The Best Places to Drink and Stay in Edmonton

A proper hi-fi setup anchors this '70s-lounge cocktail bar inside a heritage building in Edmonton's Brewery District, where the lighting stays low and the mid-century furniture looks like it was sourced with actual patience. The drinks lean nostalgic without being lazy about it. Snacks run to chicken wings stuffed with mushrooms and black truffle, because apparently that's where we are now. Named a Canada's 100 Best bar.

A French Renaissance castle on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River sounds like a fever dream, but the Macdonald has been standing there in full storybook seriousness for ages. Inside, it's a polished Fairmont luxury hotel with handsome rooms, lavish suites named for Churchill and royalty, and an afternoon tea that regulars treat as a standing appointment. It holds a Michelin Key.

The JW Marriott sits inside Edmonton's Ice District, where Rogers Place anchors a neighborhood built around the city's near-religious devotion to the Oilers. It's a luxury hotel with enough Alberta in it to feel grounded, natural textures and local art woven through spaces that could otherwise read as any upscale property anywhere. Braven handles high-end chophouse duties, while the Alchemy cocktail bar handles urban glamour. The Michelin Guide has it in their Selected Hotels list.