Magical decor, festive cocktails and treats await at these holiday bars and Christmas-themed pop-ups.
Holiday-season cocktail pop-ups and bars in Toronto are a joyful treat, regardless of your status on Santa’s naughty or nice lists.
So bring your festive spirit, SO or bestie, and raise a toast at a limited-time-only Christmas bar decked out in twinkling lights and over-the-top decorations.
What’s on the menu? Outrageous cocktails, mocktails and cozy hot drinks, of course!
Miracle on Bloor Street
Miracle Toronto is a sparkly Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar on Bloor Street West in up-and-coming Dovercourt Village, just west of Koreatown.
Touted as the best office party you’ve (n)ever been to, it is characterized by unapologetically cheesy holiday decor (think inflatables and plastic wreaths), which creates an unpretentiously fun vibe and contagious laughter.
Say cheers with fancy cocktails like the Crooked Antler, Christmasaurus (complete with collectible dinosaur tiki mug), Nice and Naughty shots, mulled wine and spirit-free hot apple cider and hot cocoa, created by Civil Liberties a few steps away.
One dollar of every drink sold is donated to Nellie’s Shelter, and $230,000 has been raised since the event’s launch in 2018.
Stackt Market Holiday Hills
The Holiday Hills festival returns to downtown’s innovative Stackt Market this season.
Stackt is the largest shipping container market in North America, and during the holidays, it goes all out with ever-evolving community programming and entertainment.
While this year’s full lineup hasn’t been announced yet, you can expect light displays, a colossal holiday tree and live music.
Also on deck: ornament-making workshops, shop-local popup markets, family entertainment and photos with Santa for human and fur kiddos.
The House of York
The House of York is a new holiday pop-up bar in the Fairmont Royal York.
With its cozy ski cabin vibe, it is a perfectly hygge place to mingle with friends out of the cold. Sip and savour festive cocktails under a canopy of winter greenery and tartan decor.
Or stop by the hotel’s CLOCKWORK Champagne & Cocktails bar for its just-launched holiday tea service with a festive menu.
Don’t leave without checking out the Fairmont’s magnificent sparkling Christmas tree and festive holiday windows: there’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit in Toronto.
Java Jingle Holiday bar at Little Sister
Dutch-Indonesian food bar Little Sister has transformed its uptown and downtown locations into a Java Jingle Holiday extravaganza.
This year's Java Jingle theme is described as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the Grinch and the movie Elf all rolled into one. Expect colourful lights, nostalgia and tons of festivities.
Start the party at this holiday bar with festive cocktails like Grinch Please, Noggy & Nice and Mrs. Claus Martini, a concoction of peanut butter whiskey, spiced espresso and peppermint dust.
Ginger’s Cocktail Bar
A classic case of IYKYK, you’ll have to sneak upstairs for Ginger’s Cocktail Bar, a Christmas pop-up at Le Dolci Culinary Classroom.
Inventive cocktails and mocktails, tasty treats, festive music, over-the-top decor, games and activities await at this Gingerbread Lane fantasy world.
Try your luck at holiday bingo or Christmas Movie Trivia Night, and celebrate your thrifting finds at Ugly Sweater Night.
Finally, toast the season with a Gingerbread Old Fashioned, Sugar Plum Spritz or the Spiced Apple Fizz (the latter is just one of five delicious zero-alcohol options).
Project Gigglewater’s Giggly Christmas
This Little Portugal bar goes all out for the holidays, decking itself out in colourful lights, stars and other seasonal finery. Its Giggly Christmas transformation includes a festive overhaul of the food and drink menu.
Chow down like a hungry elf on comfort foods like three-cheese macaroni, fully loaded Holiday Hotdogs, Oaxaca tamales, smash burgers and more.
Toast the season with sweet sips like the Cran-brrr-rita or the Papa Santa Latte, a creamy coffee concoction of vodka, coffee liqueur, Christmas spices, whipped cream and caramel.
Melody’s Holiday Comforts & Cocktails
This dining pop-up at Parkdale’s Gladstone House puts elevated comfort food front and centre (although cocktail lovers will have plenty to toast too).
Whether you’re looking for a relaxed solo meal or want to host the gang for a festive soirée, you’ll find the holiday spirit here beneath swags of sparkling lights.
Tuck into hearty dishes like four-cheese mac gratin, duck confit pappardelle and roasted chicken with all the fixings, and sip on a fruity Ginger Berry Bramble or Spiced Rum Punch.
Aleria’s Christmas on Queen
Step into a Mediterranean winter wonderland at Aleria, a Queen West restaurant chockful of holiday spirit. The restaurant features glittering lights, colourful inflatables and installations, baubles and holiday plates.
Celebrate with seasonal sips like Blitzen’s Berries, a cocktail of blueberry tea-infused gin, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, prosecco and lime, or the Marshmallow White Russian, an indulgent zero-proof confection of coffee, milk, marshmallow flavour and coffee bitters.
Tinseltown: The Christmas Speakeasy
Tinseltown is the holly jolly festive pop-up at Old Town’s Novotel Toronto Centre hotel.
With its glittery, tinsel-strewn, bauble-bedecked decorating scheme, you’ll find much to photograph as you unwind to holiday tunes, sip on winter cocktails (including zero-alcohol options) and chat up various elves and perhaps even Santa himself.
Certain time slots are open for all ages (otherwise, it’s strictly 19+)—but why bring the littles when you can leave them with a sitter and make merry on a grown-up night out?
Papi Chulo’s Mistletoe’s & Margarita’s
Papi Chulo’s Mistletoe’s & Margarita’s on Ossington is back for a third holiday season.
This local favourite Mexican restaurant in trendy Ossington Village serves tacos, guac and chips, wings and other classics. Its already fun decor is transformed into a glittering Christmas wonderland with shimmering lights and festive ornaments.
Entry is walk-in only, and Mexican-inspired holiday cocktails include the Gingerbread Fling, Mint to Be Martini and Tipsy Grinch. If you want something without alcohol, their spirit-free margaritas or mojitos will 100% hit the spot.
Start practicing your Spanish, and get ready to take a selfie with an inflatable life-size Santa and snowman. Ugly Christmas sweaters and Santa hats are encouraged at this Toronto holiday bar.
