charbar

I’d give 10 stars if that’s an option. Celebrated my mom’s birthday here, didn’t expect too much but arrived finding out there’s a cute balloon attached to our seat. Every single one of the staff here was amazing, they greeted us with smile and wished happy birthday to my mom. Our server was super attentive, absolutely exceptional!! Food matched my expectations, I’ve heard great things about here, and they were worth the praises! Beef fat fries were sooo crispy and it’s very obvious to that they were actually made with beef fat. Ceviche was great, loved the puffed wild rice in there, they added some crunchy texture to it and leveled it up. And the porterhouse was just beyond description, so delicious and tender, pairs well with Argentina Malbec.

The whole crew was terrific service. Hosting station to servers(Natasha) and kitchen staff. Took care of allergies, wonderful suggestions and knowledge of menu, including wines was great. Charred Napa Cabbage salad, Tableside Ceviche Mixto(Jessica made it thx), Beef Butcher Steak & New York Strip. Chimichurri sauce fantastic. We were watching many other tables and it seemed like full enjoyment from them too. Give this place a try. I think you'll come back again and again.

Visited from Toronto. Really enjoyed my visit to Charbar. The restaurant itself is unique in its location. The food was great, really enjoyed their burger and Argentinian empanadas. For a drink their fig lemonade mocktail is very refreshing! Great food and service overall!

The lunch options are various. We tried the steak chimichurri; it was excellent. We will be back to try the other items in the next few days. Update: the other options were fine but not as good as the steak. The patio is always fun

Awesome atmosphere and very friendly staff. Food is excellent and a unique twist on seafood & steak. I entertain clients constantly across the US & Canada and can definitively say this is a top 10 restaurant. Strongly recommend. Also, Chase is a fantastic bartender who takes the craft and service seriously! 10/10

Trying Charbar after 6 years, we were pleased to taste the same delicious food, vibrant and great service. We stopped at Nash, but witnessed a poor welcome, saying sorry done with lunch menu (while minutes left, and not busy at all)…and while we had the plan for Charbar for later, just changed plans and showed up. They welcomed us, with a good table at a nice spot…

4.4 ⭐️ Great little spot tucked away in the old Simmons Factory in East Village, steps off the river path/ Bow River. This place did not disappoint. We visited them for a friends birthday and ordered Broccoli and Cauliflower dish which was amazing. The burger was spectacular (cheese curds on a burger!?!! 💯), fries- meh skip out on these next time. We also enjoyed the Beef Empanadas which are the best empanadas that we’ve experienced in Calgary, to date.

Charbar was amazing! The service was excellent. Our waitress was super attentive and somehow managed to top up my drink before I even noticed it was getting low. The food came out in a reasonable time, and the steaks were cooked perfectly. They were perfectly cooked and seasoned. It also came with a great selection of sauces that really elevated the meal. The restaurant itself has a modern and stylish vibe that made the whole experience even better. We had a great dinner and will definitely be coming back.

Great food isn't your typical Argentinian grill is an elevated version, but they still keep some of the core basics of Argentinian food at heart. The location is very nice with other restaurants in a shared space, great beer selection and an extensive wine list, I had the Argentinian pork bondiola it was great, paired with beef fat fries, the waiter was really promptly and knowledgeable about the food, temperatures, pairings, etc. Will definitely recommend

What a disappointing experience we had. Out of every restaurant in Calgary, we chose Charbar for our family birthday dinner and we couldn't regret it more. Our family loves steak, and I've had the iconic and very expensive porterhouse steak + crispy potato dish ($145), so I wanted my family to try it as well. We ordered 2 seafood appetizers and the porterhouse medium rare with some salads. The seafood came out first, but then we waited about 1.5 hours before the steak came. Our server was nice and she obviously felt bad. Once the steak arrived though, it was well-done and burnt to a crisp on the outside, not "charred". It tasted bitter and dry, and looked NOTHING like it had last time I ordered it. Last time it came with a bowl of delicious crispy potatoes, and this time it came with 5 tiny shriveled potatoes that were not crispy as the menu promises. It was almost inedible, but we were starving from the wait, so we tried some. We then complained nicely to a manager who brought us a medium rare steak with some more potatoes (a dish for 1, not meant to be shared). It was barely enough to feed our party of 4, so regrettably, we kept eating the overcooked, poor tasting porterhouse. When the bill came, it was pretty shocking to see that this $145 disappointment was on the bill. Our server made it seem like they were doing us a favour by throwing in the extra steak that we didn't even order, and she offered a free desert. We asked her to check with a manager to see if the porterhouse could be taken off the bill or at least discounted, since it was so bad, and he didn't even come back to the table, he just told her to tell us it's not happening. It was clear that she was embarrassed on the restaurant's behalf. She suggested we call for the GM the next day and ask for a gift card. We did not do that, because we will never go to Charbar again. If you're going to charge $145 for a steak in Calgary, Alberta, cook it properly or compensate your customers appropriately. Please don't insult our intelligence by throwing in a $10 desert and a steak we didn't order to make up for it. Calgarians work hard to have enjoyable experiences at reputable restaurants like this, and we deserve more. In addition, the hostesses were snarky and rude, and did not make eye contact with our party when we arrived and politely asked questions about seating.

