Calgary's restaurant scene has expanded hugely in the past few years. Calgarians love eating out, and chefs are continually innovating using seasonal, local produce. Whether you're into high-end global small plates or no-nonsense steaks and burgers, there's a vast array of places to choose from.
The Calgary restaurants below have been hand-picked by our guide author and are grouped into three pricing categories:
Expensive (over C$65)
Moderate (C$45 to C$65)
Cheap (up to C$45)
These Calgary restaurant prices are for a three-course meal for one, including taxes but not tips or drinks. A tip of 15 to 20% is customary.
Expensive
Modern Steak
Cuisine: SteakLocally sourced Alberta beef and handcrafted cocktails are the name of the game at this upscale steakhouse. Sleek booths, hip tunes and low lighting make this an atmospheric spot to slice into tender meat cooked beneath a 1,000°C (1,800°F) infrared grill. Choose from wet-aged or dry-aged, grain-fed or grass-fed beef.
Address: Hillhurst, 107 10A Street NW, Calgary, T2M 4N7Telephone: +1 403 670 6873.
Website: http://www.modernsteak.ca
Teatro
Cuisine: ItalianThis smart Calgary restaurant occupies a restored 1911 bank building on Olympic Plaza. Teatro serves modern Italian cuisine featuring local, seasonal organic products, while all the breads and pastries are baked fresh on the premises. There's an extensive award-winning wine list; the wine cellar (housed in the original bank vaults) holds more than 10,000 bottles.
Address: Downtown, 200 8th Avenue SE, Calgary, T2G 0K7Telephone: +1 403 290 1012.
Website: http://www.teatro.ca
The Belvedere
Cuisine: CanadianThis stylish restaurant serves modern Canadian food based on local ingredients, with game and seafood featuring prominently on the menu. Elegant décor and flattering lighting add to the upmarket vibe and skylights provide a stunning view of the Calgary Tower above. The wine list is among the best in the city.
Address: Downtown, 107 8th Avenue SW, Calgary, T2P 1B4Telephone: +1 403 265 9595.
Website: http://www.thebelvedere.ca
Moderate
Anju
Cuisine: KoreanLiterally meaning 'food you eat with alcohol', Anju does just that, serving contemporary Korean fare that's supposed to be enjoyed with alcoholic drinks. Salty eats that might have you calling for beer include oxtail tortellini and wasabi nori nuts. Groups can pile into enormous platefuls of fried chicken and corn cheese fritters.
Address: Beltline, 344 17th Avenue SW, Calgary, T2S 0A5Telephone: +1 403 460 3341.
Website: http://anju.ca
Ten Foot Henry
Cuisine: North AmericanModern North American cuisine is served family-style at this hip eatery, meaning you can share plates with friends. Vegetables are at the root of every dish, be it yam tortilla, roasted carrot or whole roasted beet with a pistachio crema. That's not to say you can't enjoy meaty options too – try the spring salmon with chorizo and avocado.
Address: Beltline, 1209 1st Street SW, Calgary, T2R 0V3Telephone: +1 403 475 5537.
Website: http://www.tenfoothenry.com
charbar
Cuisine: ArgentineAn offshoot of popular downtown eatery CHARCUT, this trendy East Village hangout is housed inside the Simmons Building, a former mattress factory. The focal point is the Argentine wood-fired grill, but it's not all about meat. Veggie small plates include blistered provoleta cheese and charred napa cabbage salad.
Address: East Village, 618 Confluence Way SE, Calgary, T2G 0G1Telephone: +1 403 452 3115.
Website: http://www.charbar.ca
Cheap
Cibo
Cuisine: ItalianGreat-value Italian-inspired dishes draw a steady stream of diners to this Beltline restaurant, where you might chomp through bowlfuls of gnocchi or pumpkin ravioli. Save money during the afternoon pizza happy hour or come for a set-price lunch of pizza, salad and scodellina (small snack bowls).
Address: Beltline, 1012 17th Avenue SW, Calgary, T2T 0A5Telephone: +1 403 984 4755.
Website: http://cibocalgary.com
Silver Dragon
Cuisine: ChineseThis long-standing Chinatown establishment offers a traditional Cantonese and Szechuan menu featuring over 200 dishes, including delicious dim sums. You can pick your own live crab or lobster from a seafood tank and pair it with a variety of dressings such as green pepper and black bean sauce or spring onion and ginger.
Address: Downtown, 106 3rd Avenue SE, Calgary, T2G 0B6Telephone: +1 403 264 5326.
Website: http://www.silverdragoncalgary.ca
Sunterra Market
Cuisine: InternationalWalk into Sunterra Market and you might be tempted by the ground-floor grocery store selling produce and take-away meals. Head upstairs and you can grab an inexpensive lunch or dinner either from the counter (pizza, pasta, burgers etc) or in the sit-down lounge. The outdoor patio has BBQs in summer.
Address: Beltline, 200 12th Avenue SE, Calgary, T2G 1A1Telephone: +1 403 266 2820.
Website: http://www.sunterramarket.com
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