The Library Bar

At the Royal York’s moody pub, suits in dry-cleaning bags decorate the back of every second club chair, and conversations are muffled by thick carpeting and brocade curtains. The room, all done up in maroon with, oddly enough, pops of leopard print, is dated—but endearingly so. It feels like stepping into the bar car of a train circa 1980. But they’ve been mixing up some of the city’s best martinis for over 40 years. Servers dressed in vests and ties concoct Bird Bath martinis, the Library Bar’s signature libation, tableside, first stirring (never shaking) the drink over ice in a bespoke carafe before pouring it into the giant glass the drink is named for. Silver bowls full of crunchy, salty things, like sesame sticks, spicy chickpeas and roasted green peas, come at the same time as the drinks and are replenished often. If martinis aren’t your thing, there are other cocktails, including one made with honey from the hotel’s own rooftop apiary.

100 Front St. W., 416-368-2511, fairmont.com/royal-york-toronto