This place is impressive. Great for a fancy dinner or date night or even a first date I would say. The atmosphere is upscale casual and not too loud with good music too! We were staying at the hotel across the street from here so we decided to pop in for dinner. We didn't have reservations but we were still able to get seated right away. It wasn't too busy but there were people there. The server was friendly and helpful in telling us about the menu. Although when I checked in on the Yelp app, a pop up showed up to show this to the server and get a free surprise! Well he didn't know anything about it at all and almost tried to leave it at that but I asked if he could check with someone about it so he checked with the chef and they told him yes it's an actual thing. We ordered the aged steak and wow was it ever delicious!!! For the side we got the beets and French fries that are cooked in beef fat. They were crispy and so flavourful absolutely amazing fries. The beets were good too and the seeds added that nice crunchy element to the dish. The steak was to die for and you didn't need to add anything to it at all it was delicious. The wine really elevated the food and we really enjoyed this meal. For the Yelp check in surprise we got a taster of the avocado hummus. It was so yummy as well! Highly recommend that dish. And we also ordered some oysters which came with a chimichurri that added great acidity and flavor to the oysters. This place definitely met our expectations for dinner and then some. We were very happy with this place and I would definitely return. I highly recommend you come here and try the steak. It's a bit different flavour with the Argentinian flavours but it is different in the best way!! So delicious.

It was Victoria Day, so we decided to be tourists in our hometown! We headed downtown and entered the Simmons building where Charbar was located. Our server was pleasant and efficient, despite being run off his feet (it was a pretty full house for the lunch hour). We ordered the Argentine style empanadas and calamari salad (artisan lettuce, chilies, salsa criolla, charred citrus aioli) for our appetizers. The lightly breaded calamari strips had that satisfying crunch on the outside and tenderness on the inside. The aioli and salsa criolla complemented the calamari and lettuce perfectly. The empanadas(with slow cooked Alberta shredded beef, bell peppers, boiled egg), although charred a bit too much for my taste, were delicious and flavourful. For our mains, I ordered the pan fried trout with salsa criolla and saffron butter risotto. Hubby ordered the woodfire grilled 9-spice half chicken with stewed cannelloni beans, gremolata, and herb salad, while our son had the grass-fed butcher steak and grilled asparagus with brown butter hollandaise. My trout was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. The chicken was amazing -- it was smoky, wonderfully spiced with crispy skin and moist, juicy meat. Although the butcher steak was grilled nicely and melted in your mouth, the portion size could have been bigger (especially for a hangry young adult). We all enjoyed the torta rogel, which was an Argentine layer cake of chocolatey goodness, sweet dulce de leche with toasted meringue. Overall, we found everything a bit pricey for what we received in terms of portion sizes; the only entree that was worth the price of $38 was the 9-spice half chicken, which could easily feed two people.

The Alberta beef porterhouse arrived cold, but was otherwise OK. No side dishes included. Ambiance was nice. The place is not very clean. Service was friendly, but slow and spotty. Overall not worth the price.

Firstly , our server , was wonderful . Nice ambiance , at this location. This review was for brunch,,, We all ordered different menu items . Two were good. As for the others ,,, One person's omelette arrived with water under the omelette ( condensation from the heat , I'm guessing ) Made the omelette watery . The mushrooms, were way, way too large ,,,would be better if sliced smaller, and sautéed before putting in the omelette, for better texture, and flavour. Seems odd, on a brunch menu, to not include an option of toast, or potatoes included with the omelette.,,,,,,, a bit of fruit is underwhelming. As for the yogurt , and granola choice,,, It barely had a couple of tablespoons of yogurt, a bit of fruit, and a small amount of granola,,, When it arrived , I was guessing it was for a two year old .. Btw, I am fully aware that we could have not accepted the omelette, and the yogurt dishes. In that case , the others would be eating on their own, while the others are waiting for the replacement entrees to arrive .. Hoping that this review is helpful for clientele, and the restaurant.

Charbar was good but pricyyyyyy for what it is. I didn't get too many pics as the table was too big and not easy to move stuff around. We did family/sharing style. . I loved the calamari salad, clams that came with the pizza, cauliflower and asparagus. . The scallops were awful, the oysters were average at best, and the seafood tower was wayyyy overpriced at 90$. I can think of 4 better places for oysters off the top of my head. . Service was good, but also geared at up-selling and maximizing how much guests spend. . I recommend for a date night or bougey businesss meal. Would not go regularly or id break the bank. . -The charred cabbage - delish but 18$ is average/steep - nice presentation -grilled asparagus - yummy. Would get again 14$ -fried cauliflower - tasty and not a bad price 11$ -The ceviche - tasty but not wow - un seafood tower for 90$ - needed tostadas or something to eat it on. Not that impressed - empanadas - no bueno. Tasted like the equivalent of a cheap Jamaican patty. Would not get again. -all three desserts - none stood out

