5 Best Bars in Toronto, Ontario
The nightlife scene in Toronto is as varied as the neighborhoods. Downtown—in the Entertainment and Financial districts and Old Town—bars and pubs cater to theatergoers and weekday worker bees. They can be dead on weekends after dark, however—especially in the Entertainment District—until 11 pm rolls around and the big loft-style dance clubs get going. To hang with locals at their neighborhood joints, head to Little Italy or the Annex, where university students mix with residents of the surrounding Victorian-lined streets.
Gay nightlife centers around Church and Wellesley streets northeast of the downtown core. Everyone under 40 ends up on Queen West at some point, patronizing the once-bohemian, now-established arty bars and cafés. Ladies who lunch meet for midday martinis in swanky Yorkville and later clink glasses at the tony lounges. Throughout the city are dedicated music venues, bars, and supper clubs that specialize in jazz, Latin, blues, rock, hip-hop, and everything in between.
Most recently Toronto has emerged as a food-obsessed city with late-night restaurants (from hole in the walls to the crème de la crème in fine dining), offering sips and nibbles to those who wish to feast past the usual dinner hour. Other emerging trends include a flourish of local brewpubs and luxury hotels offering unique evening programs which have locals and tourists swarming. In this section, we've covered the places that have cemented their place in the city's scene, but new hot spots are always emerging. Check local news outlets to get the latest.
Amsterdam BrewHouse
This brewpub features two massive bars with more than 10 local brews on tap, an open-concept kitchen with an imported Italian wood-burning pizza oven, and a sprawling patio with stunning views of the Toronto Islands. The building, a former 1930s boathouse, also houses a brewery; tours and beer tastings are available daily. Tours are free, but book in advance.
Bar Volo
Tucked down a cobblestone laneway across the street from its original location on Yonge Street, this is one of the city's top destinations for beer lovers. Once specializing in rare and one-off brews from other breweries, Bar Volo now has its own brewery on-site. That means you can get traditional English-style hand-pulled cask beers, highly drinkable German- and Italian-style lagers, and some hoppy ales. It's European style, which means the beers are all well-made, approachable classics and not too wacky (though you can find some of those on the beer list as well). For non-beer drinkers, there's also a full cocktail program and a full list of natural wines they import themselves. After pandemic-era changes to the city's liquor laws, those one-off wines and beers are all available to buy and take home. Or sip them alongside southern Italian tapas inside or on the sizable front patio.
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Mill Street Brewery
Brewing some of Toronto's most widely enjoyed craft beers, Mill Street Brewery runs a pair of adjoining brewpubs in the Distillery District. Enter off Tank House Lane to find the Mill Street Brew Pub, home of dressed-up bar eats, or veer down a side alley to feast at the modern Beer Hall. Both bars have several beer taps, with choices ranging from Mill Street staples like Organic Lager and Tankhouse Ale to seasonal and one-off beers. A bottle shop attached to the Brew Pub offers a selection of Mill Street offerings to go.
