Calgary's Tipsie brings a new wine bar to the former Kensington Winebar space
The team behind The Eden has opened Tipsie at 1131 Kensington Rd. NW, with around 100 bottles and larger shareable plates, including the Bourdain Sandwich at $21.
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Kensington Winebar closed earlier this year, ending almost two decades on Kensington Road. Tipsie, a wine bar from the team behind The Eden, is now open Tuesday to Sunday from 4 p.m. To midnight at 1131 Kensington Rd. NW.
The room is the same one regulars knew. The exposed brick, the large bar overlooking the kitchen and the skylights to the street are all still there. Owner Rob Eden says the team wanted to keep what people loved about the space. "You could be in this room, and you wouldn't know if you were in London or if you were in San Francisco," he told Dished.
The wine list has around 100 bottles now, and Eden says he wants it to grow gradually. Tipsie pours a rotating selection of open bottles each night rather than a fixed list of glass pours. Eden said he and his wife Nadine do a lot of wine reconnaissance and wanted to bring in bottles from boutique winemakers that most Calgarians won't have tried.
For a meal, the menu is built to share. The Bourdain Sandwich, a kaiser bun with mortadella, provolone, mayonnaise and Dijon, has been the most popular dish so far, paired with the Pink Lambrusco. The beef carpaccio, fingerling potatoes with smoked gouda and whipped foie gras pâté are also on the menu. Other dishes include 'Nduja baked beans and a grilled cheese that Eden calls a grown-up take on the classic.
Chef Dirk McCabe, who runs The Eden's kitchen, is involved with Tipsie's menu.