Wow - I really thought this place was going to be better. Let me start however by saying that our server outside on the front patio area was excellent. She was extremely patient and attentive - something of a dying art form these days ;) So...I may have just order two of the completely wrong items to try - their version of a margarita pizza and this mystery sweet and sour soup. The soup was really greasy and flat tasting and the pie was just horrible. It almost seemed more like this pseudo red sauce with cream that had hints of Chef-boy-r-de...sad to say. Just horrible. That said, the empanadas looked and tasted a ton better...so...maybe I should have just stuck with something meat-based...hence their name. I'd give them another shot especially since the location and ambiance had it all going on...I'd just avoid their pizzas like the plague.

Vegetarians beware! Although my friends said that they enjoyed their meaty meals here, there are very few vegetarian main dishes. I had the "Traditional Fugazza", and found it was much much too salty. The waitress told us that many of their dishes are heavy on the salt.

I tried the 9-spice wood fire grilled half chicken, and not only was it delicious, the portion size could easily feed two people (so I had to take part of my entree home). For dessert I tried the torta rogel, a rich layered wafer cake served with a toasted meringue, and it was superb. Our server was attentive without being overbearing. A great experience overall.

An all around great experience dining here tonight, it's not often that everyone agrees that almost everything ordered was a hit. Starting with the dry aged 32 oz porterhouse that we had sliced to share, the kosher salt and the side sauces (green chimichurri & hot sauce butter) allowed everyone to enjoy at their own taste. My fave side was the fried cauliflower, it had a tasty char flavor that mixed well with the toasted almonds. Our next protein was the wood fired 9-spice half chicken that came with a huge portion of cannellini beans - this was an excellent dish as the chicken was large and you could taste it's quality. The roasted long carrots and asparagus were cooked also to perfection. I know we ordered the calamari salad but unfortunately I realized we never received it and were too distracted to follow up on it. The desserts were fair- the Gorgonzola cheesecake is barely shareable because it was quite tiny, it was more like two small biscuits than an actual slice of cake. The torta rogel came with crack chocolate sauce but I'd say the layer cake was an oddly soft texture that was still enjoyable, especially paired with the toasted meringue. It was packed but we could still hear each other because of the open tall ceilings to the floor above. Awesome exposed brick and wood interior in a historical building and fun staff. Thanks, next time I'll also be sure to check in because I see we missed out on a free taster dish as a Yelp check in promotion.

Second time at Charbar 4 years later (I don't live in Calgary). Just as yummy as the last time I was there. The service was awesome - friendly, unpretentious, good recommendations, and... just present enough. I was happy to see the Napa Cabbage salad still on the menu - I've dreamed about it since I had it last time I was there. The ceviche was my favorite this time though. Amazingly fresh & flavorful. We didn't have the dry aged porterhouse on this visit but it was amazing last time. Highly recommend it if ur with others & can share. Three of us made it through most (& we're stuffed) - so could definitely share with 3 others plus some sides. I've had dry aged since but Char's is by far my fave.

Definitely love the chic vibe of the place. The food are very well presented. However, the quality and taste is not consistently pleasing from dish to dish. The sourdough bread was grilled and served with drizzle of olive oil. It was fresh and authentic but a little bit greasy. Tuna salad was my favourite dish among the three. Never thought tomato can be a good match with cooked tuna. The garlic milk aioli perfectly enabled tuna to be integrated with diced tomato. Caper was the highlight. Had the highest expectation for the beef short ribs. However, it was a bit disappointing that part of the short ribs were burned and tasted bitter. The goat cheese made the dish taste weird. Overall, it's a good place to grab a drink and have some light appetizers. But it's a bit adventurous to pick out all tasty dishes from the menu.

Once again I have to thank my fellow yelpers for steering me the right way. It was my first time in Calgary and I was looking for a nice dinner spot. The picture and descriptions look really good so I decided to check out Charbar and ended up having the nicest time :) I loved the vibe and the decor. Great service too! Good selection of wines, really good beef cooked to perfection and lots of veggie options as well.

I was recently in Calgary on business for the week. After a long day and a debrief with my team at the hotel bar, we all went our separate directions. I like to walk and one evening I decided to explore the various blocks of the non-yet-complete East Village area. At some point, I came across the old Simmons mattress building, noticed a coffee shop in front, and decided to move on. At the back of the building, I noticed some sort of restaurant activity, and immediately circled back the front and came in. Charbar is in the back and the place was packed. I took a seat at the front bar and decided that beer and an appetizer would be the best option. Then I looked at the menu and was thrilled with the Argentinian selections. That brought back fond memories of Gayle and I in Buenos Aires and Baraloche, dining on steak, provoleta, empanadas, maybe a side order of asparagus, all washed down with a Malbec and Dulce de leche for dessert. The first night I limited myself to some empanadas and provoleta (and switching to red wine), while the next night (at the bar again), I went for the gaucho burger and a smooth Portuguese red. It was all pretty darn tasty and just what I wanted to reminisce about our South American adventure. This is a place that I would take Gayle, if I return, and when she agrees to come along.

thank you for ruining my evening charbar small plates "tiny" poor server poor I didn't want the half chicken I just want the bill after waiting an hour service brings it out cold and charged me for it not interested in being ignored very disappointed A. 30 mins for a beer B. 60mins for dinner C. worst service iv ever had not attentive D. over priced dive bar at a push.

