Calgary’s Winebar Kensington attacked and review bombed

The beloved Calgary eatery comes under fire from anti-mandate mob

Image of Winebar Kensington's patio via Facebook

After appearing on a Global News segment over the weekend to chime in on the impending announcement from the Alberta government to lift COVID-19 restrictions, the owner of Calgary’s Winebar Kensington recently became the target of a politically-charged mass review bombing.

Despite his perspective on Calgary’s reopening plan being relatively tame compared to the medical experts who were also featured on the news segment, Cam Dobranski reportedly received numerous emails and 1-star reviews stating that the Calgary restaurateur was endorsing medical segregation.

"Due to me appearing in Global National News last night Winebar Kensington is getting smeared with one star reviews from people saying I am endorsing medical segregation. I am just a business person wanting restrictions lifted as much as everyone else but in a safe manner," wrote Dobranski on a recent Instagram post.

Since sharing his story on Instagram, however, the Calgary food community has rallied to support Dobranski and just last night, Dobranski announced that Winebar Kensington had received more than 300 5-star reviews in the span of 24 hours.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Cam Dobranski (@chefcamd)

While it was certainly disheartening to see one of the city’s most acclaimed eateries come under fire from a vocal minority, the past few days have also served as an uplifting reminder of what Calgarians are capable of when they come together for a great cause. 

Winebar Kensington is open Sundays through Thursdays from 4 to 10 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 4 to 11 p.m.