Came here on a Friday night. Their wine selection is very limited for a wine bar. Stale vegetables regardless of what you order from the menu. Surprisingly generic, north americanized, and extremely salty Italian food. Service was friendly and appetizers were fine. Ambience is ok. Overall, highly pricey compared to what is offered. read more

The food was great! The only thing I didn't like was the lack of options for wine by the glass. read more

See all

Rude server, and very small portions, when asked if we could get a 9oz glass her response was curt, said they only offer 5oz glass of wine. So over priced for what you get. If the staff were welcoming it might make a difference read more

Yaaaasssss... this place rocks. Came here as a party of three on a chilly Monday night and rocked the early week blues right out of their socks. Lovely pours of interesting wines, fine specialty cocktails, a bunch of shared plates that included flatbreads, olives, charcuterie, cheese and ultimately a couple of dozen oysters that disappeared almost before the server was able to make it back to the kitchen. What's more to like? Especially nice touches on the oysters that sat on a bed of sea salt with toppings available that included fermented horseradish, a nicely seasoned jalapeno puree and a red wine reduction to perk up the briny little invertebrates. Yum. We did not mess around, spared no overindulgences (burp) and still barely managed to spend $300. Yes, that's a lot of money, but when something is this well put together, very well worth the price in my opinion. And when you're spending that much, any sin gets pointed out in great detail. No such issue. Love to return here and concur with fellow Yelpers the strong rating for this venue. Highly recommended. read more

This is a nice place to go for wine and some cheese, a small bite or even a bigger one. It is nicely decorated and they have just enough lighting to set the right atmosphere to enjoy your wine. They have happy hour Monday to Friday 4-6pm which includes: $8/glass of wine, $40/bottle of wine, $14.5 charcuterie plate, $2 east coast oysters. It is recommended to book your reservation before going as the place is not super big. Service is friendly and attentive. read more

Winebar Kensington - Red Ale beer - Tapas Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

We came here for an afternoon glass of wine. The service was quick and friendly at the beginning, and we weren't checked on as we stayed longer, I had to ask for my bill for a passing by server. The wine list is vary diverse in terms of flavours of wines and also price ranges. The wines are very highly priced up but they have half price happy hour which makes the price points a little more reasonable. I had the chips with dill dip (pictured). Food was delicious, but the amount was a little less than I would have expected. This is a great place for a fancier get together or date. read more

Winebar Kensington - Tapas Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Trying to be pretty conscientious here considering that some of the wait staff was new, but strange to sit there for an hour and not be asked if we want food. Also, our bill was wrong twice and we then we just paid because at that point we were already late for our plans. When we asked for a recommendation the server suggested we roulette it...again not the service you want when you're spending $100 on a bottle of wine. This is called a wine bar... is there jot some expectation the server would be able to help us select a bottle? The bottle of wine was okay for the price. Used to go to wine bar quite a bit and will probably avoid going forward. read more

Every year, I'm in Calgary once or twice for several days each, and there is no chance I'll ever miss an opportunity to dine at Winebar Kensington (sometimes for good measure, I'll do a cheese/charcuterie board en route to the airport). Food is delicious (my favorites are still there, plus new things to try), service is run by longtime hospitality pros, who also double as Calgary guides, giving consistently great advice on the best places around town for food, beverage, art, etc. Always a good time, highly recommended! read more

I really liked this cozy downstairs winebar. If I lived in Calgary I would definitely be a regular. (Well, as my budget would allow) A tasty glass of white wine, Blasted Church Pinot Gris from the Okanagan Valley, was not served ice cold, thank you very much! Next was a plate of Serrano Ham, manchego, delicious Turkish olives, and oil. It was sort of piled into a salad/mixture and came with some nice bread and garlicky croutons. I had a very good California Cabernet (Noble Tree), because much to my dismay, there were no Canadian reds available by the glass. Tsk tsk........ I was meeting up with a friend later, so I took away a bottle of Coyote's Run Pinot Noir, which was pretty nice too. (The Blasted Church wins, however) The kicker, by far, was the absolutely delicious dessert - a caramelized pear bread pudding, with mascarpone ice cream. It tasted even better than it sounds and was worth the price of admission. If I'm in Calgary again, I'll certainly be back. read more

There's something I like about drinking wine in cozy underground spaces with great food. If this sounds this sounds like something you might also enjoy, you should hang out at Winebar... And you should bring me with you. :) They've got a great selection of charcuterie and cheese to pair with your vino and the staff to help you do it well. They've also got a talented crew working in the kitchen if you're looking for something more substantial. It's classy, casual and comfortable, making it a great place for a date night or over the wonder that is fermented grape juice. It's got that social vibe like classy night cafe that serves wine instead of coffee. So I guess that makes it more like a bar that serves wine, or maybe even a "Winebar", if you will. read more

