My Top 10 List of Fine Dining Spots in Calgary

Tribune - Tribune opened up a year ago and has been packing people in from the beginning. Featuring Calgary’s hippest lounge and the best cocktails in town (not to mention the best bartender…Lee Pepic) you will never be disappointed whether you are coming in for a few drinks…or heading to the formal dining room downstairs. Both spaces are extremely comfortable and offer excellent service. The food is classical, old world, it can be light, it can be heavy…you can fill up or peck away lightly. I love the menu and Chef Andrew Keen has done a great job. In addition to all this, Garth Brown is growing the wine selection by leaps and bounds. One thing they do that is really cool for customers is offer either a 3oz. or 6oz. pour by the glass. If you just want a little sip of something you have the option. I wish more places did something like this for their customers. There’s not much to complain about when it comes to Tribune. Highly recommended.

Brava Bistro - Brava Bistro continues to be one of Calgary's sexiest spots for a high quality dining experience. The room is laid out wonderfully and the serving staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The goal of Brava Bistro is to provide customers with a fine dining experience that does not cost a fortune. The food shows strong Asian influences but ranges from "French inspired wine country cuisine with some twists on traditional North American fare" to "Modern Mediterranean". It seems as though every dish is something to be shared. You will definitely be picking from your friends plates because everything looks so good! Besides the diversity in the food menu the wine list offers a large number of "by the glass" selections at prices that are reasonable. The wine list overall is quite good with value for your money ranging from "okay" to "excellent". I really enjoy the fact that I can come here and spend anywhere from thirty to a few hundred dollars for a bottle of wine. This range in price and quality ensures there is always something that will appeal to every diner. Brava Bistro is definitely worth experiencing either with a group of friends or with someone special.

Divino - Divino is such a great place to eat, mingle, and enjoy a few good friends. They offer the best selection of cheeses in Calgary, a fantastic wine list that compares favorably to any other restaurant (put together by coolest sommelier ever, Brad Royale) and excellent food. The applewood smoked ribeye would make the most militant vegan rethink their stance and the mussels are as juicy as anything you may have seen in an x-rated movie! The menu offers exceptional variety with many old world influences. If you’ve never had lobster cannelloni…get your butt down there. One other thing I really enjoy about Divino is that even though it is certainly fine dining I never feel out of place dressed a little more casual. It’s a great happy medium of shirts and suits. The only issue with Divino is that I sometimes find their service to lack. Certainly not in the wine, but in the general server type of things. Other than this issue Divino is consistently money well spent. I even get cravings for the double smoked bacon flatbread. Damnnnnnn good! Be sure to check out their wines by the glass.

Living Room - The best date spot in Calgary with the second best patio also brings some seriously delicious food to the table. Their fondues are the perfect sharing food and the beef tartare can't be touched by any Calgary steak house. There is so much to choose from you will need your appetite and then some. In addition to the food and electric atmosphere the wine and cocktail lists are excellent. The Living Room can lay claim to inventing the Shaft...a drink of chilled espresso, kahlua, vodka, and milk. This is the ultimate "pick me up" cocktail and is sucked back with a straw in a single gulp. You have been warned! The only thing that bugs me about the Living Room is the temperature of the space. It is always seems too warm and the red wines tend to suffer a bit from this. Other than this one little nitpick there is no reason not to go and enjoy an evening with Cliff and the gang!

Teatro - If you are looking for high end Italian food and a wine list that will blow you away this is your place. Their food takes influences from Northern Italy and is always coordinated with what is "in season". Teatro's Chef, Dominique Moussu, amazes with his artistry in the kitchen. The classic favorite of many a Teatro fan, the Seafood Lasagne, is still on the menu but how you could pass up the new additions brought by Chef Moussu is a mystery. In addition to the food, the main wine list is arguably tops in Calgary though it is expensive in places (The Belvedere's wine list is the only one that may exceed the quality and quantity of Teatro's). Besides the main list, Teatro's "wines by the glass list" is the best in Calgary and offers unmatched value. If the wine and the food do not completely impress you, the room itself will. Located in a restored 1911 bank building and featuring a wonderful art collection (featuring Canadian artists) the dining experience is complete. It is Calgary's finest dining room at this time.

