Get to know this year's extended ranking of outstanding North American bars from Toronto to Tijuana.
No.100 Trick Dog
San Francisco 
A long-standing veteran of the San Francisco craft cocktail scene, Trick Dog has been one of the most renowned cocktail hangouts for those in the know since opening its doors in 2013. Menus flip theme on a bi-annual basis, while its highly craveable food line-up – particularly the burger – remains stacked with fan favourites throughout the year.
No.99 Door No.4
Grand Cayman
Door No.4 delivers the archetypal cocktail experience one would expect of a bar on a picture-perfect Caribbean island. Think tropical cocktails that showcase locally harvested juicy fruits such as the Tangerine Man that pairs a mango and tangerine cordial with apricot eau de vie, fortified wine and tequila.
No.98 Shelter
Calgary
Prohibition-era cocktails retouched with a seasonal, contemporary edge and sharing platters packed with local produce are the order of the day at this cosy Calgary hotspot. Inside, rustic furnishings offer cosiness and serenity, while its well-drilled team offers top-shelf hospitality that makes every guest's experience feel special.
No.97 The Coldroom
Montreal
For those who are able to locate and ring the obscured and unmarked black bell outside The Coldroom, a great reward awaits. The converted coldroom space offers space (and opportunities to spot celebrities according to local lore) to enjoy highly creative cocktails to the endearing soundtrack of classic rock.
No.96 Nickel City
Austin
Nickel City may have officially opened its doors in 2017, but its building has a much longer, storied history as a staple watering hole of East Austin since 1934. 60s and 70s-style aesthetics bring the space to life, while a simple but highly refined line-up of frosty draught beer, boilermakers and nitro espresso martinis on tap keep regulars returning weekly.
No.95 Zapote Bar
Playa del Carmen
On the picturesque Mexican shores near Cancun inside the luxury Rosewood Mayakoba hotel, Zapote Bar is an all-singing celebration of the Yucatán Peninsula and its bountiful larder. Expect ingredients harvested from the nearby jungle in cocktails like the margarita-style Wanabana, made with soursop juice, lemongrass, lime and chilli salt.
No.94 Bar Mordecai
Toronto
Bar Mordecai, better known as 'Mordy' to its devoted fanbase of locals, is a red-hued, sultry staple of Toronto's bar scene where serious cocktails come in a definitively fun package. Think soft-serve variants of a Miami vice delivered to a private karaoke room with delicious plates of pan-seared chorizo and patatas bravas in tow.
No.93 Realm of 52 Remedies – NEW ENTRY
San Diego
The Realm of 52 Remedies has one main goal: to cure the ailments of the modern world through the medium of cocktails. The bar space pulls its aesthetic inspiration from the apothecaries of the early 20th century alongside traditional Chinese medicine, with cocktails following suit through a showcase of east Asian ingredients.
No.92 Thunderbolt
Los Angeles
From the outside, Thunderbolt could appear like a regular, run-of-the-mill SoCal neighbourhood joint serving up highly crushable cocktails and great bar bites. But scratch beneath the surface to reveal one of North America's most sustainable and technical bar operations that cares about flavour just as much as supporting its surrounding community and environment.
No.91 Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions – NEW ENTRY
Vancouver
Opened in 2022, Mount Pleasant is one of Vancouver's coolest hangouts. For locals and visitors alike, its highly craveable cocktails are given the same reverence as ice-cold beers, wines and boozy slushies, to be enjoyed inside its large retro-dining area or on the al-fresco terrace during warmer months. Ordering the tater tots is a must.
No.90 Slice Of Life
Toronto
This quirky bar on the border of Toronto's Little Italy is a favoured spot among those in the know, thanks to its moody, mirror-filled interiors and a serious drinks programme that majors on maximum flavour extraction using an on-site lab. You won't regret ordering its take on a ramos gin fizz that hums with jasmine soda, wild honey meringue and honeycomb toffee.
No.89 Roquette
Seattle
When Roquette opened in 2019 in Seattle's Belltown, it opened a small portal to the French capital. Inside its bar space fitted with traditional Parisian touches, a line-up of classic cocktails imbued with French spirit are hard to ignore, especially during its daily happy hour where they're available between $11-13 a pop.
No.88 Hecate Bar – NEW ENTRY
Boston
Taking its name from the Greek goddess of witchcraft, Hecate Bar is as magical as its moniker. Housing just 24 seats, the speakeasy leans into all thing mystical through a fantastical drinks list delivered with theatrical presentations that feel fitting to its surrounds.
