Paper Lantern

I think this place is really hit and miss depending on the audience and your expectations. For me, it was a hit. I enjoyed the retro Asian restaurant vibes and the “hidden” element of being a speakeasy style restaurant/bar. The place apparently does get busy, but we went early on a Friday and there were maybe 3 tables there. I would still recommend a reservation just to make sure and that way you don’t have to think about whether or not you’ll get in. Their drinks were well crafted and had unique spins to them. I appreciate the attempt to try something different as that’s what makes cocktails fun. The food was okay, good for snacks, but not really a dinner spot I would say. Only real complaint I have is that things can take a while, including both food and drink. Come and stay for the retro feel and the unique drinks.

I did not know this place existed in Chinatown! Paper Lantern is an Asian inspired speakeasy with many Asian inspired drinks. I tried the dragon palm and the serving for 4 people came in hoisin sauce can which I thought was a genius idea. For next time, I'd try the one inch punch just because of the name. The pandan actually tasted like pandan and there were so many more cocktails I couldn't decide between. The atmosphere was great with the dimmed red lighting and it wasn't too loud so you could chat with friends easily.

Speakeasy bar in chinatown. Not difficult to find though. Friendly staff Atmosphere is very casual and simple interior. The bar counter seating is nice. Decent cocktail selection. The Plum God cocktail is an interesting twist to a Manhattan. Presentation is very basic

It was a Friday evening, we visited this bar with a reservation for 5 PM. While it wasn’t crowded when we arrived, the staff later informed us that there were bookings coming up, so I’d definitely recommend making a reservation in advance. The bar is located in a basement, creating a dimly lit, cozy atmosphere perfect for unwinding. The drinks, although served in smaller portions, were flavorful and satisfyingly strong. As someone who loves sour flavors, I particularly enjoyed the Plum God—its tartness was just right for my taste. On the food side, the Beef Carpaccio stood out for me. The tangy-sweet sauce paired beautifully with the tender, juicy slices of raw beef, making it a refreshing and delightful dish. The service was also worth noting. The staff were friendly and attentive, offering helpful suggestions on food and drink pairings. Overall, this bar is an excellent spot for a relaxed evening, whether you’re there for the drinks, the food, or the inviting ambiance. Highly recommend :)

A little while ago, I came here with a group of 5 friends around 7pm when the restaurant was only hosting only 1 table at the time we walked in. A little later, 2 more friends wanted to join us. I know the policy is no groups larger than 6, so I asked our server if they could come. I even said that if not, we’re understand. She went to check with the manager and came back saying yes, it was fine since there were no reservations for the night. Before my friends even arrived, the restaurant started to fill up. Still, I figured it was okay because we were ordering plenty of food and drinks, not just sitting there. As soon as my friends sat down, the servers handed them menus but gave them barely 2 minutes to decide. They quickly ordered drinks, then placed their food order a little later. Right after the food order was taken, the server came back and told us we only had 15 minutes left at the table. That’s when we learned about the 2-hour time limit. I understand if that’s their policy, but if they weren’t going to restart the clock when new guests joined, they should have told us upfront. Instead, my two friends barely had 30 minutes to sit, eat, and drink. Then the bill came with an automatic 18% gratuity for parties of 6+. I normally don’t mind gratuity, but in this case it felt unfair. The service was rushed, inconsistent, and my friends hardly got to enjoy the experience. Honestly, it felt like they said yes to adding more people because the restaurant looked slow, but once it got busy, they rushed us out without hesitation, like they didn’t care about our business. I left feeling like we got scammed — not because of the gratuity, but because of the lack of transparency and how rushed the whole thing was.

Came here because we heard the cocktails were great but the food was excellent too, easily one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in Calgary!

This place is such an awesome experience. Upon first glance, the exterior looks questionable. Hidden in a decrepit looking basement entrance. When you make your way inside, you are greeted by a very cool, cultural atmosphere. Not too much light comes from the paper lantern lighting, but helps to set the mood and vibe of this place. The drinks.......oh my god, the drinks! Absolutely delicious, 10/10. Tried a few and they are all amazing. Different and unique with the flavor combinations, but so so tasty. We had the chicken banh mi and beef skewers. The skewers were quite small but very tasty. I def recommend this place! Don't let the front door scare you away.