River Cafe - The River Cafe uses the freshest ingredients from local producers (BC and Alberta) and there is a strong focus on dishes featuring seafood and game. It is a very unique experience for diners whether you go there for lunch, dinner, or brunch. Their food is always well prepared and they have an excellent wine list to match. Prices are fair and the surrounding atmosphere is beautiful. Located near Eau Claire Market, you walk across the foot-bridge leading to Prince's Island Park to get to the restaurant and after your meal a nice walk in the fresh air is always refreshing. The dining room is wonderful with rustic style chairs and tables and a large fireplace at one end of the room. The staff is courteous and always willing to assist with food and wine pairings. As with other fine dining restaurants the features are always exciting as Chef Scott Pohorelic and his team do a great job. Their commitment to quality is shown in an attention to detail that includes the baking of breads on-site on a daily basis.

The Belvedere - Still offers one of the best fine dining experiences in Calgary. The atmosphere is similar to something you would expect in a Manhattan restaurant. Staff are friendly and Scott Walker's food is delicious. The menu is continental in style (French influences abound) and offers an excellent variety of meat dishes (steak, chicken, pork, game) and seafood (fish, oysters, lobster, caviar). It will be interesting to see what Walker does with the menu given the chance. For a casual snack sit in the lounge which features fantastic martini's, a great wine list and an excellent assortment of appetizers. If you want a formal experience the dining room offers an extensive menu and excellent table service. Wherever you decide to sit, food prices are high but the quality is excellent. The things I like best about this restaurant are the extensive wine list, consistency of food preparation and menu features that are out of this world.

Murrieta's - Firmly established in downtown Calgary, Murrietta’s continues to attract a strong business crowd with their Westcoast style menu, expansive wine list and live music every Friday and Saturday. The dining room is located in an atrium setting and other than some bad acoustics is flawless. Service is always attentive and I have always found Murrietta’s to be an excellent spot for a business dinner. The lounge is also a super space for gathering with friends and enjoying great martini’s while sampling appetizers such as ahi tuna tartare tacos, lamb meatballs, or any of their flatbreads. Murrietta’s also has a small patio overlooking Stephen Avenue and provides a bird’s eye view of whatever action may be taking place below. A great spot to eat, drink, and enjoy a little dancing!

Bonterra Trattoria - Bonterra is my favorite Italian restaurant. A few people have told me that they have eaten here in the past and it was "okay but nothing special" hence I was in no rush to go. Maybe there was a time when Bonterra was not the restaurant it is today but right now they have it all. In addition to their top shelf food preparation they also have one of the best rooms given that it is located in a building that resembles a strip mall. The tacky neon sign does not help...but I digress. My only concern with Bonterra is their loss of Chef Nana Boateng. It will be interesting to see how their quality holds up. Their veal osso buco is the best I have had. The Sicilian calamari is the best calamari I have had. The chocolate pistachio cake is Heaven yet the panna cotta is Valhalla so take your pick....or have both. John Robarts continues to do a good job on the wine list and they have the BEST patio in Calgary! There are many reasons for you to try them out and it should not be missed. 

Buchanon's - Tucked in nicely downtown away from busy streets and buskers, Buchanan’s offers an elegant dining experience perfect for a business luncheon or some after work drinks. As a chophouse you would expect them to offer an excellent selection of wines, scotch, and other boozy assortments and they deliver in a big way. The wine list is not large but always packs a punch with some great selections by the bottle or by the glass. The selection of scotches is one of the best in Calgary and should not be missed. The room is simple, the service is good and there is zero pretentiousness in the room. In addition they serve Calgary’s best hamburger and for $12 you will not beat it. It must drive the chef a little crazy to have a chophouse menu and still serve all those medium rare burgers!