Must-see nightlife in Ontario

  • Sleeping Giant Brewing Co.

    Northern Ontario

    Established in 2012, this microbrewery was one of the first to take the risk of making different beers in a city known as a 'lager land.' The brewery can…

  • Bar Raval

    Toronto

    Standing in Bar Raval's magnificent, undulating mahogany interior, inspired by the works of Antoni Gaudí, feels like being surrounded by a set of…

  • Lake of the Woods Brewing Company

    Northern Ontario

    Located in an old firehouse, the Lake of the Woods Brewing Company taproom is an imposing figure in Kenora and has drastically improved the local food and…

  • O'Grady's

    Toronto

    Come to this friendly Irish pub on Wednesdays for Dirty Bingo nights, when fabulous drag queens call out numbers and give winners risqué prizes from 9pm…

  • Stone City Ales

    Kingston

    Arguably the best beer in Kingston; have a pint while the staff bustle around changing the record on the turntable, serving charcuterie boards and guiding…

  • Bellwoods Brewery

    Toronto

    Fresh, urban-chic Bellwoods pours award-winning beers, from pale ales and double IPAs to stouts and wild ales. With candles lighting up the main room and…

  • Drake Hotel

    Toronto

    The Drake is part boutique hotel, part pub, part live-music venue and part nightclub. There's a bunch of different areas to enjoy, including the chic Sky…

  • Laughing Buddha

    Northern Ontario

    Sudbury's prime hangout for hipsters and slackers pulls off snobby sandwiches (such as the 'Brie LT'; $9) and pizzas ($13) while maintaining an uberchill…

  • Red Lion Smokehouse

    Northern Ontario

    Now in a new space a few doors down from its old location, Thunder Bay's favorite hangout is bigger, brighter and has 12 taps of Ontario craft beer and…

  • Slanted Door

    Toronto

    A bright, contemporary coffee shop, the Slanted Door doubles as a gallery, showcasing work by emerging artists on its walls upstairs and down. The coffee…

  • Kingston Brewing Company

    Kingston

    Chow down on burgers and sandwiches (mains $18) amid flickering Christmas lights and kitschy beer-themed paraphernalia, or grab a patio table outside. In…

  • Sovereign Room

    Northern Ontario

    From the chandelier behind the bar to the ornate olive wallpaper, dark woody booths and upward curling staircase by the storefront window, 'the Sov' is an…

  • Clocktower Brew Pub

    Ottawa

    Enjoy homemade brews such as Raspberry Wheat and Bytown Brown in the newly renovated taproom. There is also a new taproom on Rideau St and three other…

  • Gladstone Hotel

    Toronto

    This historic hotel revels in Toronto's avant-garde arts scene. The Gladstone Ballroom sustains offbeat DJs, poetry slams, jazz, book readings, alt…

  • Oxley

    Toronto

    A first-class British pub, the Oxley is located in a 19th-century row house in the heart of Yorkville. Two floors of leather seating, ornate wallpaper and…

  • I Deal Coffee

    Ottawa

    Ideal indeed; handcrafted blends are produced and roasted on-site. The decor is thin, with bins and sacks of 'light organic blend' and 'prince of darkness…

  • Heart & Crown

    Ottawa

    This ByWard Market stalwart is popular with young Ottawa folk for beers and big platters of pub grub. Several rooms and patios sprawl into each other,…

  • Manx

    Ottawa

    'Ottawa's original sinkhole,' as this basement bar has called itself since Rideau St collapsed in 2016, offers a great selection of Canadian microbrews …

  • Tir nan Og

    Kingston

    Set inside one of the oldest and most charming buildings along the waterfront, this Irish oasis serves up live music and overflowing pints, as well as a…

  • Gananoque Brewing Co

    Thousand Islands

    Beneath the crisscrossing wooden beams of a converted 19th-century carriage-parts factory, try craft beers such as the Naughty Otter and the Bell Ringer…

  • Highlander Pub

    Ottawa

    Kilted servers, 17 taps and 200 single malt whiskies all add to the wonderful Scottish appeal of this ByWard Market area pub. The food is good too!

  • Guelph Beer Bus

    Southwestern Ontario

    Guelph's five local breweries – Brothers, Fixed Gear, Royal City, Sleeman and Wellington – have teamed up to provide free bus transportation to their…

  • One Eighty

    Toronto

    Swanky and priced to match, the city's highest licensed patio has arguably Toronto's best views outside the CN Tower. It's in the Manulife Centre, a mall…

  • Henderson Brewing Company

    Toronto

    A laid-back warehouse brewery in the Junction Triangle neighborhood, Henderson has a tasting room with bar, picnic tables and huge fermentation tanks,…

  • Snakes & Lattes

    Toronto

    For a small cover fee, choose from over a thousand board games, along with local craft beers, milkshakes and shareable bites. Whether you're a Catan…

  • Sweaty Betty's

    Toronto

    In a city of infused vodkas and creative cocktails, Betty's refuses to mix anything with more than three ingredients. This no-nonsense approach pares a…

  • Black Eagle

    Toronto

    Men-only Eagle lures leather-men, uniform fetishists and their admirers. The year-round rooftop patio is the perfect place to meet a Daddy: Sunday…

  • Crews & Tangos

    Toronto

    A sprawling bar that becomes a crowded nightclub on weekends, Crews & Tangos features live drag and cabaret shows and DJs out back. Boys who like boys,…

  • Stonehouse 1891

    Southwestern Ontario

    Originally a family home, then a liquor store frequented by Al Capone's Purple Gang during Prohibition, today the Stonehouse is an upmarket bar serving…

  • Storm Crow Manor

    Toronto

    Geek out at this Victorian mansion turned bar with sci-fi theme rooms, board games and dungeon masters. Drinks come in all shapes and sizes, including…

  • Red House

    Kingston

    This ranch-raunchy pub has a killer selection of beers on tap and a fantastic bar menu ranging from comfort food (poutine, house burger) to smart dining …

  • 46 North Brewing Corp

    Northern Ontario

    Graham and Holli have set up a small taproom and brewery on the outskirts of the town, offering up a range of beers produced on-site. It's a family-run…

  • The Manchester

    Southwestern Ontario

    Friendly staff, a solid lineup of draft beer and hearty British pub fare make this downtown bar a sensible choice for a coupla pints. Live music and…

  • The Foundry

    Northern Ontario

    This long-standing local fave offers dozens of beers on tap and meals in a two-level venue. Dishes ($16 to $20) include scrumptious coconut curry soup,…

  • Madhouse Tavern Grill

    Northern Ontario

    Behind its unremarkable facade, this neighborhood bar is a great place to relax among warm, friendly chatter and cold beer. One of the better whiskey…

  • HardRock42

    Northern Ontario

    Don't let its location inside a chain motel put you off, as HardRock42 has the largest selection of taps in Sudbury and a large enough clientele to make…

  • Wooly

    Southwestern Ontario

    In an old redbrick house, the Wooly has a good lineup of local craft brews and ranks highly for upmarket pub grub like its pork-belly Reuben sandwich ($16…

  • Social

    Ottawa

    This chic, flowing lounge with slick DJ beats, overstuffed furniture, cocktails and equally creative cuisine (lunch/dinner mains $23/34) appeals to a…

  • Against the Grain Urban Tavern

    Toronto

    The best feature of this yuppyish pub is its enormous lakefront patio (seasonal), with some of the best views of the Toronto harbor front. Come with a…

  • Outlaw Brew Co.

    Southwestern Ontario

    Stop into this local brewpub for a cold craft beer, made with Canadian barley and premium hops, and taste treats like wild blueberries. The brewery itself…