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UBU Lounge
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Nightlife Bars Lounges Japanese, Sushi Bars, Lounges [Edit]
608 1st St SWCalgary, AB T2P 1M6
(403) 265-6440
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2 pm
Mon-Tue 5 pm - 10 pm
Wed 3:30 pm - 11 pm
Thu-Fri 3:30 pm - 2 am
Sat 4 pm - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Music:
- DJ, Live
- Best Nights:
- Wed, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
13 reviews for UBU Lounge
13 reviews in English
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Review from Angelo T.
3/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
TIME TO WEIGH IN ON YOU UBU!
Certainly an upscale joint that seems to be waining down in popularity but still attracts a faithful crowd. It seems to be a small venue but there's a second floor that never seems to have anyone on there. It could just be an entrance to the Theatre Junction theatre.
This place adds an interesting flair to their music by throwing in jazz acts that often mashes up with hip-hop/soul/house DJ's.
I greatly suggest checking this place out on a Thursday where sushi and beer are half price. Their sushi is good, but I might as well be honest and admit it's nowhere close to my fav joints in the city.
Need to impress a date because your braggadocio managed to win her over? Combo your night with culture district's First Thursday with a stop at UBU. Like I said, it's half price Thursday, don't blow the date and IMMEDIATELY suggest you go halfsies and come off as a cheapskate, like a particular handsome narcissistic jerk who had to Google "braggadocio" -
Review from J C.
Calgary, AB
5/8/2012
Came on a Friday evening to check out UBU for the first time.
Pros: Good atmosphere, nice and modern/trendy. Seems like a good place for drinks. Food was tasty and presentation was great.
Cons: Extremely small portions considering the price, bill came to $100 just for food for two small built females......and we still ended up going to a drive thru afterwards as we were not full/satsifyed. Waitresses were not very friendly or cooperative, took 20 minutes after ordering just to get our drinks. Mixed up orders, not enough cutlery/plates as they were all dirty according to the waitress. No Soy Sauce brought to the table for the sushi we ordered, had to ask three different waitresses before we finally got a bottle of soy sauce.
Final Thoughts: Although the food was tasty and atmosphere had a good vibe, I would not return at all to this place to eat. More of a place to drink/chill. -
Review from Laura W.
Calgary, AB
3/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came here on a bit of a ladies night deal. More or less one of the gals that I was with had the ability to get us in to a dance bar, and we took advantage of it. It turned out that this was the night that the Flames played Philadelphia and the guys from the team ended up showing up around midnight.
My first thought was that the venue was pretty sweet. I like the fact that it is a theater and there are a couple of levels. I was not impressed with the fact that coat check was full at 11pm. Really? It was freezing that night and your coat check is full when the bar is not even full? Get some more space. You don't exactly have any where to store your coats unless you are sitting at a table.
The service was O-K. Nothing special. The waitresses on the main floor were girls and they would constantly go to the men before serving us girls. Although she didn't balk when we asked for water.
Once the hockey team arrived it was like an entirely different club. The dresses/skirts/excuses for bottoms got shorter and the cleavage bearing became more obvious. In fact I am pretty sure that all the girls that were there were just trying to be a story. it was a little much to handle.
The DJ was fantastic. He did some great mash ups and really worked the crowd. I would probably only return to UBU with full knowledge that the DJ would be there again. He made it fun to dance that night.
On a final note, the creeper hold in the ceiling was a little strange -
Review from Kay M.
2/27/2012 ROTD 3/7/2012
Came here at 7pm on a Friday and had a few drinks before a show at Theatre Junction. They had a reggae artist playing a few live tunes which I really appreciated! (canned music is terrible)
Service was slow but the place was packed so that's forgivable. I asked for the house white and was served Villa Maria Sauv Blanc and can say it's my new go-to. It's vibrant and citrusy, definitely reccomend it with any of the sushi dishes here.
