The best bars and cafés Ontario

Located in the Delta Toronto Hotel, this beautiful design establishment is a whisky mecca, offering the largest selection of Canadian whiskies in Toronto. We recommend the tasting palettes, each of which is declined according to an origin or a brand, such as the palette dedicated to Nikka products. The place also concocts an array of classic and signature cocktails, and some wines and beers are on the slate. For those who are a little peckish, gourmet dishes are offered (definitely try the salted caramel and whiskey cake).

A nice little café on Queen Street that works in a social economy perspective, notably by offering tasty fair trade coffees and small gourmet dishes made with healthy and seasonal products. To accompany your latte or espresso, you can choose a pastry, a salad or a good sandwich like the Original Breakfast with fried egg, bacon, lettuce and cheese. There are also a few options for vegetarians and gluten intolerant people. Bonus: the place displays the works of local artists on its walls.

It's hard to miss the building of this microbrewery: it is covered with large murals. Art is highlighted here, even on the labels of the beers featuring indie music bands and visual artists. To discover the delicious house nectars, nothing beats a trip to the superb beer garden adjacent to the installations (several places inside as well). The place also concocts artisanal ciders, gins and rums, not to mention a second branch in Toronto to double the pleasure.

Founded in 2005, Nickel Brook has a great reputation on the Ontario brewing scene. What's more, for the past few years, the microbrewery has been experimenting with small batches for its limited editions, in addition to using bourbon and pinot noir barrels to age its beers. Its brand new tasting room offers about twenty beers in barrels, without forgetting the boutique corner where you can stock up on homemade nectars and items bearing the effigy of the microbrewery. Another branch in Etobicoke.

This microbrewery specializes in hoppy, sour and spontaneously fermented beers, not to mention barrel-aged nectars made with Niagara wines. To discover them, a tasting room is set up on site and offers the house wines as well as small and large dishes to satisfy any appetite. A beer garden and a hop field complete the picture. To top it all off, a boutique area allows you to buy your favorite beers as well as items bearing the Bench logo.

Since its creation in the early 1990s, this bar with its more than original decoration has seduced lovers of rock, retro 80's, punk, glam, metal, funk from the 70's and British pop. The front is quite, shall we say, interesting, since it is surrounded by bicycle carcasses and other scrap metal of unknown origin. Impossible to pass by without noticing her! The interior is in the same tone, garage atmosphere. A sign of good health, the bar is crowded, and people are elbowing each other to order their beer. Nice evening entertainment program.

Located in the heart of the trendy Yorkville district, Hemingway's New Zealand bar is the ideal place to have a good time. The four terraces in the summer are very popular with regulars who come to relax with friends or couples. Open for more than 40 years, it is a true institution in Toronto. Bonus: shows, quiz nights and sports games on giant screens. Don't miss: the celebrations of the national holidays of Australia and New Zealand as well as St. Patrick's Day.

Located in an alley, one could easily pass by the brewery without seeing it. We thank the poster put on Greenwood which indicates us the way! The place reminds us of the American breweries with its tasting room installed a few steps from the tanks. Knowing that the brewery enjoys a good reputation, we wanted to taste everything. We liked the Greenwood IPA with its juicy flavours, as well as the Squeeze Play Bumbleberry, a sour beer with field fruits, and the If You Hear Any Noise, a sour beer with a black forest cake taste.

This is one of our favorite breweries, a must in Barrie. First of all, because we love their beers, then to savor their vintages in the tasting room and to stock up on souvenirs in the store, liquid or not. Free guided tours are offered several times a day on weekends (1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.) and will take you from the brewhouse to the bottling plant. We thank the team for the VIP visit outside the visiting hours!

A tiny place too cute with its tapestries and retro frames, or with its mismatched chairs in the room next to the main bar. Eulalie's Corner Store is an address to discover if you like craft beer and cocktails. The selection may not be exhaustive, but it is perfect for a drink with friends. The food is also worth a visit, offering the fried chicken sandwich, the grilled vegetable wrap, the American Southwestern burger or the mac & cheese with fried Brussels sprouts.

