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    Proof Cocktail Bar

    4.3 (81 reviews)
    ModerateCocktail Bars
    Open 4:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

    Proof Cocktail Bar Photos

    PROOF COCKTAIL BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Trendy
    Upscale

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    Recommended Reviews - Proof Cocktail Bar

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    Reviews With Photos

    Pork Belly Steamed Bun
    Michael T.

    Traveling through Western Canada I've been pretty impressed by the availability of well thought out cocktails all around. None however, impressed me as much as the spirit selection, cocktail menu, and staff at Proof. Walking in the first thing you'll notice is the floor to ceiling array of spirits. It's beautifully displayed, organized by spirit type and distillery, and the staff knows a whole lot about each one. I noticed quite a few bottles not available stateside and really enjoyed chatting with Ian and Nathan about them. Ian actually offered me a sample of one of the bottles of Japanese whisky I'd been looking to try for quite some time, and both of them were so willing to share their knowledge of the booze scene in Calgary too. Amazing resources for any enthusiast or someone just looking to dip their toe. Cocktail wise though, this bar is on point! The menu is divide by spirit type including American Whiskey, Canadian Whisky, Scotch, Gin and even liqueur based cocktails! I gravitated toward American Whiskey first and spotted the TMO right off the bat, but it included a coconut rum, which totally turned me off was definitely turned me off. After chatting with Nathan he explained the coconut was in there to amp up the coconut flavors imparted into Whiskey from chemical compounds in the wood known as tramethylamenineoxide (or something like that) which is where the drink got its name. This cocktail was extremely balanced. I was surprised how nicely the rum played up those notes in the Whiskey, and it went down way too easy! I followed that up with a dealer's choice only specifying that it needed a Canadian Whisky base and be a booze forward cocktail. Ian threw down the Hometown Hero, made with Alberta Premium Rye, bee pollen, honey, and apple cider vinegar, which he went back to the kitchen to get for the drink. Again, another home run with the sweetness and flavor of the honey being balanced by the tart vinegar and spicy rye. Again, went down too easy and that meant time for food. There's a small but mighty bites list and the pork belly steamed buns caught my eye at $5. That price is each, but I'd gladly pay that all over again because these were tiny Asian inspired bites from heaven. Instead of the expected sriracha mayo, these had SHRIMP MAYO! Yes. You read that right, and if you've never had pork belly as a surf and turf, you're missing out! The pork belly was braised perfectly and the buns were pillowy soft, with crunch coming from some delicious pickled veg. Hell yeah! Proof, if you want a second home I'd love to welcome you to the Biggest Little City! We would love to have you, and you can call your brother over at Native Tongues and bring them along too!

    Xmas vibes at Proof
    Em L.

    Really like the xmas vibe here. Proof drinks are always a hit. Drinks are stronger than what you would expect but that makes for a fun night! Highly recommended.

    Denise W.

    First off I am amazed at the long list of cocktail, wine, beer and spirits. Unbelievable for such a small place. Love the atmosphere. Its trendy and cool. Definitely a well deserved 5 stars atmosphere. Friendly server. Really interesting names on the cocktail list. I got the tale of the mocktail. That was good.

    Proof in pink
    Phil G.

    Proof received the four stars because it is an excellent cocktail lounge. However, Proof would receive maybe two stars if I was rating the good time to be had. Proof does not do fun well. The staff exudes an aloof sense of "being too cool," forgetting that Calgary is cool because it doesn't need to act cool. As I often say, cold is not cool. The patrons appear to take on the personality of the staff, which is often the case in bars and restaurants. Proof seems more apropos to Toronto rather than Calgary. However, the ambiance is hip, the cocktails made well, the staff is professional if not warm, and maybe some people in Calgary are tired of friendly and nice. Certainly, the two alone, morose dudes sitting at the bar, staring into space, didn't appear to want or expect a smile or laughter. Thus, if this is your scene, you'll enjoy Proof.

    Miranda R.

