ONE18 EMPIRE

A very mediocre restaurant at best. The food was just okay (we had brisket eggs benny and brioche breakfast sandwhich). The drinks took forever and when we asked for the bill, they waitress wasn't able to split it. Pretty sure she was a brand new server. If you're at the hotel its attached to it might make it worth going for convenience, but there are many far superior options close by for brunch at a similar price point.

Home of the city's worst bartender. This place used to be good. Now it's like the staff are actively trying to tank the business.

For many years, they had one of the best burgers downtown. The current burger is terrible. Not even worth 1/3rd of the $23 they are asking for it.

On my last visit, they served me a beer, and then ghosted me. They were not busy. Tried to get the bartender's attention multiple times, and even though he was a couple metres away, guy just ignored me.

It became kind of a joke, sitting there, wondering how long it would take for the guy to ask if I wanted to order food or another drink. Asked for my bill multiple times, and was still ignored. Finally after over 45 minutes, I had to get up from the bar, and go to the bar, to demand my bill.

Not going back.

This place is hit or miss in terms of customer service. I am a regular here and recognized everytime I come. I cannot remember the name of the servers but there are 2 really amazing male servers who actually care and check up on you. Some of the female servers are not good and give the worst service ever and don’t even ask if you want anything or get you water. The food is really good.

We arrived at what seemed to be a busy time on a late Sunday evening. What stood out was that Natalia was exceptional at attention to detail and showed composure in dealing with her coworkers in a busy atmosphere. Thank you again for the drink recommendations. We will be back again. To those who are visiting for the first time, I would recommend trying the forbidden fruit old fashioned.

The food was amazing - our server wasn't. She was OK but she forgot an order and didn't really make good recommendations on the old-fashioned. Only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars.

We stopped in for a couple of drinks so this review is based only on that.

I love a good old fashioned and I have always heard people say One18 is the place to go. It's a treat to have them come to your table and smoke the glass for you.

Our server was incredibly nice, attentive and aware. I wish I could remember her name because she deserves to be mentioned. You could tell she had made countless smoked old fashions for people and had the knowledge of how each type of wood would change your drink. If you pick a standard bourbon/whiskey, they are pretty affordable for Calgary standards.

Next time I will have to come for some food as well.but will stay for the old fashions.

Fantastic food and service! Not to mention draaanks - we loved the “Braditude” and the whiskey barrel rollout of bitters, smokes, and flavors. Wowza!

We had such a wonderful time at this restaurant. Our server Daniellis was such a gem and made our evening magical. She was super helpful with her recommendations as this was our first visit! Absolutely loved the food and drinks and hope to visit this restaurant again soon:)

We hosted a pre-event for a show next door at the Jack Singer. They set up satellite bar with a food station. The drinks & appies were excellent, in particular the Old Fashions were well received. Although it is a busy location near the lobby it was easy access from he main door and to our next event. There was still a great private feel to the room and nice seating with a fireplace.

Stopped in for the smoked old-fashions at happy hour and what a great experience! Watching our server prepare our beverages was a fun experience - you can choose your smoke, bitters, and bourbon and sugar so there's an endless choice! We then stopped in after dinner for a nightcap because we had enjoyed the happy hour experience so much, and we were equally pleased.

Great service and flexible staff. I wanted a quick lunch at 11: 00 am before catching my flight. The guys had no problem accommodating. Had the classic steak frites. Delicious.

I have had an amazing experience here each time I have visited, first time was for a charity event, other two times was with business partners. Come for the amazing old fashions and elevated experience, stay for the amazing service.

We have really appreciated our servers with each visit but wanted to take a moment to thank Daniellis and Kalli for going over and above to make sure our experience was worth 5 starts!

I’m sure all staff members are equally as amazing and I look forward to coming back here in the future

Excellent. Our server recommended a fantastic build your own old fashioned and we wrapped up with flights which included detailed tasting notes. Can't wait to come back!

