Best bars in Edmonton: 20 exceptional places to drink
Looking for the best places to drink in Edmonton?
It can be difficult, not because there are so few but because there are so many.
The Edmonton restaurant scene is in a fantastic place right now, but sometimes you just want a great bar that also has some great eats. So depending on what you’re looking for, there will be incredible options. You just need to know where to look.
That’s where we come in.
We’ve compiled a thorough list of the best drinking spots in town, whether you’re looking for a cheap beer, tapas, and cocktails, a fancy wine list, a green new date idea, and everything in between.
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These are our picks for the best places to drink in Edmonton.
Busy Sports Bar: Home and Away
This is a premier place for pre-game and post-game Oilers action if you’re lucky enough to have tickets and one of the best places to watch the hockey game if you don’t.
The sports and games are fantastic, but it’s the food that brings people back for every event. The menu features sporty comfort fare with fun twists, including inventive tacos, burgers, pizzas, hot dogs, mac and cheese, and so much more. It gets pretty wild in here on weekend nights too for a completely different vibe.
Address: 10363 104th Street NW, Edmonton
Comfortable Dive: Leopold’s Tavern
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This is a classic dive-style bar with walls covered in pictures and knick-knacks and an amazing comfort food menu.
Some of the other food items that are on the menu include Baja tacos, a buffalo chicken chop salad, a cajun chicken caesar wrap, pierogis, and garlic bread bombs, which are pull-apart knots topped with mozzarella, garlic butter, herbs, and choice of dip.
Leopold’s also has one of the best selections of interesting wing flavours you’ll see anywhere else.
Grab a beer here for a reliably fantastic bar meal.
Address: Various locations
Asian-inspired: Baijiu and Little Hong Kong
One of the coolest cocktail bars in YEG, this place has a secret outdoor patio and wildly inventive small-plate and cocktail menu, with dishes like devised tea eggs and drinks like the Backwoods Negroni with plum and ruby port.
Both spots are definitely two of the best places to drink in Edmonton.
Address: 10359 104th Street NW, Edmonton
Elevated cocktails: Clementine
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When Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants revealed its 2022 list, it was a bummer to see that no YEG spots made the top 10. But, the highest-ranked spot in the city was Clementine at #15. It’s an intimate and elegant cocktail bar on Jasper Avenue that you have to check out.
Address: 11957 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton
Hip Italian: Bar Bricco
Classic Italian in a hip setting, this spot offers everything from large pasta dishes to small plates for sharing. It’s one of the best restaurants but also one of the best bars. Don’t avoid sitting at the wood.
Address: 10347 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton
Speakeasy lounge: Pablo
Pablo’s red room is as stylish as it is fun. It’s a party when you’re looking for a party, and it’s the perfect date spot when you’re after that instead.
Address: 10432 Jasper Avenue Basement, Edmonton
Cozy Canadian: Woodwork
Sure, this is a popular food spot with a Canadian-inspired menu that has a focus on wood-fired mains, but it’s also an amazing bar with great bartenders who know a thing or two about barrel-aging spirits.
Address: 10132 100th Street NW, Edmonton
Sports bar: 1st Round
If you’re looking for that reliable bar that’s going to have the game on the TVs, have a great food menu, and nightly specials, then this is the spot.
Address: 11248 104th Avenue NW, Edmonton
Address: 8882 170th Street NW #1672, Edmonton
Fun and games: Banquet Bar
Banquet serves up a custom-built food menu, signature cocktails, and over 30 beers on tap, and to go perfectly with the food and drink is all of the fun and games this dive bar offers.
Address: 10332 103rd Street NW #210, Edmonton
Massive space: Canadian Icehouse
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This Canadian Icehouse is the flagship location for The Canadian Brewhouse concept, featuring the largest outdoor patio in Western Canada. There are tons of fireplaces and outdoor games in this massive space, but also batting cages!
Address: 10360 102nd Street NW, Edmonton
Cocktails and dancing: The Bower
This cocktail bar for bespoke cocktails has chill, laid-back vibes in its dark room and wild and party nights, as well as everything in between.
Address: 10538 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton
Cocktails and share plates: SODO on Jasper
This lively spot in the heart of the city is known for handcrafted cocktails, craft beer, and natural wines, as well as innovative food that focuses on shareable plates.
Address: 11011 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton
Late-night cocktails: Fu’s Repair Shop
This hip spot for walk-ins and 18+ only dives into its theme of being a car repair shop. Fu’s Repair Shop is an original, high-concept bar with a seriously unique and delicious menu perfectly designed for a night out; this spot has the feel and looks of a New York or LA-based bar.
Address: 9902 109th Street, Edmonton
Epic gaming: Greta Bar
Greta Bar is known for offering patrons arcade games, drinks (like “buckets” of booze), and some delicious street eats too.
Address: 10141 109th Street NW, Edmonton
French contemporary: Boxer
Offering French contemporary cuisine and craft cocktails is certainly rare in YEG, and that’s the main reason it lands a spot on this list. Plus, it’s fantastic.
Address: 10315 83rd Avenue NW, Edmonton
Gastro lounge: The Common
A staple in Edmonton dining and nightlife, this is a gastropub serving seasonal food menus and modern cocktails.
Address: 9910 109th Street NW, Edmonton
Divey spot: The Gardens
There are some seriously fancy spots on this list, and The Gardens isn’t one of them (but it’s still just as great). This place is no-frills, offering casual eats and nightly karaoke.
Address: 10048 102nd Street NW, Edmonton
Craft steakhouse: DOSC
This funky bar is a craft steakhouse serving amazing cocktails like The Mayflower, made with Titos vodka, Midori, lemon, and rose syrup.
Address: 10190 104th Street NW, Edmonton
Hidden basement: The Boiler Room
Located underneath Fox Burger, this low-key underground bar is in the exact same place as the old boiler room that heated the entire building back in the day — hence the name. The cast iron boiler is still in the room and is an interesting centrepiece of the space.
Fox Burger is known for its burgers and drinks, and this basement bar is one of the best places to drink in Edmonton.
There are nine different burgers on the menu at Fox Burger, like the American Cheeseburger, Highlands Green, or the Mushroom Swiss, topped with truffle lemon aioli, roasted mushrooms, pickles, Swiss cheese, and lettuce.
Address: 6423 112th Avenue NW, Edmonton
Tiki-vibes: Honi Honi
Tiki decor including massive hand-carved statues, colourful but dim lighting, ropes, and over-the-top glassware all add to the experience here.
Address:Â 10262 103rd Street, Edmonton
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