55 Best Bars in Toronto, Ontario

An Annex fave since the '90s, this brick-walled spot offers a variety of drink specials throughout the week, plus bar bites and the odd live DJ set. Head right back the next morning for a tasty brunch.

Finding a quiet place to relax and listen to great music is not so common in Toronto but, luckily, there's the Jazz Bistro. The sound system is state-of-the-art and the beautiful Steinway piano is affectionately referred to by regulars as the Red Pops. Blues, jazz, Latin, and world music acts perform almost every night. There's food, too.

The rowdy atmosphere—every guest is greeted with a cheerful hello in Japanese by kitchen and serving staff when you walk through the door—is just part of what makes this izakaya so charming. Grab a Sapporo, sake, or cocktail splashed with Suntory or vodka, but don't sleep on the delicious small plates.

Originally launched as a pop-up taco stand, La Carnita expanded to this space on College and eventually spawned a number of sibling restaurants across the city. The tacos, hand-crafted cocktails, churros, and house-made paletas still reel diners in week after week. The space is filled with funky graffiti and the sounds of loud hip-hop beats.

Some of the most exciting bands in rock, indie, and punk play at this grungy-yet-venerable club with a psychedelic graffiti facade on the edge of the University of Toronto campus. Grab a Toronto-style roti (Indian curry wrapped Caribbean-style in flatbread) from the service window between sets. Upstairs is the Dance Cave, a no-frills dance club popular with students.

The Shangri-La's spacious Lobby Lounge is famed for its high tea service complete with decadent pastry selection. The vibe gets swish by night as it transforms with live music, trendy cocktails, and delicious bar bites.

There may not be a better place in the city for a brewery and pub than in the brick-laned pedestrian-only Distillery District. Sixteen house-brewed beers are on tap; be sure to sample the signature trilogy: Organic, Tank House Ale and Wit. After a proper tasting, head to the on-site beer boutique where you can purchase some of your favorites. The pub serves dressed-up fare: beer-braised ribs, lobster grilled cheese and beer-steamed mussels. Alfresco tables are prime real estate in warm weather.

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.

Crossing the threshold into this Danforth pub, decked out with cozy wooden booths (or "snugs"), is like time-warping to the Emerald Isle. Musicians playing folk and traditional Irish tunes perform here regularly, and the Guinness is always flowing.

If you want to "see and be seen" in the Financial District head to this vast restaurant and bar, which has a wraparound year-round patio facing both Front and Yonge Streets. The O&B has become the destination for Bay Street's movers and shakers. Check out the impressive cocktail menu.

This late-19th-century vaudeville theater retains some of its original charm, most notably in its proscenium arch over the stage. The 900-capacity venue hosts internationally touring acts of all genres. Locals like to reminisce about seeing such diverse acts as Nirvana, Lucinda Williams, Kings of Leon, LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A., and the Black Keys here.

Once a Soviet themed-bar, Pravda now channels the opulence of a 1920s speakeasy; it offers happy hour cocktails and operates as a supper club in the early evening, which is popular with the after-work crowd. As the night wears on, it transforms into a lively nightclub with a DJ and performances by an aerialist, belly dancer, or live musicians. Take a tour of its glass-encased walk-in freezer on the second floor, where you can don a fur coat and sample more than 70 vodka brands from around the world, such as French, Latvian, and Polish vodkas, each for a fee.

No hole-in-the-wall sports bar, this sleek 25,000-square-foot space adjacent to the Scotiabank Arena lights up with almost 200 high-definition flat-screen TVs and amazing sightlines from every club-style booth, table, or stool at one of the three bars. Head to the second floor to watch a game on the biggest TV, an HDTV screen two stories high. For popular sporting events, or any day or night the Jays, Leafs, or Raptors play, it's best to make a reservation (accepted up to three weeks in advance), though the bar does keep a third of its seats for walk-in traffic an hour before face-off.

This classy tequila bar was ahead of the bar buzz on Ossington (it opened in 2007) and is still going strong. The dark wood, large windows, big back patio, and mix of DJs and live jazz set the tone for a serious list of tequilas meant to be sipped, not slammed. There are also enjoyable Mexican nibbles like ceviche and tacos. Reposado has also expanded into a bodega next door with enviable bottles available for takeout.

