cocktail bar toronto

The Best Cocktail Bars in Toronto

The best cocktail bars in Toronto sling sips that range from flawlessly classic to provocative and new. From immersive drink dens to casual cocktail spaces where the creativity flows into intriguing menus, these spots promise to give you a new appreciation for what's in your glass.

Here are the best cocktail bars in Toronto.


Civil Liberties
1

Civil Liberties

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.

Grey Tiger
2

Grey Tiger

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.


Project Gigglewater
3

Project Gigglewater

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.

Bar Pompette
4

Bar Pompette

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.


Cocktail Bar
5

Cocktail Bar

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.


Cry Baby Gallery
6

Cry Baby Gallery

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.

Famous Last Words
7

Famous Last Words

If you live for a robust theme, this homey Junction spot will thrill. Everything here — from the décor to the layout of the menu to the drinks — draws on literature for inspiration. The result? Cocktails divided into categories like Beach Reads and Epics, ranging from the bubbly The Life Of Pi to the Old-Fashioned-esque Fahrenheit.


Prequel & Co. Apothecary
8

Prequel & Co. Apothecary

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.

Overpressure Club
9

Overpressure Club

A stylish sister spot to Project Gigglewater, this recent addition to Bloorcourt deals in modernist draft cocktails and Japanese small plates. Signature drinks include the bourbon-based Peach Punks and the Tropic Pursuit, topped with mango gel. Zero-proof options are as complex as their boozy brethren.

Lead photo by

Fareen Karim of Overpressure Club.


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The Best Cocktail Bars in Toronto

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