Library Bar

Toronto

North America's most forward-thinking hotel bar

Library Bar has long been famed for its timeless elegance and impeccably crafted martinis. But beneath its classic, opulent face lies one of North America's most forward-thinking bar programmes that proves luxury hospitality and rigorous environmental responsibility can go hand-in-hand.

Within its day-to-day operations, Library Bar employs cutting-edge technology to wage a data-driven war on waste. By utilising AI food tracking alongside a comprehensive recycling diversion programme, the bar has successfully reduced waste sent to landfill by over 50 per cent and cut food waste by 20 per cent per cover. It also embraces a closed-loop approach to its cocktail creation process, working directly with a local distillery to repurpose everyday bar by-products – spent coffee grounds, avocado pits, peeled citrus – into bespoke liqueurs, tinctures and garnishes.

Beyond reducing waste, the provenance of ingredients used is a point of pride for the bar, with the bulk of its produce provided by local Ontario farms. Sourcing even goes as local as the building's own roof, which features a thriving garden and apiary where the team grows fresh produce and harvests honey for use in its drinks.

These achievements are bolstered by a monumental retrofit of the hotel in which it resides, which earned certification from the Zero Carbon Building Performance Standard. By replacing traditional centrifugal chillers with cool water drawn from deep within Lake Ontario and fully electrifying heating systems, the Fairmont Royal York has slashed carbon emissions by over 7,000 tonnes annually.

Library Bar also ensures it pays back into its community. Partnering with organisations La Table des Chefs and B12Give, the venue has redistributed over 6,000kg of high-quality food to locals in need, including more than 2,000 meals to Toronto charities each month.

For all these efforts combined, Library Bar is named the winner of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2026, as judged by The Sustainable Restaurant Association, 50 Best's Sustainability Audit Partner.

Contact