Ubu Lounge - Calgary

I have been a regular visitor to this restaurant for over 5 or 6 years, back when it was known as the Velvet Lounge. Situated at the Grand Theatre, it is located in the common area before the entrance to the actual theatre itself, giving it a prime location. The decor holds a lot of history, with parts of the original theatre still visible in the flooring, ceiling, and old catwalks. The sushi is beautifully presented and there are always new items added to the menu, with Chef Tomo Mitsuno putting great care into his work. The prices are reasonable, making it accessible to all patrons, and the drinks are excellent with a good selection available from the Drinks Manager. Located in the downtown core and easily accessible by commuter train, this trendy spot comes highly recommended. The music creates a lounge atmosphere, with a regular saxophone player and DJ playing cool jazz sets. Additionally, the Ubu Lounge next door hosts a variety of musicians throughout the month, attracting a diverse crowd. Overall, a great spot to hang out on Wednesdays or Thursdays when in downtown Calgary.

Although pricey, this restaurant is definitely worth the expense. The employees are excellent, the food is amazing (they even use real crab meat in their sushi), and the beer is always cold. The location and decor are also impressive. Unfortunately, they are not open for lunch on Saturdays, but that is not a major drawback.

Oh, what an amazing lounge! The sushi was unbelievable, the customer service was spectacular, and we had an overall great night. This place is a must-visit if you're in Calgary.

I'm not a big sushi person, but Ubu manages to bring it to a place that makes it very palatable to me. Contrary to some of the other reviews, we really enjoyed it! It's website calls it Asian 'avant garde' and that is what it is! Not only are there the traditional sushi offerings, their Roasted Duck Rolls - with mizuna, cucumber, ginger and green onion oil are delightful as was the Steak and Mushroom Roll - tempura mushroom drizzled in truffle oil, cream cheese rolled and topped with a thick piece of wasabi steak. Crispy Yam and Salmon Rolls - Salmon and avocado rolls, topped with yam tempura, drizzled with spicy mayo were scrumptious. Being a novice, maybe there ARE some better sushi places in town, but I give Ubu full marks for creative presentation, tasty food, friendliness and great deals. Wednesday nights are $5 wine nights, Thursday is half price sushi and Sapporo pints for $4, I think it is. It's got a great vibe, especially when Theatre Junction is happening (can get busy), with great entertainment -worth a visit!

We went to UBU for dinner. A table was leaving as we arrived so our party of 4 were the only customers. Two of our group are vegetarians who identified themselves as such and ordered accordingly. The waitress brought their soup and then two flatbread orders that she presented as the vegetarian order. When they had finished eating, and my husband and I had still not been served, the waitress said, "Actually that was the barbequed pork." Our guest said, "But I'm vegetarian and you served it as our order!" "Oh well," the waitress replied, "There wasn't much pork there." I own a restaurant and the defensiveness and rudeness of the waitress would be inexcusable for me. No wait staff is so lovely or charming that they can dismiss a customer's beliefs rather than accept responsibility for a serving error. We were charged for 2 barbequed pork flatbreads when another finally arrived in our order.Restaurants rely on good service, good food, and return customers for survival. UBU take notice!