Best cocktails of the trip for this #22 on the best of North America's '26 bars. 4.5 stars…read more Cocktails: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4 Cost to worth it rating: 3 Opentableable: yes Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - James was a wonderful host with great recommendations. Even when one was a miss for me, he followed up with a winner - Claire De Lune: gin, vanilla, almost clarified punch style was my favorite. 5 stars - Spiced Prophecy: tequila, ginger, and mint drink was so smooth and effervescent and came with a little sparkly fire show with a wreath of steel wool around it. 5 stars - Fun vibe though was a thin hallway with just a few tables - Style: Q-bert black and white cube flooring Midlights - Some heavy on the scotch flavor which isn't my thing Lowlights - Came from dinner so didn't have room to try snacks

I'm a big fan of Manhattans, so when I heard that Mother was serving up a supposedly top-notch…read moreversion, I knew I had to check it out for myself. I arrived at around 6:30 on a recent Wednesday and the place was about half full. I snagged a spot at the end of the bar and began perusing the menu. Obviously I had to get the Bobby Burns in Manhattan ("Bourbon, Canadian Whisky, Blended Scotch, Italian Vermouth Blend, aromatic Bitters, Salted Vanilla and Drambuie. Burnt caramel with bright aromatics") and it was ready a few minutes later. It's incredible. It's right up there with the best Manhattans I've ever had, and it's sure possible it might be the best. The balance of flavors is right on point, and it's also been incorporated with other tastes that work perfectly. (I returned to Mother a few weeks later and it was just as good the second time.) I was feeling a little peckish, so I went ahead and ordered the Jerk Chicken Karaage. It arrived piping hot and was a far bigger portion than I had anticipated. I figured I'd never be able to finish it, but it was so delicious I inhaled the whole thing. For my second drink, I went with the Honey + ("100% Agave Reposado Tequila, Espadin Mezcal, Ontario Bee Pollen, Salted Lavender Honey & Fresh Citrus. Floral, Smoky & Tart"), and it was so satisfying and flavorful. (I'm all about that Manhattan, though.) Mother is a terrific place. The atmosphere is awesome and my bartender was super friendly and helpful. It deserves its place as one of the city's very best cocktail bars.

I don't know how to describe the experience I had here. The super creative drinks are a whole…read moreexperience! The ingredients on the menu ... first, they're creative. Second they're meant to be an experience. There are multiple parts and they're meant to be consumed to create the cocktail equivalent of the perfect bite. I had the Golden Honey Penicillin with its amuse bouche (corn cannoli) and burnt honey sherbet over snow covered with crispy panels (?)... this was to be alternated with the cocktail ... and it was to be savored because it was such a great combination of flavors and textures but also because there were spices being released from the ice cubes ... amazing doesn't describe the experience! Super comfortably dark ambiance and exceptional guidance from server. Forgot to add - wagyu beef tartare and smoked olives were delicious and satisfying sharables'

Visiting Toronto for the first time, I found myself here after someone had suggested this bar as a…read moremust visit. This place is on another level. The drinks are exceptional; they are well thought out and very creative. Depending on what you order, you may be getting a whole presentation/experience! I would highly recommend this place.

Best atmosphere and unexpected hit cocktail for this #8 on the best of North America's '26 bars. My…read morefave stop on our Toronto weekend where we hit 4 of these caliber cocktail bars. Food: 5 Cocktails: 5 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 5 Cost to worth it rating: 3 Opentableable: no reservations taken Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - Best vibes: fun party music like MJ, Prince, and a huge variety of upbeat hits. - Croque Monsieur: delectable. So cheesy and craveable. Cut in 3 convenient strips for snacking. 5 stars - Cornichon martini: wasn't sure about it, but gave it a try and loved it. Briney tangy smooth boozy chilled goodness in a glass. 5 stars - Kitchen is always open: love that - Small place with some tables in front and a short bar up a step in the back Midlights: - Our waitress was super fun but disappeared but someone else came to help us for subsequent rounds eventually Lowlights - No reservations take so you gotta take a chance to see if they have space (we got lucky late on a Saturday for 2)

Overall: 5 stars…read more Casually upscale bar on a bustling Toronto street that is on the list of Top 50 Best Bars on the World. Since Toronto was having heavy rainfall, we were able to walk in around 6:30p without any wait at all (since they don't take reservations). The drinks were creative, high quality, and well executed, so this is a strong recommend from me! Nancy's Treat - Beautifully refreshing cocktail that captures the flavors of the garden from the strawberry to the rhubarb. A pleasant drink that is pleasant on the palette, with a clear sophisticated block ice etching. Food: +1 Presentation: +1 Price: +1 Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: +1 Insta/Yelp/Beli: @amei_eats Insta/TikTok: @ameizing.race

