Drink Toronto’s best mocktails at these 15 great bars

Looking for the best mocktails in Toronto?

Updated July 2024. Whatever reason you might have for not drinking — sober, sober curious, taking a break for Dry January, etc.— if you want a delicious drink without the hangover, there are more mocktails in Toronto than ever before.

Michelin-star eateries, neighbourhood pubs and fancy cocktail bars are all recognizing the growing number of customers who don’t drink booze but still want to go out and enjoy the city. That’s the good news. The problem is it can be tough to find them because most of Toronto’s bars and restaurants still don’t have much for non-drinkers besides sodas and juice.

As someone who doesn’t drink alcohol at all, I’ve spent years seeking out good alternatives in this city. (I even founded a sober happy hour called Abandon to get people together and show off my fave spots for non-alcoholic drinks in Toronto.)

Which is why I put together this list of Toronto’s best mocktails. There are drinks for all budgets, from cheap and cheerful to special occasion. I hope you enjoy getting out there and taste-testing a variety to find your own favourite.

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My 15 Fave spots for mocktails in Toronto

An important note: Any good bartender can mix you a non-alcoholic cocktail of some kind. This list specifically spotlights businesses that have them on their menus. Because sober customers deserve the same experience reading a menu and choosing a drink of their liking. It’s time!

Best Overall: Mother Cocktail Bar

A world-class bar that includes delicious non-alcoholic options on its menu for under $10? Yes, please. This intimate spot on West Queen West made the list of the Top 50 Best Bars in North America in 2023, recognized for its customized drinks using seasonal ingredients. Their non-alcoholic cocktails list is short but it’s thoughtfully crafted, rich with botanicals and diverse enough to please different tastes. Kombucha enthusiasts will feel especially at home here. I love to grab a seat at the bar and watch their friendly expert mixologists in action. Reservations are recommended. 874 Queen St. W. motherdrinks.co

Best Hotel Bar: Epoch at the Ritz Carlton

Offering sophisticated mocktails in a relaxed garden setting with the top-notch service you expect from the Ritz Carlton, Epoch rises above the many other excellent hotel bars in Toronto by crafting non-alcoholic drinks as an integral part of its bar menu, not an afterthought.  You can taste and feel the difference and I’d call these the best of Toronto’s best mocktails. For a daytime non-alcoholic drink experience, Epoch also hosts a delicious afternoon tea. 181 Wellington Street West epochtoronto.com

Best Low-Sugar: Boxcar Social

This company operates several bars and cafés that are reimagining wellness drinks. If you’re looking for Toronto’s best mocktails with less sugar, as well as “sipping spirits” and N/A beers, you’ll find them at Boxcar Harbourfront, which also boasts lovely patio views of Lake Ontario. 235 Queens Quay West boxcarsocial.ca.

Best for Groups: El Catrin

No more sangria envy! Sangria Señorial is a non-alcoholic alternative produced in Mexico since 1960 and available in bottles at local Latin grocers. At this Mexican restaurant in the Distillery District it’s served with a glass of fresh fruit so you can DIY your own mocktail. (Our server did let us know that the fermented beverage contains a low amount of alcohol—for pure zero-proof drinks, El Catrin offers Jarritos sodas and Horchata.) This place is huge so a good spot for birthday parties and other large groups. Reservations recommended. 18 Tank House Lane. elcatrin.ca

Best Happy Hours: Bar Lulu, Bar Mordecai & Bar Neon

Happy hour is still one area that bars need to work on to excite sober clientele. I can think of no reason not to include a mocktail or non-alcoholic beer or wine on the list of after-work deals. But I can think of two spots making mocktails in Toronto that offer something for the budget-conscious non-drinker.

Little Portugal’s Bar Mordecai is a youthful neighbourhood spot inspired by Wes Anderson chic and vintage hotel lobby bars. Their regular drinks menu includes a rotating daily non-alcoholic mixed drink that’s part of their popular Happy Hour offerings from 6pm to 8pm. 1272 Dundas St W.

Mediterranean tapas joint Bar Neon in Bloordale Village has a daily Happy Hour from 3pm to 6pm that includes at least one mocktail on the list, as well as Partake N/A beer. A larger selection of mocktails using Seedlip zero-proof spirits is also on the regular menu. 1226 Bloor St W.