One of Queen West's oldest venues, the Rivoli showcases indie music, theater, and comedy. Arcade Fire, Adele, and Tori Amos all graced the intimate back room's stage early in their careers, and for a cover charge (usually under C$12), you can catch what might be Toronto's next big thing. The low-lit front dining room offers a cozy atmosphere for snacking on their famous "wookie" balls or pad Thai, while the front patio is prime real estate for watching eclectic Torontonians go about their days. Head upstairs to shoot some pool at one of 11 pay-by-the-hour tables.

The Steam Whistle Brewery, located on historic railway premises, makes an authentically crafted pilsner. There's a tasting room with a full food menu, a Munich-styled biergärten, and special events like Oktoberfest and the biannual (winter and summer) Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival. It's a great place to stop before or after a Blue Jays game.

This pub is dedicated to all things Scottish. If the massive mural of the St. Andrew's Cross decorating the cozy back patio doesn't give it away, the enormous whiskey selection certainly will. There are more than 500 single malts, with selections dating as far back as the '60s. The pub also hosts frequent tasting events featuring various distillers, and serves hearty Highland eats (haggis—real and vegan—included).

Once a Portuguese sports bar, after over a decade on Dundas West, this spot has become a key local live music venue. The back room isn't huge, but it's a popular spot for up-and-coming touring musicians as well as locals looking to make a mark, not to mention many hopping DJ nights. It also hosts occasional live music and events like the quirky non-expert lecture series Trampoline Hall. A front room bar/cantina is a neighborhood hangout spot.

The delightfully divey Only, on a relatively quiet stretch of the Danforth, is known as one of the city's best beer bars, with 25 taps plus more than 200 bottles and cans. The atmosphere is dim and raucous, with 1990s alt-rock blasting on the stereo. The bar doubles as a café during the day, and hearty vegetarian pub grub is also on offer.

Toronto's British heritage thrives at this classy bar with a full restaurant, where the black-and-white photos on the walls reveal its true passion: soccer. A Manchester United game is never missed, though NHL and other sporting events are also shown. The wine list is admirable for a pub while the beer and cider selection is focused on Ontario brews. Dressed-up British staples—available in the bar or ground-floor dining room—range from Scotch eggs to an excellent hand-chopped beef burger.

Legendary on the Toronto jazz circuit since it opened in the 1980s, the Rex has two live shows every night, and multiple acts on weekend afternoons and evenings. Shows range from free (bring some cash for when the band passes the tip jar) to C$10. The kitchen serves diner fare, and there are even affordable hotel rooms available on-site.

This hotel's sceney rooftop bar has become a bona fide party destination. The lounge space is encased in a glass pyramid that allows for stunning views of the surrounding city, with a wraparound open-air deck. While you're feasting your eyes on that panorama, enjoy a house cocktail, local beer, or some of the kitchen's globe-spanning small plates.

Not far from the historic St. Lawrence Market, the Sultan's Tent and its front bar, Cafe Moroc, re-create a traditional Moroccan banquet atmosphere, complete with plush divans and metal lanterns. In addition to wine and beer, they have a specialty cocktail list that puts a North African spin on classic drinks, like the Arabian Caesar or the Moroccan old-fashioned. There's live music and belly dancers every evening.

A predominantly upscale crowd of men, mostly in their twenties to forties, frequents this cavernous pub and its brother bar Sailor where DJs mix nearly every night. The Toronto gay bar institution is known for Best Chest and Best Butt contests, which are hosted by some of the city's most beloved drag queens, as well as raucous dance parties. The exterior of Woody's was used on the television show Queer as Folk.

Part of a Canadian comedy franchise, this venue headlines stand-up comedians on the rise (Jim Carrey and Russell Peters performed here on their way up), with covers usually between C$11 and C$25. Admission is C$5 on Tuesday for amateur night. The small space is often packed; getting cozy with your neighbors and sitting within spitting distance of the comedians is part of the appeal. Booking a dinner-and-show package guarantees better seats.