What Are The Best Places To Eat In Calgary?

[Rifleman]

I got to talking about this the other day with friends. If a person was visiting Calgary for the first time, what are the top ten places you would recommend they try? For myself, I would recommend:

1. Vintage Chophouse - Good, but expensive. Family of 4, the bill will run ya about $200, without alcohol. Their steaks are the best Calgary has to offer.

2. Calgary Tower Restaurant - More for the atmosphere than the food, although the food is pretty good too, but nothing out of this world.

3. Catch - I've heard some east coasters say it was the best seafood they had, even beating out places in Nova Scotia. Their Tempura Shrimp is amazing.

4. The Metropolitan Grill - This is one of the less expensive places, but I really like their atmosphere, and almost everything I've had on their menu is above average. I really like their Coconut Shrimp.

5. Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus - I just had this today. It's pricey for pancakes, but it's something very different, that you can't really get anywhere else in Calgary.

6. Kim Anh Subs - This is that little sub place on 17th Ave and around 5th or 6th street. They have all the other sub places beat in terms of the great taste of their subs. A lot of people like that Thi Thai place across the street from Kim Anh, but I disagree. There are quite a few people who say the Vietnamese subs here are unlike anything you can get in other cities, so if you're in Calgary, you need to try a Vietnamese sub.

7. Singapore Sams - Get the Ginger Beef for sure, because they cook their Ginger Beef differently in other cities.

I can't think of #8 to #10. What would be your suggestions?

[ikaris]

I've had the steaks at Vintage Chophouse, and while good, the steaks at Ceasar's Steak House are the best in Calgary IMO.

EDIT: and I would say that the Vietnamese sub place across the street from the Harry Hayes building is the best.

[IgnitedSoul]

Peter's Drive-In!

Tim Horton's!

The Saddledome!

...Sorry, no serious suggestions at the moment.

[Ruttiger]

If you're looking for pizza.....Atlas Pizza. Seriously.

[Bobblehead]

Is the Tower Restaurant open again?

[underGRADFlame]

For breakfast - Galaxy Diner

[Dion]

Leo Fu's - Great Szechuan and Mandarin cuisine

[redforever]

Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus doesn't do it for me and if this type of food is not available elsewhere in Calgary, it is fine with me.

[troutman]

John Gilchrist's reviews:

http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/johngilchrist.html

Mrs troutman and I love Raw Bar.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...bca9d0&k=29221

In 2002, the first year that enRoute delivered its verdict, Calgary's Catch received top national honours. It was a huge boost for them and a perfect notice to the rest of the country that Calgary's food scene was hot stuff.

We haven't placed a local restaurant in the gold-medal position since, but with the bumper crop of new restaurants arriving in the past year, we have two in enRoute's 2006 top 10 announced yesterday in Montreal -- including Capo at No. 2. The singular focus of chef Giuseppe Di Gennaro, the tiny Inglewood restaurant excels with rich flavours and precise service. (Note: I've also dined at Nu, this year's Vancouver-based winner, and I'd say the two restaurants are very close in quality.) Capo is well deserving of its ranking.

Placing 10th on this year's list is Saint Germain, the earnest and creative Canadian-French restaurant attached to the Hotel Arts. The food I've had here has been excellent, and if there are better dessert chefs than Karine Moulin in our area, I don't know who they are.

The four Calgary places to make the Next 25 (in alphabetical order) are:
- Alexis Bistro (4824 16th St. S.W., 214-3616), a creative, contemporary French restaurant tucked into an Altadore strip mall.

- Mercato (2224 4th St. S.W., 263-5535), a lively, noisy, contemporary Italian restaurant that has quickly overtaken the market it resides within.

- The Tribune (118 Stephen Avenue Walk S.W., 269-3160), featuring Chef Andrew Keen's "forgotten food," including pressed duck and house-cured ham in a historic, exposed sandstone building.

- Velvet at The Grand (608 1st St. S.W., 244-8400), the revitalized lobby of the Grand Theatre providing a contrasting backdrop to chef Shane Swiss's contemporary Canadian cuisine.

[onetwo_threefour]

Notwithstanding the e coli thing, one of our favourites is still the Wildwood. The variety on the menu is usually great, and while expensive, it's not ridiculous.

Il Sogno has great Italian food in Bridgeland, but watch out for the chef's special, you may have to mortgage your house.

I just tried a place called Alloy I had never heard of a couple of weeks ago. It's about two blocks east of Macleod on either 39th or 42nd Ave (I don't remember which because I wasn't driving that day). The atmosphere is kind of cool, it's like a 50's living room. The food was quite good as well.

[SebC]

La Vienna for italian food...

