YAM magazine’s Best Restaurant Awards 2024 celebrate Greater Victoria, B.C.’s exciting food scene, judged by an independent panel of chefs and food experts. 

BY CINDA CHAVICH | PHOTO BY ANDREA CONFORTI

Humboldt Bar, Best Cocktail Bar or Lounge, 2024 YAM Best Restaurant Awards
At Humboldt Bar, bartender Kate Chernoff sends sparks flying as she sprinkles cinnamon over the rum-based Cotopaxi cocktail.

Best Cocktail Bar or Lounge: Humboldt Bar

722 Humboldt Street  |  $$-$$$ |  humboldtbar.com  |  No reservations; walk-ins only

Humboldt Bar offers an “immersive cocktail experience” designed by long-time city mixologist and bar manager Brant Porter. It’s a journey into the world of historic polymath and explorer Alexander von Humboldt, through a cool cocktail menu that details his life with stories and vintage botanical prints.

Imagine the discoveries of this famed 19th-century German naturalist and his worldly adventures while sipping cocktails called Lost in The Woods or Concentrated Sunbeams — and contemplate the many things named for him, from the Humboldt Current and Humboldt Squid to the downtown Victoria street where you’ll find this elegant and intimate bar.

One of our judges loves the Republic of Letters, made with Irish whiskey, Armagnac, amber vermouth, Bénédictine, bitters and candle wax, a dark and complex cocktail that conjures Humboldt’s era of exploration in every sip.

Runners-up:

Citrus & Cane

Clive’s Classic Lounge