The holidays are a time for letting loose and having fun. But as any reveller knows, have too much fun and, the next day your head will feel like it’s been used as a soccer ball. Here, some of the city’s best bartenders give us their tried-and-true remedies.

The staff at Hemingway’s offers the most creative cures: bananas, hot and sour soup, and steeped rosemary leaves. Bartender Christine Fofar explains that the bananas have potassium (good for reducing dehydration) and the liquids are both nourishing and light.

Pol Cristo-Williams, owner of Sweaty Betty’s, suggests a “magic” shot of Campari. (There’s something about the herbs.) Campari is also a good choice because it’s low in alcohol, but if that doesn’t matter to you, Cristo-Williams suggests a few hair-of-the-dog pints. Otherwise, he recommends carrot juice or Gatorade, for the electrolytes, another dehydration-fighter.

At Allen’s, on the other hand, they go the more traditional (albeit less healthy) route. Bartender John W. Maxwell says he’s cured “thousands” of hangovers, and he suggests ginger ale with three shots of Angostura bitters. “But for the severe hangover,” he says, “I would take a Bloody Mary mixed with bottled clam juice.” He calls pre-made Caesar mixes “vile, vile stuff,” and blends his own with fresh lime, freshly ground salt and pepper, and horseradish.

Seasoned cocktail queen Melanie Splatt at the Drake Hotel is on board with the classic Canadian Caesar. The vitamin B in the Clamato and the C in the lime aid your body in recovery. The alcohol’s a bonus. If sobriety’s a requirement, she suggests French toast. According to Splatt, a hangover is caused by an alcohol-induced buildup of toxins in the body, and the bread acts like a sponge, soaking them up.

The Rose & Crown (2335 Yonge) takes the unhealthiness of the traditional folk cures a step further. “A cheeseburger. The greasier the better,” suggests Pete Belford, adding that the burgers at Dangerous Dan’s (714 Queen St. E.) get the job done especially well. Other bartenders suggest a cocktail with a raw egg stirred in—if you can stomach it. “I think the protein is supposed to help,” says Belford.

Doctors say most of this is nonsense. Many recommend water, sleep and simply riding it out. But it can’t hurt to try—you can't feel any worse.