Bars
The best places in Toronto to grab a drink (and bites)
Spanish Tapas & Best Bar
Bar Raval
*Michelin Bib Gourmand Award*
The cozy room is a vision, a stunning cocoon of curved, South African mahogany that wraps around every surface. The menu is equally small but offers a striking roster of conservas and pinxtos. Briny boquerones laid over stracciatella are a must, as are the plucky shrimp a la planxa coated in a riot of smoked paprika, cumin and garlic. Indeed, guests will graze and graze until they’ve run out of things to order. There’s plenty to drink here, too, with a host of talented bartenders ready to mix and pour sherries, highballs and smart cocktails.
Spanish Tapas
Bar Isabel
Bar Isabel charms diners with its old-world tavern vibe and broad appeal. Perfect for groups, it’s also just right for solo diners, as some some dishes may be prepared in half portions, inviting exploration. Dishes are rustic and straightforward and there is a clear focus on quality flavors married with strong product. Case in point? The pork secreto, which takes a flavorful grilled pork cheek and ratchets it up a notch with a honey and apple cider reduction.
Beer Hall
Wvrst
While Wvrst is based on a Munich-style beerhall, the slick room, with its hanging Edison bulbs and red subway-tiled walls isn’t exactly Bavarian. You can order from Wvrst’s long list of artisanal sausages, which includes varieties such as kangaroo, wild boar, bratwurst and vegan black bean. There are dozens of beers on tap, mostly from local breweries. The duck fat fries are excellent.
Korean Snack Bar
Seoul Shakers
Seoul Shakers, a snack bar in Toronto, is known for its unique Korean-inspired cuisine, vibrant atmosphere, and excellent cocktails. It offers a menu of small plates perfect for sharing, with dishes like empanadas, tempura salt cod, and eggplant dishes. The restaurant also features a lively ambiance, great music, and a knowledgeable staff. It also has a working Wurlitzer jukebox, a crowd favourite.
Japanese izakaya
Hanmoto
Garage grunge meets Art Deco, with a hit of neon. The kitchen is open nightly until 2am. A short menu divided into raw and hot items that, in izakaya fashion, are meant to accompany booze. Expect to find Japanese riffs on snack food favourites like the Moto Bun, a fried coco bun filled with Japanese chicken curry and Jamaican slaw; and something called Dyno Wings, deep-fried, deboned chicken wings stuffed dumpling-style with seasoned ground pork, then tossed in a spicy house-made sauce. A rotating selection of cocktails that, like the food, have a Japanese spin.
Wine BAr
Grey Gardens
*Michelin Bib Gourmand Award*
Everyone is drawn to restaurateur Jen Agg’s hip, boisterous venue, which manages both style and substance with confident charm. An excellent wine list is paired with a small, mercurial menu that punches above its weight class, where ostensibly simple, unassuming dishes turn out to be heavy hitters. Raw items like oysters and crudos are commendably fresh, and the house-made pastas are real showstoppers. Take as an example the cavatelli, resting in a chili oil along with braised oxtail and crispy fried tripe. The menu might only offer a duo of desserts, but they’re just as inspired as the rest—in other words, not to be missed.
Pasta & Wine Bar
Bar Vendetta
Bar Vendetta is a pasta and wine bar that serves muffuletta sandwiches in the afternoon and nachos late at night.
Italian Bar & Eatery
Bar Prima
From the outside, Bar Prima is about as nondescript as any of the dives and dodgy spots along Toronto’s Queen West strip. Inside, it’s a glamorous ode to a time when diners dressed up for a long and luxurious meal, a time when décor and design played a vital role in the dining experience. There’s glitz here — deconstructed mirrors reflecting the dim lighting, flowy deep-hued curtains and a vaulted ceiling lined in gold leaf — but somehow it all feels elegant and refined.