The Coolest Speakeasy in Toronto!…read more I'm on a dating tour and I'm currently listening to my therapist (my bestie) and dating them ALL! (Best advice ever, highly recommend.) So when this handsome fit fella said I bought you a ticket to come see me, I said I'll see you soon! Because Ladies the last man I dated said he was the best I'd find, and that he was a good catch. Good catch alright, I caught him left and right texting desperate women who wanted to see him. Ladies have HIM! He's good for a meal, that was the advice I got when I first started seeing him and I didn't listen! Shout out to that Yelp angel who I didn't listen to! He's is no prize, you were right! That's for sure! You've seen my pictures, talk about UPGRADE! Now let's talk about Prequel! While on a first date my new honey pot (yes they all get the same name) decided to take me all over Ossington. He lives in walking distance which is way cool! For our pregame we walked into this little upscale shop or so I thought, he said table for two. I was looking around confused and then voilà a distinguished gentleman appeared from the hidden door! Sooo cute! Upon entering this dimly lit enchanting room you see leather chairs and a place where honestly I could come to daily. I wish this was my neighborhood watering hole. Now this was NICE! Our bartender was awesome and made our drinks to perfection! My pictures of the drinks are picture perfect! Love this place and definitely returning when I come back to see this handsome man! (He really is. I know y'all don't trust me. lol I promise no more large men.) Till next time! Perfect date night vibes, highly recommend! Yelp didn't attach my original pics but there are more! They are beautiful too!

First of all, I really admire how committed Prequel & Co. Apothecary is to its concept. So many…read morebars have a theme, but this is one of the few where it actually carries through every part of the experience. From the entrance to the interior and even the drinks themselves, everything is thoughtfully curated around the apothecary concept. The cocktails are all creatively themed, which makes the menu fun to explore. One of my favourite things to order is the warm olives with bread. They're simple, but so good that I usually end up (embarrassingly) asking for extra bread every time I come... If you're looking for a bar that's as much about the experience and atmosphere as it is about the drinks, I'd definitely recommend here.

Just wow. The drinks are sublime. I had the old fashioned, and it was fantastic. The atmosphere is…read moresuper intimate. The music selection is great. And if you are hungry, the beef tounge is incredible. Albert is the perfect host!

hidden in an upstairs residential looking building in yorkville in true speakeasy fashion!! very…read moreupscale and fancy vibes. drinks were amazing and lots of freebies with chips and sparkling wine on the house. service was amazing, if you sit at the bar the bartender would also make custom drinks for you based on your preferences. all things considered, the drinks are still a bit pricey

Great concept and vibe, but expect to be nickel and dimed which ruins the experience…read more This cocktail bar gets great reviews, so I thought we'd go for drinks. Went end of the night and sat at the bar. Bartender told us there are no menus. You tell him what you're looking for in terms of flavor and spirit and he'll create something. I think we said savory rum based. The bartender made two daiquiri riffs that were decent. Got the bill to see upcharges for premium rum, upcharged for shaken cocktails too. We never asked for this, but he sure charged us for things we shouldn't have to pay for. Drinks weren't even memorable. Won't be back.

We went to about a dozen bars in the Toronto area and every bartender said we had to stop by Civil…read moreLiberties. This spot doesn't have a menu per se. Instead it's a wall of flavor profiles. The bar tender asks what kind of drink you want and makes a one of one hand crafted cocktail. It's also delicious. The group had a large order and the bar staff remembered everything we asked for. Extremely impressive. A must try

I came to Bar 404 for a girls' night catch-up, and it ended up being the perfect spot for it. The…read morespace is huge and the atmosphere made it easy to settle in and spend a few hours just talking. The staff were also incredibly kind and even let us stay and chat until closing, which I really appreciated. You really can't go wrong with this place. I'd definitely come back.

Really cool little place. You walk up the stairs to what seems like a dead end and then they pop…read moreopen the hidden door into the area. There's the floor tables, which, if I'm being honest, could be set up in a little more organized fashion but I suspect they may do music here or something and the seating needs to be a little more fluid. The bar seating though is really cool. Slightly elevated and then sitting around the cylindrical bottle shelves and display. The bartender was a nice, young guy who wasn't super knowledgeable about the drinks and ingredients necessarily but was cool to talk to. Drinks were definitely fun and interesting and not terribly priced. Probably not my favorite bar in the city but I'd go back if I was in the area.

This is a cute bar! Love the decor! The lights are a bit dim but it's a vibe…read more The drinks are pretty strong and well presented. There's some snacks but don't expect an actual meal. This spot is good for dates, or catching up with friend. Servers were nice and attentive as well!

So I found myself in the area for a concert and I wanted to grab a quick drink beforehand. Le Tigre…read morepopped up on my search, and after looking into it, I discovered that the place is affiliated with Cry Baby Gallery (which I absolutely love). I showed up around 6:00 on a Friday and the place was already about half full. The vibe was exactly what I look for in a cocktail bar, and the service was super friendly and inviting. It happened to be Happy Hour, which offered up all their martinis at an incredibly reasonable price, so I decided to try a couple of them and they were both phenomenal. Honestly, I would easily rank these martinis among the best in the city. I absolutely loved my time at Le Tigre. It's a really special place.