    Such a beautiful bar, 5* for the decor and ambiance. We went for a friends dinner to support mealshare after all calories don't count when they're for charity right? We arrived during happy hour (nice that it extends into the evening since we got there at 6 pm, but it was a Tuesday). The featured cocktails looked really good, a few people in the group ordered them. I ordered the happy hour wine and had no complaints. Between all of us, we pretty much ordered the whole menu. The pork steam buns were delicious and I could definitely have more than one to myself, I also had the broccolini and deviled eggs, they were all delicious. It is a limited menu because it's a cocktail bar so keep that in mind if you know you're going to be starving. Loss of one star because our server didn't write down the order and that meant a few dishes were missed, also because I left a touch hungry, should have ordered the bread - next time!

    Blue Hawaiian
    Diana H.

    After a long day baking in the sun at the lilac festival we came here for happy hour drinks. Happy hour was from 4-7pm. For all the cocktail lovers the drinks are super creative and unique. On Sundays they have a tiki theme cocktail specials. The staff is super friendly, and the ambience, despite the up scale vibe is chill and not to snobby. The drinks are on the pricy side but worth it for the quality of cocktails. Great place for a relaxing date night! Definitely will be coming back.

    L R.

    Everything here is amazing. They make handcrafted cocktails that are super unique and yummy. Their bar's selection is impressive and so are their skills. The food is great too.

    Dreaming of Magritte (2oz) - Vodka, black pepper honey syrup, citric acid, basil leaves, bittered sling orange and juniper bitters

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    1 year ago

    I just paid $46 for two drinks. One of which was way too boozy. Although I'm glad this place exists and nice staff

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    3 years ago

    Great ambiance. Ordered a steak and a bunch of cocktails. Both were great. The waiter was really friendly. I'd definitely go back

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Excellent drinks, great ambiance, friendly staff. The buns and other dishes are also top-notch

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    6 years ago

    Had a great late night drink sampling of their unique cocktail selection. Wanting to hit top 10 bars across Canada so had to hit this one.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Review Highlights - Proof Cocktail Bar

    None however, impressed me as much as the spirit selection, cocktail menu, and staff at Proof.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Missy’s This That - 2017 Michel Lafarge Volnay Caillerets 1er Cru

    Missy’s This That

    (5 reviews)

    A heaven for Burgundy lovers. And for Champagne lovers. And for German Riesling lovers. And Rhône…read morelovers. And Jerez lovers ! Book this for your next meeting with Jasper Morris, Anne Krebiehl and Peter Liem lol A very well researched selection, from Meursault villages to the most coveted 1ers & Grands Crus in white and red: Puligny, St. Aubin, Volnay, Pommard, Vosne-Romanee, Gevrey Chambertin, ... Lafarge, Hubert Lamy, Leflaive, Mugneret-Gibourg, Some excellent lower yield & early accessible vintages like the 2019. Not many bottles are older than 10 years, but a number of suppliers provide pretty much the rarest new stuff available in the region. Cold cuts, sardines and cheese served, the place is full of young young, smiling people listening to unobtrusive music. Make sure you find the stairs from the street level to get here. Oh, and they have Les Robarts by Suenen. I had to visit four wine stores in Champagne to get two bottles of that. Good luck finding that anywhere else.

    Missy's was surprisingly quiet for a Sunday evening, but honestly, that's a whole vibe in and of…read moreitself too. We were greeted by a group of bartenders (who all happened to be wearing toques) when we walked in, and I felt both welcomed and slightly out of place (no toque). The cocktails were meticulously crafted--priced at $15-20 a drink, it's on par with bigger cities like Vancouver and Toronto, but they also live up to the standard. Honestly, the highlight of our visit to Missy's was the Missy's This That charcuterie board. Each piece of cured meat was sliced impossibly thin, the olives were meaty and delicious, and the cheeses were carefully selected to complement everything. I loved that it also came with a side of thick cut bread and pickled vegetables. One of the best charcuterie boards I've had at a restaurant for sure. Not cheap but worth the pretty penny on a slightly fancy night out.

