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winebar kensington
Category: Restaurants Tapas Bars Tapas Bars [Edit]
1131 Kensington Rd NWCalgary, AB T2N
(403) 457-1144
- Hours:
Mon, Sun 4 pm - 12 am
Tue-Thu 4 pm - 1 am
Fri-Sat 4 pm - 2 am
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
9 reviews for winebar kensington
9 reviews in English
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Review from Blake C.
4/15/2012
I tend to avoid 5 star reviews unless I'm floored by amazing things in general, but once again, I'm forced to give one for some of the best food, service, and ambiance I've experienced to date in the city.
Another part in my Saturday night wine adventures had me in this below street level spot. I've seen and worked in open kitchens, but this one is right in the middle of the place itself, with a couple of chefs that have talent beyond what a normal human should have in the kitchen. They may be from Jupiter, though I won't tell anybody else since I don't want immigration officials to kick them and their culinary expertise off of the planet.
Our server, Chris, was extremely friendly and efficient. I couldn't decide what wine I wanted, so I told her my tastes and she was off in the blink of an eye with what she thought would suit my palate. Before long, she was back with a splendid red wine that I absolutely enjoyed. While we browsed the menu for some bites, I took a few glances at her working. She was like the Flash, zipping from one table to another, taking and delivering orders. Sheldon Cooper would be proud.
We decided on arancini and a pork risotto. They were delivered by Chef Mike, an incredibly friendly man who is obviously very passionate about the food he makes and serves. Always a good sign. First impressions were great. The presentation was nice and not over-complicated. The taste of the arancini had me singing and streaking through the streets. The risotto had me asking it out for dinner for 10 minutes. It never responded, and after the last bite, I figured since it was gone, it probably wouldn't.
I can't recommend this place more. It was absolutely fantastic all around. I want more risotto now. Perhaps I'll head over in a few minutes.... -
Review from Marcus B.
Calgary, AB
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
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.
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Review from Eugene H.
Calgary, AB
12/28/2010
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. -
Review from Piper P.
4/17/2011
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
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Review from Trish L.
Calgary, AB
12/31/2008
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. -
Review from Mark B.
Calgary, AB
5/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good atmosphere. Friendly service. stylish comfortable place. Good place to go for a mellow evening date.
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Review from David T.
Calgary, AB
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
They look after their wines - keep them in excellent condition with rapid turnover, and they have some excellent things to try. Yes, I know that's what you'd expect from a wine bar... but they were much better than most that I've tried over the years. An interesting tapas style menu, beautifully prepared.
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Review from Andrew M.
5/10/2009
I will definitely agree with Trish's review, the prices are quite high for the small portions. However, the food is really good. All the dishes I tried were fantastic. The wine selection is great, our waitress recommended a great bottle. Also, the service was great. I would definitely recommend, especially if someone else is footing the bill.
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Review from Andre C.
Calgary, AB
12/20/2010
I frequent the wine bar fairly often in the winter months and have always enjoyed the cozy atmosphere,wine list is varied enough for a range of tastesand cheese selection also offers a nice variety,tapas are usually well thought out,that said you still end up spending the price of a four course meal.
