When they’re not at the Loden, many of these downtown professionals are socializing on the patios at Joey Bentall One (507 Burrard Street), a hub for lawyers, brokers, and their buddies. There’s a summer patio off the main dining room that seats 60, but the 80-seater that operates year-round and adjoins the wine bar is where it’s at. Executive chef Chris Mills gives a tour of the space, sliding into one of the roomy outdoor booths that are his recommended spots for leaning back and checking out the schmoozy crowd. When the patio features a game on TV, or when DJ Blondtron spins on Fridays from 3 p.m. till late, these prime vantage points are in even higher demand.

It’s mid-morning, before the restaurant has opened, so the space is still empty. But come 11:30 a.m., it will be buzzing with a mostly business crowd that’ll keep the party going well into the evening on Fridays. And what do these movers and shakers eat when they manage to sit down between deals? “No one at Bentall stays in one place long enough to eat a full meal!” Mills says. Guests prefer small bites like tuna tacos, lettuce wraps, flatbreads, and charcuterie platters. And the drinks keep flowing, including icebergs (beer with lemon vodka slush), mojitos, and of course bellinis.