30 Best Restaurants in Calgary, Alberta

It's safe to say that the beef in Alberta is some of the best around, so if you're looking for the quintessential steak house experience while in town, this Calgary institution (started in 1972) is the place to dine for exceptional Alberta beef. While you're here, try the iconic Ceasar cocktail (like a Bloody Mary but with clamato juice), and perhaps that other iconic Ceasar, the salad which is made table-side.

Victor and Cathy Caracciolo opened Mercato 20 years ago and it has been a local favorite ever since. Mamma Cathy is still in the kitchen every day, whipping up delicious contemporary Italian fare for a constant stream of regular customers; try the family-style mixed grill or Mamma’s handmade gnocchi using the same recipe she learned from her own mama. There’s also a spacious market that sells cheese, meats, fresh-baked bread, handmade pasta, and ready-cooked meals to take home. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

An annual recipient of Calgary’s best restaurant award, River Cafe focuses on creating top-tier Canadian food, even going so far as to shun imported kitchen staples like pepper and olive oil. The stroll through Prince’s Island Park will whet your appetite and the beautifully woodsy dining room will get you in the mood for dining. Favorites include the wild boar, buttermilk pancakes with hazelnut whipped cream and dark chocolate, and picnic lunch you can enjoy along the bank of the Bow River.

Centrally located in the Design District and within walking distance of the Calgary Stampede, this diner-inspired eatery is a great place for a hearty breakfast or lunch. You can't go wrong with any of the traditional breakfast options including the numerous bennies, but classics like chicken and waffles or breakfast poutine are a good idea.

Another Calgary icon, Bottlescrew Bills is a second-generation family establishment that has been serving high-quality versions of classic pub food and an enormous selection of beer for more than 40 years. Daily specials and a generous happy hour only add to the fun; if you're feeling adventurous, try their unique riff on the traditional Caesar (a Canadian cocktail invented in Calgary) that includes a “prairie oyster.” If you’re in town long enough, you can try to fill your Around the World in 80 Beers passport.

An authentic cowboy restaurant with great Alberta steaks and terrific burgers, Buzzard's serves up good western food amid rustic country-style decor and cowboy artifacts. If you're feeling brave, this is one of the few places in Calgary where you can sample prairie oysters, otherwise known as bull testicles. The place is renowned for its annual "testicle festival." There's a sunny outdoor patio, and Bottlescrew Bill's Old English Pub next door serves Calgary's largest beer selection, including Buzzard's Breath Ale house brew.

What do you get when you blend a Top Chef finalist (Connie DeSousa) with aged Alberta beef and a custom-made Argentinian wood-fired grill? You get the excellent charbar, located in the East Village’s historic Simmons Building, which has quickly become one of Canada's best restaurants. The beef tenderloin is a favorite, as are the fugazza pizzas, which are also available on the roof-top patio with expansive views over the city.

Calgary's oldest restaurant started as a milk bar in the 1950s that served organic food before it was trendy; today it's best known for breakfast, which is served until 3 pm, but it’s a fine place for lunch and supper too. While this gem is not technically in Kensington, it's certainly worth the short walk.

Located in the turn-of-the-century home of RCMP Superintendent Captain Richard Burton Deane, this award-winning restaurant is an easy and delightful walk from Downtown. The restaurant specializes in contemporary Canadian fine dining, with some of the dishes based on archival recipes and photographs from Calgary’s Wild West past. The weekend brunch is delightful.

Deville brews direct-trade, small-batch coffee beans and serves fresh baked goods and other tasty breakfast and lunch items as well. There are four locations Downtown but only the Fashion Central Location, near Stephen Avenue Mall, is open on weekends.

The signature location of this upscale chain for years, the large and varied menu ranges from sushi to barbecue ribs, and almost anyone can find something they prefer. Portions are large, the food is quite good, and a generous happy hour inspires the locals to head to the bar or patio, depending on the season, for drinks.

A small all-day breakfast place that has been around for more than 30 years, the Galaxie Diner is a great option for a fair-priced breakfast (especially if you slept past noon). The decor is vintage diner, the staff is friendly and helpful, and you can have as many hash browns as you like.

Spacious and bright with large tables, Beltline’s Good Earth is a great spot to grab fresh-baked goods and as ethical and responsible a coffee you will ever find. This feel-good coffeehouse also serves fresh and nutritious sandwiches, soups, and salads. It's also just one of several locations in the greater Downtown area.

Always cozy and full of sunshine, Higher Ground has been the go-to coffee shop in Kensington for decades. They serve 100% organic coffee and tea, so you can feel good about quaffing a hot beverage while sampling one of their fresh-baked goods or all-day breakfast items (particularly the Tuscan Sunrise---a panini with egg, sausage, tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, and basil pesto).

Enjoy good food and drinks in a fun, casual atmosphere at this Eau Claire Market staple that has a loyal following among the locals. While they serve the usual Calgary fare---steaks, burgers, ribs, salmon---much of the menu is Asian-inspired: lettuce wraps, sushi, and a variety of rice bowls. There’s also a good selection of salads and more than a few gluten-free and vegetarian items. You can try much of the menu for less money during their popular happy hour.