No.87 Citrus & Cane – NEW ENTRY
Victoria
Tropicality is not something one often associates with British Columbia's Victoria, but Citrus & Cane is here to offer island escapism in the form of fruit-forward, rum-based concoctions. Order a signature daiquiri or an Every Day Mai Tai (rum, dry curaçao, orgeat, lime) and enjoy a taste of sunshine regardless of the time of year and outside weather.
No.86 The Wig Shop – NEW ENTRY
Boston
The Wig Shop may have served a former life as a spot for hair pieces and costumes for more than 50 years, but it received a new lease of life as a hidden, fun-fuelled speakeasy in 2023 – although you might not be able to tell from its unchanged façade. Expect glitzy interiors and a joyfully exuberant food and drink offering.
No.85 Ticonderoga Club – NEW ENTRY
Atlanta
Tucked inside the Krog Street Market food hall, Ticonderoga Club is all about Southern-style hospitality in a convivial tavern setting. Cocktails like the signature Ticonderoga Cup (rum, cognac, sherry, pineapple, lemon, mint) are to be enjoyed alongside plates of hearty tavern chicken or skillet-roasted pork chop.
No.84 Julep – RE-ENTRY
Houston
Julep takes its Southern heritage seriously. American whiskey and warm hospitality form the backbone of the bar's operation and identity, together with house cocktails that lean into herbal flavours. Make sure to venture beyond its trio of namesake concoctions into the selection of house creations, such as its guava-infused vesper.
No.83 Father Forgive Me – NEW ENTRY
Detroit
What was once a church garage has become one of Detroit's most buzzy cocktail and wine bars. Opened in mid-2025 in Detroit's rejuvenated East Village, Father Forgive Me offers a robust cocktail programme devised by local stalwart bartenders that is best enjoyed on its surplus of al fresco tables.
No.82 No Vacancy – NEW ENTRY
Toronto
Trading its poultry-packed past for serious cocktail seduction, the team behind beloved sandwich joint Ghost Chicken transformed this Ossington Avenue space into one of Toronto's most sultry drinking dens. Expect great bites – including the famous fried chicken – paired with expertly layered, Japanese-leaning libations from local bartending veteran Troy Gilchrist.
No.81 Bar Leather Apron
Honolulu
On an island famed for easy sipping drinks delivered en masse, Bar Leather Apron offers an alternative, refined approach to cocktails in Hawaii. A farm-to-glass approach showcases local, sun-soaked ingredients at their finest, with cocktails like the signature E Ho'O Pau Mai Tai a must order.
No.80 Queen Mary
Chicago
Resurrected from a 40-year slumber, this Wicker Park time capsule celebrates British maritime traditions with a sophisticated, salt-aired edge. Local and loyal regulars keep returning for remarkable martinis, navy strength classics and a Daily Grog.
No.79 Missy's
Calgary
Hidden above a corner store, Missy's is all about delivering high-concept hospitality without the pretence. In addition to its playful, precision-led list of precisely 14 house cocktails, the bar is just as beloved for its sprawling wine cellar of more than 350 bottles, many of which are available by the glass.
No.78 Proof
Calgary
Where Calgary's cocktail renaissance has brought new blood to the city over the last five years, Proof has been a stalwart of the scene for more than a decade. While stepping into the bar feels like a time capsule into the cocktail lounges of yesteryear, drinks take a more modern edge and aren't afraid to get a little bit funky.
No.77 Shinji's
New York
(Image: Joanna Lin)
Named after Tokyo's legendary fixer, this 18-seat Flatiron jewel box feels like a high-tech treasure chest. State-of-the-art technique underpins each Shinji's creation, from liquid nitrogen-chilled gin fizzes to the iconic Tropicana served in a frozen orange, all paired with sumptuous handrolls made tableside.
No.76 Nine Bar
Chicago
Hidden behind a familial storefront in Chicago's Chinatown, Nine Bar is Lily Wang and Joe Briglio's high-octane, Asian-inspired cocktail club. Neon-soaked, Blade Runner-esque aesthetics operate as the backdrop to a honed selection of cocktails grounded in east Asian ingredients, best evidenced in the addictive MSG Martini.
No.75 Bar Bello
Montreal
Bar Bello serves as a sun-drenched love letter to Italian cocktail culture. This stylish haunt channels mid-century Milan with checkered floors and a vintage vending machine dispensing eight bottled negroni variants, proving that the art of the aperitivo is alive and well.
