Three Toronto restaurants made the top 10 of Canada’s 100 Best list, and a beloved local cocktail spot took first place in its bar rankings.
Edulis, Alo, and 20 Victoria placed second, third and fourth respectively, and Bar Pompette was crowned the best bar in the country by Canada’s 100 Best magazine; while Montreal’s Mon Lapin snagged first place in the restaurant rankings and Marilena, in Victoria B.C was awarded best new restaurant.
Mon Lapin is a modern yet unassuming outpost, revered for its seasonal offerings and urbane French/Italian character, invigorated by a robust wine selection.
Marilena is a raw bar offering an array of local and international seafood dishes.
Toronto’s Bar Pompette boasts the distinguished title of Canada’s best bar this year.
The low-key College Street enclave prides itself on its rotating menu of bespoke cocktails and walk-in friendly ethos. It doesn’t take reservations, nor does it limit the number of guests sitting at any given table.
Run by an eclectic group of seasoned wait staff, restaurateurs and mixologists, Bar Pompette balances a welcoming ambience with undeniable quality and a palpable charm.
The local staple first opened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its outdoor back patio quickly became a neighbourhood go-to, serving a fairly balanced mix of wine, French-inspired snacks and cocktails.
With hindsight, Bartender General Manager & Co-Owner Hugo Togni credits the businesses loyal clientele with his bar’s early stage success.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without the help and support of many people in this neighbourhood,” Togni told Now Toronto.
Today, Bar Pompette specializes mainly in cocktails, alongside a small selection of wine and eats. The vast majority of its ingredients are locally sourced and seasonal, meaning the menu is in constant flux, so much so, regulars are unlikely to rinse its options dry.
Customers can expect to pay between $19-$23 for a cocktail at Bar Pompette; Togni acknowledges its drinks sit at the pricier end of the spectrum, but assures it is with good reason, to pay their suppliers a fair price and their staff a healthy wage.
“When we put a cocktail on the menu, the most expensive used to be the alcohol, though the most expensive is actually the product that we put in them… we’re trying to be as transparent as possible with our customers to explain Yes, this is the price that you pay for a cocktail. We try not to be not outrageous, but most of the money is actually because we pay our farmers a proper price,” Togni explained.
Other bars in the top ten were:
2.Civil Liberties (Toronto, ON)
3. Cloakroom Bar (Montreal, QC)
4. Atwater Cocktail Club (Montreal, QC)
5. Bar Mordecai (Toronto, ON)
6. Library Bar at The Fairmont Royal York (Toronto, ON)
7. Dear Friend Bar (Dartmouth, NS)
8.The Keefer Bar (Vancouver, BC)
9. Cocktail Bar (Toronto, ON)
10. Proof (Calgary, AB)
Canada’s 100 Best has a roster of 160 judges including food critics, writers, restaurateurs and chefs, distributed across the country and along city lines keeping keen eyes on the ever evolving culinary landscape.
“Consumers, fundamentally, I think want to be treated well and have a great experience and feel they got value for their money and also not have the wool pulled over their eyes and be sold something that’s not correct,” Editor in Chief of Canada’s 100 Best Jacob Richler told Now Toronto ahead of the list release.
“I always felt you could make a restaurant popular with a great review for a couple of weeks or so. You know, it’s really up to the restaurant to please the people who come because of the review, and if they don’t, they’re nowhere,” Richler continued.
Hence what sets Mon Lapin, Edulis, Alo, 20 Victoria and the rest of the list (see below) apart is their stand alone excellence.
5. Langdon Hall (Cambridge, ON)
6. Restaurant Pearl Morissette (Jordan Station, ON)
7. Published on Main (Vancouver, BC)
8. Beba (Verdun, QC)
9. Bar Kismet (Halifax, NS)
10. Kissa Tanto (Vancouver, BC)
For the full list of best restaurants, bars and best new restaurants and more, click here.
