50 Best Cocktail Bars in Calgary

“Amazing atmosphere, fantastic staff. Great music. Our server, Justin was fantastic. You really made my birthday something special. Definitely recommend this place.“

“Excellent food and friendly staff. Great atmosphere.“

“This is an amazing place. Some of the best cocktails I've had anywhere. The creativity is out of this world, and the unexpected combinations hang together well. These are thoughtful cocktails, not gimmicks. The food is also amazing. Fresh, excellently crafted with contrasts of flavor, seasoning, and texture. The pork, maple, miso bao is to die for, as is the dessert parfait. The bartenders and servers are friendly and attentive without being intrusive, and have excellent eyes for detail in service. The decor is fun and funky, with a wall of gas masks behind the bar, sandbags piled up as a partition between the bar and table service area, and terrific lighting. Finally, Shelter has some of the best acoustic design for dining and drinking of anywhere I've been. There is a nice ambient sound level, and they've got a great playlist, but the room is not very live, so other folks' conversations don't reverberate. This makes it easy to have a conversation without having to talk loudly or strain to listen, which is a rarity in bustling dining and drinking establishments. Whether you live in Calgary or are just visiting, checking out Shelter should be a priority.“

“What a great little location. The best service I ever had. They made you feel that they enjoyed serving you and not to get a bigger tip.

The food was some of the best I ever ate..wow!!!

The drinks were amazing!

What a great experience!

Thank you TAL!“

“And the hunt continues, for Canada’s best Tiki bar…and we have a new leader….Prosperity Bar in Calgary. They do their drinks right here, establishing right out of the gate that while imagination in Tiki drinks is important, you need to have a solid foundation of the classics, and they have mastered those! And like any top shelf Tiki bar, they take pride in incorporating their own syrups, tinctures, and garnishes, with unique touches and add ons. And while the food menu is not huge, what they serve is pure Tiki bliss. Try the Bahn Mi, as it’s a unique spin on a classic, and don’t miss out on the egg rolls, but I’ll leave that one to surprise you….oh and the staff here is AMAZING!“

“My new favourite lounge in town!“

“I love the cocktails variety the food is super fresh the look of the lanterns it make it so romantic I love it, great service 🥰❤️“

“Amazing experience!! Great service, food and drinks!! Highly recommended !!“

“Sabina was amazing, we had such a good time, everything was on point. The staff here always take care of us, the cocktails are amazing, timely, and delicious. She was so fun for us (there was 9 of us) and we were entertained the entire time. The vibe is amazing and the quality of cocktails is exceptional. Will obviously be back!“

“I've been here multiple times, and it never disappoints! The consistency is impressive—from the food quality to the service and the ambiance. Whether it's a first-time visit or your tenth, you're guaranteed a great experience“

“It's been named one of the top bars in North America, and it's easy to see why. All the cocktails were amazing and very well balanced 👌 the food was delicious! It's definitely a spot you have to check out if you're in Calgary!“

“I love this place, i discovered them even before they began selling cocktails. The food is really tasty and always crispy. The drinks are unique and refreshing. The food is a little in the higher price l, but well worth it.

Just give it a try...“

“Very cool place! Décor, music and drinks!“

“I recently hosted my son's first birthday at Freestyle Social Club, and I can confidently say that the experience was nothing short of fantastic. From the moment we arrived, Chad and his team provided impeccable service that truly made our event memorable.

Every detail was handled seamlessly, allowing us to focus on enjoying the occasion rather than worrying about logistics. The staff was attentive and genuinely committed to ensuring that everything went perfectly. They went above and beyond, anticipating our needs and making thoughtful suggestions that enhanced the overall experience.

If you're looking for a venue that offers both a vibrant atmosphere and exceptional service, look no further than Freestyle Social Club.“

“My wife and I had an amazing and memorable evening! Ryan and team out done themselves! Amazing atmosphere and food! Already planning our next private event here! Thank you!!“

“AMAZING COCKTAILS FOOD IS AWESOME HIGHLY RECOMMEND“

“AMAZING drinks and AMAZING service. My one complaint is that my friend and I both fell off our stools several times—they were really wobbly wicker things that slid out from under me if i leaned back too fast. Lovely music choices and a good energy overall.“

“When you get over that looming taxidermy, everything else is less overwhelming haha. Really enjoyed that smoky beef tartare and drinks. ✨“

“My friends and I were there last July 08 for dinner. It was so busy but we were greeted immediately by a server and happened to be our server Raquelle) She is very informative, pleasant, approachable and very friendly, However busy it was she still manage to smile and be friendly. All the cocktails she recommend were very good and we all love it ( Golden Sunset, Whisky me Away, Confluence and the made by Ben) The food were also good. WE also had the Japanese old fashion that se also recommended. (i love it!!) Raquelle is one of the best server we had and we highly recommend this restaurant for her top notch service. We will definitely comeback. Thank you“

