Key Party is Rumpus Room’s Equally Nutty Sister

Located beside Rumpus Room (at 2303 Main St.), is it’s extension, a lounge they’ve named Key Party. You won’t find a sign for Key Party, instead you enter through a storefront whose signage reads “Zottenberg & Sons Accounting.” Inside there’s a kitschy room that is a homage (along with the name) to the swinging days of the 1970’s; you know when you threw your keys in a bowl and went home with the random person who’s keys you grabbed? No? Well, me neither, as I only got to the age of ten in that decade, and while I certainly was a rather flirtatious child, I didn’t even imagine that this sort of thing ever happened. For my peace of mind, I hope that neither did my parents!

However, I did happily swing by this spot and felt rather at home in here, but my need for a bit of space meant that if there were too many more people in the room, I would have felt a little crowded. I’m drawn to cozy spots, and this one seats forty, a nice even number.

Rachel Zottenberg and David Duprey are behind Key Party (they also own The Emerald Supper Club, Narrow Lounge, Uncle Abe’s, and This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven) and they’re always up to something a little more fun than the other guys. Zottenberg has taken it upon herself to personally change Vancouver’s “No Fun City” reputation, and she’s doing a more than decent job doing so; her projects are always a little wacky, in just the way I like it.

The night we were there we sampled Key Party’s new cocktails, some were a bit too sweet for me, throwbacks again to the 1970’s and into the 80’s where paralyzers, grasshoppers and B-52’s reigned supreme, but if you ask the right questions, you’ll end up with a treat tailored to your liking.

The food is equally fun, I snacked on some chili cheese dip with tortilla chips and nibbled a celery stick done up in the old-school ants on a log manner, but the main star of the show that night were the s’mores. Are you sensing this is a place for sugar lovers yet?

The s’mores are served to you with a tabletop heater, Pocky sticks for roasting tools, classic marshmallows, mini jars of Nutella, and house-made Grand Marnier graham crackers, and people are going nuts for these campfire treats!

This would be a great place to go for a date as there’s lots to talk about should your company not have enough content to share; I could also see it as a great place to buy-out for the special party. Perhaps I’ll inquire upon pricing for that!

Key Party., 2303 Main Street, Vancouver, BC