in PJs (or Uggs in my case!). My favorite part of the party was definitely decorating gingerbread people. The staff at 131 Water were absolutely fantastic, and made sure the decoration station was well stocked at all times with tons of candy. It was a little disappointing that gingerbread people turned into gingerbread circles later in the evening, but gingerbread circles need love too.
I was really impressed with the level of service from 131 Water. Staff members were constantly bringing around tons of little snacks, ranging from popcorn shrimp, a small cobb salad in a single lettuce leaf, turkey sliders with cranberry aioli, mini fish and chips, a spoonful of chili, and vegetarian bruschetta. The waiter that kept taking our drink orders was super friendly, and the unlimited winter ale and pinot grigio was fantastic. I didn’t try one of the ciders but our table-​mates did and they looked delicious. My fiancé and I both agreed that we would definitely come back here to try more menu items.
Kudos to Robin for planning another absolutely amazing elite event!