Bourbon central in Calgary - vast selection. Superbly trained and knowledgeable bartenders/servers. Cocktail menu is fantastic and food is complimentary, too. The atmosphere is great for a late night dinner or just drinks. Central location next to the Calgary tower, Stephen Ave and transit. Short walk away from Saddledome/Stampede grounds.

Had the “premium Bourbon Flight” at One18 on Sunday. It was so delicious and presentation was sophisticated. Our table ordered the truffle fries and charcuterie board. Both were next level. Ben was a fun & charming server and knew the menu and drinks well.

Great hotel bar, cocktail menu was extensive, pricing was higher but to be expected in the lobby of the Marriott. The crispy chicken sandwich and kale caesar were excellent.

I called one18 empire to book a reservation for my birthday dinner and asked for the patio. The lady I was speaking to said it is usually not available (which would’ve been fine) but she said she would ask her manager if there’s anything that can be done and get back to me. She thought she had put me on hold but didn’t and I could hear her conversation with a manager and another employee. She was saying things along the lines of “I told them I’d ask but I’m not going to, I know we can’t do it”, laughed about it and proceeded to tell other people the same thing. She then came back on the line saying she asked her manager and that’s when I stopped her, letting her know I heard everything she was saying and to actually make sure she puts people on hold next time she wants to lie.

Does this happen here every time someone tries to book a reservation? We were actually excited to check this place out but I will not be recommending this place to anyone I know.

I threw my boyfriend a surprise 30th birthday party in the semi-private lounge space at One18Empire and I cannot say enough incredible things about our experience. Everything was PERFECT! From the beginning, I was in contact with Anna Jedrzejczyk and she was the kindest, most accommodating person to work with and she would answer any questions I had through the phone and email so promptly. Any suggestions or requests I had, Anna respected them and honoured them with kindness. She was so incredibly helpful leading up to the event, she helped work the event (and all the guests who met her spoke so highly of her), and she also stored everything in her office until the next day when we were able to pick it up. The drink and appetizer menus were absolutely perfect for our group and everything came together more smoothly than I could have ever imagined. Thanks to Anna and One18Empire, I would suggest this venue to anyone planning a special event! I highly recommend celebrating here and I will most certainly be booking again some day!

Food was great along with drinks. But the filipina lady running the food is ruining the whole experience. She has no customer service skill, shes rude, she doesnt explain what she brings us.it was our first time, she brought us 3 plates which we didnt know what they were. I asked her if she could explain me, and totally made me feel like im stupid to ask. I very much dislike her and wouldnt want to be served by her. Shes far from positive for the business.

One18 Empire

Another weekend, another brunch. This time at a spot where we’ve never been to before. However ever since I’ve heard that they serve Brant Lake Wagyu 100% halal حلال beef, I wouldn’t wait.

Brant Lake Wagyu Hash Eggs Benny
Taste:
Now this is how you cook a perfect eggs Benny. They were poached perfectly (unlike another place been to before) and the beef, potato and hollandaise combination was great. The beef was more like pulled beef and it worked very well with the potatoes. Only thing I might see would be that I would’ve preferred some kind of bread under the bennies.

Chef’s Special Croissant with Brant Lake Wagyu
Taste:
Now that’s how you make a perfect breakfast sandwich. It is offered with eggs and ham in the croissant but we substituted it with Brant lake wagyu beef since it is halal. This was a really good combination and the croissant was gone in seconds.

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Breakfast hit the spot! Very tasty, good portions and great atmosphere. The waiter was friend and service was quick. Picture of meal is the brazen beef.

If you are interested in having an "old-fashioned" drink in a multitude of variations and that is smoked then look no further. They claim to have 1000 variations and the presentation of making them in from of customers is second to none They have a limited menu of high-quality food. It's a must-try if you're a fan of old fashion drinks.

Really nice environment, our server was great and it wasn’t too busy even during a flames game night!

Am in love with this place! You want to try whiskey? Come here! They smoke it.and you can customize it. Food is delicious. Service is amazing!

Our server was Oren and we were welcomed by Luke and they set the scene for an amazing night. Beyond excellent service, friendly, professional with some nice touches to a classy place. You are made to feel special and you will get great, quality service. I can't wait to go back.

Brunch is very tasty, the portions are a bit small for the price. The atmosphere, and environment is very nice. I recommend going for dinner more than breakfast.

I've been wanting to try out @One18Empire for the longest time, and finally got a chance to do so this past weekend.

We had a lovely family brunch with some pretty good food!

? ? ?:
ᴘɪʀɪ-ᴘɪʀɪ ꜰʀɪᴇᴅ ᴄʜɪᴄᴋᴇɴ ꜱᴀɴᴅᴡɪᴄʜ ($21) : Be warned.this is a huge sandwich! It comes with house-cut sea salt fries, house made piri-piri sauce, smoked sweet pepper aioli, pickled cabbage slaw on a brioche bun. We quite enjoyed this! The chicken was nice and crispy and well seasoned.

ᴏɴᴇ18 ᴋᴀʟᴇ ᴄᴀᴇꜱᴀʀ ($23) : The brown butter croutons are so so good! I was tempted to ask for them as a side: p! We added chicken to our salad and it was perfectly grilled. Great healthy option!

ᴏɴᴇ18 ʙᴜʀɢᴇʀ ($23) : Another huge burger! The patty is so fresh! They grind the meat in-house which is what makes it so fresh and yummy. I also loved the smoked cheddar, you could totally taste it!

* Partially compensated

Follow me on @WanderingInYYC for all things YYC!

Had a great Smokey Old Fashioned. Good service. Bit slow at seating. Staff was too busy visiting with staff off shift. Great service from the bar.

Whisky sour was amazing! Love this place, will be back!

Oh and try the cappuccino, life changing

Was in a bit of a rush.got my buger in a timely fashion. Especially grateful there was'nt the usual thing seen on a typical burger. No mustard, ketchup or relish. Very tasty, well made burger. Was'nt planning to write a review, so no pictures or better description.check their menu for the ingrediants. Yummy.

Neither my wife or I are particularly big Whiskey drinkers. In truth I’ve never really had a Whiskey I liked. But we choose this place on a whim for date night as it was close to Vertigo Theatre. We decided to try something we would not normally try and boy was it worth it.

First off the staff were fantastic. Our server Oren was a genuinely great guy. He helped us select drinks and made excellent food recommendations. It was still early evening so the place wasn’t super busy yet so he was able to devote a little extra attention to us and gave us some nice conversation along with the theatrics of the drink making. I wish more servers were like Oren.

Ok so for a guy who doesn’t like whiskey I was surprised. It was actually pretty good. So if I liked it I’m sure whiskey lovers will.

The food was unbelievable. We had the soft pretzel, popcorn and honey truffle chips to start. The French onion dip that comes with the chips was mind blowing. So good in fact we had the chef sub out the Dijon aioli in the burger for the French Onion dip. What a good call that was because that burger was out of this world. They should make that the standard burger.

Wish I could give more than five stars here. Will be back for sure.

The most amazing smoked old fashioned ever. Choose your sugar. Choose your bitter. Choose your whiskey. Choose your smoke. Bask in the ensuing glory.

Dine in dinner: chicken burger appears to be a solid choice in terms of value, taste and presentation. Everything else ordered had some shortcomings. Brussel sprouts, good but looks blasé. “Wagyu” Beef tartare; high expectations came up short when it was served over burnt toast and indiscriminate aioli sauce. Foie Gras Pate: good but only two pieces of oddly accompanied corn bread. Confit duck wings; all 5 pieces were drum sticks!

