Spruce Meadows is known for many things — it’s the site of many international equestrian show jumping tournaments, a widely attended annual Christmas market and the home of the Cavalry FC. And now, the sports and entertainment hub is also Calgary’s newest dining destination with a new restaurant and café to experience while you’re there.
The restaurant’s name, Foxtrot at Spruce Meadows, carries a few meanings. Firstly, it’s a type of gait a horse will perform (fitting for the restaurant’s equestrian surroundings). It’s also a nod to the two foxes who occupy the Spruce Meadows grounds, who can often be seen running through the fields.
“It comes with a lot of different meanings. It kind of explains who we are,” says restaurant director David Singleton. “We take our job and our craft seriously, but not ourselves, and I think the idea of the fox supports that whole brand message.”
Situated on the Spruce Meadows grounds inside a new building purpose-built for the restaurant, Foxtrot leans towards a casual atmosphere with a menu of global flavours, while still offering a refined and serene dining experience that will make you feel like you’re much farther out of the city centre than you really are.
The restaurant is designed to feel like a cozy chalet, with soft seating placed around fireplaces hanging from the ceiling and pops of colour sprinkled throughout elements like the glassware and wallpaper. With expansive windows and a patio overlooking the International Ring where show jumping is held, the restaurant is the place to be for viewing tournaments or just enjoying the scenery.
On the menu, the restaurant follows the same chalet-style theme, offering a variety of global-inspired dishes cooked using wood-fired ovens and grills that contribute to the atmosphere. From wood-grilled calamari with a charred pineapple and shishito salad to the restaurant’s signature rotisserie chicken cooked with a soy-butter glaze, Foxtrot offers comforting dishes with enough refinement to keep things interesting.
Along with the main restaurant, Spruce Meadows has also opened Café Foxtrot at Spruce Meadows, a new café in the same space that serves locally roasted coffee, pastries and sandwiches.
Both the restaurant and café are full-service establishments that operate beyond Spruce Meadows’ events, drawing diners to enjoy the facility’s gorgeous scenery year-round.
1200 Foxtrot Way W., 403-974-4292 (Foxtrot); 403-974-4295 (Café Foxtrot), foxtrotyyc.com