9 hidden bars and speakeasies to check out in Calgary (MAPPED)
Looking for the best speakeasy in Calgary? Can you keep a secret?
These places like to play hard-to-get, but theyâre definitely worth the struggle. Lucky for you, we’ve done most of the work to be able to find these hidden spots (and what to expect).
Here are nine great speakeasies to check out in Calgary.
La Hacienda
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What we do know (or can tell you without spoiling the experience) is that this spot is located somewhere in Marda Loop.
So how do you get into the speakeasy? You just text the team (403-702-0468) to make a reservation, and youâll receive one back with the password. The search doesnât end there. After that, youâll need to say the password â which changes daily â into the phone on a wall.
The food menu, which includes items like cured fish on toast, hummus, and charcuterie boards, pairs perfectly with the cocktails here, many of which are smoked.
Address: No spoilers
Betty Louâs Library
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When you wander around 16th Avenue SW, keep your eye out for a glowing red lamp. Itâs subtle, itâs red as a rose, and it’s the entrance to this unique American Prohibition-style speakeasy.
Youâll then find an old 1920s telephone, pick it up, and a librarian will ask you for the password. You will then be escorted past the red velvet rope and behind the hidden door. Here youâll find sultry burlesque shows and vibrating jazz performances. Sip on Esther Jones or Zelda Fitzgerald and let Betty Louâs Library do the rest.
Address: The Devenish Building — 908 17th Avenue SW, Calgary
Graybar
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Graybar is a private cocktail bar that doesn’t charge for drinks but asks visitors to donate to charity instead (Inn from the Cold specifically).
Everyone who goes to Graybar gets their own personal passport with 40 different drinks in it and you get a stamp each time you tick one off the list. This whole initiative sounds pretty good to us! If you’re seeking out the address, you can find the owner via Instagram.
Shelter
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This cozy space meshes swanky hotel elegance by incorporating hotel bar decor from the States with Berlin and Eastern European industrial style touches like a captivating wall full of gas masks to create a relaxed upscale and refined grunge ambience.
Address: 1210 1st Street SW, Calgary
Paper Lantern
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Paper Lantern is just confident enough in what it offers to know that people will find it eventually, show others, and keep coming back.
This Vietnamese-inspired cocktail bar is located in YYCâs Chinatown at 115 2nd Avenue SE. With no signs or directions, it can be slightly difficult finding your way in. Just head down the stairs and poke your head around.
We admit that it may have taken us a few minutes to find a way in, but once we did we were so happy.
Address: 115 2nd Avenue SE Basement, Calgary
Frenchie Wine Bar
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This little back wine bar has close to 15 wines by the glass, from refreshing sparkling to bold reds. Grab a bottle and stay a while, with wine from all over the world and priced so that you can sip on a budget and go for some higher-end options.
In addition to wines, this wouldnât be much of a speakeasy-style spot without an amazing cocktail list. There are no massive garnishes or gimmicky ingredients here, just well-crafted original cocktails that taste amazing, especially with the food.
The cheese fondues here come with ingredients like appenzeller, gruyère, Emmenthal, truffle oil, fresh garlic, and cracked pepper, all served with grilled sourdough bread. As for the side options for dipping into the melty cheese, there are vegetables, meats, fruit, and more.
Address: Through UNA Pizza + Wine â 618 17th Avenue SW, Calgary
Cannibale
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Cannibale’s food menu consists of chipotle spareribs, pork carnitas nachos, and Yucatan chicken tacos, plus so much more. It specializes in cocktails, but it also offers a wide selection of beer, cider, and wine for those whose tastebuds differ. Youâll find this bar tucked away in a barbershop in Calgaryâs Bridgeland neighbourhood.
Address: 813 1st Avenue NE, Calgary
Ajito
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This Japanese izakaya restaurant on Macleod Trail is hidden behind a beautiful âice coldâ Â vintage red Coca-Cola vending machine.
All you have to do is find it, open it up, and step through to transport yourself to a secret and delicious world of food and drinks.
Address: 7212 Macleod Trail SE #110, Calgary
Prickett Richard
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Located underneath the extremely popular corner BBQ spot Comery Block, this low-key but very hip space doesnât advertise itself at all, hidden to the side of the building, behind a plain door, and in the old storage space. You even have to avoid the kitchen to get there.
Each dish feels elevated and modern, comforting, and playful, which is exactly how you want a speakeasy-style kitchen and bar to operate.
For drinks, like any secret basement spot in the underbelly of a restaurant, the cocktails are where itâs at.
Espresso martinis, old-fashioned cocktails, tiki-style drinks, balanced sours, and more are all created and garnished beautifully here.
Address: Underneath Comery Block â 638 17th Avenue SW, Calgary
With files from Hogan Short