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Cocktail barSpeakeasyThe Annex
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.
OrderTell the bartender three flavours you like and let them mix.
DrinkDealers' choice, bartender-led
FoodBar snacks only
TipNo menu by design. The door at 878 has no signage; ring the bell. Late nights until 02:00.
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Cocktail barCocktail barKensington Market
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.
OrderWhatever the bar manager David Greig is excited about that night.
DrinkSeasonal cocktail rotation
FoodSnacks from Grey Gardens sister kitchen
TipClosed Mondays. Snacks from Grey Gardens kitchen run light. Bar seats walk in; tables on Resy.
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Cocktail barModernist cocktail barQueen West
BarChef on Queen West is Frankie Solarik's modernist cocktail bar since 2008, theatrical drinks with dry ice, smoked glass domes and botanical foams.
OrderThe signature smoked Manhattan presented under a glass dome.
DrinkSmoked Manhattan, Abstract Ice
FoodBar snacks only
TipReservations recommended; cocktails run $25 to $50. Closed Monday.
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Cocktail barSpeakeasyKensington Market
Mahjong Bar on Dundas West pours Asian-inspired cocktails behind a Vietnamese sandwich-shop facade since 2016, a speakeasy through the back door.
OrderA Pandan Highball with the bahn mi sliders.
DrinkAsian-inspired cocktails
FoodVietnamese small plates
TipEnter through the sandwich shop; the back door opens after 19:00. Reservations on Resy.
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Cocktail barWine and cocktailThe Annex
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.
OrderA spritz and the cured fish board.
DrinkMediterranean spritzes, Beaujolais by the glass
FoodMediterranean snacks and pasta
TipClosed Mondays. Sister to Bar Mordecai on Dundas West. The chairs at the bar take walk-ins.
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Cocktail barCocktail barOssington
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.
OrderA house cocktail with the bao buns and crispy rice.
DrinkHouse cocktail rotation
FoodPan-Asian snack bar
TipWalk-ins only. Closed Monday. Late nights to 02:00 Friday and Saturday.