Not a bad spot, but won’t say I have to come back. It’s a cute concept and food was tasty, but I wasn’t overwhelmed with desire to come back or rave about what I ate.

This is a cute place to grab drinks and have a little bite. We enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Everything we tried was great- you can't go wrong.

So happy we tried this establishment during our visit to Calgary. I loved the Asian inspired drinks and bar snacks. We even tried the dessert soup (che) and was very impressed. Great service and soundtrack. Brought me back!

We were excited about this place on our recent trip to Calgary. We made a resy, planned our day around this meal, and came hungry. The food just didn't hit the mark - we ordered four items and only two were good and by good, I mean average. We ordered the spicy saucy wings which were amazing! So much so that we wished we had ordered the ordered the salt and pepper wings instead of the Crackling Salmon Spring rolls which had NO flavor or seasoning. NONE. For our mains, we got the Shaken Beef which was aight. And the Crispy Crepes which again had not one ounce of seasoning - no salt, no spices, no heat, no acid. NONE. All you could taste was egg and bean sprout. The drinks were great but we found the food to be so disappointing. The vibe and the decor here are amazing - it's got a speakeasy feel and you get the fusion of Vietnamese and Canadian culture in the decor. So go for the drinks but get your meal elsewhere.

This place is hands down one of the undisputed gems of Calgary! Maybe you've heard of this place by word of mouth, on the internet, or just happened to wonder what that red lantern in the window actually is. This speak easy has to be one of the truest hidden gems of Calgary. The owner and his wife are incredibly nice. The chef is their mother, so this is as authentic as you can get. The food is out of this world. Truly this place is not rated highly enough. It's a little hard to find and there is no sign. All I'll say is look for the open sign, go down the stairs and through the door on the right. The rest is up to you. Just go here, do yourself a favor and go order food from this amazing place, enjoy the ambiance, and challenge the bartender to make you something good. Order drinks off menu, it's worth it. They are truly artists. Also all the food is amazing. Just everything is full of flavor.

We were there for dinner. Vibe is great and the flavor are good. But if you don't enjoy load music, you shouldn't go there. Order a bo luc lac (rare beef) which come with rice and salad. The beef which are not even cubed but sliced and I swear, maximum 10 slice not long then 1inch. Order other items but not worth mentioning. Portion is ridiculously small for the price. The Go there for the ambiance but not for food. Our bill was over $60 and had to find food elsewhere. If you enjoy Vietnamese food, find a Vietnamese restaurant as the food is fairly typical. Else, plan to spend $$$$ to get a descent meal.

The boys and I wandered in on Canada Day, not knowing what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised -- this is a nice speakeasy cocktail bar(which is open until midnight on stat holidays or 1:00am on regular nights) with unique cocktails like pandan and minty pina coladas. The Vietnamese food is served tapas style; our pork belly skewers, rice noodles, and shaken beef were delicious and seasoned perfectly! The area is clean and the patrons were a mixed crowd (dating couples to larger groups of eight). Although I didn't care much for the loud rap music (which included f bombs and n - words), we had a memorable experience in this hidden spot.

Exclusive vibes and ambiance. Local gem. We went Saturday at 10pm and our server was fantastic! Food tasted authentic & homey. Plates are small, so prepare to order multiple. Hidden away but worth the find! Favorite menu item: Chicken Curry Least favorite: Crispy Crepes

I saw this posted on instagram on curiosity calgary. I followed them to see the spots I should not miss on my trip to calgary. I love speakeasies and this was right up my alley. I am Vietnamese myself and I will say this is the first of its kind that I know of. I was able to get a last minute reservation for a Saturday. The place is truly a speak easy and easy to find thanks to other yelpers. I got literally everything on the menu. Everything here is sooooo cute. They nailed it! The decor was everything to me. The ao dais, the calendar, coconut milk and more! So much detail in such a small space. The drinks were super unique! I tried the : one month, a cognac based drink, and the cinnamon is almost silentg Pandan pain killer - not much pandan which I was sad Trader Vic Mai Tai - Delicious Banana Old Fashioned - Unique old fashion drink. I was not a fan. Cuong Thi - I honestly didn't even know this was the word for zombie hahah. This drink was delicious! Strong and very unique in flavor Diem Huyet - Prob the best drink I tried. Definitely strong. Con Chim - Another delicious drink. I am a ducker for lychee. That's all you need to know Penicillin Fizz - my bf got this one. He loves johnnie walker. This was a nice off setting drink Passionfruit Paloma - They did a really good job with this drink! Not your average paloma. BETTER. I even got some banh tom, canh ga chien, and what's the kitchen having (which was a noodle soup). Good, but not amazing to what I'm used to having in the San Francisco Bay Area. I wish I have something like this back at home, but a girl can keep dreaming!