No.74 Suite 115 – NEW ENTRY
Toronto
After Toronto speakeasy Suite 114 closed its doors in 2021, two of its former bar team rejoined forces to revive the site to open its spiritual sequel in 2024. While the secretive entrance has remained, its redesigned bar space is now baked in an alluring amber hue and home to a menu that goes bold on flavour combinations. The Hong Kong milk tea-inspired Old Man should be your first port of call.
No.73 Identidad – NEW ENTRY
San Juan
Located in the vibrant Santurce neighbourhood, Identidad is Puerto Rico's hot newcomer and soulful tribute to Boricua culture. Inside the neon-accented space, its drinks programme spotlights native island ingredients in inventive pours, such as the Cochee Milk Punch, made with bourbon, tequila, lime and lychee.
No.72 Laowai
Vancouver
Finding the entrance to Laowai – hidden inside a functional dumpling shop's freezer – is the first challenge of any visit. The second hurdle comes via the hard choice of deciding your first order, be it a bespoke Chinese-inspired cocktail or a neat sip from its unrivalled library of baijiu bottles.
No.71 The Portrait Bar
New York
With more than 50 art pieces displayed on its walls, The Portrait Bar certainly lives up to its name. The dark wood and velvet-clad space inside the triumphantly revived Fifth Avenue Hotel embodies class, with an effortlessly cool bar team serving up a repertoire of classic concoctions and novel creations with serious panache.
No.70 Bar Kaiju
Miami
Where many speakeasies take notes from Prohibition-era secluded drinking dens, Bar Kaiju looks elsewhere for inspiration. Here, the giant monsters of Asian cinema are transformed into a neon-hued space bedecked in movie posters and Japanese artwork, with cocktails derived from individual characters, such as the highball-type MechaGodzilla (Japanese whisky, cherry blossom vermouth, lychee).
No.69 Cry Baby Gallery
Toronto
Tucked away behind a functioning contemporary art gallery in Toronto's Dundas West, Cry Baby's moody, industrial-chic space is home to a range of deliciously wacky concoctions created with various elixirs and tinctures made in-house. Take the Wild Water Kingdom, for example, made with scotch, rum, hopped pineapple, calamansi syrup, house-made cocoa liqueur and 'Vinny's Coco Lopez'.
No.68 Vandell – NEW ENTRY
Los Angeles
Vandell came to life in late 2025 and quickly filled the elite neighbourhood bar-sized hole that Los Feliz – and the whole of Los Angeles – had long needed fixing. Drawing inspiration from mid-century California, Vandell excels in its intimate dimly lit nooks where guests can enjoy its 'market fresh' drinks like its signature martini supercharged with tarragon vinegar.
No.67 Yacht Club
Denver
(Image: Shawn Campbell)
Playfully rejecting the exclusivity of its namesake inspiration, this staple of Denver's bar scene brilliantly bridges the gap between a welcoming dive and a world-class cocktail destination. With a menu spanning elevated highballs and natural wines to a now-legendary hot dog combo, Yacht Club offers a masterclass in unpretentious, high-low hospitality.
No.66 Seed Library – NEW ENTRY
New York 
The New York sibling to London's stylish hi-fi bar launched to a serious fanfare in late 2025. As is true for anything from Ryan 'Mr Lyan' Chetiyawardana, experimental flavour combinations derived from unexpected ingredients drive the drinks programme, experienced in drinks such as the Blue Hill 75, made with gin, champagne and fermented carrot.
No.65 Meadowlark
Chicago
Tucked away in Logan Square, this dimly lit sanctuary feels like a secret library for serious drinkers. The cocktail experience at Meadowlark always comes paired with immersive storytelling, whether that be about birds, the history and culture of the surrounding Windy City or even space and planets. Don't skimp on the bar snacks.
No.64 Meo
Vancouver
Concealed beneath Vancouver Chinatown's bustling streets, Meo oozes seductive, 1970s romanticism. Sitting in its plush, retro-glamorous lounge places guests centre-stage of a Wong Kar Wai movie set, while an exceptionally playful selection of beverages flow all-night-long, all to the soundtrack of spinning vinyl.
No.63 Scotch Lodge – NEW ENTRY
Portland
A veritable temple for dark spirit enthusiasts, this moody, subterranean sanctuary boasts one of the Pacific Northwest's most impressive whiskey collections. Beyond the rare pours, the bar is equally renowned for its cocktail list, with creations like the Painkiller Cobbler – comprising sherry, pisco, pineapple, orange, yuzu and ube cream of coconut – a longstanding favourite.