Star of this restaurant and our dining experience is definitely the 60-day dry aged 32oz porterhouse steak. Perfectly cooked and seasoned, this steak was to die for. The aging process adds an enjoyable funk to flavor and tenderizes the meat. If I wasn't sharing, I may have finished the entire steak. There is no need to pay extra for sauce to accompany the steak. At $98, this steak is on the pricier side. We also ordered a bunch of sides like seasonal veggies, Brussels sprouts salad, and avocado toast. The latter was good, but the others were definitely forgettable. If I am back in town on a business trip and craving a nice aged piece of steak, Charbar will come to mind.

We had some friends in from out of town who really wanted to try this restaurant based on word of mouth, so with always being up for something new (to us), we are always 'in'! On a busy Friday (make reservations to avoid disappointment) our Server was knowledgeable and friendly. Half the battle IMO! The food... good quality, but not really my taste. Who knew I didn't like Argentinian food? I found there wasn't a lot of selection on the menu for someone like me.

I would have liked to try Alberta Beef, and finally, I went Charbar, one of the most famous restaurants for their Alberta Beef, when I visited my sister's family living in Calgary !! I went there with her family, 3 adults and 2 kids, for lunch at noon on Monday. There were only a few groups of consumers. Dry-aged beef is Charbar's signature, but it isn't on lunch menu, so we tried to ask a clerk if we could get it or not. Surprisingly, he accepted our request with his smile!! We appreciate his accepting our sudden request. We ordered the 72 days dry-aged Alberta beef, "charred napa cabbage salad", and fries, and we got "Bruschetta", 1 free gift from chef, by Yelp's check-in!! The beef was $96/32oz. It may seem to be a little expensive but is worth eating!! salad was $16, and fries was $8. We were all full and satisfied. I strongly recommend to go there. Please try their dry-aged Alberta beef. # I thought that "Bruschetta" was a free gift, but I realized that it wasn't free of charge....... :(

Amazing. We came for a birthday dinner. Cups were never empty and food seemingly never stopped coming. We came for a birthday event and I would highly highly highly recommend reserving the Board Room. The ceviche! So authentic and fresh. Fried sourdough balls with spicy sauce! Cabbage salad! Tomato salad! Avocado toast. Fried eggplant. Calamari. Best meal in Calgary. Everything that came to the table was flavorful, fresh and interesting.

We were seated in the bar area and ordered Charbar's 2015 YYC Pizza Week dish, Truffled Pighead Mortadella, Sausage skillet chorizo, and beef short riblets. As for drinks, I had the Foundry Golden Cider beer. To me, it's a great drink to cleanse the palette and gives a nice refreshing finish after a chow. This is one of my favorite pizza flavors as it has a strong taste of the meat (not overpowering) and well seasoned which reminds me the taste I had in the Philippines. The added pistachios gave a new layer of flavor and texture to this bad boy. I highly recommend the ribs if you are seriously hungry or a meat lover. The meat flavor of the meat was bold, the wood fire definitely helped bring out the natural flavor of this morsel and the fat that came with it is worth the bite. I honestly never expected the blood sausage after it was served. Afterward, I looked it up what morcilla was and there it was. I've never tried blood sausage, but it has a unique taste to it and I actually liked it. It was soft, rich, creamy, and all of the ingredients in it really outdone themselves. Overall experience was worth the walk from City Hall train station, and I highly recommend this place whether it would be brunch or dinner. There will always be a dish for anyone to enjoy. Be warned, the service at Charbar can be a hit or miss.

I loved this place! It is located in east village - which is such a great neighbourhood to visit in Calgary - and is right next to Phil and Sebastian coffee in the Simmons building. I went on a weekday for lunch and ordered off their weekday lunch menu. This menu is offered on weekdays from 1130 am to 5 pm. There was no wait time for us and they have patio seats available as well so we took that option as it was a great day outside. The servers were friendly and pointed me in the right direction in terms of food options. I ordered the asado beef steak and fries which came with the option of soup of the day or market salad as a side ($26). The beef steak was cut into small pieces with pesto sauce on top. The steak was cooked to perfection - charred on the outside and medium rare on the inside. The pesto sauce went really well with the steak. The fries had a nice flavor to it and so did the salad - subtle lemon flavors which were enough for me to finish eating them both! This says a lot about how good it was because I usually have a hard time finishing all my side dishes! My friend got the featured fugazza (Argentinian pizza) with the sides of daily soup and fries ($16). The size of the pizza was good for one person to finish for sure. It was a pesto prosciutto feature the day we went which was a really great combination. They definitely do not skimp out on the cheese which was great! The more cheese the better right? The best part was that the price of this lunch includes dessert! We had the choice to choose between blueberry parfait and dark chocolate soft serve ice cream! I was super happy to end a great meal with a dark chocolate soft serve! Also, their drink menu included some of Phil and Sebastian's coffee items as well which was fantastic! Overall, I had a great experience eating lunch here and I would highly recommend it! I am definitely going back to try some more of their daily featured items :)