After the theatre crowd leaves, this place turns into a total bro club with vapid girls on stilts passing out in the hallway and smokers littering the front walk with butts. Not exactly my idea of fun, but if that's your thing then have at 'er.
Overall it's a great, well designed establishment but the crowd after dinner completely changes the dynamic. -
Review from Krista R.
Calgary, AB
3/7/2012
Since Sociale closed its doors in February, I've moved my near-weekly Wednesday get-together next door to UBU Theatre Lounge. Wednesdays are $5/glass wine (plus specials on their lobster corndogs and sake) and typically involve some live music as well. Admittedly, as a lounge within a theatre, UBU does not have the same intimate atmosphere as a dedicated lounge; the first time we went was the opening night of one of the many amazing plays at Theatre Junction and we were distracted by the moving of equipment through the space and the constant back and forth by theatre staff. On weeks where there is a show playing at TJ, the place is a lot busier, which is great as its location seems to prevent passerby traffic.
Overall, a decent Wine Wednesday locale, although they could do more to bring in the corporate crowd. So many of my friends (who work downtown and don't have families yet, etc.) have never heard of the place!
Thursdays nights are also pretty great - half priced sushi rolls and half priced Sapporo. The sushi rolls are great, especially the crispy yam and salmon roll. The dynamite roll is good but messy!
During the week, UBU provides some pretty amazing live music; jazz musicians, DJs, etc. Although I haven't been on a Friday or Saturday night, apparently it is more of a nightclub. -
Review from Crystal J.
Calgary, AB
3/21/2012
For some reason, UBU was picked for after work drinks. The staff were all really great, super friendly and efficient. I love the staff! The drinks were also excellent!
The food however (the bit that i had) was horrible. I tried a slider, which was revolting. I don't think my dog would eat it, and some sort of appi on a crustini that was so hard i couldn't bite it. They also served cups of fries? Okay fries, but nothing special, and that was just strange. I didn't try any more food, after the slider, I just couldn't do it.
They had live music that night that consisted of some guy banging on an electric keyboard like a 12 year old at piano lessons. It would have been great if he was a 12 year old at piano lessons, but i think he was an adult. It was awful, and overly loud. Thanks for the headache buddy boy!
The final problem was that it was a friday, so we were all in jeans, we felt very underdressed and awkward.
All in all, despite the great drinks and staff, I won't return. -
Review from Carol K.
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went to UBU last night for some charity event they were hosting... well, I was really there for the lingerie calendar show FOR the charity. My date and I got there at around 8:40pm. It was pretty dead at the time, so we decided to scope the place out and check out the upstairs before settling down at a table.
Their wine list by the glass was quite standard, nothing that a wine connoisseur would rave about. What I did appreciate was the selection and variety. There were about 6 different wines to choose from both the white and red category. You would be able to find a type that would satisfy any palate. And you could actually pronounce the names of them!
I heard rumours that UBU had very good sushi. I wanted to try it out to see if it was actually as good as people say it is. I noticed that the menu looked pretty boring. They had things you could find anywhere else - California Roll, Spicy Salmon/Tuna Roll, Dynamite Roll, etc. These are all things you could find anywhere, right? But the way they make them at UBU was quite impressive. They revamped sushi, urbanized it and make it modern. Normally, I don't care for fancy sushi, but this was actually quite good!
The dynamite roll is not your typical dynamite roll. It came in four large pieces with extra tempura shrimp on top. What impressed me the most was good the sticky rice was. It was well cooked, very sticky, and was able to hold everything together. The seaweed was tender enough so that you could actually bite through it without looking like a sloppy fool! We also ordered the spicy salmon roll and vegetable tempura. Both were pretty good.
Although the food was good, I'm only giving UBU 4 stars because as a lounge it's not much different than anywhere else. I think that the venue itself gives it an edge. It's a great place to host fashion shows and similar events. Also, I would DEFINITELY come back for their half price sushi on Thursday!Listed in: Calgary's Sushi Bars
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Review from Jenn D.