French Tavern Close to Trev’s Place
The Old York Tavern
This Latin restaurant comes alive at night and promises a loud, flavor-packed, mezcal-drenched night out with friends. Order flights of ceviche and hot plates of picada for nibbling or visit the raw bar in this towering four-storey half dining, half party establishment with a speakeasy on one floor and a rooftop patio.
Great Patio Bar with Italian-American Food
Public Gardens
Public Gardens serves Italian-American fare from one of the grooviest rooftop patios in the city.
Known for its wide selection of espresso martinis, generous pasta portions, fun finger food, and happy hour bellinis, this King West spot has quickly become a popular late-night destination.
And it’s easy to understand why. Beyond the great views and good eats, the prices are reasonable, and there is a DJ playing every night from 10 pm to 2 am. It’s also hard to think of another restaurant that stays open 365 days a year.
Snack Bar
416 Snack Bar
416 Snack Bar is an ode to Toronto. With a close eye for detail, owners Adrian Ravinsky and David Stewart have crafted a venue and a menu that pay tribute to the city, its neighbourhoods and its culture.
The cozy gastropub is a mishmash of detail; the bar counters are striped to resemble old-school TTC streetcars, while an accent wall features a rudimentary chalk map of Toronto’s downtown neighbourhoods. The draught tap is made from old telephone poles and the (tap) water is served in customized bottles.
Snack Bar
Short Turn
Short Turn is a snack bar on Queen West from the same owners of 416 Snack Bar. Offering a mix of drinks and snacks, the new room is meant to feel like a streetcar ride on a vintage streetcar (the model that was retired from the system in 2019).
Best Chinese
Tilt Arcade Bar
Toronto’s largest retro arcade with over 90 + games including arcade machines, pinball, console booths and more all set to FREE PLAY! With vintage game posters, glowing red lights, exposed brick, and displays of old games, every nook and cranny of this spot will transport you to a bygone, playful era. Very good food and huge beer tap menu.
Craft Cocktail Bar
Civil Liberties
Many people I know affectionately call it “pineapple bar” or “tiki bar” which shows what a strong vibe the place presents, making the pineapple outside less of a random signal and more of a statement piece. They’re known for making elaborate cocktails based on the whims of customers, and I’ve heard everything ranging from “something sweet” to getting over a cold.
Watering Hole
Communist’s Daughter
Lovingly termed as “Commie’s” by locals, this neighbourhood watering hole opened in 2003, when most of Dundas West was filled with old sports bars and small storefronts. As eye-catching as it is, the name of the bar was taken after one of Patricia’s favourite songs from a band called Neutral Milk Hotel. Communist’s Daughter has relied on the record playing machine to entertain people since their beginnings, you have the freedom to choose and play what you’d like.
Techno Bar
Bambi’s
Most nights start late but by midnight, the trickle of patrons accelerate to a full-on downpour. (Night owls, you’re welcome; early birds, don’t bother – at least, not on weekends.) The crowd is diverse, and like the bar, stylish but unpretentious. The bar staff manages quite nicely, despite the masses that surround them; there’s a high-five and smile for everyone. The music is certifiably techno, heightening its otherworldly, underground vibe. Bambi’s definitely has an edge, but there’s little ceremony or stiffness about it.
Punk Dive Bar
Sneaky Dee’s
Sneaky Dee’s is the quintessential punk dive bar, a longtime institution of Toronto’s downtown core that caters to the young and cash-strapped. Though originally established up on Bloor Street, Sneaky Dee’s has called Bathurst and College home since 1990, and it’s hard to imagine how the neighbourhood without it. Famed for punk rock shows, walls of graffiti and greasy Tex-Mex eats designed to pair with way too much booze, Sneaky Dee’s has a long and treasured legacy within Toronto’s alternative circles. Some of Canada’s most respected indie bands today got their start in the 200-capacity room upstairs, including Arcade Fire , Broken Social Scene , Fucked Up and Feist .
Bicycle Themed Dive Bar
Handlebar
Handlebar is not a space for those with fancy tastes. Beers ($6.25) and whiskies ($6.50 for a Maker’s) are the focus here, which is not necessarily bad for the weary palate.
