The Best Bars in Niagara & around

Exposed brick and mid-century furniture bathed in warm amber light make this Ossington cocktail bar feel like someone's very cool living room, if that someone also happened to know a lot about Japanese whisky. The drinks program leans Japanese-inspired, the zero-proof options are taken as seriously as everything else, and the food is good enough that you'll order more than you planned. It landed on North America's 50 Best Bars list in its first year open.

1. The 50 #82 · North America's 50 Best Bars
2. Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New International Cocktail Bar – Canada

The entrance is through a barbershop on Ossington, which should tell you everything about the vibe before you order a thing. Gift Shop is a compact cocktail bar that runs on classic inspiration, with originals built from combinations that have no business working as well as they do. The Lycheese Martini, which is exactly what it sounds like, rehabilitates the lychee martini with Parmigiano Reggiano. Ranked on Canada's 100 Best Bars list.

1. Canada's 100 Best #27 · Best Bars

Frankie Solarik's follow-up to BarChef trades smoke machines for herb jars, mortar and pestle, and a chemist's storefront you walk through to reach the bar. The cocktail menu on West Queen West reads like a compendium of house-made bitters, hydrosols, and foraged botanicals, with drinks built to order from vintage apothecary vessels. The showmanship didn't go anywhere, though, and neither did the '90s hip-hop.

1. Canada's 100 Best #42 · Best Bars

Red lights, mismatched furniture, and a name that does not promise elegance: Sweaty Betty's is an anarchic dive bar on Ossington that predates the neighborhood's cool-kid era by a solid stretch. It reads like a stumble-in-at-last-call situation, which is exactly the cover it's working. The cocktails are made with care, classics alongside house originals, most under eighteen dollars, plus a solid beer list for anyone keeping it simple.

1. Canada's 100 Best #50 · Best Bars

1. Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New International Cocktail Bar – Canada

1. Difford's Guide 4 stars · Difford's Guide

1. Difford's Guide 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide