Unique dinner options in Calgary, AB

September 13, 2020 3:41 PM

Spending two nights in Calgary, Alberta. Looking for unique or special places to go for dinner. Very sad to see ANJU has closed its doors. In the past I have enjoyed Calcutta Cricket Club, Deane House, and Hayden Block Barbecue, but we are looking to try a couple of new places on a Friday and Saturday night. I'm pregnant, so bars are mostly out. Fine dining is fine but not necessary; looking for a date-type ambience or cool immersive experiences. My travel companion and I are both adventurous eaters and like all types of cuisines, but pregnancy seems to have turned me off red meat.
posted by unstrungharp to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

You might like either Native Tongues, a high-end taco restaurant from the same people who run Calcutta Cricket Club, or Foreign Concept, which is a fancy fusion place.

If you like vegan/vegetarian food, then Alium, a co-op vegan restaurant or Ten Foot Henry might be good - they're both small, with sharing-style meals.

A1 Bodega has a good variety of selections, and a really nice atmosphere.

These are all pretty much on one block of 1st St SW, so you could probably walk past them and check them all out pretty easily - I haven't had any trouble getting a table without reservations lately, for presumably-evident reasons.
posted by sagc at 3:48 PM on September 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

For the high end side of things, River Cafe. I've always really enjoyed their food and you can't beat their location right on Princes Island. And if you're lucky with a warm, beautiful fall day, the patio is lovely.
posted by My Kryptonite is Worry at 4:22 PM on September 13, 2020 [3 favorites]

Vero Bistro in Kensington is a hidden date-night gem. If you liked Deane House, you might also like Flores and Pine. Only potential problem is that it's on the far north-northwest edge of the city, so it might not fit into your itinerary all that well unless you're planning to do something in K-Country or Banff.
posted by blerghamot at 8:48 PM on September 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

In addition to Foreign Concept and River Cafe, I'd recommend Bonterra, which does nice contemporary Italian (especially if you can still get on their lovely courtyard patio) and Model Milk.
posted by Superilla at 10:29 AM on September 14, 2020 [2 favorites]