French toast bites, soft center crunchy outside with silver de Leche.eggs Benedict with yucca fries, fior di latte, basil tomato and mozzarella, the crust was soft and chewy and the cheese was extra cheesy!! A must

Very, very average. That combined with a high price point basically it drove my rating.

Charbar is our go to Calgary restaurant. The service has been consistently off the charts. the food is great and unique. amazing!!! Plus, Mark our server was impressive!

I've been here two times recently both before taking an espresso/latte art course at Phil & Sebastians. Both times we were served by Von and both times were absolutely AMAZING! The building is a restored Mattress Factory and has lots of rustic charm. In the summer, it has one of the nicest outdoor patios with a view of the river and East Village pathways. Noted on the menu, it states that Charbars' Chef Pelland is an avid fisher, hunter and specializes in whole animal butchery, curing, grilling, roasting and working magic! She sounds like quite a woman!!' Start off with s cocktail. If you don't see something on the menu that interests you, they have talented mixologists ready to attend to your needs. Next the fresh oysters...they come with a delicious Argentinian Chimichurri Mignonette. The "Small plates" or appetizers are all made with fresh ingredients and prepared with love & attention to detail. We especially love the Charred Napa Cabbage Salad, Chorizo Sausage, and Crispy Calamari our first visit. The second time, we had the 3-course Chefs Tasting Special. It started with a thinly sliced smoked salmon with crème fraiche, dill weed, and capers on a crispy crêpe. Seriously was AMAZING followed by a Slow roasted braised beef served on polenta. Not just any polenta, but the best polenta I've had in my life! Go to Charbar, drink, feast, walk down the river or take a course at Phil & Sebastians. Just do it!

Salt. Salt. Salt. If you're in the neighbourhood for an overpriced restaurant where the chefs don't know how to season properly, this place is for you. My friend got the asado steak with fries and I had the fogo cod with smoked potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The steak was overdone and even with the sauce, was...well salty. The sweetness of the cod was overshadowed by once again, salt. It was also falling apart. The seasonal vegetables were literally just salted wilted spinach (?) on top of the potatoes. It was more like a garnish than "seasonal vegetables" as advertised. I wish I could use another word other than "salty"in this review but honestly, no other word comes to mind. When we told our waiter upon paying the bill that everything was too salty, he said oh you should have let me know ! We would have said something had he come back to check on us and if we weren't on a bit of a time crunch. I didn't like how the tip option was automatically 18% and even when you opted to change it on the machine, it still comes up as automatically 18% and you have to manually change it a second time. The service and food tonight was not anywhere near what 18% looks like. Definitely would not return under any circumstances. Our appetizer also came after our main. Granted although we ordered it a few minutes after our mains as an afterthought, there's no reason why the melted cheese dish can't come out at the same time as our mains. Now I'm going to head out and buy a 1L bottle of water.

If I could give no stars I would. This place is overpriced and the food is salty, salty, salty. The steak was overcooked and the wait staff is frenzied. The waiter never came back to our table after the initial placing of food in front of us. Don't go there!

I've driven by this place a few times coming downtown for meetings and decided to check it out. I stopped in at 5:30pm and had a few cocktails and ordered their sourdough balls with marinara. Excellent taste and service from Steven at the bar. The establishment itself is rustic in atmosphere and has an impressive looking coffee bar. I'll have to stop by again to check that out:)

Round 2 at Charbar! Even though we were here during Big Taste, we opted to order from their regular menu. I've only been here for lunch once before so I was stoked to try dinner. Make that *ahem* second dinner. We sat upstairs, the place was packed even though our reservation wasn't till 8:30pm. Weekends are busy. - Ultra dry-aged porterhouse steak ($96.00) - we decided to go all out and share the porterhouse steak. 32 oz is a pretty decent deal, especially when you share it between 5 people. We asked for it rare and it came out perfect. Worked out that everyone got about 4 slices each. My friends were in heaven; shouts of "best steak ever" and eyes were rolling back in beef ecstasy. Two buds loved it so much they made sure nothing was left; eaten bare to the bone. - Kale salad ($13.00) - now this kale I can get downnnnn with. The pickled chilies gave the salad a twist of heat while the gouda provide a light, cooling contrast. - Fried brussels sprouts ($12.00) - the brussel sprouts were excellent! Even the brussel sprouts skeptics at the table loved it. The chopped almonds were nicely roasted. - Parilla beef fat fries ($8.00) - I've had these beef fat fries before and they're as good as the first time I had it. - Dulce de leche panqueques ($10.00) - these are Argentinian style sweet filled crepes. So so good. Just get it. Charbar continues to impress. Can't wait to come back in the summer for their rooftop patio!