A setting that will exceed all your expectations. Great stuff, I highly recommend this place. Keep up the good work

Their patio is EMPTY. But they won’t let you sit on certain tables since they’re “reserved”. How does it make a difference when there’s NO ONE there? Was going to order a steak and have mojitos but went back after a couple of mojitos. Went to saltlik and here’s my $90 bill. You lost out

Taylor is the best server! So nice, accommodating and knowledgeable. We will for sure be coming back here because of her! Thank you thank you!

I came here not knowing what I wanted to drink. The waitress asked what I liked and then made me the best cocktail I've ever had. She made my friends the best smoked old.fashioned they ever had. I haven't even tried the food and already I live this place
*EDIT* I just had the breakfast here and OMG is it to die for. Service is incredible. Only one complaint is the smell of the restaurant and all over the hotel. Not sure what kind of cleaner they use but it's BAD.as soon as I walked in my whole face got red and prickly from this smell. It made me sneeze a couple times and then after a few minutes my throat started getting itchy. I've commented on this smell before at the Marriott, except last time the cleaner smelled like BO.now it smells like REALLY strong Static Guard. Not sure why you have to use such awful product. Never experienced this at any hotel, even after covid (when more places are cleaning way more).

Never got a chance to eat there. We made reservations to eat at the restaurant thinking we would get a table inside the restaurant like a normal dinner. Instead the restaurant was CLOSED and they set up some tables and a fold up bar at a neighboring roof with absolutely no communication or warning of this.

Incredible view and an awesome beef poutine served up. Excellent service and again the rooftop restaurant has an amazing view!

The food is great and the drinks are even better! One of the best places for an Old Fashioned! Lots of choices and they add their own spin by smoking the glass at your table.

Prices are on the higher end, but its downtown so sort of expected!

Excellent service, beautiful rooftop terrace and the food was delicious! For a green salad, the dressing was amazing and the burger on pretzel bun was also so good. Fun drinks and good vibes!

I hate to come online and say rude things but I had to warn people and advise them not to go to the dinner service. I’m not sure about breakfast, but because of my dinner experience here I really don’t know if I should spend my money here again. I went with 3 friends and all of us did not like the food whatsoever and overall everything was so salty. It felt as if they tried to make all the meals too fancy and the execution was definitely sub par.

Liked the delicious pancakes, the swest and fluffy French toast with natural orange juice in the heart of Downtown, Calgary on a very chilly (not so surprising) Sunday morning.

Kudos to the great staff

We were put on the waitlist and told to wait for 30-50 mins. Waited for 55 minutes and then were told they have no table for us.

My colleague and I came in for a nice meeting in your hotel lobby and were pleasantly surprised to find that not only could we have full service in the lobby of your hotel but that you have amazing staff regardless of the customer’s preference for seating! As a former restaurant operator, I must say, Rita is a keeper. She seemed genuine at all times and that is a special skill!
Thanks Rita, and if you believe in karma, it’s coming back to you in a huge way!

Tried the hamburger with cucumber salad. Burger was juicy and full of flavour. Bun was perfect. Cheese and bacon, deliscious. Tried a whiskey sour and the house special whiskey. Both were perfect. Highly recommend this place. Service was attentive. Everything is nice and clean.

One of the best hamburguers I have ever had. The whisky and the waitress recommendation were also fantastic. Compared to other restaurants, it was the best one along the whole week I spent there. Overall, it was a great experience.

Not as nice as pictures let believe. Menu is small. Not a lot of vegetarian options. Service is fine and place looks good. Over priced for the taste

Great food and great service. Was there for a KIJIJI AUTOS presentation, but was incredibly impressed by the food, service and place in general. Highly recommended.

Fabulous cocktails and highly varied selection of spirits. Fun adult games of creating your own Old Fashioned is always a good draw.

Outstanding whisky selection, interesting menu, servers always seem run off their feet, but service is good.