Their bar menu is similarly unpretentious, serving homey favourites such as spaghetti and meatballs or tacos. The dishes vary daily, but hover around $6.
Arcade Bar
Get Well
The Get Well bar on Dundas West near Ossington may have a dozen vintage arcade games but it isn’t your average arcade bar. Nor is it a craft beer spot or a pizza restaurant.
It simply can’t be described as just one thing says bar owner Alan Kelley, who has worked tirelessly for the last 11 years to ensure that it’s a combination of arcade amusement, cheesy pizzas and an array of drinks wrapped up into a fun and welcoming environment.
Japanese Whisky & Hi-Fi Listening Bar
915 Dupont
915 Dupont is a coffee shop and self-described Hi-Fi listening bar serving Japanese whisky and cocktails.
The space is hidden away inside a building on the south side of Dupont near Ossington Avenue. Push a curtain aside and you’ll find a serene space divided into rooms with a bar in the middle where a barista will make you a coffee or something a little stronger.
The cafe is mostly open during the day only but occasionally extends its hours later into the evening for special events.
Craft Beer Bar
Bar Volo
The craft beer bar is known for its wide selection of rare and imported offerings, and specializes in cask ales.
Trev’s Favorite Bar (It’s a Seltzer Bar!!)
Civil Works
Recently ranked #55 on Best Bars in North America.
Deeply inspired by the building’s history, Civil Works features an imaginative Art Deco inspired design embellished with modern details. The space marries industrial charm with timeless glamour using vintage furniture and rich materials that evoke the spirit of an era. With 21 cocktails and 12 waters on the menu, there’s plenty to keep the team busy. Kennedy, says Hanson, “reminds us all that we’re ultimately here for the guest to have fun.”
Piano Bar
Jean Darlene Piano Bar
Jean Darlene is Toronto’s newest venue where you can not only take in live performances, you can put them on yourself. While there will be professional acts scheduled, budding artists are encouraged to volunteer to go up on stage.
There will be singalongs and open mic nights. There’s even a recording studio in the basement where winners of the open mic nights could be offered free recording sessions.
Listening (hi-fi) Bar
Sounds Good
The speakers are the focal point of the restaurant, positioned at either end of the walnut bar.
The music selection spans genres from disco to jazz to pop, avoiding mainstream radio fare.
It’s all about including sounds conducive to the atmosphere and hopefully introducing people to something new. It also serves as a space for record collectors to play their tunes, with a DJ booth thoughtfully tucked away to the side.
Games Bar
Track & Field
Track & Field is a lively, party bar where you can play large-scale lawn games while drinking a few cocktails. The bar is one of the first places in Toronto to offer lawn games, traditionally played outside, in an inside space. Towards the back of the bar is a snack window, there are QR codes located on walls around the bar, that you can use to order your food, you’ll be notified when your food is ready and you can walk up to the window to pick it up.
Chinese Snack Bar
Big Trouble Bar
Big Trouble is a bar tucked away above a location of Sichuan Ren, paying homage to its neighbourhood and the heritage of its sibling owners with a creative bilingual menu of baijiu bottles, Tsingtao, and dumplings.
Vinyl Listening Lounge
Kissa
Kissa is Toronto’s vinyl listening lounge on King West. Pronounced “key-sa”, the word comes from the Japanese word kissaten, which refers to tea rooms that also served alcohol and where a lively place for writers and thinkers. Spinning vinyls mainly from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, it’s a welcome space for millennials and Gen Z alike. In fact, they don’t have any albums after 2015.
Arcade Bar
Midnight Arcade
Midnight Arcade, nestled in the heart of Kensington Market, serves up nostalgia in a big way with old-school games and retro arcade vibes. The kitchen is open until midnight, serving snacks and thick rectangular pizzas that are the perfect size for sharing. The entire menu has an Asian flair, and Pham tells us she wanted to keep all the offerings nostalgic to keep with the theme of the bar.
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