The day had come where I could finally sit out and enjoy Charbar's patio! Who wouldn't love a day sitting in the sun, enjoying some eats and dope beats? (Well, some fuddy duddies didn't like Ludacris blasting on the speakers and asked to turn down the music because it was "too loud" *eye roll*) Nevertheless, we had a great lunch and I found a new fave place for guac! I have no idea what seasoning they had on their chips but it made them super addicting, we couldn't get enough! Our pizza and burger were ok, nothing spectacular. So if you're looking to go for appies (GET THE GUAC) and drinks this summer, hit up Charbar's patio!

First time here -- worth the hype. We took a beautiful bike ride along the river to get here. Can't beat the location and very hip vibes of this place. We were seated right away and then surprised with complimentary French toast bites! Had the burger and choripan for brunch, along with Phil & Sebastian's cappuccino and Americano. The food was creative, well prepared and very generous... We were impressed with the very quick and friendly service. We'll be back!

Spectacular evening! We were a table of 5 and got a pile of different things- the bagna cauda, veggie "ceviche," empanadas, octopus, oysters, beet salad, chorizo pizza, clam pizza, and for dessert the milk chocolate flan, panqueques, and the apple cake. There was nothing that wasn't delicious. We also got a slew of cocktails, sodas, beers. The whole meal lasted three hours and we were very well taken care of. Damage for 5 very satisfied people was about $300, not at all unreasonable for a very, very outstanding dinner. One more thing- Charbar advertises itself as "Argentinian," but the flavours are MUCH bigger than you'll actually find in Argentina. Argentinian parillas have magnificent meat, like no place in North America, but they do not like spicy anything and it's all great quality but terribly repetitive and bland. Charbar is much better than almost any resto we visited in Argentina- we like loud, spicy flavours and Charbar has flavour far exceeding what we had in two separate one-month sojourns in Argentina.

What a wonderful find -- just across the street from the Alt Hotel! Ordered the charred Napa cabbage salad (with orange segments, seeds, avocado, and a delicious vinegrette). Be sure to "check in" on Yelp. I received an abundant appetizer of the wonderful avocado pistachio bruschetta (like the best avocado toast you could ever imagine. This was an unexpected treat, and absolutely delicious. I had a glass of the Mirabou rose and it was a perfect pairing. Service was wonderful. Lighting a bit dim for my taste -- especially when you want to see all the goodness of that salad. Will be back!

I brought my friends from Edmonton, we had pistachio nuts and avocado spread with grilled sour dough toasts, and burgers with fries... They loved it!!! They will spread the word to their friends and family to come here together soon! Chef Jessica is amazing!

The staff here are rude, obnoxious, unprofessional young fools. I was treated so poorly by their hostess and wait staff I walked out without eating. The management should take note to hire staff with some minimal degree of social skill and manner! NOT rough slobs who were there when i visited. I won't return!

The food was pretty average considering the price. I got their feature steak which was pretty bland and over cooked. We were being served by two servers and one was in training so you'd think we'd get lots of attention but sadly not. Also, fun fact... they don't provide steak knives! So weird. I won't be going back. Too many other great options in Calgary to repeat this mediocre experience.

My first experience at Charbar's sister restaurant, Charcut; I was pounding Dark & Stormies while staring at a disembodied pig's head that was mounted in front of the window, and trying not to cry vegan tears. Suffice it to say, that I was rather wary when my pal suggested we meet up here. More so, when I tried to find their menu online and could only find pictures of meat (this has since been remedied, and their menu is available on their website). However, the awesome people at Charbar reached out to me via Twitter, and assured me that they would do their best to make sure I left fat and sassy. After being away from town for several weeks; I had gotten used to not only having friends that were willing to eat vegan food with me, but finding options that were great and not just entrées that had the meat removed, or sides with no sauce. I made a reservation on Twitter, and my friends and I were seated at a cozy table that had a great view of the dining area and open kitchen. Charbar is situated inside the Simmons building, and shares space with Sidewalk Citizen Bakery and Phil & Sebastian. On a day when it isn't hailing or snowing; you can sit on their gorgeous patio, which has a great view of Downtown and St. Patrick's Island. Our waiter was really friendly and knew not only the menu, but the history of the building. His extensive and loving descriptions of each item made even the selections I couldn't eat, sound delicious. Because of our previous Twitter exchange, Charbar already had some amazing things they were going to prepare for me, so I just said yes to all the things. We started off with cocktails and wine. I had the Aerolineas: a bourbon based drink with lemon juice and earl grey syrup. It was delicately balanced and refreshing. If you check in on Yelp, you receive a free gift from the chef, which on this night; was a complimentary bowl of cancha (homemade corn nuts). They were addicting, and it was hard to stop eating them. Our appetizers came out fairly quickly. I got the pistachio and avocado bruschetta, with homemade potato chips - normally it comes with bread from Sidewalk Citizen. It was maddeningly decadent. I also got the vegetable ceviche, which had more corn nuts, cucumber curls and charred tomatoes. The chef brought these out personally, and introduced herself to us. It all made me feel ridiculously spoiled. For dinner, they put together an entrée for me that isn't on the menu. It had quinoa, roasted almonds, beets and mint. It also came with two eggplants that had been roasted in coals and then soaked in sherry. I don't remember what wine I had with this, but it was suggested by our waiter, and it was white and from Argentina. At first, I found the quinoa a little under seasoned, but after eating it with the eggplant; it tasted a lot better. My picky friend got an excellent cheese pizza and their beef fat French fries. My not-so-picky friend got roasted chicken that had been prepared on a Himalayan salt brick. My lady friend got their gaucho burger. My one nitpick, is that they forgot my friend's request for her burger to be sans bun; but they did apologize profusely and offer to make her a brand new one. We were so stuffed after dinner, all we wanted was espresso (and possibly a nap). The espresso was reliably good, as they get it straight from P&S and the roaster is right in the building. It doesn't get much fresher than that. Charbar one upped themselves yet again, by giving us dessert anyway - and even having a vegan dessert. If it wasn't for the espresso, I would've happily curled up on the couch; used my jacket as a blanket & switched on the Netflix app on my phone. Thanks for treating us so well, Charbar. Can't wait to come back and even out my farmer tan on your patio!