    Milpa

    Milpa

    (15 reviews)

    One of the coolest restaurants I've been in for awhile, back lit arches give it a unique retro…read morevibe. We unfortunately got seated in the side room, not as good for people and kitchen watching but a nice room nonetheless. It was a busy Friday evening but service was a bit slow to start. We got water and our candle lit long before a cocktail menu. We'd ordered about five items, some shareable and two intended as mains, however they came in series with a bit of wait between them. I was with my wife so we shared everything but otherwise it may have been awkward. Drink menu is good, including several margaritas. My standard version was delicious and the second one was just as good! The food was really good. We had scallops, tuna, and prawns; all really good but the Tuna Tostada always amazing. Caesar salad was good but somewhat untraditional with pickled onion. The menu marks gluten free and dairy free, lots of gf options. Lots of menu items I'd like to try, will definitely be back.

    Had a great experience here ! We had a reservation and got…read moresat straight away. Cool interior , slightly loud music playing. Our server was really friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Happy hour was a great deal with $6 margaritas and discount on single tacos. The chicken tacos were amazing as well as the pork belly chicharron. We had the el trip dip taster and found the guacamole to be amazing but the other two to be slightly plain but still good. The ceviche was fresh and played really well. I loved how you can choose two flavours + spicy for the soda or margaritas. Overall an incredible deal for the quality and quantity of food.

    Porch - Teriketeri cheese

    Porch

    (76 reviews)

    $$

    I can't say enough about Porch! Such good food, and the ambiance is stunning. Especially for a nice…read moredinner with friends or if you're trying to impress a date. Their salmon was fantastic. I'm always scared it's going to be overcooked, because at many restaurants the fish usually is, but this was perfectly grilled and well seasoned. The bed of veggies underneath had a really nice, subtle flavor that complemented the fish without overpowering it. I also ordered their banana cocktail, which honestly surprised me. I didn't think I would ever like banana in a cocktail, but it was absolute heaven. Smooth, balanced, and not overly sweet. One of those drinks you think about ordering again halfway through. For food, I also had the braised short ribs, and they were excellent. Super tender, rich, and full of flavor. Definitely one of those comforting dishes that still feels elevated and well executed. The decor deserves its own mention. The space is warm, stylish, and thoughtfully designed, and there's an actual live tree inside the restaurant, which is such a cool touch. You can already tell this place must be incredible in the summer when everything is open and lively. Overall, Porch delivers on food, drinks, and atmosphere. Easily a spot I'd come back to, whether for dinner, drinks, or a special night out.

    We were originally going to another brunch spot but they were way too busy so we looked up more…read moreoptions on Yelp and came across Porch. We saw they were going to open at 11am, and decided to try our luck by getting there right at opening since we didn't have a reservation. We got lucky and got seated right away! - PARKING - Street parking, make sure you take note of how long you paid for! - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - The ambiance inside is so nice and airy, with greenery and natural light shining through. There's also a super cute swing area next to the bar area that you can sit. I really liked the overall interior design! The staff was very attentive for our large party throughout our meal. There are bathrooms downstairs as well. - FOOD - Bacon Jam Benedict ($20.00): Loved the flavor combination in this! The sweet savory maple bacon jam worked so well! We upgraded to the fried potatoes ($4.00) and they were pretty tasty. Carrot Cake French Toast ($24.00): We got one to share with the table, and I'm glad we didn't commit because it was just OK to me. I wish there was more mascarpone filling, and also a different sauce than chocolate because it didn't pair well for me. Winter Nights ($19.00): We wanted to get some greens in and chose this salad. I enjoyed the mix of greens and also the fennel salami which gave a salty bite! Truffle Parm Fries ($13.00): We also got this to share with the table and you can't go wrong with these! - OVERALL - Great brunch option if you have a small or large group! Really nice airy ambiance for a nice start to your day.

    Proof Cocktail Bar - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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