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Vicious Circle
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 1 am
Fri 11:30 am - 2 am
Sat 12 pm - 2 am
Sun 5:30 pm - 1 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ, Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for Vicious Circle
14 reviews in English
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Review from Chris P.
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
The last time I was here was about 8 years ago when I came for one of my first dates with my ex-wife. because it was so long ago I hesitate to say that it seems like nothing has changed.
The service was good and prices are great. I had a couple of double caesars while my friends sampled the martini menu.
It was bachelorette party central here on Saturday night. There were 3 different parties going on at the same time. -
Review from Diane F.
3/21/2012
The martinis are the only thing I would go here for. They have a great martini list and our waitress the last time was very helpful in directing us each to one that suited our palate. However...
Been here twice now and the experience was nothing to write home about(yelping on the other hand...). The first time was a girls night out on a Saturday(Sept 2010) and we had bevvies and appies. I don't even recall what I had to eat as it was unmemorable. I do know I was drinking rum and diet cokes and those took forever to get refreshed.
Our second experience was summer of 2011 after a few drinks at an event. We ordered a few things, one being their 'world famous nachos'. My friends are nachos fiends and they, as well as myself, found nothing world famous about these. The cheese wasn't even melted and pretty scarce for what I would deem as world famous. We had to ask to have it sent back to be melted. To me they were typical nachos found in any pub.
I also had a side of perogies which I enjoyed. Nothing stellar... just perogies.
Would I go back? For martinis, yes. -
Review from Lauren H.
12/16/2011
After walking by here a few hundred times I finally had a reason to visit-a Christmas party hosted by my bootcamp owners-there were about 12 of us total, one tab.
The pros-
It isn't busy on a Wednesday night at all so there was a ton of space.
The service was decently friendly and fast
They have a big range of drinks to chose from although don't expect any recommendations
The cons-
The food-bar style food-was pretty bad. How do you mess up nachos? I don't know but they did-they had next to no toppings and tasted burnt. Their Thai flatbread pizza tasted like a Jiffy peanut butter sandwich with cheese on top. The veggie flatbread was okay but I could make better at home easily. Hot spinach dip was cold.
One of the party goers ordered a coffee. He didn't have high expectations but it arrived cold. When he mentioned it to the server she took the mug away and microwaved it! The mug was warm but the coffee inside was still cool.
They did have decent prices but to be honest I am surprised they are still around. Maybe we just had them on an off night but given their location they have some decent competition and if this is how they operate, things might not go so well for them. -
Review from Angelo T.
10/9/2011
I've never been to the Vicious Circle. I've heard a few stories about it but when I walked into this lounge, I knew they weren't true.
The artistic decor didn't stick to me at all, but I liked the conversationally chill environment.
The drinks and food were good. They have a myriad of unique martinis whipped up with skill and finesse. Their food is usual pub fare: pizza and dips. My only beef is the price everything came down to. It could have been a little more cheaper.
It's not too busy on the weekends and a great place to take people(s) worth conversing with to! -
Review from Natasha K.
Calgary, AB
1/2/2012
Was here for the NYE Masquerade party. Quite disappointing. The only thing masquerade about is was that everyone was wearing masks, other than that no decorations or anything. Coat check was outside being smoked on by staff.
-
Review from Mike M.
10/18/2010
So I like a dirty martini once in a while...as I learned this weekend.
Food was quite bad, service was quite good.
But what it is that youre really going for is Saturday nights with Dean Clarke DJ'n. Whoa, this boys music is too much. Jazzy, Soulful, never heard delicacies made me salivate . I swear
Saturdays ! Check it ! -
Review from Maria B.
Calgary, AB
12/11/2010
I decided to give this place a try after a deal showed up on Groupon. The art on the walls doesn't do it for me. I'm not going to pretend to be a person who really gets art (which is partly why I'm a scientist), but it seems like they were going for something and didn't quite get there.
I went on a Saturday evening and it was pretty busy. I ordered three appetizers to share and a couple of martinis. The appetizers are pretty big and I was full after just sharing those. The martini menu was not that extensive - maybe it has changed since people previously reviewed it, but there were definitely not 100. Maybe 20. I tried the Velour and the Banana Split. Velour was okay, nothing special (maybe why it was the martini ON special that night) and the Banana Split was like a smoothie with a kick. I had to keep reminding myself not to gulp it down or I'd have some trouble walking home.
Overall it was just okay. I won't be rushing back there, but if a friend wanted to go I wouldn't turn it down. -
Review from Sarah B.
6/22/2010
5 reasons why I'm not a fan of Vicious Circle:
5. Their menu is really wheat-heavy. I'm pretty sure the only thing to eat on the menu that is gluten-free is nachos. I appreciate that they do some stuff really well (both the samosas and the mac+cheese w/sausage added in are supposedly top drawer), but I feel a little left out when I go to order.
4. The space feels really cold and the art is painful to look at. Art is totally a personal taste thing, so you may disagree with me, but I have an Art History degree...so I'm probably right on this one.
3. The metal stools are uncomfortable and the couches are too soft for eating with dignity (granted, I'm a bit of a disaster here and need all the help I can get).
2. The staff aren't really engaged. They have this ridiculous drink menu, yet the staff don't really seem to be interested in playing it up. I mean, if you're going to say martinis are your thing, you should probably be willing to give me advice if I ask for some help.
1. The martinis are pretty gross. I think they have 100 of them, how can this be? Well, the menu never changes, there's nothing fresh about them, and most of them are syrupy sweet concoctions your 15-year-old sister would like. Mix it up a bit! BE a martini lounge. I would love to see even a feature menu of 5 - 10 martinis, that change every quarter, that use fresh seasonal ingredients.
