Penny Crown Tavern in Calgary Would Rival the Best in New York
Penny Crown Tavern. The best new restaurant in Calgary. Or is it a bar? Well, it’s right there in the name…it’s a tavern…but is that just a buzzword? Like how so many bars use “speakeasy” in their marketing (which, by the fact they are DOING marketing, makes it more than a little ironic)?
So, is it a tavern? What is a tavern? Let’s look at New York for a reference point.
McSorley’s Ale House, the oldest bar in New York, with sawdust on the floor, authentic war memorabilia still leftover from the war, is an ale house that feels like a tavern to us.
Red Hook Tavern, the spot on the corner that everyone now knows, and every single person in New York and beyond has heard of because of the burger.
Gramercy Tavern, the one Michelin loves (deservingly so).
Minetta Tavern on iconic MacDougal Street, across from the also iconic Comedy Cellar.
Fraunces Tavern.
White Horse Tavern.
Yankee Tavern.
William Barnacle Tavern. (Sadly now closed)
Yes, they’re everywhere, and we’re all jealous of New York for it.
They’re in Boston. In Philly. Sort of in Montreal. Toronto has a few genuinely authentic ones. Even if they’re called pubs, and obviously Europe is riddled with them.
But what’s the difference? What separates a tavern from a pub, a bar, a lounge?
Delmonico’s in NYC is usually cited as the first true American tavern, opening in 1827. Taverns weren’t just places to drink. They were places of refuge. Stops for travellers. Somewhere to eat, rest, gather, and warm up. Sometimes they had rooms upstairs. Sometimes stables out back. Alcohol mattered, obviously, ale, wine, spirits, but food mattered just as much. Simple food. Honest food. Bread, cheese, roasts, stews. A short menu. A point of view. Like you might see Frodo disappear at any moment.
Anyways. All of this is to say: the best tavern in Canada is modelled after the trendiest one in New York: Red Hook Tavern.
Red Hook Tavern sits on Van Brunt Street in Brooklyn. Dark wood. White tablecloths. A serious bar. A room that hums without shouting. It’s the kind of place where you can order oysters, a martini, a roast chicken, a steak, a bowl of pasta, or just a burger and fries, and none of those choices feel wrong.
The menu reads simple, almost conservative. That’s the trick. Shrimp cocktail. French onion soup. Fish and chips. A dry-aged New York strip. Pastas that feel slightly indulgent but still what you know as comforting. Dessert that leans nostalgic. It’s tavern food done with discipline and confidence.
And then there’s the burger.
The Red Hook Tavern burger has become one of those dishes. The ones you’re told you have to eat. Dry-aged beef. Thick. Juicy. Medium-rare. A lot of pepper. American cheese. White onion. No nonsense. Served with fries. It’s not trying to reinvent anything. It’s trying to be perfect.
I’ll get back to the burger.
Then there is Penny Crown Tavern in Calgary.
This isn’t a place pretending to be a tavern. It didn’t slap dark paint on the walls and call it a day. It lives in an old building. It’s carved into the basement. It’s slightly underground, the way taverns are supposed to be. You walk down into it. You don’t enter, you arrive. It feels like when they walked into the space, they didn’t think, this will be perfect for our tavern idea. They thought, this space has no choice but to become a tavern. And thank god they forced the thought.
The room is tight, warm, and layered. Brick. Pressed tin ceiling. A curved bar to see it all. Separate little pockets where conversations feel contained. Lighting that flatters martinis and faces. It already feels lived-in. Nothing about it screams for attention. It just exists confidently, which is the hardest thing to pull off.
This is New York tavern culture, but not cosplay. A packed bar that you can still sit at alone. A room that works for dates, for groups, for a long night, or just one drink that turns into three.
The food? Scallops with pepperoni butter. Mussels cocotte. Steak frites. Fried chicken. Gnocchi. Dishes that sound familiar until you eat them and realize how inventive they are.
You can start light or go heavy. Oysters and martinis. Or soup and bread. Or go straight into something rich and comforting. The pacing works. The food doesn’t rush you. Neither does the room.
And the drinks matter here. This is a martini-loving place. Cold glassware. Clean lines. Cocktails that respect classics. Ordering something simple doesn’t feel like a downgrade. It feels like the point.
Now. The burger.
The concept and vibe weren’t the only things modelled after Red Hook Tavern. So was the burger.
Smash burgers are everywhere right now. They’re thin, crispy, fast, and loud. They have their place. I love them. Everyone loves them. But places like this are reminding people what a real burger can be.
Red Hook’s burger is iconic for a reason. Penny Crown’s burger understands that reason and executes it in its own way. Beef that tastes like beef (and actually seasoned). Homemade American cheese that melts the way you want it to. A bun that knows its job is support, not distraction.
And for the record, I’ve been to both spots. Controversy incoming…
I prefer the Penny Crown burger…
They get their Lakeside Dairy beef sourced from sourced from Sturgeon Valley. Do I absolutely know what that means? No. But it’s important to shout them out and also note it’s an delicious burger. They MAKE THEIR OWN American cheese, which is the best kind of cheese for a burger, just so cool they make their own. You never see that. And then, it’s simply topped with caramelized onions (I don’t like onions and loved it here). The sauce? A simple Sauce Robert.
It’s a perfect “tavern” style burger.
I actually still love the Class Clown burger the most in Calgary. But it’s close. And when I’m on a date, or with friends, hoping for martinis and a burger surrounded by sides and apps, this is easily the best spot in the city, and for me personally, maybe in Canada.
I am not pitting taverns against each other here. This comparison isn’t about winners and losers. It’s a love letter. To Red Hook Tavern To Minetta. To Gramercy. To every real tavern across the world. And so Canadian of me, to tell the world that we can do it too. And the fact that Calgary now has an amazing one to call its own is worth highlighting.
And I know I don’t really need to say this, but yes...get the sticky toffee pudding.
AUTHOR: Hogan short
Follow me on Beli and see my ranked lists in every city I’ve been to!
Follow me on Instagram and see other stuff I get up to!
For more food stories like this, check out our weekly newsletter.
