Calgary’s Best Eats
Whether you plan to visit Alberta’s largest city on vacation, are searching for homes in Calgary, or already live here, you’ll find plenty of great ways to feed your appetite. The CBC recently reported that there were over 5,900 restaurants operating in Calgary and the surrounding area in 2018, which means you have a lot of choices – and, they go way beyond meat and potatoes, although you can dine on that too.
We’ll help you narrow them down with this list of some of the very best.
River Café
This Calgary dining scene staple started the local and seasonal trend here over two decades ago.
Located inside picturesque Prince’s Island Park, it offers a continually changing menu to ensure only the freshest ingredients are used, with everything from oven-roasted fish and smoked cuts of quality meat, including exceptional Driview Farms lamb to vegetarian dishes.
Weekend brunch is legendary, while the sommelier wine selection features obscure gems from lesser-known producers.
CHARCUT Roast House
CHARCUT is probably not the best place for a vegan to go as it’s all about meat here – in fact, it’s the place to go for meat lovers in the city.
The name reflects its urban rustic cuisine, with CHAR referring to the restaurant’s custom-built charbroiler, and CUT coming from the vintage-style handcrafted charcuterie bar.
Co-chefs, John Jackson and Connie DeSousa prepare handcrafted charcuterie, rotisserie, and charbroiled meats and use locally-sourced ingredients, with everything from pig-head mortadella and sausage burgers on the menu.
It’s been a favorite among the locals since opening to critical acclaim in 2010.
View this post on Instagram
Rouge
Rouge has been around for nearly 20 years and continues to charm its loyal patrons with lots of local ingredients, including many from its own garden, and lovely setting in the historic Cross House filled with modern art.
The upscale eatery serves standouts like Poached Fogo Island Cod from Newfoundland paired with mussels and Alberta Lamb Cassoulet that can be complemented with an outstanding wine selection that includes some of the finest varietals available, frequently recognized by Wine Spectator magazine.
Try to save room for dessert with heavenly offerings like the Dark Chocolate Terrine served with Saskatoon berries and black sesame praline.
Oxbow
Oxbow is one of Calgary’s newer restaurants, located at the Hotel Arts Kensington along the Bow River.
The intimate dining room has a fireplace and offers a fabulous view of the kitchen if you like to watch your meals being prepared, with favorites like the duck wings, and the Smoke Alberta Bison Flank Steak for an upscale “steak and potatoes” kind of meal.
View this post on Instagram
There you have it – our picks for five of the best places to eat in Calgary. Whichever one you choose, you won’t be disappointed!
This is a contributed post.
Laura, I love your blog. The content, layout, recipes and travel articles are beautiful and useful. You have a way of sifting through information and offering the most essential culinary travel tips. Your site is useful and fun to read. I am looking forward to going on one of your self-guided food tours soon.
Thank you so much! Your comment totally made my day. 🙂