5 star food, 5 star wine, and 5 star service. This is our favorite date spot. We came with a friend and tried their YYC food & drink experience menu ($40/person). We ordered a charcuterie board, roasted tomato toast, braised beef, duck confit, and beet salad. Plus 3 different kind of desserts (sorry, devoured everything in sight and forgot to be a good foodie and take some photos). Service was quick and attentive and we love the ambiance, too! Lovely gem in Calgary. A must try. And of course, large selection of good wine and knowledgeable staff to complete the experience. read more

Truly a highlight of Kensington. The food is on par with the wine and service is epic. Nice place to go on a chilly night. Wait staff always remembers us. Always friendly. Perfect date spot or girls night out. read more

Wonderful gem in Kensington with so much heart! Perfect for a romantic date-night, a client meeting, or a meet up with the girls. The low lit atmosphere creates a cozy and private feel - a place to relax away from the hustle and bustle. Or, take a seat on their patio and feel the vibrancy that is Kensington. They have a fantastic, varied, and eclectic wine selection (craft beer, cocktails, and non-alcoholic concoctions!) and thoughtful food pairings to match. Small bites when you are feeling nibbly, and larger dishes to share (or not ;) Everything is delish! The service team is knowledgeable and can help steer you in the right direction no matter your palate; they will always find a way to make your experience a special one, because they really care. Yes, the ownership cares about their patrons, but they also care about their staff, and as a result the staff love what they do and pass that onto every diner. Cam and Jacqueline support their local food community and are the salt of the earth people. Check out their Instagram feed and see for yourself. read more

Amazing food and wine, the best charcuterie in the city (none of those "chefs special board" with basic grocery store cheese). Comfy, cool, and relaxed. Everything you'd want in a local spot. Patio is excellent in the summer, one of the best in Kensington. Staff really care, and they're always happy to share their knowledge. read more

Going on a walk-about to explore Kensington has evolved into one of our greatest dining experiences since we moved to Calgary! Fresh food - yes! Amazing servers who want to enhance your dining experience, being attentive without hovering - yes! We love you L and A! A general manager who comes over, introduces himself and appreciates your business - yes! Thanks M! We took a seat at the bar of this cozy, cavernous, lower level, clean as a whistle wine bar and were wowed for about 3 hours (it was hard to leave!) The chef, C, knows his stuff and his passion is apparent. As a foodie, I sure had a lot to talk about and he was all for it! I loved watching him work focusing on FRESH ingredients. The care he took to make sure his station was wiped down and everything organized was there. Every 10 minutes an amazing new creation would waft over from the cook tops, teasing us to order more. We tried one platter with deliciously thin sliced meat, homemade potato chips with aioli and homemade pickles that were to die for! We also indulged in one of the best mushroom flat breads with a white sauce I have ever had. No soggy centers here! It was covered in greens (arugula?) and freshly grated parm cheese so it was like having a salad at the same time as the flat bread = less guilt! We also tried the house made truffles - so good, you have to close your eyes for a few minutes when noshing on them -as well as the chili passion fruit sorbet! Really? This would be what I would taste like if I were a sorbet in another life - it was heaven! The freedom the chef has to shop, create and please his guests was truly inspiring! No silly water charges here and our glasses never went empty. We really enjoyed the wine and beer where we just gave our server carte blanche to surprise us! I would indulge here 7 days a week if I could with this ever-changing menu (seasonal, as local as possible) and remarkable attitudes in this place. There is nothing I could even suggest to make this place better - it was perfect. Even the washrooms. There is even a fireplace for those chilly winter evenings. I want to keep this place a secret in a way - I do not want anyone to steal my fave bar seat but something this amazing in Calgary has to be shared amongst other foodies! 5 delicious stars! read more

The selection here is okay, the decor modern and hip, although if we're the only people in the place and we're trying to have a conversation; I'm not sure loud thumpa-thumpa was the best choice for the stereo. The noisy music versus the otherwise relaxed atmosphere, made it feel a bit disjointed. We showed up on a Thursday evening at around 10:30 PM, and even though they close at 1 AM, kitchen staff was long gone. Apparently, according to the waitress, without informing anyone that they had left, so she took my order and had to come back and explain why she was empty handed. Also, if I'm paying $4 for tea, I would at least like the water to be boiling hot rather than room temperature, so that by the time I refill it with the pretty glass pot you gave me, the tea isn't ice cold and not even properly steeped. Still, it's not bad, I guess. I wouldn't seek it out, but I wouldn't mind coming back. read more

