El Catrin anchors 18 Tank House Lane in Toronto's Distillery District, where its patio has been voted among the best in the country. Toronto Life covered the room's launch, and the bar trades on a back bar of more than 100 tequilas and mezcals poured under a hand-painted Day of the Dead mural.
The room
The interior is a large, art-heavy room built around that mural, but the patio is the headline, set on the cobblestones of the pedestrian-only Distillery District. The terrace runs misters for hot afternoons and a firepit for cooler nights, and it is dog-friendly per the venue. The cobblestone setting keeps cars out and the people-watching in.
What to order
The strength here is agave, so a margarita or a mezcal flight off the 100-plus bottle list is the order. The kitchen runs a full Mexican menu, so guacamole and tacos round out a table built for sharing. Pricing sits at the higher end for the neighbourhood, which the patio and the spirits list earn.
Who it is for
El Catrin fits a patio session with friends, an agave drinker after range, and a Distillery District date that wants atmosphere. Skip it for a cheap quick round, since this is a destination room with destination prices. Large groups should book the patio ahead in summer.
Best time to go
Warm afternoons and early evenings on the patio are the prime window, and weekend nights book out well in advance. Reserve for the terrace rather than walking up in summer, when the Distillery District is busiest. Cooler nights still work thanks to the firepit and heaters.
The bottom line
El Catrin is the Distillery District's agave headquarters, a mural-lined room and an award-listed patio with more than 100 tequilas and mezcals on the cobblestones. Toronto Life and a long run of reviews point to the patio as one of the city's best. Book the terrace, order a mezcal flight, and build a table of tacos to share.
Keep exploring with our best cocktail bars in Toronto guide, the full Toronto bar guide, and our edit of best cocktail bars worldwide. Pair El Catrin with Bar Raval in Toronto, Civil Liberties in Toronto, and Bar Reyna in Toronto.
Sources: El Catrin official site (2026); Toronto Life; OpenTable; Yelp reviews (n=1,139); Google Maps reviews.