When the mercury rises, a seasonal bar sets up shop in the hidden courtyard of the Museum of Fine Arts. For a drink with friends or loved ones, this is clearly the place to go! The bar is also known for its gourmet menu including poke bowls, oysters, charcuterie boards, tartars and delicious pizzas. Bonus: live entertainment and two other bars, Tavern on the Falls (Ottawa River Falls) and Tavern on the Hill (Major's Hill Park).

The Ministry of Coffee and Social Affairs is a trendy coffee shop in the Hintonburg neighborhood that is also trendy. It's one of those beautiful industrial-chic places that many other coffee shops are adopting. Its coffees are sourced from the best roasters in the area, the country and even around the world. We also love its hot chocolate with Nutella... a delight! Three other locations in Ottawa and two affiliated locations in Qatar.

Open since early January 2020, this trendy address stands in drastic contrast to the Chinatown businesses around, Spark Beer is a small craft brewery that loves hops and surette, but not only. To accompany our pint, the house offers tasty pizzas prepared with regional products like cheeses from St. Albert or sausages from Valley Sausage Co. In addition, there is a program of events such as the Happy Hour Drag, vinyl nights, etc. An address often crowded with people, that's a good sign!

Occupying the former premises of a South-East Asian grocery store (we are here in the heart of Chinatown), Corner Peach is a trendy spot to have a drink and eat well. At noon, they serve small gourmet plates, before giving way to the bar in the middle of the afternoon with some snacks on the slate. In the evening, one comes here to have a drink or to savor a delicious local cuisine. You should also discover its gourmet store that sells homemade products such as sauces, dips, prepared dishes, sweets, etc.

If beer is not your cup of tea, you'll have to pass. Otherwise, you're in heaven. While there are about 20 beers available at the pumps, the majority of which are from Ontario, the bottle menu is quite impressive. The beers are classified by style, including an amazing selection of lambics. If you don't find what you're looking for here, there's no way around it. In addition, there is a very nice selection of natural wines and a menu that includes cheeses and charcuterie and seasonal dishes that are reminiscent of Mediterranean cuisine.

Two friends with a passion for coffee started this micro-coffee shop in the Glebe district where the first branch is still located (801 Bank Street). There, as in their downtown location, everything is centered around coffee, its origin, its quality but also the respect of its small producers. In a pretty white and uncluttered room, you can choose to taste your coffee immediately or buy it in beans or ground for home. Several sweets are also available to accompany your coffee.

It is in a pretty historical building that the small brewery Gan Brewing Company has settled. The interior, just as warm, gives the air of a mountain chalet. Adjacent to the brewing facilities, the tasting room allows you to discover the house vintages. At the time of writing, nearly a dozen beers were available in cans (Lager, American Pale Ale, IPA, Stout, etc.), but other beers are added to the slate according to the seasons and experiments. A nice stop in the heart of the village!

This is clearly one of the most country-style breweries in Ontario, run by the Parsons family. The building housing the tasting room and beer store is made from reclaimed wood, set between a barley field and a hop field, with a beautiful beer garden in the middle of nature. Six regular beers are on the menu, along with countless seasonal and experimental beers of the most creative kind. They also serve a cuisine with world flavors concocted from local products. A must!

This small microbrewery is located on the banks of the Seguin River, with a breathtaking view of the famous railway bridge. We love the look of its tasting room and, on nice days, its beautiful terraces are highly coveted (with heated domes in winter!). On tap are regular brews like the house's flagship lager ale, IPA, Kettle Sour and bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, not to mention the seasonal beers on rotation. A tempting gourmet menu is also available, as well as a weekend brunch.

A classic in the Cabbagetown area for over thirty years, this coffee shop has not aged a bit. The place still attracts its regulars who come to surf the web while sipping a good latte with a home-made sweet. Founded by a bicycle enthusiast in 1992, as the bike perched on top of the bar testifies, Jet Fuel is also highly frequented by the city's cycling community. In short, the place is nice and offers visual art exhibitions that change every month!

Located in the heart of historic Niagara-on-the-Lake, The Exchange microbrewery is housed in a beautiful period house. They brew divine nectars including a Berliner Weisse, a New England style IPA and a Porter that reveals all its flavors when served in cask. The microbrewery also has dozens of oak barrels that were used in a Jordan vineyard to age its Belgian-inspired beers. Bonus: a boutique and a program of activities (comedy shows, quiz nights, etc.).