A bit pricey but delicious wine with an amazing cheese board. Will definitely be back

I love wine. It is life enriching and pleasurable. I cherish any opportunity to share, compare, and interpret the sensuous enjoyment and gratification associated with drinking wine. And I make no excuses for this passion. So discovering the Winebar Kensington last week, was the perfect start to my holiday break. I was invited for a "drink" after work, with a colleaque, who is a "regular" at the Winebar. I was totally surprised at what I experienced as I'm not one to lightly lavish praise on establishments. But this place impressed me greatly. And I'm not easily impressed. The Winebar is situated in the basement of a building in the heart of Kensington. The venue is cool, comfortable, cosy, with a wonderfully warm and attractive interior design. The space is complimented by a number of street level skylights, allowing natural light to stream into the interior. Imagine if there was stained glass in these windows, you would probably feel comfortable inviting your Priest around for a drink and getting a few confessions in at the same time. It reminded me of the kind of basement wine bars that have been emerging over the past ten years in London and the now trendy old cities of Eastern Europe. It's the kind of place that you know, attracts smart, and elegant lovers of life; passionate people who are turned on by Ravel, Debussy and Scriabin. This place is not for the Hockey in Canada night, beer swilling, boozy crowd! While it was quiet when I arrived at around 4pm, the place soon started filling up and the atmosphere grew warm and inviting as it grew darker. Upon arrival I was offered a glass of wine, and was soon introduced to the owner and the chef. The impression I got, was that these dudes know what they are doing, know what their loyal customers want and are amazingly responsive to their customers' needs. Wine bars are for drinking and experiencing different varieties of champagne and wine! That's where the emphasis should be. Not on the food. And that's where the emphasis is, in this bar. Although they appear to have a great selection of food on their menu. The wine selection is not enormous, but has a very broad offering across new world and old world wineries. From Australia to South Africa, South America, Europe and of course the USA, and aspiring wannabe Canadian producers. Either by the glass or the bottle, the selection is wonderfully affordable (Bottles ranged on average between $40 and $60/ bottle, and I do not recall seeing any wines above $90 a bottle) and very drinkable. Great for those who simply want to quaff on their own, without having to pair the wine with anything, or anybody, and those who simply want to have a more meaningful relationship with the bottle, the body, the texture, the taste, and god forbid, the influence of the minerals in the soil. Trust me, I had a friend who was a geologist, and he took this kind of discussion to a different depth of depravity. Food should be secondary and not the primary reason for going to a wine bar. If you want a great meal, go to a great restaurant! If you want to drink beer, go to a pub! The food here appears to be limited and is probably intended to be that way. While I had some snacks, I did not eat a meal, so cannot comment on the quality of the food. They do have a handwritten board of specials on the wall above the bar, and the Chef assured me that he changed the menu regularly, with some things changed daily. This place reinforces Calgary as an International City. I loved the place and will be back again. My fear is that I will become a regular now, and will become addicted, requiring me to bring my priest occasionally with me for absolution. read more

Brilliant food, creatively plated, a fantastic wine list, and a lovely atmosphere. The cheese and charcuterie are a must, as are all the pasta dishes. The short rib gnocchi is one of our favourites. read more

My default "go to" place now in Kensington apart from Container bar for a drink or shared plates meals with friends. Love the addition of the patio which is a much needed addition to the street scape. Great wine selection, but more importantly, great cheese pairings. The servers do a pretty good job helping you pair wine with cheese and I have personally never been disappointed with the selection. The curried lentil and the potato gnocchi are great full-size meals for when you are hungry. The food does tend to be a bit on the blander side for me but the portions are really good. Great place to meet up with friends and grab a drink for a chill night read more

I really REALLY wanted to give five stars because I was super excited to come here. However, we were on a bit of a tight deadline (theatre tickets at 7:30 and my dining companion wasn't able to meet me until just after 6), so I'll have to return and re-evaluate when I have time to sit back and really luxuriate in the experience! I will say that when I mentioned to our server that we needed the bill because we had theatre tickets, they jumped on it IMMEDIATELY and we were all paid up and on our way within 3 minutes. We had just enough time for two drinks and some cheese/charcuterie (which is one of our favourite things to do). The cheese list was super easy to navigate and helpful for making our decisions - and I loved that when the cheese tray came, the cheeses were labelled! I always forget which cheese is which after the rundown. I do wish that the wine list had decsriptions on it the same way that the cheese list does. At least for the wines by the glass. I know you can always talk with your server and ours certainly was knowledgable, but due to our time crunch I found myself needing to make decisions between server visits. Grumpy Boyfriend (TM) started with a Manhattan, his go-to cocktail, and he thought it was a little bland. Not enough sweet vermouth, most likely... but it didn't affect the drink enough to stop him from enjoying it so it couldn't have been that bad! read more

