17 Best Restaurants in Calgary, Alberta

Well known among local foodies as one of Calgary’s best chefs, it's unsurprising that Chef Duncan Ly has created one of the city’s best restaurants, which serves up some of the best pan-Asian food you will ever eat. Try the Mama Ly’s Pork & Shrimp Imperial Rolls and the Steelhead Trout Cha Ca La Vong (Steelhead trout with scallion rice noodles, dill, turmeric, and chili shrimp paste), though it’s hard to go wrong with anything on the menu.

Victor and Cathy Caracciolo opened Mercato 15 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.

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.

Calgary's oldest restaurant started as a milk bar in the 1950s serving 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. 

The Tin Palace has been the signature location of this upscale chain for years and with a large and varied menu that ranges from sushi to BBQ ribs, almost anyone can find something they prefer. Portions are large, but 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 25 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 coffee house 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).

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.

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 roasted Alberta carrots or the house pickles or cabbage chips. Some Sundays, the chef whips up prix-fixe three-course meals served family-style. 

Although Calgary is 500 miles from the nearest salt water, Modern Ocean manages to serve up mighty fine seafood---Hawaiian ahi tuna is a local favorite, as is the BC halibut. The sister restaurant to Modern Steak, Modern Ocean provides diners with the same upscale experience in a sublime dining environment. Sustainability is also on the menu: their seafood is ethically caught or farmed in Canada. It's a great place to dine for a special occasion.

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. 

Named after a ten-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. A weekend brunch is served from 11 am to 2 pm.

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. Menu items range from the Vendome Caprese to delicious shared plates like truffle puffs or sauteed pea shoots to steamed mussels. There are also plenty of delicious vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free items.