New Addition: Bar Lulu is a Polynesian-themed eatery in the new downtown complex The Well. It’s Honolulu Happy Hours are the best because a) it’s every day, including weekends and b) all drinks are half-off! Between 2pm and 5pm you can choose from their fun and delicious N/A menu: like Coconut Cooler or Pink Pony Club. It’s all the Tiki bar fun, without the hangover! 427 Wellington St W

Best for Foodies:  Chotto Matte

This Japanese-Peruvian hotspot in the business district has nightclub feels and luxury décor to go along with its highly rated tasting menus. They’ve reworked their most popular cocktails with Seedlip non-alcoholic spirits to offer a full mocktail list, leaning on the tropical/fruity side. It gets packed so reservations are recommended. 161 Bay St. chotto-matte.com/toronto

Best for Vegans: La Bartola

This Mexican plant-based restaurant with a Michelin Bib Gourmand nod in Little Italy is committed to sustainability and locally sourced ingredients. Their mocktails are inventive and use regional flavours such as hibiscus and lime. They are also one of few restaurants in Toronto offering de-alcoholized wines. 588 College Street. labartola.ca

Best Theme Bar: Offworld

You don’t need to be a nerd to come here – the sci-fi themed lounge has a wow factor anyone can enjoy. Their creative Alc-Zero drinks menu uses Tanqueray Zero, Sobrii Tequila, and house-made syrups, and the coolest presentations for mocktails in Toronto. Hosts events from trivia nights to space-age burlesque. Accessibility note: Offworld is located upstairs. 739 Queen St. W offworldbar.com/

Best Cheap and Cheerful:  Reposado Bar

My favourite place to “drink” on the Ossington strip is surprisingly at a Tequila and Mezcal bar. Their N/A Dark and Stormy and N/A Blood Orange Margarita are delicious, and only $6. They also serve more than one kind of non-alcoholic beer including Heineken 0.0 and…get this: shots. Their non-alcoholic Spicy Sangrita Shot ($1) is super fun to toast with. This place is just the right amount of hip, with back and front patios and live music most nights. 136 Ossington.

Best Halal:  Karahi Boys

More than just lassis! This Pakistani restaurant chain is Halal – a welcoming spot for anyone who prefers a completely alcohol-free environment. Plus, the mocktail menu is super fun – with pina coladas, daiquiris and other frozen fruit concoctions, mango mojitos, kulfi shakes, and regional sodas like Barbican and Pakola. 741 Queen St W with other locations in Vaughan, Mississauga, etc.  karahiboys.com

Best for Business: Luma

On the second floor of the TIFF Lightbox, the Luma lounge offers bar bites and good non-alcoholic drinks with a view of King West for less than $10. Whether you’re striking a movie deal or not it’s a great place to meet with clients and colleagues over ginger beer or one of their light mocktails. 350 King Street West, 2^nd floor. (Escalators and elevators onsite). lumarestaurant.com

Best Views:  Writers Room

Make any occasion special with deluxe mocktails and incredible views of the city at the Writers Room. Located on the 17th floor of the Yorkville Park Hyatt, this restaurant and lounge is inspired by Canadian literati who have frequented the place. It’s worth going at sunset to watch the night fall over Toronto from the patio. But the low and no alcohol drinks are some of the most complex and creative mocktails in Toronto, at any time of day. 4 Avenue Road.

Best Dive Bar: Sweaty Betty’s

“No reservations. No assholes.” One of the best dive bars in Toronto, this spot at the corner of Ossington and Queen is popular with locals for its laid-back but friendly service, vintage pastiche décor, and support of the community. They stock zero-proof spirits like Seedlip to make your drink of choice and there are cans of Collective Arts mocktails for quick-but-not-dirty options. LGBTQ+ safe space and dog-friendly patio. 91 Ossington Avenue. sweatybettysbar.com

Best Community: Zero Bar

Gail Lynch has been bringing her mobile sober bar to different locations around the city since 2021. From pop-ups at markets to private events, and now mocktail classes, Zero Bar is about more than just drinks – it’s changing the conversation about sober life. A Zero Bar bottle shop and tasting centre has also opened at 2900 Steeles Ave E in North York. zero-bar.ca

I hope these picks for Toronto’s best mocktails have inspired you to get out and enjoy the city, with or without booze! And if I missed your favourite please let me know in the comments. Cheers!