I made a reservation for myself and my son for 9:15 on a Saturday night and we showed up 15 minutes late as the play went long. The place was half empty but we were briskly turned away. Who closes their kitchen at 9:30 on a Saturday! Scratch that one off the list.

As far as rooftop patios for sunsets and river views, this place is hard to beat. Combine that with great service and a well rounded drinks menu and it's the recipe for a pretty fun evening. To get to the rooftop we were greeted on the bottom floor, who asked if we'd been up before and explained to take the lift up to level 3, where we would be greeted by another hostess. They also took the time to explain that there was a smaller menu available on the patio. Taking the lift up to level three, we were greeted within 60 seconds by a hostess, who offered us a choice of tables, including a riverside one in the sunshine where people were just leaving. No guesses for which one we chose! She wiped down the table for us and handed us some menus. We opted for cocktails the first round (I was torn and went with the server's suggestion of a C, G & T - a refreshing take on a usual gin and tonic, with particularly tasty tonic water that they give you the bottle for separately). I also stole a few sips of the New York Sazerac which I was tempted to get for myself for round two. There's not a lot of food options for the patio, a couple of smaller plates / starters and three items from the fire pit. We tried the salt brick chicken and the gaucho burger. The salt brick chicken came out served as a burger which was a bit of a surprise based on the description, but it was super tasty. I much preferred this to the gaucho burger, which lacked any real flavour or juicy burger goodness. For drinks round two we tried their red sangria - served in a 1L pitcher ($40) rather than having two 13 oz glasses ($14). The sangria was a sweeter wine with chunks of grapefruit, lemon and lime, and went down pretty easily. Overall, a great option for sunset and river views, with heaters to keep you warm on chilly nights. Come for the views, drinks and service - if you're a big foodie I'd probably dine downstairs and come up for drinks beforehand (and afterwards).

If there was an option for no stars I'd select it! My experience was so bad I was left speechless! Upon arriving I was hopeful for a great meal with what looked like a cool spot for Calgary! Drinks arrived sat on my own at the bar, bartender helped with the order all seemed in order and going well. App's arrived fairly quickly, octopus, it was okay but hey I'm in Calgary! Well after that everything fell off the rails an hour passed before I had to ask what was happening with the main, that's when the servers attitude set in as if I had insulted her asking where my main was. That was basically the last I heard from her. Of course they offered me a 10% discount for my troubles, $4.60! Let's just say it's a guaranteed one and done resto play!

I have always had inconsistent meals here which has been frustrating because the venue is great, the location is fun and a lot of friends choose this spot. I have had amazing oysters, as well as the most off oysters I have ever tasted. I have had delightful empanadas, and I have had them come completely burned. Same thing happened with the pistachio avocado toast, flatbread and steak. The charred Napa cabbage salad seems to be consistent ... so I would recommend that it is delish. Some of my colleges who are really into wine think the list is terrible. When I have events here I usually bring my own bottles in for this reason. I found that the event space upstairs has become dirty. I either planned or attended events months apart and some of the same smudges were still on the glass upstairs. I helped out a friend who planned an event there who brought her own Windex and magic erasers to clean up. That is nuts for the price point. I am sure if you came for a wedding your dress would be black from all the black drag marks on the once pristine wooden flooring.