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was here for an Awesome Calgary event, using the upstairs space. We didn't have food or drinks this night but I just wanted to comment on how neat this place looked. I loved the feel of the place and can't wait to be back for drinks, foods, and dancing!
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Review from Tiffany N.
Calgary, AB
8/19/2011
Super friendly people here at UBU. Got to meet the Bouncer, the DJ and the sax player (while trying to keep a straight face as he talked to me, because all I could think of was Epic Sax Guy http://www.youtube.com... - And this was only made worse when a friend told me the sax player was epic).
Best part was that no one made me feel like the cretin that I felt like in my jeans, white t-shirt and sneakers. I was surrounded by very tall ladies in short dresses and high heels, and waiters in ties that one wasn't sure how to tie. Two guys got him sorted out. They have bottle service on Sunday nights, which I'm sure will be awesome when I can drink again. Even though there's an air of fanciness, there seems to be a lack of pretention, as evidenced when no one seemed to mind that no one in our large group knew (or cared to know) how to dance and were just winging it.
Can't comment on the food, although, looking at the menu... Tofu Steak in bonito stock sauce? Who is that being served to? A vegan/vegetarian can't eat it, and the pescatarian will probably just order the fish. -1 point. -
Review from Hayley G.
Calgary, AB
10/30/2011
I went to UBU last weekend with some friends; I had never heard of it, but apparently I was the last person in the city to get that memo, cause the place was packed. It had a super fancy Vegas VIP "if you're female, you better wear a dress if you don't want to feel self-conscious" kind of a vibe. Which has appeal for a lot of people... but not this kid. I'm more of a jeans n T-shirt kind of girl. (I guess some girls were wearing jeans...diamond encrusted jeans, paired with tops so flashy you could see your reflection in them).
The service wasn't the greatest. Our server did the bare minimum for the most part. Maybe I'm a tad critical because I also work for a bar? Our drinks took a long time, which is expected when the place is busy but it would be nice if the staff were a little more apologetic about it. Refills on water were never offered. Those of us that had never been there had a difficult time deciding what to order, but no recommendations were made. I asked if I would be able to order a salad with a chicken breast on it (as the menu had both salad and chicken, just not the two combined), but my request was declined by the chef.
I ended up ordering just a salad (I'll give a bonus point for it being organic). I was actually starving, but the menu seemed to be 90% seafood items, which I can't eat so I settled on the rabbit food. When my salad arrived, I was quite disappointed at the portion size and left the place more starving than when I arrived. I did manage to sample a couple other items - the steak was exquisite and the gyoza was okay. I found the menu to be on the expensive side, given the small portions. To hold true to their upscale vibe, I did not see any mentions of drink specials or promotions of any kind.
A drum n DJ took over around 10 pm, and the place took on a nightclub persona, which was pretty neat n all, but all I could think of was getting home to eat! I don't think I will go back but if I do, it will definitely be for drinks only.
Oh and PS, the washrooms are co-ed.... NOT cool! -
Review from Linh N.
Calgary, AB
7/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yay I'm the first one to review this place.
UBU lounge was formerly the Velvet theatre/lounge. The decor didn't change much since I was there 5 years ago. This place is more like a lounge, not so much somewhere you want to have dinner; especially with a large group. I was in charge of the ordering so I chose a bunch of items that stood out for me. The portion is fairly small and if you're looking for a sushi restaurant then you're at the wrong place. They only have a few rolls, entrees and appetizers. I did enjoy the sable fish a lot because the texture and seasoning was perfect; for $22, you can't go wrong. The presentation of the rolls looked a little amateur but the flavoring was not bad. Overall, I don't think I would come back for the food but apparently the lounge is pretty happening. -
Review from Sabahat N.
