Tipsie opens in iconic Kensington wine bar space with chef-driven small plates
Rob and Nadine Eden took over the 18-year legacy of Winebar Kensington with a new wine bar featuring chef Dirk McCabe's ambitious menu.
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The lower-level wine bar at 1131 Kensington Rd. N.W. has a new name and new owners, but it's still the same space where Calgary learned to love wine and small plates. Tipsie opens this week, taking over from Winebar Kensington, which occupied the spot for 18 years before closing earlier this year.
Rob and Nadine Eden, who also own The Eden Bistro in Inglewood, brought the space back to life. Nadine was on Winebar's opening team in 2008; Rob was a regular who came by for drinks. They met there. "There's a certain nostalgia in that we met here," Rob says. "But this property is also kind of iconic for Calgary. We want to bring it back to its proper glory years."
Winebar helped build Calgary's love affair with flavour-forward share plates when the concept was still called tapas in 2008. Tipsie carries that spirit forward, with a room setup much like its predecessor—a large bar offering the best seats, a chic lounge in front of the signature street-level windows. The magic happens after dark, when streetlights twinkle above those angled windows and the space transforms into what feels like a cosy underground den.
Chef Dirk McCabe, who has long worked at The Eden, oversees the kitchen here. He's not interested in the standard wine-bar formula of outsourced charcuterie. "We want to try to stay away from the generic and incorporate things like meat and cheese into other dishes," Nadine says. "And Dirk is a chef, so our small plates are never that small."
The standout is the Bourdain Sandwich ($21)—a nod to the late chef's favourite quick meal. It's stacked with high-quality mortadella, provolone, mayo, and Dijon mustard on a massive kaiser bun. Other dishes worth ordering: Floating Stone beef carpaccio with Parmesan, rocket and capers ($24); cast iron pan of fingerling potatoes smothered in smoked gouda ($18); and whipped foie gras paté with quince jam ($18).
Wine sits centre stage, with a still-growing and reasonably priced bottle list. Rather than a fixed menu of glass pours, management keeps a rotating selection of open bottles behind the bar, different every night. Servers direct you toward what you might like, creating interaction and discovery as you sip.
Tipsie opens Tuesday to Sunday, 4 p.m. to midnight. Reservations and details at tipsie.ca.
Good to know
Where is Tipsie?
Tipsie is located at 1131 Kensington Rd. N.W. in the Kensington neighborhood, in a lower-level wine bar space.
What kind of food does Tipsie serve?
Tipsie serves chef-driven small plates designed to pair with wine, including dishes like the Bourdain Sandwich with mortadella and provolone, beef carpaccio, fingerling potatoes with smoked gouda, and whipped foie gras paté.
How is Tipsie's wine program different?
Rather than offering a fixed menu of wines by the glass, Tipsie keeps a rotating selection of open bottles behind the bar that changes nightly, with servers guiding customers toward choices they might enjoy.
