4 Toronto spots that made the list of North America’s best bars
Here’s where you can find Toronto’s honourees — including one bar named Canada’s best.
The results are in, and Toronto has four representatives on the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars.
Announced during a May 4 ceremony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the list aims to “celebrate the best of the region’s drinks industry and shine a much-deserved spotlight on North America as a first-class cocktail destination.”
Voted on by 260 anonymous bar industry experts, the North America ranking is part of the larger 50 Best brand, which also produces a worldwide list. As of the 2022 edition announced last fall, no Canadian establishments made the cut of that one.
That said, three other Canadian bars made the newly announced North American top 50: two from Montreal, and one from Vancouver.
So which Toronto bars made the North America ranking? Read on or check the map accompanying this article to get the goods on the honourees.
Civil Liberties
North America ranking: 12
Special distinction: The Best Bar in Canada 2023
Address: 878 Bloor St W
From the 50 Best website: “This excellent bar eschews any trad speakeasy livery for a simple illuminated sign of a pineapple, a universal symbol of hospitality. If that wasn’t enough, the Bloor West facade numbered 878 carries the auspicious message (who’s to say whether it’s Talking Heads or Paolo Sorrentino-inspired?): ‘This must be the place.’”
Click here for more.
Bar Pompette
North America ranking: 15
Special distinction: Disaronno Highest New Entry Award 2023
Address: 607 College St
From the 50 Best website: “Somewhat ironically located in the Little Italy neighbourhood of Toronto, Bar Pompette promises vibes that echo the look and feel of France’s most sophisticated cafés. The bar bears a welcoming, minimal-chic ambiance marked by sparsely decorated white-washed brick walls, Cognac-colored leather banquettes, vintage café chairs and sturdy hardwood floors. A leafy open-air back patio offers a breezy respite from the bustling neighborhood during the day, and morphs into a romantic oasis under glowing string lights at night.”
Click here for more.
Mother
North America ranking: 37
Address: 874 Queen St W
From the 50 Best website: “Created way ahead of the current wave of intrigue in all things fermented, this bar draws double from its clever moniker, offering both maternal cosiness and funk-injected flavour from the living cultures at the foundation of its drinks offering. When you’re visiting the basement restrooms, make sure to peek in on the most recent bubbling batch that’s fermenting through a clever viewing window in the corridor.”
Click here for more.
Bar Mordecai
North America ranking: 43
Address: 1272 Dundas St W
From the 50 Best website: “Designed to feel like a vintage hotel lobby set from a Wes Anderson movie, Bar Mordecai can feel just about as twee as its muse, with its resident hipster clientele and neon-signed basement karaokerooms. What draws not just Instagrammers but also serious drinkers to this trendy stretch of Dundas Street West, though, might just be a reputation for community-building that extends beyond the bar.”
Click here for more.
Code and markup by Kyle Duncan. ©Torontoverse, 2023