We're on to Tantra (355 10th Avenue SW), and the party that we're evidently crashing caters to the jagged jams du jour - mostly of the top 40 variety; the brutally screamed, shrieked, and chugged sounds associated with micro-genres such as house, hip-hop, thrash and the old, reliable top 40, so it's probably safe to say there's something around the corner to pique your interest if you get bored. Those who want to drink and lounge to fresh sounds will be fine, but for a more undiluted club experience, you're better off at one of the other countless '80s nights around town. Tantra is for those who were born in the '80s, not for those who lived through it.

In most big cities, a hotel bar is the place to meet for a quick drink before moving on to a bar - or in this case, knee deep in a tour of 20 of them. Opus Bar (322 Davie Street), a super sexy spot in the lobby of the Opus Hotel, has taken off as a destination in its own right, with lines of wanna-Vs coursing out onto the street. Opus is a martini-drinker’s dream, coming off as the upscale hotel's stylish living room. The lounge is adorned with Ray Eames and Philippe Starck and Nienkamper. There’s even a repro. Palazzo Capponi bench and period Venetian Louis XV furniture. A discreet sound system flips vintage funk, soul and classic hip-hop tracks.

Next up, we are expected at UpnDown at Century (432 Richards Street). The folks here have clearly put on their best shoes and designer duds, and have wound up here to soak up more drinking and dancing above the city. It's hard to say what the top draw is; the famous view, the alternately gorgeous and fun staff, the matchless people-watching, the mix of the very young and the very old, the laughing, the talking, the dancing, or the eating. Or maybe it's just that those of us with less-than-washboard stomachs like to eat, dance, and make merry, too.

It’s quite a few blocks away, but the limo carts us off to Watermark (1305 Arbutus Street). Hollywood itself couldn’t have created a landscape more visually arresting than the expansive view spanning from open bay to North Shore mountains to Stanley Park. Sunsets, seen from down below, cast an otherworldly glow over the hieroglyphic accents along the resort-like terrain; Watermark has now taken over the beach, boldly - if somewhat incongruously - packaging itself as showroom-meets-lounge-meets-eatery, bringing some of that gentrifying clubland to the coast.

Quickly now, we hit Sonar (66 Water Street); wild, wet and overflowing with Van’s hottest and horniest youth. Open Tuesday through Sunday, Sonar was designed to attract the international crowd that flocks to, say, Shine Nightclub (364 Water Street) - but want more room to dance. Sonar, which already has a sizable slice of the upscale, young underground scene, brings in talent like Coldcut and Mr. Scruff. For those of you not so young and energetic, Sonar is still worth a trip just to see that you really can build a better mousetrap.