Twelve Toronto bars that have decked their halls for the holidays

It’s that time of year when bars turn out seasonal menus of kitschy cocktails and wrap every available surface in glitter and bows. Miracle on Bloor kick-started the gloriously gaudy trend back in 2018, and now there are holiday-inspired haunts across the city, each one tricked out with decorations and festive drinks. So, between now and the end of December, cut your holiday shopping short or exit that Zoom meeting and head to one of these holiday bars for a dose of Christmas cheer.

Related: A look inside Miracle on Bloor, a diabolically festive pop-up cocktail bar from the Civil Liberties elves

Miracle on Bloor

When setting up the city’s holiday headquarters, co-owner Nick Kennedy called in reinforcements: his mother, Deanna. She collects decor through the year and, come November, helps bring Miracle’s gloriously gaudy interior to life. “It looks like Christmas threw up in here,” says Kennedy. That commitment extends to the drinks. Cocktails are served in kitschy vessels and made with seasonal ingredients like eggnog, gingerbread, nutmeg and mulled wine (but also mezcal, wormwood bitters, orgeat and ube—because these are the same people responsible for Civil Liberties, after all).

Melody’s Holiday Comforts and Cocktails

If your preferred Christmas tunes come from the songbooks of Ella and Louis, sidle up to the bar at Melody’s, the holiday pop-up at Gladstone House. The vibe: a nostalgic piano bar on a cold winter’s eve. Slip behind a velvet curtain to find lights strung from floor to ceiling and tabletops accented with pine and fir boughs. The menu features limited-time-only cocktails (hello, sugar cookie martini) and winter comfort food galore, like fonduta-topped macaroni and pappardelle with duck confit ragu. But there’s also lighter fare—including winter caesar salads and halloumi mushroom toasts—for the folks who are saving their carbs for Christmas Day.

A Giggly Christmas

Every year, Project Gigglewater doubles down on holiday spirit, going as far as gift-wrapping the tables. While the space is decidedly silly, the drinks are serious. A margarita gets a cold-weather spin with the addition of rosemary, cranberry and a thyme-salt rim. Nog Nog, Who’s There? is an eggnog twist made with Jamaican rum, amontillado sherry, coconut and banana bread spices. And for a literal shot of Christmas cheer, there’s the Peppermint Patty (bourbon, Fernet, amaro, cacao, peppermint). The food menu has also been given a yuletide glow-up, which includes panettone arancini, an Oaxacan tamale and a hot dog that’s a handheld holiday feast: a sage-turkey sausage, gravy, cranberry relish and potato puffs stuffed in a brioche bun.

Nordic by BarChef

Like the wardrobe that leads to Narnia, BarChef’s yurt—complete with a crackling fire and sheepskin throws—transports guests to an Alpine wonderland. Given that this is a BarChef project, don’t expect to find run-of-the-mill eggnog—these are top-notch takes on cocktails, each with a seasonal spin. The martini is made with absinthe and ice wine, and the hot cocoa is spiked with mezcal and cardamom. The magic spell is broken only once the bill is paid and you exit into the middle of the Well.

Ginger’s Cocktail Bar

This literally sweet holiday pop-up at Le Dolci’s Railpath-adjacent culinary studio serves signature drinks (a rum nog, a brandy Alexander cookie shot, a gingerbread martini) and festive twists on classic cocktails, like a rosemary cosmopolitan, a White Christmas mojito and a gingerbread old fashioned. Ginger’s is kid friendly too, with a menu of zero-proof hot chocolate and spiced apple fizzes. For all ages: freshly baked cookies.

Java Jingle

Both of Little Sister’s locations crank the seasonal kitsch to 11. There’s a canopy of twinkling lights, floor-to-ceiling decorations and a full menu of hyper-festive drinks. “It’s not for the faint-hearted,” says bar and general manager Robin Wynne. Visitors can sip on a Mrs. Claus Martini (peanut butter whiskey, espresso, peppermint dust), a Christmas-spiced apple sangria (brown butter rum, white wine, Christmas-spiced tea, ginger beer) or the Feliz Navi-Zaddy (tequila, blood orange, spice). Many of the jolly cocktails come in campy oversized vessels, like a grimacing Grinch mug.

Kōst Chalet

The summit of the Bisha Hotel has been transformed into a cozy winter chalet complete with big après-ski appeal. The nordic-inspired menu leans on stick-to-your-ribs staples: French onion soup, short rib poutine (with braised beef, cheese curds and—a little controversially—shoestring fries), cassoulet with slab bacon and duck leg, and a cheese fondue for two. The drink menu trots between toasty drinks (like a cosmo with cranberry apple cider, served hot), festive shots (like the Snowbunny, a blend of vodka, crème de cacao and almond milk), and cold (but still seasonally apropos) cocktails like spiked chai.

Related: Everything there is to eat and drink at the Distillery District’s Winter Village

Mistletoe and Margaritas

For anyone whose ideal winter holiday involves less snow and more sand, Papi Chulo’s is a one-way ticket to the tropics without leaving Toronto. The Ossington bar’s annual pop-up includes cocktails with Latin flavours like the spicy Mrs. Claus Mezcal and Elves’ Elixirs as well as one-ounce seasonal shots like the Ho Ho Ho 2.0, a mix of Bailey’s, peppermint and whipped cream.

Ricky and Olivia

Shimmering tinsel, colourful lights and a roaring fire (okay, it’s the fireplace channel) have taken over this Leslieville spot for a Christmas Story–themed space. It’s highly cozy, very nostalgic and full of holiday cheer—plus natural wine and a cocktail menu themed after the classic flick. Drinks include the Only I Didn’t Say Fudge (boozy eggnog), Quite the Soap Connoisseur (jalapeño moonshine, cilantro, hot sauce, sea buckthorn) and Ovaltine, What a Crummy Commercial (an espresso martini). On their way out, guests can stop by the restaurant’s bottle shop, which is fully stocked with stuff that would make perfect host gifts, like cocktail kits (including one for the bar’s signature Saltini) and magnums of Pearl Morissette wine.

The Drake Hotel

The Drake’s seasonal sips are more subtle than an ugly sweater. There’s an upscale eggnog (rich egg yolk, sweet cream, cedar-infused bourbon), which was created by Sandy de Almeida, the hotel’s late resident bartender. There’s also a crisp mule with cranberry cordial and the Deliverance, a nightcap made with cedar-infused bourbon, Fernet Branca, maple and apple brandy.

House of York

The Royal York’s wintertime chalet is a cozy pocket in the hotel’s lobby. Decked out in flannel and fir boughs, the tiny bar, located on the mezzanine level, looks and feels like a log cabin—but a log cabin that turns out expertly made cocktails, like a panettone negroni.

The Tipsy Reindeer

The Tipsy Reindeer commandeers an event space in the Stockyards and serves a range of hot and cold boozy cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks and seasonal shots (like the Three Tipsy Reindeers, a trio of pisco-bourbon shots for groups of three). The Reindeer Treats snack menu includes Frosted Forest Bites (whipped ricotta and mushroom toasts) and Rudolph’s Roots and Leaves (a veggie platter of sorts).