25 bars worth the trip across Canada, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Canada guides.
Bar Raval ★ 4.7 · Toronto
little-italy · 505 College Street, Toronto, ON M6G 1A5
Bar Raval on College runs vermouth on tap and Spanish bar snacks from a mahogany Art Nouveau counter since 2015, Grant van Gameren's room the Michelin Bib.
Tip: Walk-ins only. Arrive before 17:30 for an easy stool. Open from 09:00 for the coffee crowd.
Bar Pompette ★ 4.7 · Toronto
little-italy · 607 College Street, Toronto, ON M6G 1B5
Bar Pompette on College Street is the aperitif bar above Pompette since 2018, North America's 50 Best Bars ranked #8 in 2026 with a low-ABV cocktail program.
Tip: Reservations through Tock. The downstairs Pompette is the restaurant; bar is upstairs.
The Keefer Bar ★ 4.7 · Vancouver
chinatown · 135 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X3
The Keefer Bar on Keefer Street in Chinatown since 2009 is Vancouver's reference cocktail bar, an apothecary-style room, Canada's 50 Best Bars perennial.
Tip: Walk-in only Monday to Thursday; weekend bookings open at the door from 17:00.
Botanist Bar ★ 4.7 · Vancouver
downtown · 1038 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC V6C 0B9
Botanist Bar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim is the hotel's stand-alone cocktail room since 2017, World's 50 Best Bars top 30 and head bartender Jeff Savage.
Tip: Walk-ins from 16:00; the bar's tasting flight pairs four miniature cocktails for the cocktail-tour bookings.
Civil Liberties ★ 4.6 · Toronto
the-annex · 878 Bloor Street W, Toronto, ON M6G 1M5
Civil Liberties on Bloor at Ossington runs a no-menu speakeasy since 2014, bartenders mixing drinks to your taste in an industrial-vibe back room.
Tip: No menu by design. The door at 878 has no signage; ring the bell. Late nights until 02:00.
BarChef ★ 4.6 · Toronto
queen-west · 472 Queen Street W, Toronto, ON M5V 2A8
BarChef on Queen West is Frankie Solarik's modernist cocktail bar since 2008, theatrical drinks with dry ice, smoked glass domes and botanical foams.
Tip: Reservations recommended; cocktails run $25 to $50. Closed Monday.
Prohibition ★ 4.6 · Vancouver
downtown · 801 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1P7
Prohibition at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia is a speakeasy-style basement bar since 2012, classic cocktails and live jazz on Wednesday through Saturday.
Tip: Walk in from the side entrance on Howe Street; tables turn at 21:00 for the second seating.
Cocktail Bar ★ 4.5 · Toronto
kensington-market · 923 Dundas Street W, Toronto, ON M6J 1W3
Cocktail Bar on Dundas West is Jen Agg's drink room since 2013, the menu split seasonal, bold, citrusy, liquor forward and wild cards, sister to Grey Gardens.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Snacks from Grey Gardens kitchen run light. Bar seats walk in; tables on Resy.
Dreyfus ★ 4.5 · Toronto
the-annex · 96 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6
Dreyfus on Harbord is the Annex's reference cocktail and natural-wine bar since 2018, chef Zach Kolomeir's small-plate kitchen under 50 seats.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Sister to Bar Mordecai on Dundas West. The chairs at the bar take walk-ins.
Bar Mordecai ★ 4.5 · Toronto
ossington · 1272 Dundas Street W, Toronto, ON M6J 1X7
Bar Mordecai on Dundas West is a retro Wes-Anderson cocktail room since 2020, World's 50 Best Discovery list with vintage and modern drinks.
Tip: No reservations; small room fills early on weekends. Closed Sunday-Tuesday.
The Diamond ★ 4.5 · Vancouver
gastown · 6 Powell Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1E7
The Diamond on Powell in Gastown is an upstairs cocktail bar with Maple Leaf Square views since 2009, a Hong Kong-inflected small-plate menu and a classic.
Tip: Walk-ins only; the upstairs bar window seats fill first. Tuesday evening is the calmer seat.
Key Party ★ 4.5 · Vancouver
chinatown · 270 Powell Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1G3
Key Party on Powell in Chinatown is a hidden basement cocktail bar since 2017, entered through a faux accountant's office, the city's reference speakeasy.
Tip: Reservations on the website; the door key code is texted the day of. Dealers' choice is the bar's standard.
Mahjong Bar ★ 4.4 · Toronto
kensington-market · 1276 Dundas Street W, Toronto, ON M6J 1X7
Mahjong Bar on Dundas West pours Asian-inspired cocktails behind a Vietnamese sandwich-shop facade since 2016, a speakeasy through the back door.