“We celebrated our mom's 80th birthday here. They accommodated us in the back room where there was 25 of us. Great service with placing our orders, all our food came out at the same time. Working out our separate bills was so easy as well. Definitely recommend this establishment for a special occasion like this.“

“Alumniii my love 🩷 I am not a sandwich girl, but I am MOST DEF an Alumni sandwich girl!! I don’t ever make, crave or order sandwiches in general, but I dream of the roasted turkey Brie and meatball sub 🤤 I’ve also tried the hot chicken, double burger, rosemary beef dip, chicken parm, and tuna melt. Alllll bangers, just pick what you feel like. The parm fries with the garlic aioli and charred broccoli are also super yum. We usually order takeout, but the restaurant vibe is cute too, like a modern diner. They get busy, so plan accordingly 🫶“

“I always want to go there >< I starved today to come for chunjang lol It was so delicious ㅠㅠ A really good sweet and sour pork restaurant;;; Red pepper miscellaneous sauce is so delicious!!!! I recommend Jjambbong more than Jjajangmyeon!!“

“Great food and service! Highly recommend!“

“We were celebrating my wife's birthday and one of out daughters had given us a $100 gift certificate to Earl's Kitchen + Bar. We made a reservation and we arrived early and they accommodated us right away to a booth which is what I had requested using the internet connection. My wife is a bit unsteady with her walker as this was after a prolonged illness and hospital stay. The staff right away assisted us to stow the walker nearby but out of the way. Our waitress came fairly quickly and took our drink order. We both had frozen Margueritas and they hit the spot. She brought back menus after a little pause to let us enjoy the drinks. We ordered what we wanted an sat back to relax and to look at the goings on around us. We both noticed right away that it was a very noisy room. Lots of people speaking loudly and a music track doing a miserable job. We could get the tempo because all we could ear was the thumps of a bass guitar. This persisted for the whole time we were there. Maybe we are overly sensitive to noise as we are both 82 years old. The food arrived hot, which we both appreciated as we have had lukewarm food experiences before at other restaurants. The medium rare steak that I ordered was medium rare and I was very happy with that. My wife dove into her Caesar salad and then her Fettuccini Alfredo pasta. In our opinions the food was excellent and the staff who waited on us were exceptionally friendly. Al in all it was a delightful celebration of my wife's 82nd birthday.“

“Such a great vibe! I highly recommend Best of Kin Social!“

“My second time in Calgary was nothing short of perfection. Last year I dined here for my birthday and when the thought of what to do rolled around this year, flying to Calgary seemed both extra, and hilarious. But it stuck. Saltlik, you outdid yourself. I’ve been thinking of the Beeswax Old Fashioned for 366 days and it just hits the spot. Victoria B.C. hasn’t latched onto it yet but it’ll come. Dinner was exceptional but the real star or the show was Trevor. Exceptional service is becoming an almost lost art and this guy has it. His energetic read on the table and tailored charisma is what 90s career servers were made of. The kind of server who questions himself “how do I elevate this experience?!” And then executes. His tag team with Chris to make this birthday nothing short of Calgary perfection is exactly why we ended up here. Thank you for making us feel special, our dinner incredible and leaving us with yet another Saltlik memory for the books. Thanks over many thanks. We will see you again!“

“We eat out a fair bit, but this was the best night out I have had in years! Have not been here before, but definitely coming back often. Came here with my wife and one of our friends later on Saturday afternoon for happy hour and got seated at the bar, overlooking the kitchen. The happy hour drinks were very good, and the food was fantastic. We ended up staying for dinner, and every dish was beautifully prepared, tasty and original - not just a variation on something you would get at a restaurant down the street. The staff were so friendly and welcoming. Our waiter provided excellent service. He always knew the right time to check up on us and see if we needed more drinks or food. Nice guy too. I originally was a little disappointed to get seated at the bar instead of a table - now I would not want to sit anywhere else. Loved to watch the skills and teamwork of the kitchen staff, who were very friendly and chatted with us when they had time. Loved everything about this place.“

“We dropped in for a quick bite. I expected the food to be good (since it's connected to Linas) and it was delicious and very reasonably priced. The service is warm and professional. They were featuring some lovely live accoustic bluesy musicians, that was a perfect touch of unexpected. The volume of the live music was perfect, you could hear them well but it wasn't intrusive. Everything was very pleasant and thoughtful, they did an excellent job creating a satisfying experience. Definitely recommend.“

“maybe just the time we came(saturday night) but the wine by the glass selection was poor. And the cocktail i tried was boring…not worth but maybe just a non-representative first insight we had, who knows…
Update 2nd stay:
way better, less crowded, friendly staff and good wine and cocktail selections this time! As anticipated, the first time was not representative of the potential of Missy‘s and I gladly revise my conclusion!“

