Betty Lou’s Library – A Unique Speakeasy in Calgary

Coolest Bar in Calgary?

A little bit ago we had the chance to join some friends and visit Betty Lou’s Library, one of the most unique and cool local night out venues in all of Calgary. We had heard it mentioned before in places that King Calgary needed to check out, but we had never noticed it in any of our night out adventures. Even though we had a vague idea where it was located down on 17th ave near Tomkins park, we had not once ever seen a sign for it. Turns out that this wasn’t by accident and it is actually part of the charm of the place.

Cool Retro Speakeasy

Betty Lou’s Library is a Speakeasy. A throwback to the days of alcohol prohibition where night clubs and taverns all went into hiding or underground, tucked away from the limelight and peering eyes of law enforcement, and only accessible to those in the know. A vague location, a hidden door, a secret knock, a password, these were all common attributes of a speakeasy bar back in the day and Betty Lou’s recreates this mystique very well.

Calgary’s Hidden Gem Nightclub

I won’t go into detail on the location, you can find it listed elsewhere, but I think the vagueness of it adds to the charm and I certainly won’t be the one to ruin that for you, but suffice to say that if you head down to 17th Ave SW entertainment district, near Tomkins Park, you are in the vicinity. From there you will find this cool Calgary bar concealed in the basement of a nondescript or marked building just out of the way. The doorman will provide you with your password or you may have received it when you booked your reservation, either way you will need it to get inside. Sort of a neat touch having a nightclub that doesn’t have a wide open or revolving front door of patrons going in and out all evening.

Best Date Night in YYC

Inside the club you will find an extremely tastefully and retro decorated tavern. The furniture, lighting, seating, and décor are all period correct and this place could easily double as a movie set. No bright LED lighting, no cookie cutter table and chair seating, nobody out on the town dressed in their work clothes or just hanging out at the bar. The crowd is all dressed up a bit, celebrating the evening out and some even wearing outfits that match with the interior and theme of the Calgary club. Truly adds a massive boost to the atmosphere having a classy crowd of patrons who are there to enjoy the vibe.

Calgary Live Music

Now, Betty Lou’s is also a Jazz Bar. There is a band playing Jazz in the middle of the room for the majority of the evening. King Calgary loves live music. Like so much so that I am one of the few people I know who regularly travels to see artists who I enjoy. (sometimes around the Province, sometimes across Canada, and sometimes even to another country to catch a show). Also, my musical taste is a little varied and unusual. However I am not a big Jazz guy, in fact it is probably the one genre of music that I have yet to gain a full appreciation of. (I’m sorry). Nevertheless, the band this even was banging. They played a lot of improvised and free flowing music that just sort of wandered and went wherever the energy from the crowd and the musicians felt it was going. That in itself was a very cool thing to experience and I am sure anyone with a taste for jazz would have just melted at how good it was.

Cocktails are ART

This Calgary Club is a true cocktail bar. The drink menu was a list of exotic and custom made cocktails, each one wildly different and exclusively crafted. Prices are not cheap, but these are not the type of drinks you order when you are going for quantity over quality, these are almost artistic creations. Of course King Calgary decided to work his way down the entire drink menu trying one of each over the course of the evening. They were all great, I actually couldn’t even pick a favorite due to how unique each flavor was from another. The best cocktails in Calgary so far.

Unique Place To Go in Calgary

Several members of our group of drinkers and diners ordered food. The menu was similar to the cocktails in that each item was a unique creation and something that you definitely wouldn’t find on any traditional pub menu. Each choice a distinctly different creation using premium ingredients combined in a rare way as if to be gastronomical art. Much classier menu than my usual taste in Calgary restaurant fare. The group clearly approved as each food item ordered was passed around for all to sample and followed by immediate conversation and audible reactions from those who took a bite.

Calgary Bar Reviews

Overall, my review of Betty Lou’s Library is that it is thus far the most unique and cool nightlife experiences King Calgary and friends have enjoyed in Calgary so far. The atmosphere in its entirety is so cool, the enthusiastic and classy crowd of patrons, the remarkably unique food and cocktails, they all stand out above the many competitors in the competitive night club scene. I know it’s unlike me to not list a few negatives or critiques, so I will do my best to think of something……. The place is classy, so its not inexpensive. Of course parking in this part of the Beltline is hell, that’s not a reflection on the venue but it’s a consideration when going. That’s about all I can say to try to not sound too overly impressed with what they have created here.

King Calgary is looking forward to a busy and active 2023. We already have several night out events planned with friends, a dozen concerts already planned to attend across Canada, and we are actively looking for more. I will try to do more reviews and promotion of local small businesses this year, I love shopping local and helping to spread the word about cool places and local stories. As alwasy, reach out to us if you have a suggestion of a place we should go or want to hit us up with an invitation to your event or venue. ~ KING CALGARY