Tip: Enter through the sandwich shop; the back door opens after 19:00. Reservations on Resy.
Pourhouse ★ 4.4 · Vancouver
gastown · 162 Water Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1B2
Pourhouse on Water Street in Gastown is a heritage-room cocktail bar since 2009 with a long wood counter, classic builds and a modern American kitchen.
Tip: Bar walks in; the dining room books on OpenTable for the late-evening service.
Juniper Kitchen & Bar ★ 4.4 · Vancouver
chinatown · 185 Keefer Place, Vancouver, BC V6B 0J1
Juniper Kitchen & Bar on Keefer Place since 2017 is the city's reference gin and botanical-cocktail bar, plus a Pacific Northwest small-plates kitchen.
Tip: The gin flight pairs four house pours with tonics; the bar walks in earlier in the evening.
The Shameful Tiki Room ★ 4.4 · Vancouver
mount-pleasant · 4362 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5V 3R3
The Shameful Tiki Room on Main Street since 2012 is a windowless Polynesian-style tiki bar, the city's reference rum bar with no daylight inside.
Tip: Walk in early on weeknights; the Zombie cocktail is limited to two per person.
Pinkerton's Snack Bar ★ 4.3 · Toronto
ossington · 1026 Gerrard Street E, Toronto, ON M4M 1Z6
Pinkerton's Snack Bar on Gerrard East is the city's reference snack-and-cocktail dive since 2017, owner Marc Baglio's pan-Asian plates and drinks.
Tip: Walk-ins only. Closed Monday. Late nights to 02:00 Friday and Saturday.
Sneaky Dee's ★ 4.3 · Toronto
little-italy · 431 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1T1
Sneaky Dee's at College and Bathurst runs the city's reference late-night Tex-Mex kitchen until 04:30 on Friday and Saturday nights since 1987.
Tip: Cash only at the till; debit card at the bar. Late-night kitchen the city's most reliable after-bar option for nachos.
Gerard Lounge ★ 4.3 · Vancouver
downtown · 845 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K6
Gerard Lounge at the Sutton Place Hotel on Burrard since 1986 is Vancouver's longest-running hotel cocktail lounge, the Hollywood-North celebrity bar.
Tip: Live piano from Wednesday to Saturday after 18:30; the fireside seats are the calmer pour.
Havana ★ 4.3 · Vancouver
commercial-drive · 1212 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC V5L 3X4
Havana on Commercial Drive since 1996 is the city's reference Cuban-Caribbean cocktail bar, the patio strip's longest-running corner room with a back gallery.
Tip: The patio takes walk-ins for the mojito and Cuban sandwich pairing; back gallery for late-night live music.
Communist's Daughter ★ 4.2 · Toronto
ossington · 1149 Dundas Street W, Toronto, ON M6J 1X3
The Communist's Daughter on Dundas at Ossington is the strip's reference dive bar since 2003, a former Portuguese diner with low ceilings and cheap beer.
Tip: Cash preferred under $10. Late kitchen has frozen pizzas after 22:00.
Miss Thing's ★ 4.2 · Toronto
ossington · 1279 Queen Street W, Toronto, ON M6K 1L4
Miss Thing's on Queen West in Parkdale runs Polynesian tiki cocktails and Pacific Rim plates since 2013, the painted bamboo interior the strip's reference.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Weekend nights take walk-ins after 22:00 only.
Track & Field Bar ★ 4.2 · Toronto
little-italy · 582 College Street, Toronto, ON M6G 1B3
Track & Field on College Street is the lawn-games cocktail bar that returned in October 2021, two floors with bocce, shuffleboard and a photo booth.
Tip: Walk-ins or Tock reservations for the bocce lanes; 30ft bar runs through the main floor.
The Cascade Room ★ 4.2 · Vancouver
mount-pleasant · 2616 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3E6
The Cascade Room on Main Street since 2008 is Mount Pleasant's reference late-night neighbourhood cocktail bar, the city's pioneer craft-cocktail dive room.
Tip: Walk-in only; weekends are full from 21:00. Pub kitchen runs until 23:30.
Cinema Public House ★ 4.0 · Vancouver
downtown · 901 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1L3
Cinema Public House on Granville Street is a heritage Capitol 6 cinema-turned-pub since 2017, the Entertainment District's reference late-night cocktail room.
Tip: Late-night kitchen closes 01:00 Friday and Saturday; reservations for the upstairs cinema seats book on OpenTable.