No.62 Atwater Cocktail Club
Montreal
Accessed via a graffiti-lined alley behind a diner, Atwater Cocktail Club is a masterclass in high-energy contrast of craft and conviviality. Beneath the gleaming light of disco balls, the bar team delivers remarkably complex, high-volume cocktails with flawless precision, such as the Fall Effect, a punchy and addictive mix of tequila, mezcal, aquavit, lime, celery and coriander.
No.61 Arca
Tulum
Located where the Yucatan jungle meets the glistening blue Mexican shores, Arca offers hyper-local, seasonal drinking and dining to one of the world's most breath-taking backdrops. Cocktails like the Cacao Boulevardier come side-by-side with Mexican wagyu tlayudas and smoked trout tostadas.
No.60 Café de Nadie
Mexico City
In the brilliantly busy bar scene of the Mexican capital, there's nowhere quite like Café de Nadie. Boasting more than 1,500 records played out over a killer sound system, the bar is beloved by audiophiles just as much as cocktail enthusiasts. Drinks are constructed with a farm-to-glass philosophy and are as equally harmonious as their surrounding environment.
No.59 Bagheera – NEW ENTRY
Vancouver
Beyond the betting shop façade where guests must place a wager to enter, Bagheera is a transportive experience inspired by Victorian India. Brimming with jewel-toned velvets and antique brass, the venue pairs theatrical storytelling with a subcontinental-inspired cocktail programme that majors on South Asian spices.
No.58 Dante
New York
From repopularising the negroni in the US to introducing a new generation of drinkers to the garibaldi, Dante is a cornerstone of global cocktail culture. Its quaint Greenwich Village location remains the undisputed king of aperitivo hour in the Big Apple, where martinis and spritzes are constructed with remarkable care and craft – just one of the reasons it was named The World's Best Bar in 2019.
No.57 Allegory
Washington DC
Hidden behind an unassuming door in Washington DC's Eaton Hotel, Allegory is a vibrant collision of art, literature and history through the lens of complex cocktails. Inspired by the stories of Alice in Wonderland and young civil rights icon Ruby Bridges, expect to find thought-provoking drinks like the Censor This!, made with de-alcoholised gin, tomato and lemon preserve.
No.56 Cloakroom
Montreal
Hospitality must be personalised for this 25-seat Montreal gem. Operating entirely without a menu, the Cloakroom experience begins with its masterful team asking the simple question of each guest's spirit of choice, after which they pull together imaginative bespoke libations with rare spirits and hand-carved ice.
No.55 Silver Lyan
Washington DC
Mr Lyan's underground DC den inside a former bank vault offers a brilliantly playful take on Americana. Merging rigorous, avant-garde techniques with remarkably unserious delivery – hugo spritz jell-o shots with a champagne chaser anyone? – Silver Lyan is precision disguised as an outrageously fun, subterranean party.
No.54 Civil Liberties
Toronto
(Image: Kaz Marcano)
'Kind over cool' is the mantra of this five-star dive bar, marked only by a glowing pineapple on its exterior. Civil Liberties operates on a no menu basis, meaning its drinks offering is ever-changing, highly diversified and endlessly tailored. Don't know where to start? Point at an interesting bottle on its back bar and let its team get carried away constructing something magical.
No.53 Humboldt Bar
Victoria
This romantic, low-lit lounge pays homage to 19th-century naturalist Alexander von Humboldt through adventurous, nature-inspired cocktails. Take the Tree Hugger, for example, where cacao butter-washed vodka is married with wine aperitif, toasted amaranth and egg white.
No.52 Katana Kitten
New York
(Image: John Shyloski)
What happens when you infuse a classic American dive bar with flamboyant Japanese flair? Katana Kitten is the answer. Created by 'director of deliciousness' Masahiro Urushido, expect to be flanked by Japanese version of 80s US blockbusters while its detail-oriented team hand over ice-cold Hinoki Martinis and perfectly carbonated whiskey highballs.
No.51 Aruba Day Drink
Tijuana
Away from the crowded spots of Tijuana's tourist strip, this bright sanctuary offers a place to escape the noise with a great drink in hand. The stylish, tiled bar area provides a pretty backdrop to a plethora of colourful, tropical-leaning cocktails, including the Desde la Costa, made with raicilla, plantain, coconut syrup and passion fruit.
The full ranking of North America's 50 Best Bars 2026, sponsored by Perrier, will be revealed at a live awards ceremony in Vancouver on 22 April 2026.