I like the concept of 3 businesses working together in one building, but charcut's menu and pricing needs some help. I don't mind the price of the steaks as they are grass fed and Alberta raised, but they didn't come with any sides. No vegetables, no potatoes, it was literally sliced meat thrown onto a plate. The server said that they were presented like this because they were "meant to be shared", but I don't know who would want to share a 7oz steak with nothing on the side. This wasn't exactly clear to us while we were ordering and led to some confusion as some dishes (like the burger or chicken came with a side of fries). Maybe it's because they just opened but they really need to either explain things more clearly on their menu or add some pictures to it or even have the servers explain what the dishes are. Overall, though the taste of the food was good, I left unsatisfied with the meal as it was not what I was expecting. I will not be returning do to the high prices and small portions.

Okay, I've been guilty of knocking Calgary's food scene before. NO MORE! Charbar is freaking awesome. I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! 1. Drinks are delicious and well priced. I had the Corpse Reviver Cocktail 2.75 oz booze ($13) and the most delicious glass of wine ($15). The wine was worth every penny (or nickel, as pennies don't count anymore). The cocktail had REAL booze in it. As in strong and delicious. NOT WATERED DOWN! And it didn't even taste like alcohol, but my face glowed like it was the first sip of alcohol I've ever consumed. 2. The food was delicious and what we ate - very well-priced. We ate an assortment of appies, sides and a clam pizza. You cannot make this type of food with these ingredients for less at home. I am so value conscious and I thought the prices were awesome. It's the type of food that is so delicious and different and you cannot stop eating even though you can feel your buttons popping. 3. Service. Stephanie was awesome and so patient and so knowledgeable with her recommendations. The place is gorgeous and a destination to head to for dinner. From what I could see, the restaurant is well-staffed. In conclusion, I cannot wait to drop by again for dinner/brunch. Thank you Charbar people for opening up this gem. You make me proud to live in Calgary. I want to show you off to all my out of town friends who think they live in the centre of the universe. The end.

I love charcut, so I was super excited to try charbar. Unfortunately I was pretty disappointed. I really like that they found such a cool way to use up the space in the building. The restaurant is very spacious with two floors. With that said, the area where they greet you is super awkward, lots of traffic and just confusing in general. While standing there, I had three different people try to assist me and then leave me half way through to assist other people who were equally as confused as I. Hopefully this gets better in time. The menu on paper looked extremely appealing. We were all pretty excited to try the dishes.. And then pretty disappointed. The food first of all took quite a long time to come out. The place wasn't even packed, so I'd hate to wait for my food on a night the place was full. And second of all, the presentation was awful. I had the sturgeon ($36 by the way, for one individual portion) and it was plated with a sauce. It wasn't bad but definitely not worth $36 for anyone. We also had the short ribs with eggs and it literally looked like they just threw on the eggs and threw on three pieces of small ribs. So disappointing. The parking in east village is a bit hectic as the place is still growing. There's a small parking lot next to the restaurant but most definitely not enough to accommodate for all the customers for the Simmons building. Lots of street parking and another paid parking lot further down from the building. I would advise going on Sunday or after 6 pm when parking is free. I hope the restaurant is just in an awkward new phase and getting used to things and hope it gets a lot better. But it'll take a lot for anyone to convince me to go back here to eat.

Coming from Argentina I was dying to taste some of my country's favourites and visited Charbar. I guess that advertising it as an Argentine Restaurant is "a bit of a stretch", but food was good and got part of my cravings resolved.

Probably the best patio in town, and a menu by the team behind Charcut. We attended a pre-opening party and I can only say: Get Excited !!!! Go to the patio and try the Argentinian Pizza Or get a private room on second floor for your events and functions. My impressive so far: they know what they're doing. You're in good hands!!!

Well I'd love to give this restaurant a great review because the atmosphere was lovely, and the drinks that my dear friend and I had while we reconnected after 20 years were more than decent! The waiter asked if we'd like still or sparking water ... She said still, I said sparkling. I had a beer: $6. She had a gin & tonic: $7. The bottle of San Pellegrino that was left at our table (that one can get at London Drugs for $0.97: $9!! NINE FRICKING DOLLARS?!? I won't be returning there anytime soon ... If ever!!

This was recommended by a friend and it doesn't disappoint. The ambiance is modern and casual. It's pretty pricey but the quality of food makes up for it. We went there Saturday night for dinner and it's pretty busy, so calling for reservation is recommended. The restaurant is very rustic but it it was an old factory. They were trying to keep the original decor, I guess. There were 3 other establishments that are located in the same building. A bakery, a coffee shop, and a casual pub- if I'm not mistaken. Charbar was the busiest. Their menu is simple- I mean not a lot of choices which prob add to the good quality of food that they have. We ordered their 30oz steak and roasted veggies. The steak was pretty pricey but superb! The 2 kinds of sauces we ordered excellently goes with the steak. Pairing it with red wine completed it! It was enough for the 4 of us. The salad was a good balance as well. We'll definitely come back here again. I'll reserve it for special occasion though 'cause its pricey as I said. The downside of this place though is, the location of the washroom. It's pretty creepy down there and this might be irrelevant but 1 friend of mine saw a ghost down there. It was an old man smoking pipe and he's the one in the picture on their menu! Creepy! I won't be using their bathroom alone that's for sure!