The smell of Illy coffee and French baked goods makes La Boulangerie feel like a little slice of Paris in Cowtown. The cappuccinos and lattes are works of art, and the fresh-baked baguettes, pastries, and house-made crepes make this a perfect stop for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or to take a break from shopping.

Offering panoramic views from the top of an otherwise nondescript office building, Major Tom is one of Calgary's perennially popular and lauded restaurants, where reservations are essential almost year-round. The wide-ranging menu offers Alberta lamb and beef, but also excellent pastas, and perhaps the standout dish, a crispy roast chicken. Cocktails are taken seriously here, and the bar menu is longer than the food menu, including some interesting dessert cocktails. If you were ever tempted to try that 1970s favorite, the Grasshopper, this would be the place.

Named for the former dairy it now inhabits, Model Milk serves upscale comfort food (think burgers, fried chicken, and roasted cauliflower) beneath chandeliers made of glass milk bottles and brick walls, concrete floors, and steel beams that recall the building’s industrial heritage. This trendy restaurant has been on every best restaurant list since it opened in 2011; don't miss the small plates to share like the Savoury Fry Bread and Organic AB Beets. Some Sundays, the chef whips up prix-fixe three-course meals served family-style.

When in Calgary, do as the Calgarians do and enjoy the bounty of the land. Alberta is famous for its beef, and this restaurant has perfected the fine art of steak; they only serve fresh, ranch-specific Alberta beef, and they grill it at 1800ºF to make the outside crispy and the inside juicy. The menu also offers Alberta rainbow trout and seafood options, and a couple of vegan options. Dine upstairs for a more formal setting, or downstairs in the cocktail lounge for a more casual experience. Wednesday is date night, so two can wine and dine for C$80.

This is not your average diner as OEB offers creative riffs on brunch classics—try the Get Shorty Philly Rib poutine or the cold-smoked salmon scram-blette—in a hyper-modern setting. Locals know to use the Yelp app to check wait times and have your name put on the waitlist.

Original Joe’s is a local favorite that has been part of the Kensington scene for decades. Recently renovated, it boasts a bright and fun pub atmosphere with one of the best patios in town. Classic pub fare served by some of the friendliest servers you will ever meet.

Located in the historic Simmons Building, the café at Phil and Sebastion's headquarters is the perfect stop before or after a stroll along the RiverWalk. Pop in for a caffeine fix and a pastry from Sidewalk Citizen Bakery or something more substantial, like one of their Middle Eastern--inspired breakfast and lunch items. The space is also home to their roasting facility, which you can peer at through floor-to-ceiling windows; tours of the space are occasionally offered.

If you’re looking for authentic Neapolitan pizza, look no further than Pulcinella, one of only a few Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani--certified pizzerias in North America. Chef Domenic Tudda, whose parents owned an Italian restaurant in the same location for decades, trained in Naples, and locals rave about the pizza, as well as the fabulous wine list, calamari fritti, and caprese salad.

Inspired by the natural surroundings of Prince's Island Park, on Bow River, this restaurant has the look of a fishing lodge. The exquisite regional Canadian cuisine includes Northwest Territories caribou, British Columbia oysters and Pacific salmon, Alberta Black Angus beef, and Alberta lamb. The wine list has earned Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence since 1997. With 24-hours advance notice, the restaurant can prepare you a picnic basket to enjoy in the park.

An izakaya is the Japanese version of a British pub or a Spanish tapas bar, and this one is extraordinary. The vibe is Tokyo underground and though it’s authentic Japanese fare, the specialty here is grilled meats and vegetables, particularly yakitori (skewered chicken). Creative cocktails and a nice selection of sake and Japanese whiskey round out the experience.

Always bustling, this popular bakery has delicious pastries, excellent sourdough bread, and good sandwiches. You can even order a Phil and Sebastian coffee to go with your breakfast or lunch, bypassing the even longer lines there.

A local favorite for high dining, the elegant Teatro is in an old bank building on Olympic Plaza, where classical features blend with contemporary decor to create an exquisite setting for fine Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Specialties include numerous antipasti, pizzas from a wood-burning oven, pastas, and risottos---try the lobster and scallop lasagna. Teatro’s wine cellar is in the former bank vault, which houses 10,000 bottles of the very best Bordeaux and Italian red wines.

Named after a 10-foot replica of the 1930s comic character, which you’ll meet on the way to the washroom, this fresh veggie-centric eatery offers family-style dining in an airy space enhanced by lush green plants. This is not your average salad shop as Chef Steve Smee’s talents in the kitchen have earned Ten Foot Henry’s a spot as one of the top 50 restaurants in Canada. Sit in front of the open kitchen and try the warmed tomatoes and herbs on sourdough toast and the vegetarian cacio e pepe pasta. Meat eaters can rest easy, as the menu includes numerous seafood options and, yes, a steak.

Fine artwork adorns the brick walls of this bright and charming French-style café perfectly blending old and new; there's a great Euro-vibed patio for summer dining. The daily brunch menu includes a blue crab bennie and a truffle mushroom omelet, but there are also plenty of delicious vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free items. Late afternoon Happy Hour features half-priced bottles of wine.

This award-winning restaurant offers creative riffs on bistro favorites in a bright, airy space. Breakfast is served every day, with an excellent brunch buffet on the weekend, and you won’t regret the chef’s five-course dinner special.