The Best Cocktail Bars in Toronto

Not only is this Bloorcourt gem one of the city's top spots for tipples, it ranks among the best in the world. Could the tailored menu — customized to each guests' likes, dislikes, dreams and fancies — have anything to do with it? Chat up the bartender and it's likely you'll find out.

The lack of pretension is as palpable as the team's collective skills at this Bloordale Village cocktail bar. Classic drinks are expertly mixed but to see where the team really excels, you'll want to focus on the mystical house cocktails — like the savoury Blood Moon and the bracing Blade of Stone.

There's shareable comfort foods on the menu at this Dundas West bar but it's the thoughtful pours that deserve (most of) your attention. An air of carefree fun accompanies each intriguing pour — whether your go-to is the piquant Pepper Potts Margarita or the subtly savoury Pho Get About It.

A sister spot to Pompette and Bakery Pompette, this chic Little Italy space serves up modern sips notable for their balance and taste. Styled simply, with nary a plume of smoke or incandescent ingredient in sight, these stunners rely on their flavours to wow. Small plates from Pompette and a snug back patio add to the charm.

From local hospitality vet Jen Agg, it's no wonder that this Dundas West spot has hung onto its cachet since day one. Nonchalantly über-cool, it's the place to sip on textbook Hoof Manhattans and dreamy Cloud Nines while nattering about the state of the world.

Part speakeasy, part art gallery, this Dundas West space abounds with creativity. Drinks are mixed with house spirits, infusions and syrups, ensuring every sip delivers something new. Surrender to the mini-break, with a Spicy Marg or Zombie spiked with Cry Baby rum blend.

From an anteroom styled like a turn of the century apothecary, to the luminous lounge and menu of Méthode Classique cocktails, everything about this West Queen West space transports guests to another time. Like chemists mixing restorative elixirs, the team squeezes, crushes, and muddles every ingredient to order.