Overly harsh? I'm not sure. But people can tell when you care and it just seems the Vicious Circle are happy with adequate. -
Review from Katie C.
Calgary, AB
12/8/2009
I've been in love with Vicious Circle ever since I was legal. I play up the Sex in the City fantasies for the girls, but for whatever reason a ton of my boys love it too. "Shaken, not Stirred" anyone? Whatever the reason, it's a great place to dress up and hang out. There are two pool tables, a big screen TV and some really great seating. It is very loungey, and the lowlighting definitely enhances everybodies attractiveness! The music is great and varied, loud enough to hear clearly but low enough that a decent sized group can have a great conversation too.
I love the selection of Martinis and the food is decent too. I love the names and the list of ingredients for each cocktail. The cocktails are all starred in terms of sweetness with one star being dry and four being very sweet. At this point in my life I've sampled all of the four stars. I love that the servers are always up for stupid things like getting out the muff dive (shot glass of whatever in a cocktail glass covered in whipped cream. No hands.) for birthdays and whatnot. Vicious Circle isn't cheap, but it is perfect for a classy but relaxed night out with friends. -
Review from Whoop K.
Calgary, AB
2/21/2011
Vicious Circle has been around quite a while and I have been a frequent visitor over the years. I've seen them through their renovations and recent drink menu change. Overall, I am not happy with many of the changes.
The space is quite large and can accommodate a good number of people. The music is often quite good - ranges from funk, house, to alternative rock depending on the nights and on the dj. The atmosphere is really nice. It's dark and loungy, perfect for sipping a drink and hanging out.
What VC has going for them in terms of good location, style and music, they lack in substance which is what they offer on their menu. I have never been a fan of the food there except for the perogies which are pretty damn good as a late night snack.
Now, as for their drink menu, yes they USED to offer a huge selection of various types of martinis. But none of them were really that good in taste or in quality. They're all mainly a mix of syrups and juices, very sweet. Now, I think they've changed their martini menu and cut it down to maybe about 15 or so martinis. Again, still along the same lines as the old menu with the very sweet and sugary martinis. I really wish they would think outside the box and offer some higher quality or more creative martinis.
Lastly, in terms of pricing, they have really jacked up their prices over the years, but their quality has not gone up. I don't see the need for their price increases and it's really annoying being a long time customer to now have to pay a couple dollars more for the same items I payed less for in the past.
This place really has a lot going for them and if they could spice up their martini options a bit as well as their food, then I would recommend this to everyone I know. -
Review from Lindsay K.
Halifax, NS
9/26/2009 1 photo
If you're looking to try a couple martinis then Vicious Circle is definitely the place for you to go! They have over 140 different martinis to choose from, each with their own different kick. The martini menu even has a little legend to tell you which martinis are sweeter, and which ones are a little drier. It's pretty much fool proof.
Not only do they have every possible martini known to man, they also have a bunch of beer on tap and in bottles, and a large food menu to choose from. The food might be a little pricey, but it's well worth it. The menus themselves are kind of cool... large slabs of metal with items printed on both sides. Not so good if the light is reflecting the wrong way, but still pretty neat.
I don't know why Vicious Circle doesn't get busier. It seems like a pretty rad place to go. It has ample seating as well as TV's playing sports programs, pool tables and bunch of couches for a comfortable setting. I would definitely say this is a good date place, but I also think it would be great for large groups.
Perhaps it's because they don't advertise enough, or because each martini is almost $10, but Vicious Circle does not get the business it deserves. The staff is extremely knowledgeable about each martini and isn't shy to offer a couple of suggestions.
Poor Vicious Circle! It could be so popular if only people knew of its greatness! I love you VC! -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
4/28/2010 2 photos
Over the weekend I headed over to Vicious Circle before continuing on to a concert. I'm not sure why, but this is the first time that I've ever been to Vicious Circle in my LIFE (you know, the full 20 years of it ;) ).
Vicious rocks. I'm not even a martini girl but I can still appreciate a menu with something like 100 different martini options. That's INSANE.
The vibe is cool, the ambiance is great, and the crowd was older and more mature than a lot of the places I've stumbled into around town.
I especially like the location of Vicious Circle. it's close to a slew of fantastic restaurants, and it's also central to pretty much everything that you'd want to do on a night on the town.
If you haven't been yet, go, go! It's worth a visit, scratch that, it's worth multiple visits :) -
Review from Chad W.
Calgary, AB
10/2/2008
Vicious Circle has been around for ages. Located in the downtown core along First Street SW, this place is a martini paradise. They have the largest selection of martinis across the entire country--141 in total. The interior of Vicious Circle is largely built around the lounge atmosphere. Pool tables and low-level lighting give off the ambiance that guests expect, and they play an assortment of alternative rock and electronica to set the right atmosphere. A local artist is selected every month and their work is featured on the walls throughout the bar.
Food here is better than your average pub fare. They offer some excellent desserts too. Service here is always delivered by an attractive youth. Prices can be a bit high. -
Review from Jollean C.
Vancouver, BC
12/12/2009
I've never really been a fan.
I think their art is atrociously untasteful and aesthetically unthoughtful...it's not pleasing or even kitschy in a good way. Whomever decorated needs a spanking.
There's nothing cozy about the way this place is set up and yet, with a great redesign, it really could be fabulous.
The only reason it gets an A-ok for me rather then 2 stars is the martini menu. Their menu is alcoholic fun and RIDICULOUS, in a good way! Literally, there are some 100 martinis to choose from. Feeling like something mimicking pb&j? They have it. Want something serious? Try an Al Capone/Godfather (amaretto and scotch). There's too many that I can't even remember 99% of them! And that is certainly worth mentioning if you are a martini fan and want to have choice.
