12 Best Nightlife in Calgary, Alberta

Although Anejo is only open until 11 pm, it's worth making an evening visit for what they call HalfyHour. After 9 pm, tacos (some of the best in the city) and tequila (of which they have more than 100 kinds) are half off, and beer and margaritas are only $6. 

Built on the foundation of an old warehouse, this rustic-chic club hosts DJ sets and live music gigs on Friday and Saturday nights. Check the website for special events other days of the week. 

This bar and a dance hall combo plays Top 40 country, dance, and rock tunes, with live entertainment on occasion. It's open Wednesday through Saturday and holds 1,200 people, but during the Calgary Stampede, it's a popular destination as it’s open every day and night.

Not your average pub, Free House provides a warm inviting vibe, delicious food, and a great selection of Calgary microbrews. Happy hour runs from 9 pm to midnight when small plates are half-price and cocktails and draft beer are cheap. Sit under twinkling string lights on the rooftop patio and watch the stars materialize in the night sky.

This popular restaurant-bar serves Texas-style BBQ and 100+ brands of whiskey, as well as a fine selection of microbrews. The chic-rustic decor and private Whiskey Garden patio out back makes it easy to while away a few hours here. Their signature smoked meats--brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs--are sold by weight and half-price after 10 pm. Wash it all down with their signature cocktail, a smoked Old Fashioned. 

With more than 700 board and card games in the library, this unique and popular cafe is the perfect place to spend a rainy afternoon or cold winter evening. The menu is average, but it’s fully licensed, and, anyway, you come for the games, which are $3 an hour per person with a purchase of food or beverage.

The James Joyce Pub is a classic Irish pub where you can have Guinness stout served at three different temperatures at the long antique bar, along with some traditional Irish fare.

Good food, great patio, friendly staff, and 72 draught beers on tap---what more could you ask from a pub? There are food and drink specials every day, including cheap wings on Mondays.

Last Best Brewing and Distilling is widely recognized as one of Calgary's best brewpubs. They have a dozen of their own craft beers on tap---try the Tokyo Drift IPA---and make delicious cocktails with the three kinds of gin they distill in-house. On top of that, they serve the best pub food in the greater Downtown area in an upscale but casual atmosphere anchored by a beautiful rectangular bar in the center of it all.

A place to see and be seen, Ming is a hip martini bar with an exotic understated sophistication.

Hankering for some quality pub food, an extensive selection of Canadian microbrews, and a few games of bowling and/or ping pong? The National on 10th is the place for you. The menu is dominated by wings and nachos and the like, but there are a few hefty salads and rice bowls for those looking for something more nutritious. All in all, this spacious pub is just a fun place to hang out for an evening.  

The Vin Room has one of the best wine lists in Calgary, and its two patios (one out front that allows dogs, the other on the roof) make it the perfect spot for a glass or two of wine or a cocktail in the evening. It’s also a great place for a date or an outing with a small group of your human and/or canine best friends.