[me_dennis]

for pizza, the best pizza hands down is vogglio d'pizza on 14th street just off of 17th ave SW.. it's next to the phils restaurant.. there is a huge thread on beyond.ca with 30 some pages of rave reviews.. i finally had a chance to try it out last week, and it was by far the best pizza i've ever eaten.. the toppings are made from the freshest produce and high quality meats..the mexicana on thin crust is a must try! taco beef, cheese, lettuce tomatoes, fresh avocados, topped with a refried bean sauce.. the toppings are packed on too! 4 slices and i was done!
the owner Luis is very nice and he's so greatful for the many customers that have tried his place just from hearing it by word of mouth.. i definately recommend everyone try it out!

here is the menu for those who are interested:


and here's some pictures

[octothorp]

After several people here had recommended it, I took my wife to St. Germaine for our most recent anniversary. We were both in agreement that it was the best meal that we've had in Calgary. For a fancy date dinner, it was just perfect.

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by redforever

Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus doesn't do it for me and if this type of food is not available elsewhere in Calgary, it is fine with me.

In Vancouver they had De Dutch and I never used to like that type of food either, but since being taken to Pfanntastic a few times in Calgary, it has grown on me. For one thing, most other breakfast options in this city are monotonously the same... I haven't been impressed with any of the other breakfast options in Calgary, including Diner Deluxe.

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by troutman

John Gilchrist's reviews:

- Mercato (2224 4th St. S.W., 263-5535), a lively, noisy, contemporary Italian restaurant that has quickly overtaken the market it resides within.

When visiting the Mercato, I am always amazed at the number of people who are downing a bottle of wine with their lunch on a work day. I think after a pasta dish and a half bottle of wine, there is no way I'd be able to do anything but curl up under my desk and nap.

[FanIn80]

- The Living Room (on 17th SW)
- The Ranche (by Fish Creek)

[Kipper is King]

Here's my top 10:

1.Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus- My fave overall place to eat breakfast. It has great variety, and the quality is consistently good. The staff is friendly, and the coffee is great too (It comes with a gingerbread cookie! Nice touch)!

2. (Tie) Glory of India/Moti Mahal- My dad and I love Indian food, and after trying nearly every place in the city, we think these two are the best. The food is soooo flavorful!

3. Globe Fish- This little place in Kensington (There's a second location somewhere else too) has eye popping sushi! The presentation is amazing, but the freshness is great too, and the prices are reasonable for the quality.

4. Salt n' Pepper- Stellar Mexican food (at least by Canadian standards). It's filling and delicious. I always say you can judge a Mexican restaurant by it's refried beans and tortillas, and Salt n' Pepper does the best job of those essential components of Mexican cuisine in Calgary!

5. The Italian Store- This little store up by the airport has a great selection of Italian food and kitchen gadgets to buy, but it also has stellar lunches of pasta, eggplant, salds, veal, and the list goes on. Yummy! The prices are reasonable too!

6. Pulcinella- This place in Kensington isn't your typical pizza joint. It's one of the few places in Western Canada you can get an authentic Naples style pizza. The blazing hot wood burning oven adds a wonderful charred flavour. The downside is that this restaurant is not cheap.

7. Smuggler's- Sometimes I feel like STEAK! Smuggler's fits the bill for me, but it's outdated. This pick of mine will arouse controversy among CP's beef lovers for sure.

8. Jimmy's A & A- A little Middle Eastern coner store with stellar shwarma and a mind blowing selction of various appetizers, breads and dips. Just thinking of the store makes me drool.

And the last two are coffee places...

9. Bumpy's- This coffee shop downtown has been voted as having the best espresso in a city on a couple occasions. What also sets it apart is the wicked breakfasts (Good oatmeal with tons of toppings to choose from, and crispy, delicous breakfast pannani that put Egg McMuffins to shame!) and the fun atmosphere.

10. Caffe Artigiano- This cafe has awesome coffee, and they do beautiful latte art. The atmosphere is hip, and the prices are comparable to Starbucks, but the coffee's a million times better.

I also follow John Gilchrist's reviews, and I really reccomend his two books. I highly disagree with his liking of Mercato, though. I find it to be an overpriced place for yuppies.

[Kipper is King]

Originally Posted by fotze

If you want a wicked italian market, go to Scarpones up toward the airport. Just went yesterday, all the wicked italian market stuff but SOOOO cheap.

That's The Italian Store I mentioned. It's associated with Scarpone's.

Great minds think alike!

[ricoFlame]

ric's grill, great food, the right bend of casual atmosphere and fine dining.

My new favorite is the bears den in bearspaw. a little pricy, but the skimp on nothing. great place.

[narbeZ]

+3 on Scarpone's for lunch.

When I lived in calgary when I went to school every month I would make a habit of going to one small hole in the wall italian place that is REALLY excellent. Not as good as my moms but I found it to be the best I could get without being at home!

Sandro's Pizzeria

Ive tried many of the other italian restraunts around town most of them being both too expensive and not as good.

I still think this place is relitivly unknown in calgary but I always need a reservation ahead of time to find a seat.