Canada’s cocktail culture is evolving, as a new wave of bars put as much emphasis on setting and story as on drinks. Across the country, fresh openings are pairing thoughtful interior design with inventive menus, creating destinations where the atmosphere is every bit as important as what’s in your glass. From aperitivo spots to retro nooks and sultry speakeasies, these bars distinguish themselves with a strong sense of identity.

Menus push past the expected, offering martinis with unusual twists, spritzes lifted by fruit or herbs or cocktails that blur the line between classic and experimental. The kitchens match the ambition of the bars, turning out playful small plates such as fried olives, stracciatella toast and the occasional caviar-topped bite. Here are some of Canada’s most interesting bar openings of 2025—so far.

Bar Limone, Montreal
Bar Limone, a 34-seat cocktail lounge tucked beneath Italian restaurant Siamo Noi, reimagines aperitivo culture for today’s cocktail scene. The design is timeless: textured walls, vintage photography and just enough mood lighting to feel cinematic. The cocktail list balances time-honoured ritual with modern invention: You can get a textbook Negroni but you might also end up sipping the Golden Grove, a sparkling blend of lemon sorbet, basil vodka and prosecco, or a whimsical beer look-alike designed to mimic a pint, topped with roasted almond foam. To snack, there are Italian-inspired bites like fried olives and arancini. Elegant yet irreverent, Bar Limone updates the aperitivo tradition while keeping its sense of warmth and romance intact.

Lonely Diner, Toronto
Andrew and Christine Pham, the sibling duo behind Midnight Market and Lonely Bar, have created a cocktail lounge that feels more basement rec room than velvet-rope club. Walnut panelling, a retro colour palette and thrifted furniture set the 1970s mood. The bar team includes heavy-hitters Kaleb Hansen (BarChef), Sasha Siegel (Overpressure Club, Bar Banane) and Jon Kim (After Seven), and their influence shows in clever but crowd-friendly cocktails. The Bohemian Raspberry, for instance, layers vermouth, pineau des charentes and mezcal under a banana-milk cheese foam. With small plates such as stracciatella toast and shrimp shishitos, it’s the kind of place that invites you to linger.

Lala, Vancouver
Vancouver’s new vinyl listening bar, Lala, nails the intimate feeling of retiring to a friend’s living room for music and drinks, only with better acoustics and a lot more velvet. Hidden beneath Cambie Village’s French brasserie June, and created by the Keefer Bar team, the 40-seat hideaway is bathed in a crimson glow, with mirrored tables, plush banquettes and curved ceilings creating a sultry vibe. The cocktail list leans French-Japanese, with signatures like the Sakura Vesper infused with shiso vodka, alongside a crisp shochu highball. June’s kitchen sends down luxe snacks like beef tartare, crispy frog legs and the popular June Burger dressed with Gruyère and local mustard. DJs rotate nightly, spinning vinyl deep into the evening.

Bar Cart, Toronto
Set behind Eloise restaurant in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood, Bar Cart is a speakeasy-style lounge where old-world glamour meets new-school tipples. The 60-seat space nods to historic railcars with velvet banquettes, walnut finishes and low lighting creating an inviting, sophisticated atmosphere. The drinks program, led by star bartender Andrew Whibley, reworks the standards with cutting-edge techniques, from clarified espresso martinis to spirit-forward cocktails with subtle infusions. Food comes from chef Akhil Hajare, who puts a refined riff on global comfort dishes such as foie gras parfait with maple-bourbon sauce or Chicken 65 with lemon aioli. It’s moody, stylish and just secret enough to feel special.

Bar Trove, Edmonton
Edmonton’s buzziest new cocktail bar, Bar Trove, sits on the ground floor of the restored Canada Permanent Building, a downtown landmark. Co-founded by designer Lauren Kyle-McDavid and Brittany Schulz, the 40-seat lounge channels the polish of a Parisian department store with exposed brick, brass accents and an illuminated back bar. The drinks list puts a contemporary spin on European classics, including martinis infused with everything from Castelvetrano olive oil to everything-bagel tincture. Indulgent snacks like oysters, lobster linguine and caviar-topped chicken nuggets keep pace with the drinks. Sleek but never stuffy, Bar Trove feels like the kind of cosmopolitan lounge Edmonton has been waiting for.

Feature image photographed by Ayo Erin.