Winebar is my perfect kind of lounge-meets-tapas-bar. It's intimate, local, has an interesting menu and a good wine list. Tucked away under a building on Kensington Road and 10th Street NW, a little restaurant sits that serves the best unbaked basil cheesecake this side of, well, anywhere. The staff are very friendly and Winebar has made it's name on being a loungey type spot for drinks and small bites. Don't expect large American-dinner-sized portions but more like small, finger bites and tapas. The menu frequently changes except for a few all-time favorites that have been around since it's inception some 6 years ago. As well as the food, pleasantly, the chairs are really really comfy making it very easy to settle in and slowly morph into a Nighthawk. I would recommend Winebar for anyone wanting to treat their mother to a nice glass of wine, their partner to a nice glass of wine, their friends to a nice glass of wine or me, to a slice of unbaked basil cheesecake. T. read more

This is a cute little space in Kensington! We live going and asking the server to pick our wine as they change regularly and we're never disappointed! Staff is well versed in the wine and they all seem to have a lot of knowledge around the wines. That makes the experience 10 out of 10 - owners are really friendly and food is great too! read more

Winebar in Kensington is everything you could ask for in a winebar. Great wine selection, cheese and appetizers selection... friendly and helpful staff, and great location! I like! read more

Great wine selection by the glass or bottle, with very good cheese platter options and other dishes. Good amount of bread and excellent condiments with the platter. This cellar restaurant / bar with high windows at sidewalk level is well set up and the atmosphere mid-week and at weekends is good. Battery powered candles on the tables and cheese platters served on a cheap plastic tray is a bit naff and doesn't match the other good aspects of the venue. read more

Months & Miles behind on my reviews I am trying to get a few done today!! I have been to Winebar Kensington a couple of times. Both with girlfriends (poor hubs)! The second most recent was with my Italian BFF who was visiting from out of town. Following a wander through Kensington and some pampering of our toes at Swizzlesticks we decided to stop into the Winebar for a quick glass and bite before racing home to get ready for a wine tasting later that evening. It was shortly after 5pm on a Saturday when we wandered in and we were able to grab a couple stools at the counter. Awesome. Love watching the chefs at work. We decided on only 1 appy since we really didn't have a lot of time as our pedicure ran late. We shared the fresh baguette, appenzeller "fondue" with cracked black pepper(my 2nd time having this delight). and it was as tasty as the first time I tried it. I wish we would have had more time to indulge in some additional appetizer's but it wasn't in the cards for us today. A glass of wine and delicious fondue left us feeling happy when we left. I know there is a third time in my future...hopefully it's soon! read more

Nice concept but extremely small portions. I know it's a tapas bar / wine bar but after a $120 tab for 2, we were drunk but still hungry, I think that's a little too impractical. I've been to other renown fine dining establishments in other cities and tried items from their small plates menu for around the same price point and have been served a lot more food than what we got at the winebar. I have to commend them for their extensive wine list, especially for wines by the glass. And I really liked the idea that they serve wines by the half glass (2.5 oz). That way I could choose a different wine with every dish we tried. We started off with a glass of cava with some raw oysters. The oysters were ok.. nothing special. Definitely not nearly as memorable as the ones I had at Big Fish. Hence, I'd say the oysters were so-so by Calgary standards. Definitely nothing to write home about. We then tried the chaucuterie. For a $16 plate, I don't think there was even 100g of meat in total there. I wasn't totally crazy about it to say the least. Hence, for the next dishes, I thought we'd order something of substance. We tried the beef short ribs braised in espresso-chocolate and the duck confit special they had that night. The shorts ribs were tasty but again, a little meagre on the portions. The duck confit was alright.. done properly, but again, nothing to write home about. All in all, I would say this place was not up to my expectations. I had high hopes for this place as it is owned and run by the same people as Muse. I really wanted to like this place, but leaving still hungry after a $120 tab for 2, that's a little hard to justify. It would be easier to justify if the food was incredible. But it wasn't, it was just ok. read more

Tapa's at it finest fresh food. Great service!!! Love the oysters and the tomato balsamic tomato salad, soups Menu changes read more