A welcoming and intimate spot that is indisputably cool but in no way pretentious. The cocktails are fun and the menu has items that you might not find at your regular neighborhood Vietnamese spot. I recommend visiting with a group so that you can try several things and share.

The cutest speakeasy vibe + Vietnamese restaurant with Flo Rida playlist. Such a fun atmosphere. The drinks are strong and well balanced. The Shaken Beef was our favorite. Our server was so friendly and we had the best time!

Their small shared plates, especially the skewers, are delicious, but the cocktails and the ambience make the place memorable. It's unmarked and in the basement of a nondescript building in Chinatown, so it's hard to find if you don't know where it is. Once you enter, it's as if you've gone through a portal into a hidden world.

This is a new restaurant/bar "speakeasy" with VERY affordable prices and great food and drinks. The plates are small and inexpensive enough to eat by yourself and are pretty worth for the prices. If you use google maps, it'll lead you to the place. You just have to walk down the stairs, where you'll see a "You Are Here" sign and enter a rundown looking area with chairs. But the blue door on the left hand side is what you open to go into the cocktail lounge. FOOD Pork Belly Bánh Mì (pretty good! But I wish they had more Thai chilli peppers to give it that kick) Mango Salad Bowl (good but would've like a Thai chilli kick with it too) DRINKS Mai Tai (really good!) Saigon Sling (it's like a cherry white claw except with more alcohol = YUMMY) This place is known as a cocktail lounge so it's gotta have great drinks (and it did!). From the food, you can't go wrong with a banh mi and from the drinks menu, you can't go wrong with anything. All of this amounted to about $42 which if you think about it, adds up to a lot for one person. However, each item was worth the price and small enough to fill one person. I would still get two drinks (as their menu is quite extensive) and 2 appetizers. You can always share if you're not hungry though. All in all, this place was great for both food and drink and I would definitely go back a second time now that I know where to go!

Hard to find but dang, great spot! Love the atmosphere and build of the place. Attentive and knowledgeable staff. I highly recommend the paralyzing touch cocktail and pork belly Vietnamese sub. Dang tasty. Will definitely go back!

Great atmosphere, great food, great service. The cocktails have interesting and fresh ingredients and are well crafted. The bartenders know what they're doing and clearly the kitchen does too. An absolute gem in Calgary.

Affordable prices, the cutest underground Vietnamese lounge, and yummy bar snacks! What else could you want? This is something Chinatown needed - a hip bar/lounge. Loved my pina colada, the 90's R&B music/traditional Vietnamese music in the washrooms, the break even shot, and the food. You must try the pork belly, shrimp and pineapple stir fry. When I visited, staff were diligent in cleaning and maintaining COVID-19 safety precautions in regards to spacing.

This place was suggested to us as by a waiter at a another restuarant we enjoyed as his locals favorite. Since our hotel was close to Chinatown we checked it out. Wow. We had an amazing meal and really creative delicious cocktails. I wouldn't change a thing. Will be a must do for us every time we go back to Calgary.

Lovely and dark spot. It's a bit hard to find at first but when you discover it, you'll understand. It's a cute little speakeasy place located in a basement. Food and cocktails are delicious and very special. We ate there once and took out some food as well. Best banh mi and wings in town. Will go back!

OMG I can't even tell you how much fun I had here last night. The food was extraordinary (we ate SO many pork belly skewers) and the drinks were delicious and POWERFUL (beware the Saturn which goes down like fizzy lemonade and makes you crave another). But also the entire staff was fun and kind and welcoming. I loved every moment I was there. Going back as soon as I can!

Amazing spot. Excellent food and cocktails, we had such a great experience here. Service was so friendly and fast, cool and casual atmosphere. 10/10 recommend and we'll definitely be back! Cocktails favourites were the Asparagus Pina and the White Lily. We tried tons of the food, highlights were Bahn Xeo (my fave), salad rolls and pineapple stir fry. YUM!