Maxine's Hideaway is a restaurant with exceptional food, 
dinner theatre with exceptional live entertainment (Vegas style)
and lounge with DJ's and a dance floor.
All this lives in this historical Vancouver heritage building known as Maxine's.

Open Tuesday - Sunday from 5:30PM until 2:00AM

MAXINE'S HISTORY

In honor of history and respect to the heritage of Vancouver, we have renamed the restaurant after the original proprietor, Maxine.

Sex, Booze, Secret Tunnels and the Ghost of Maxine?

"Maxine's Hideaway (formerly Balthazar Restaurant) has been many things, including a beauty school and boarding house known as Maxine’s Beauty School. In the 1930’s, it was used as a hideout for two of America’s most wanted fugitives (one of whom was captured here by J. Edgar Hoover himself.) When times got tough, Madame Maxine used the lower floor of the school as a brothel, hence The “Bordello Room Lounge." There are also two filled-in tunnels - one apparently used for rum-running during U.S. prohibition which connected the building to the boathouses at English Bay. The second , lesser-known tunnel connected the brothel to what was then called Rogers Mansion, now Romano’s Macaroni Grill; the Rogers Sugar magnate liked to have his own secret point of access and egress to the brothel. You can still see where the tunnels were filled in on the basement floor. But be wary if you venture down to the basement as the restless spirits commonly like to scare the wits out of the staff. The current owner claims he has received several internal pages from the basement phone late at night even though he’s the only one there."

- The Unknown City by John Mackie & Sarah Reeder

 

Above picture - What was Maxine's Beauty School in the early 1900's. In later decades it became Maxine's Apartments, see picture below.

Today, Maxine's is home to an upscale historic restaurant and lounge called Maxine's hideaway. Maxine's offers exceptional west coast cuisine fused with a Spanish flair. The tapas menu items are unique and tasty and perfect for sharing. Maxine's has one of the only wood-burning ovens left in Vancouver and as a result the pizzas are delicious. There is something for everyone. Special events include Friday and Saturday dinner shows with the Candy Girl Cabaret (a sexy Broadway Burlesque song and dance group led by New York dancer-choreographer, Leigh Torlage.) Make sure to book in advance as these shows do sell out. Other events include a monthly "open stage" night called the Waaaaay Off Broadway Cabaret which features local musical theatre performers and productions around Vancouver. There is also a monthly music club which features local singers and songwriters. Maxine's is often sought out by film production companies for location filming as well as wrap parties, fashion and industry events. A favourite celeb-spotting hideaway, Maxine's is the old new place to be in Vancouver.