Easily the best wine bar in Calgary. Winebar has a dark, cozy almost wine cellar like feel to it. They also have a great patio out on Kensington road. There isn't a poor quality wine on the list, and the staff are very knowledgeable about both the wines and what foods to pair them with. Food is small plates but the quality is definitely there, strongly recommend the cheese fondue! The best part is their wine list is always changing, so there's something new to try every time you go. They seem to get a lot of lesser known yet high quality wines in, and their wine by the glass is the same price you'd pay for cheap wine at a pub. And if you're not sure what wine to choose, don't be shy about chatting up the staff and they'll steer you in the right direction! read more

Favourite tapas restaurant. I enjoy the cheese boards and am obsessed with their mignonette sauce for oysters. I love the fact that I can sit at the bar and watch the chiefs cook. read more

The wine was great. The attention to detail in terms of food preparation was excellent. I would definitely like to come back here again.

Great ambience!.... The appetizers are just ok.. But the wine is very good... The waiter recommended the octopus as the best appetizer ( honestly, it was not that good... Maybe my expectations were too high ) ... The duck fat fries were ok.. All other appetizers were not bad, but nothing really awesome... The wine is definitely the best thing this place has.. read more

Agreed its in the high end price range for tapas, however you are also paying for excellent service (from both the servers and the charismatic kitchen staff) and great selection. We ended up here for date night on a random sunday and fell in lust. I can't say it would be a great place on the weekends as I think it would lose a lot of its charm when jammed packed. But for a quiet sunday gorge we found it perfect. The staff were amazing and the chef (we sat at the bar facing the kitchen) was feeding us samplers all night. My opinion: go on a quieter night to really enjoy the place and you MUST order the cheesecake read more

Came here with friends during the Diagon Alley day in July. It was okay, but not somewhere I'd go again anytime soon. Menu doesn't have a ton of variety in terms of palate and dietary needs to the point where a friend of mine didn't order anything. Chocolate frogs legs were interesting and the bean dip was great. I'm not a fan of the atmosphere but I could see it being a good date night! Seemed a bit overhyped when we were there, though. read more

Waitress was cute and knowledgable effectively pairing the wine choice. Only had the lentil dip but it was delish! Nice ambiance and would definitely recommend it for a first date. read more

I hate downgrading a review. I need 19 ounces of scotch to give me the courage. I've loved the service at this location every time. This time was no different. It was the food that made me cry. The lobster risotto tasted great, but I know fake lobster when I see and eat it. What a shame. If you want to stay on top, bring in tails and use fresh ingredients. I'll upgrade again soon, hopefully. read more

We had a wonderful dinner here last night. tapas style with an extensive wine list (as one would expect), knowledgeable servers, and classy yet unpretentious ambiance. We started with a glass of Italian white paired with our half dozen west coast (cocktail) and half dozen east coast (pacific lambitini) oysters. They were well shucked minus some small shell fragments in two oysters and served with lemon, pineapple mignonette (a little overpowering) and fresh shaved horseradish. The oysters were definitely fresh and were two varieties neither of us had tried. Next, on server recommendation we had the truffled deviled eggs and the beef carpaccio. We loved the deviled eggs. The carpaccio was tasty but a little heavy handed on the salt and the dish could have used a little more acid. Finally we split a charcuterie board with three semi-soft/hard cheeses, two meat choices and accompaniments of various breads/crackers, pickled vegetables, mustard, and a delicious mango chutney. With this, we had a glass of the Mourvedre and the Malbec. Both were nicely representative of their varietals. Overall we had a wonderful time and would certainly return with friends. read more

Great owners. Cool staff. Fresh oysters. The cheese selection is divine. Oh - and the wine is well priced, it's dark and romantic, and I can walk home. read more

Visited Winebar for my girlfriend's birthday and had the most fantastic time! We are far from wine connoisseurs but definitely wanted to include it on our girls/child free day. Our server made recommendations for us and hit the nail on the head with every glass. The food was amazing, the service was fabulous and the wine was delicious.. I will definitely be back!! read more

My husband and I were staying in a hotel one block away and went wandering through the neighborhood. We hit the jackpot finding this gem! Michael, the chef, entertained us as he worked his magic putting together the most delicious looking dishes. We had a cheese/charcuterie board and a few glasses of wine. Wow. The duck liver mousse, the crackers, the jams, and pickled veggies, all made in house, were sooooo great! The cheeses and bread were added bonuses. A really great find! Anyone visiting Calgary should find their way to this culinary Mecca. Trust me! read more