Great selection of cocktails and whisky. Steak is mediocre. Everyone that ordered a ribeye had to sit back and chew.

Amazing staff, delicious food and drinks, plus the ability to customize your own old-fashioned? What's not to love?

I had a good experience in this restaurant. The location and ambiance is fantastic. The meal was really good and the server was very kind. We went for lunch during the week and the kitchen worked fast so we had our food in just few minutes. It is a perfect place for all the people who works in downtown Calgary.

Rita is a great asset to your company. My colleague and I came in for a nice meeting in your hotel lobby and were pleasantly surprised to find that not only could we have full service in the lobby of your hotel but that you have amazing staff regardless of their preference for seating! As a former restaurant operator, I must say, Rita is a keeper. She seemed genuine at all times and that is a special skill! I hope my associate tipped her accordingly but i will be back to make sure!
Thanks Rita, and if you believe in karma, it’s coming back to you in a huge way

Really neat experience! Their bourbon knowledge is out of this world. Making our own old fashions was a fun and delicious. The service, food, drinks and history was amazing I will definitely be back.

Absolutely amazing whisky selection. Probably best in the city other than Buchanan’s.

When I have business guests in town I always take them here for their signature cocktail / the smoked old Fashioned. Not only can you choose the type of wood the glass is smoked with but also different bitters. Quite the experience.

They also make one of the tastiest burgers around.

One18 Empire located inside the Downtown Calgary Marriott Hotel is a must when staying near the area or just wanting to grab a drink. The bartender was more than friendly and made us feel like we were at home. A wide variety of food options and newly created drinks by its current staff, One18 Empire is a great restaurant to spend time with friends, family or just being able to relax. I would recommend any of the drinks of lunch specials. I will definitely recommend

I loved my Old Fashion night. Best in the world. Bar staff was knowledgeable and helpful. Great meat and cheese board. I will plan my next vacation around this bar.

Amazing place for a few reasons but go for the best bourbon and scotch experience in Calgary. Oh, food is very good, too.

Excellent cocktails very well prepared. Bartenders are super knowledgable and friendly. Nice subdued atmosphere. Love this lounge for pre dinner drinks. Really good and extensive whiskey and bourbon list.

A cool bar with very friendly & knowledgeable staff. Try one of the smoked whiskeys- very unique and tasty!

So glad we decided to try this spot. The bacon wrapped dates are to DIE for! Our food and drinks were just top notch. And our server Carlee was also so amazing, knowledgeable, very friendly and just made the experience even better!
We will 100% be back next time we're in Calgary.

I like One18 the food is good and I like the lunch menu. I wish they would make the lunch dessert something else, Yorkshire puddings doused in icing sugar are not very good. Also went to a mixer here and the floor plan is not great for mingling you get boxed into corners and it is difficult to move around

Food was good. Everyone enjoyed their meals, although not excellent considering the prices.
Had the Reuben sandwich with fries. The sandwich was good, but it seemed like they were trying too hard to make it more sophisticated than it needed to be. Fries were average - not crispy, couldn't really taste what was on them.
They were out of Last Best IPA on tap, so settled for their Empire Ale, which was good.
Was very nice and clean, with good decor. We were there in the afternoon, so was quiet. Had a nice table at the window which is good for people watching downtown.
I won't go out of my way to go back, but wouldn't refuse if that was the plan.

Large whiskey selection, old fashioned made table side on smoked wood of your choice and great appys

Always amazing. Food menu changes every once in a while and it makes us go back to see what’s new. Daniel and Meredith makes us feel welcome every single time we visit. The “other burger” is unbelievable.

Best old fashioned drinks anywhere! Service is always good and the rye, bourbon, scotch selection is fantastic. Seeing them roll the wooden barrel out as they make your customized old fashioned is worth going here.

The food here is AMAZING. I highly recommend the breakfast bowl. Unfortunately the prices are quite expensive. I’d love to go more often but my bank account would wither.