In Toronto you can find a bar around every corner. But where do you go for that special first date, drinks with your boss or cocktails with out of town guests? These five bars have the perfect blend of atmosphere and taste, with must-have drinks that will make you crave more.
Voted top 100 best bars in the world by Food & Wine Magazine, BarChef’s menu features some of the most creative drinks in the city. The bar features a couple dozen infusions and elixirs – not to mention a blowtorch and frozen carbon dioxide – that contribute to their drinks’ sophisticated taste.
Try: Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan (Crown Royal Special Reserve, vanilla infused brandy, cherry and vanilla bitter, hickory smoked syrup, smoked hickory and vanilla), $45
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Drake One Fifty brings the style and energy of the Drake’s Queen West location to Toronto’s Financial District. Housed in a trendy postmodern building, you will find unique art installations by famous designers like Douglas Coupland.
Try: Baller Manhattan (Colonel E.H Taylor rye whiskey, Carpano Antica forumal vermouth + Angostura bitters), $25
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If wine selection is high up on your list, search no further than Skin + Bones on Queen Street East. The sommelier has curated a wine list that features more than 40 rotating wines available by the glass and at least 125 bottles.
Try: Ask the sommelier for their personal recommendation as the wine list has constant additions and subtractions.
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Reposado is changing the tequila game in Toronto. This bar is anything from cliché (no stereotypical Mexican nick-nacks), and offers over 50 different types of tequila.
Try: Freshly Squeezed Mango Margarita
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If you’re looking to impress, head to The Harbord Room where many of Toronto’s young elite love to see and be seen. Run by beloved Toronto chef Cory Vitiello, their drink menu offers a selection of beverages that pair perfectly with Cory’s entrees.
Try: The Ronald Clayton (vanilla infused Crown Royal, organic maple bitters, tobacco syrup), $15
