A Halifax Resto Is One Of North America's 'Best Bars' & You Should Add It To Your Boozy Bucket List

If you're looking for a great cocktail in Nova Scotia, why not try one of the best bars on the continent? The best bars in North America were ranked for the first time ever, and a Nova Scotia bar was the only resto in the province to make the list!

Bar Kismet in Halifax was named among the top 50 in the inaugural awards for the 50 Best Bars In North America, which were revealed on Tuesday, June 7.

The list was created according to votes cast by the "Voting Academy," a "gender-balanced group of drinks aficionados" that includes bar and restaurant owners, bartenders and "cocktail connoisseurs."

Bar Kismet, a family-operated restaurant and bar in the city's North End that also serves up fresh seafood and pasta along with a selection of creative cocktails, was named among the top bars in North America for its "down-to-earth demeanour" and "unflashy bar programme."

Its cocktails were praised for being "inventive," with notable offerings including its Charming Duplicity, a combination of "tart apple, cooling mint [and] whiskey spice" that blends Nova Scotia cider with Canadian rye whiskey, and the Shorthand Love Letter, which, with gin, sherry, bitter ginger cordial and cocoa bean, is a "botanical, tangy" drink.

Beyond the food and drinks, Bar Kismet's stunning decor was also given a shoutout.

"The menu fits the pristine whitewashed interior, brightened by greenery and the spectrum of a deep back bar," said the 50 Best awards.

The resto was also praised for its sustainability, taking home the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award, which is given to the bar on the top 50 list that "demonstrates the highest commitment to the environment."

Bar Kismet wasn't the only Canadian watering hole to make the top 50 — several other bars earned a place on the list, with the top spot in the country going to Toronto's Civil Liberties for its casual speakeasy vibes and friendly staff.