Hot on the heels of the reveal of North America's 50 Best Bars, Canada's 100 Best has released its own homegrown ranking. The list, compiled by the Toronto-based team behind Canada's 100 Best, highlights the 50 best bars across Canada.
According to Kate Dingwall, editor of Canada's Best Bars, the Canadian bar scene has evolved significantly. "As Canada's bar scene has evolved, it's become more confident, more assured in its talents," she says. "The best bars are only getting better, like the continued reign of Montreal's Cloakroom, Toronto's Bar Raval, now at No. 10. And they're evolving to open new concepts like Keefer Bar's new projects Lala and June, Bar Dominion from Cloakroom's Andrew Whibley. There's real energy and enthusiasm across the country."
The Canadian list sees a Montreal outpost — Cloakroom Bar — take the No. 1 spot. The assemblage includes eight Vancouver bars:
- The Keefer Bar (No. 3)
- Prophecy (No. 18)
- Lala at June (No. 19)
- Botanist (No. 23)
- Laowai (No. 26)
- Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions (No. 35)
- Bagheera (No. 43)
- Good Thief (No. 44)
This year's Canada's 50 Best Bars list also includes one Vancouver Island outpost: Humboldt Bar (No. 34) in Victoria.
The decorated teams behind Vancouver's The Keefer Bar and June have even more to celebrate with the latest ranking reveal as The Keefer Bar's chief mixologist, Kate Chernoff, has also been named the 2026 Bartender of the Year.
It is interesting to compare the new list to its North American counterpart. The two rankings, which are both chosen by feedback from industry insiders and judges, see the usual suspects called out in each major city, with a few more unique additions highlighted on the Canadian iteration.
According to Dingwall, this evolution is due to a changing perception and definition of a traditional bar. "People are really exploring the breadth of what a bar can be," she says. "New to the list this year, we have a groovy diner with Asian influenced cocktails (Toronto's Lonely Diner). Next of Kin in Edmonton is this day-glow, subterranean post modern lounge. And Vancouver's Good Thief centres Vietnamese ingredients."
The Canada's Best callouts will continue on May 4 with the reveal of the Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2026 and rankings. See the full Canada's 50 Best Bars list online at canadas100best.com/best-bars.
