El Caminos

A little away from the hubbub of downtown, on Main Street between 16th and 17th Avenue, this unpretentious neighbourhood good times bar serves up boozy pan-Latin American classic cocktails in a shabby-chic room that delivers a Pacific Northwest take on a Mexican dive bar. It's an all-ages locals' favourite-especially at weekends and for the killer Margarita Monday deals- and if you're in a large group, you'll definitely have to queue, but on the up side, the house margarita made fresh with El Jimador and served in a pleasingly large mug is probably the best in the city, which makes it worth your while.

Behind the bar you'll see a towering wall of around 140 tequilas and mezcals, flights of each are served on Day of the Dead skull-shaped trays. A mostly gluten-free menu of tortillas, tacos, empanadas and arepas adds to its charm and weekend brunch is a crowd pleaser. You'll not find innovative cocktails here or especially refined service, but if you want the kind of place where the cheerleading bartenders could lead you on a late-evening singalong, you've found it.