Each year, we ask Avenue readers to vote for their favourite restaurants in Calgary in our Best Restaurants readers’ choice ballot. These are some of their favourite places in the city.
Winner
River Café
River Café has been a Calgary staple for 35 years. While the restaurant’s dining room offers a cozy dining option year-round, the patio overlooking Prince’s Island Park provides a beautiful dining experience in the spring and summer. No matter when you visit, beautifully plated seasonal dishes made with local ingredients await.
25 Prince’s Island, 403-261-7670, river-cafe.com, @rivercafeyyc
Runners-up
Barbarella Bar
At Barbarella Bar, escape the daily hustle and bustle by indulging in coastal Italian cuisine. Delivering “sun-drenched flavours” directly to your table, Barbarella offers everything from small plates of 30-month aged prosciutto or crispy calamari to larger dishes such as pizza, pasta, roasted tiger shrimp and Atlantic lobster risotto.
240 8 Ave. S.W., 403-888-1658 (text only), barbarellabar.ca, @thebarbarellabar
Major Tom
This is a popular downtown destination, and it’s not hard to see why. Located 40 floors above Stephen Avenue, Major Tom offers spectacular views of the city during the day and evening. Have your pick of hors d’oeuvres like the potato doughnuts or the crab and shrimp roll before trying the restaurant’s beef program, which features Alberta Angus beef and A5 Wagyu beef.
700 2 St. S.W. (40th floor), 403-990-3954 (text only), majortombar.ca, @themajortombar
Klein / Harris
This restaurant showcases Canadian ingredients with plenty of style and flavour on Stephen Avenue. The warm and inviting setting beckons you in to dine on charred squid ceviche, chimichurri shaved Alberta beef, duck breast and more. Pair your meal with drinks like the K / H Caesar, which takes a classic cocktail to the next level.
110 8 Ave. S.W., 403-262-8100, kleinharris.com, @klnharris
Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar
Hy’s has been a Calgary staple for more than 70 years. Step into the sophisticated dining room for a quintessential steakhouse experience featuring dishes like oysters Rockefeller, beef Wellington, Prime Grade steaks and more. Make your evening extra memorable by ordering one of the dishes prepared tableside, including the steak tartare, steak Diane and bananas Foster.
The Core, 8 Avenue and 3 Street S.W., 403-663-3363, hyssteakhouse.com, @hyssteakhouse
Caesar’s Steakhouse + Cocktail Bar
For more than five decades, Calgarians have turned to Caesar’s as a place where you can mark special occasions and simply indulge in a night of excellent steak. From the steak sandwich to the ribeye to the steak Neptune, the menu is full of memorable dishes complemented by great service.
512 4 Ave. S.W., 403-264-1222, caesarssteakhouse.com, @caesarssteak
FinePrint
Located in the former home of the Calgary Herald on Stephen Avenue, FinePrint offers a cool nod to Calgary’s storytelling history with your night out. Menu items such as the Hokkaido scallops, lamb sirloin and seared duck breast demonstrate the restaurant’s commitment to providing a delicious and sophisticated dining experience.
113 8 Ave. S.W., 403-475-5655, fineprintyyc.com, @fineprintyyc