The 12 Best Bars in Toronto
Toronto drinking starts with Bar Pompette, No. 8 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026, and the bench behind it runs deep: we list 14 active bars across the city. 10 of them hold verified international recognition, from the 50 Best lists to the Spirited Awards. The scene splits into real depth by style: cocktail bars and speakeasies each have enough venues here to earn their own guide. Every listing below is verified by BarMagazine, with addresses, opening hours and the signature drinks worth ordering.
Cocktail BarBar Pompette
A Parisian-café-styled cocktail bar in Little Italy, with whitewashed brick, a marble bartop and tawny leather banquettes, ranked on North America's 50 Best Bars. The drinks program leans on French ingredients and locavorism, backed by an in-house ice program, an Old World wine list and shareable plates from sister restaurant Pompette. Walk-ins only, with live jazz on Sundays. It currently stands at No. 8 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026 and No. 55 on the World's 50 Best Bars 2025.
607 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1B5Sun–Thu 18:00–01:00, Fri–Sat 18:00–02:00Full profile- Library BarHotel Bar
Library Bar
The cocktail bar of the Fairmont Royal York, redesigned in reference to the hotel's Art Deco heritage, with a menu of modern cocktails organized by literary genre and its signature Birdbath Martini served tableside. It ranks No. 19 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026 and holds the list's Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2026. It was a Top 4 finalist for Best International Hotel Bar at the 2026 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
Fairmont Royal York, 100 Front St W, Toronto, ON M5J 1E3Daily 12:00–00:00Full profile - MotherCocktail Bar
Mother
A compact Queen West cocktail bar built around hyper-seasonal produce and fermentation, with a philosophy of elevating Canadian cocktails through natural ingredients. Its current menu, The 5th Horizon, is paired with a rotating food program drawn from global cuisines. Ranked No. 22 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026.
874 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G3, CanadaFull profile - Civil WorksCocktail Bar
Civil Works
A 120-seat Art Deco-inspired cocktail bar from the Civil Liberties team, set on the mezzanine of the 1932 Waterworks building. The menu features 21 cocktails tied to the building's history alongside a water program that demineralizes Toronto tap water and rebalances it to regional mineral profiles. Ranked No. 29 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026, where its menu was named best in North America.
Waterworks Food Hall, 50 Brant St, Toronto, ON M5V 3G9Sun & Tue–Thu 17:00–00:00, Fri–Sat 17:00–02:00Full profile - Civil LibertiesSpeakeasy
Civil Liberties
A menu-free Bloorcourt cocktail bar serving bespoke drinks since 2014, with bartenders building cocktails to each guest's taste from a back bar of over 210 spirits. The room pairs a back-to-basics industrial feel with an unpretentious neighborhood crowd, and the team also runs a cocktail school. Ranked No. 21 on North America's 50 Best Bars in 2024 and 2025. It sits at No. 54 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026.
878 Bloor Street W, Toronto, OntarioFull profile - Cry Baby GallerySpeakeasy
Cry Baby Gallery
A bar concealed behind a working art gallery in Little Portugal, with peeling walls, exposed piping and a butcher's-block bar top that lean into a deliberately unfinished, DIY-speakeasy feel. The list runs to cocktails built on housemade syrups, infusions and bitters, alongside oysters, low-intervention wines and regional craft beer. No reservations. It sits at No. 69 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026.
1468 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1Y6Full profile - Suite 115Speakeasy
Suite 115
Suite 115 bills itself as Little Italy's hidden cocktail bar, tucked behind an unmarked entrance at 532 College Street. Opened in May 2024, it operates walk-in only, with cocktail classes offered alongside its drinks menu. It sits at No. 74 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026.
532 College St, Toronto, ONTue–Sat 17:00–02:00Full profile - No VacancyCocktail Bar
No Vacancy
A moody cocktail bar and dining room on Toronto's Ossington strip, blending Korean flavors with Italian, French and Japanese influences. Bar manager Troy Gilchrist leads a creative cocktail program in a space dressed with commissioned artwork, including a Roy Lichtenstein-inspired mural. Tasting and prix fixe menus run early in the evening, with late-night walk-ins for drinks and snacks. The bar holds No. 82 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026.
74 Ossington AvenueTue-Wed and Sun 18:00-01:00; Thu-Sat 18:00-02:00Full profile - Slice Of LifeSpeakeasy
Slice Of Life
Hidden behind the faux facade of a printing shop at College and Bathurst, Slice of Life is a speakeasy-style cocktail bar that describes itself as Toronto's artistic cocktail haven. A basement laboratory outfitted with centrifuges, rotary evaporators, ultrasonic infusers and dehydrators supplies the cocktail program, served in a darkened room of red velvet banquettes reached through a mirrored hallway. It currently stands at No. 90 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026.
409 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1T1Wed–Mon eveningsFull profile 
Hotel BarBar Mordecai
A Dundas West bar styled after Wes Anderson films and vintage hotel lobbies, with a ground-floor cocktail bar and four private karaoke rooms. The menu runs to shared plates, local and international beer, wines by the glass or bottle, and a creative, crushable cocktail list. It currently stands at No. 94 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026.
1272 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1X7Wed 18:00–00:00, Thu 18:00–01:00, Fri–Sat 18:00–02:00Full profile- Bar BananeCocktail Bar
Bar Banane
A French-inspired cocktail bar on Ossington Avenue from the team behind La Banane, serving canapés such as Nova Scotia lobster croustade and smoked sturgeon rillettes alongside larger plates like lobster roll américaine and steak frites. The drinks list pairs signature cocktails, among them the Forbidden Negroni, with wine and local craft beer. Reservations are accepted, with space held for walk-ins.
227A Ossington Ave, Toronto, ONWed–Thu 18:00–00:00, Fri–Sat 18:00–02:00Full profile - Bar Maaya | TorontoCocktail Bar
Bar Maaya | Toronto
An upscale cocktail bar in Toronto's Entertainment District pairing Eastern flavors with Western technique in its hand-crafted drinks. The room runs to dark tones lifted by vibrant color, with live flamenco, violin and saxophone performances on select evenings.
244 Adelaide St W, Toronto ON M5H 1Y3, CanadaTue–Sun 16:00–00:00 (Fri–Sat to 02:00)Full profile
Explore the whole Toronto scene
These 12 are the starting point. The full BarMagazine directory covers every listed bar in Toronto, with a map, filters by bar type, and new openings as we verify them.
All bars in Toronto