our story
At heart, the Roost is a cocktail bar. We opened in 2015 with the vision of creating a unique beverage experience in a homey, community driven space. Over the years we have cultivated a food offering that reflects the whimsical nature of our drinks. Our hand drawn menu changes every season, but always contains a slew of original cocktails (we’ve made over 500 to date), innovative small plates made with local ingredients, a thoughtful selection of natural wines, and a handful of local beers on tap. We serve these things in the small, cave like second floor of a 110 year old house in Winnipeg’s little Italy. The bar features granite and birch, sparkly accents, & emerald green walls decorated with the work of local artists. In the warmer months we host on our spacious rooftop patio that features a garden of edible flowers where birds often visit. Come cozy up with us and make a friend. Be kind.
in the news
Canada’s 100 Best
Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants
No. 27
Roost is perched among the treetops on the second floor of an old house with a nest-like patio and sloped-ceiling loft.
The bar opened in 2015, marked the dawning of Winnipeg’s budding craft -cocktail culture. Alongside stiffer drinks, the Roost seasonal bar menu always contains a smattering of whimsical libations that are sprinkled with glitter, shaken with Cheerio orgeat, festooned with edible flowers or topped with cotton-candy clouds.
Nigel Webber, 2016
City Specific - The Roost
The Roost Social House is part of a new trend in Winnipeg’s restaurant and bar scene, craft cocktails. Head bartender Elsa Taylor’s take on craft cocktails incorporates her feminist values and challenges the prevalent idea that consuming alcohol is for intoxication only. Using handcrafted ingredients with a new cocktail everyday, Elsa’s creations encourage savouring and quality over quantity. Elsa wants to welcome everyone to her bar top, treat each person equally and make sure they leave with a smile on their face.
Tourism Winnipeg, July 2020
Winnipeg’s cocktail queen is perched on some of the city’s best patios
In 2015, when Ike Hedenstierna, Caiden Bircham, chef Sean Bernard and Elsa Taylor opened up The Roost on Corydon they had just entered their 20s (with the exception of Bernard, who was 28) and only had a few years of corporate restaurant experience.
Five years later The Roost is perhaps the hottest cocktails and small plates destination in Winnipeg, a place with national accolades and a steady line of patrons willing to wait two or three hours for one of its coveted second floor patio seats during the pandemic.
Winnipeg Free Press, May 2020
New takes on tipples
Elsa Taylor has been making cocktails for as long as she can remember.
"Mixing my parents a drink was one of my favourite pastimes, even if it was a deranged combination of milk and sprinkles and green food colouring, that was something that brought me tremendous joy," says the 26-year-old co-owner and head bartender of The Roost on Corydon.
BuzzFeed Canada, 2016
19 Of The Coolest Bars To Get Drunk At Across Canada
No. 2
"The bar boasts beautiful craft cocktails, small plates to share, and a gorgeous patio. This tiny bar is a favourite among younger people looking for a cozy place for cocktails at reasonable prices. It also doesn't hurt having your drink sprinkled with edible glitter!"