“I love everything Chicken there - Fried Chicken & Creamy Chicken are my favorite. The staff is super friendly and have good recommendations. this place can get loud during Karaoke time, but it's still entertaining.“

“We had a wonderful evening - great vegan options :)“

“Amazing time as usual, we've been to cactus club locations in BC, Alberta and Ontario and Quebec and food is always consistent and delicious and amazing service!“

“A must go to Restaurant. Just amazing food and ambiance!“

“Jan is great, always a killer haircut, and good conversation, i would recommend Cannibale to anyone“

“I chose the lamb meatballs and cauliflower. Totally superb food. See pics. We were a table of 8 and my only complaint was that they added 20% automatically to the bill (which I kinda get) but our server did not point that out. I find it bordering on unethical that she wouldn't mention it, because a couple of people added a further tip because they weren't aware. Hey management, it left a sour taste when you added 20% like that, so you should change your practice to at least mention it out of respect and courtesy. However I gave you 5 because the food and ambience were superb. Take a look at the pics of the dry aged lamb, yummy!“

“Wonderful attentive service with friendly and fun atmosphere.“

“I celebrated my friend and I's double birthdays at Earl's. The customer service was amazing including the birthday cards, balloons and complimentary cake. The seating was perfect and I loved the atmosphere. Isabella greeted me with a warm welcome and offered me some suggestions to start with. I would highly recommend going here for a perfect dinner.“

“Love this place love the live bands and a variety of food to choose from“

“WONDERFUL! Andrea made our day - from start to end, the friendliest service and food, honestly, all 5 stars. Our egg bennys were delicious, could not forget about how quick I drank my mocha, also interesting view. Do not hesitate and overlook this hidden gem!“

“Cactus is a staple in the Calgary food industry, the service you get is pretty standard across the board. We did notice the food does have a bit of a heavy salt undertone, it could possibly come down to dishes and personal preference but we did have two people we were with mention something similar. The service was a high point however it’s always a on point but this specific location is a bit cramped and loud I find. Could be due to the size of the location parking is a similar problem. Overall it’s not bad and not great just overage at best“

“We have been to this Cactus Club lots of enjoyable times. We therefore decided to go there for our 54th wedding anniversary last Wednesday. Food was prompt and excellent and the manager arranged for a welcome drink of prosecco. Nice touch. The service by Jackie R was a 10-out-of-10 and we will certainly pay a visit to this restaurant again in the near future. Five stars!!“

“It's a cozy Korean bar/ restaurant that everyone is friendly and foods are great. We had seafood jjigae and slow cooked pork belly with some drinks. Everything is good but my favourite is jjigae. I would love to go back when I am in the area.“

“Some of the best Thai food I've had in Calgary. What beautiful menu. Delicious and fresh. Perfect flavors.“

“We were a large group of ten for my bachelorette party on June 1st and we had an AMAZING dinner at Porch. I am so glad we chose to come here. The food was incredible, I had the Wild Mushroom Pappardelle and it was to die for, I am still thinking about it! The drinks were also so refreshing and unique! Our waiter, whose name I forget (sorry!) was attentive, fast and very helpful! The Manager came to our table and gave me and my Mom a complimentary glass of champagne too! 10/10! I can't wait to come back here and try more of the menu! Thank you so much for giving us an unforgettable dining experience!“

“We started with California rolls. My wife is gluten Free. Our server was able to determine that they Could be made that way. They were excellent I had the blackened chicken. It was good, one breast Was overdone but edible. My wife had the Santa Fe Chicken salad. Was disappointed. Too much garlic And the chicken was overdone. One note re wine by The glass; when an 8 ounce glass costs more than A bottle at the liquor store; you have a value problem“

“Before you even begin, you are served by the best server I ever came across, Marina M. She’s a rare gem, I’ve never met such an intelligent, knowledgeable, and good hearted server as Marina is. Her passion and knowledge about the food is exceptional.

Now getting to the food, it’s amazing!! I love just about everything I ordered. Make sure to get the salmon rolls, potato pavel, and their vanilla gelato. For steak, I got the fillet 8oz and that was a very well seasoned steak. I was absolutely full from everything I just ordered. And it was a very much a money well spent. From the exceptional service to the tastiest menu, everything was almost perfect.“

“This place in Calgary hit home... For starters the atmosphere brought nostalgia with retro Corona tables & Pedro Infante portraits, etc. The tacos are amazing, the atmosphere is cosmopolitan but traditional Mexican style, super friendly staff, and the mezcal drinks were on point.“

“One of the best Mexican restaurants in Calgary. An ever changing menu of delicious food makes this a place to return to and it has never disappointed in all the times I have been there. Located perfectly for a meal and a night out. It's atmosphere speaks to the casual but yet can cater to a more up-scale. Perfect for an intimate date night, a casual dinner, a group function, a quick bite or a social meetup.“