Calgary, AB
9/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Oh my! Another gem found in Calgary! *high-fives self*
A friend and I went to check out the Grand Theatre Junction's "Alley Party", but seeing that it was totally dead when we went (around 6pm), we wandered over to UBU Lounge for a glass of wine. And we stayed. We sat at the bar, and the bartender (Braeden) chatted us up. We had questions about the wine and he kept giving us little tastes and then we chose the Riesling. He then informed us that the sushi rolls were half price that night (Thursday), so we thought, "Why not?" and ordered a plate of Cali and one plate of Yam tempura and salmon rolls.
What happened afterwards was a mixture of surprise and gastronomical delight. The Yam tempura and salmon rolls were SO GOOD they were heavenly. The salmon was amazingly fresh and the combination of yam tempura and salmon and avocado was a WINNER. Total win right there. The California rolls were good too. And the plate was a generous size too, we were pretty satisfied after we finished. Braeden kept talking to us and telling us about their Friday and Saturday night scene the entire way through and was amazingly friendly. He kept checking up on us too and kept us entertained and engaged. He even pointed out the chef to us and we said hi to him.
At the end, our bill? $15 each. I KNOW, RIGHT??! A glass of wine and a plate of AMAZING sushi at a totally sexy little resto-lounge for just 15 bucks? UNHEARD of!
Do yourself a favour and check out this amazing little place. Amazing atmosphere, great music, delicious food and awesome service - this place has everything going for it! In fact, I might bump into you there - 'cause I for sure am going to be BACK! -
Review from Erin D.
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went to UBU tonight for a friends birthday. It was interesting, not a place I would choose for dinner or for a night out but she seemed interested in trying it out. She made reservations a week in advance for 14 people which she confirmed with the restaurant three separate times (as well as with us). When we arrived, we checked in with the hostess who confirmed the reservation with us and indicated we would be upstairs so we went and checked our coats where we ran into the birthday girl. After checking our coats we checked in with the hostess who then informed us the reservation was only for 4 people and there had been some kind of mix-up. So our party sat around for 15 minutes while they worked it out, they were able to seat us and comped us a nice selection of appetizers which was a classy touch given the error. Our waitress was also spectacular, she was attentive and top of things. I never once felt like I was waiting for anything and was impressed with the level of service she provided for such a busy place. The error correction and the lovely server is why I was able to give UBU three stars.
Here is what my husband and I shared:
Miso Soup: Not very good, very bland and watery with mushrooms and big chunks of tofu. Did not enjoy.
Spicy Tuna Sushi: Delicious! Tuna was divine, melt in your mouth perfection. Very nice.
Sake Mussels: Very fishy and gritty in a soupy, fairly unappetizing broth.
Lobster Corndogs: Delicious!! Total knockout, beautifully deep fried pieces of lobster and a nice tasting lime aioli.
I was impressed by some elements of our meal and disappointed by others. The restaurant is nice enough, in the old Grand Theatre Space (where Velvet used to be), halfway through our meal the theatre let out which made the space very loud and a little uncomfortable but what was the biggest turn off for me (who is over 30 years old) is that at 9:00 PM they drag out a velvet road and some turntables and the place turns into a nightclub that I wouldn't have even frequented in my twenties let alone thirties. Suddenly it's club girls and drunk, pushy guys everywhere which led my husband and I to flee from the place. I also didn't appreciate the unpleasant demeanor of the bouncers on our way out shooting us the stink eye and rudely motioning us as to which door we could leave from. I felt like I had just spent a lot of money for a higher end dining experience and then suddenly was treated like a 19 year old bar patron on the way out. Not impressed with that at all. Honestly I felt like it was a higher end restaurant fused with a lower end club and I certainly did not enjoy being exposed to the club aspect of UBU.
I am fairly certain this restaurant to nightclub transition only occurs on the weekends and perhaps the rest of the week it would be possible to be exposed to only a restaurant experience. With all the incredible dining choices one has in Calgary, I would say don't bother.
