river cafe

pricey but worth it on the patio. the setting is great. the selection of appetizers and main dishes is very good. the wine list has much to offer. the service was excellent. i would go again.

ordered a picnic basket through sitp and was very disappointed in the food. veggies were rubbery and the chicken sandwich was average. won't bother trying the food at the restaurant if they can't even have fresh veggies in a basket.

b - list for now. a - list for the patio. b-list overall. a - list for the patio. rating 3 to 4. go for specific food choices, ambiance and service. the location is among the best in the city. the patio (with heat lamps) is superb from late spring to the golden views of fall. the chefs do a very good to outstanding job of their signature dishes. some of the appetizers (game platter as an example) are surprisingly unimpressive. the drinks vary. the wine and specialty drinks tend to be very good. the beer i experienced was good and in smaller glasses. better, colder beer can be found elsewhere. this would be a great place to take out-of-town guests, celebrate a special occasion or just to get away from the feeling of being in a major city. and what could be better than strolling prince's island park as part of your lunch or dinner experience at the river cafe. expen$$$ive.

last weekend was calgary's folk fest. if i had remembered that that was the weekend where hippies seize control of prince's island park, i would never have gone to the river cafe. but i digress. if you were not able to comprehend that second sentence i ju

disappointed. i love the food and the slow food methodology that they embrace but overall ourexperience was quite disappointing. the portions were so small that even after appetizers, mains and a desserts we ended up stopping off for a bite on the way home. some of the appetizers were laughable as to how how small they were and how expensive. wine service was slow and the men's room hadn't been cleaned since lunch ( it looked worse than some pubs i've been in ) and was out of paper towels. overall we expected much much more for the money we had spent.

a truly special place. my wife and i have dined here a few times, and we chose it for our anniversary dinner this year. we've never been disappointed. they honoured our request for a kitchen tour so our ten year old son could see what it's like in the heart of a busy fine dining restaurant, one of calgary's best. if you hanker for slow food prepared, presented, and served with care, you're in for a treat. i tried the wild boar striploin and it was fantastic. the menu is seasonal and changes monthly. their extensive wine list may present a conundrum, but consult your server for suitable pairings, and cellar manager rob smith is often able to answer questions if he's around. owner sal howell advocates an approach to enjoying food that is not hard to understand or appreciate. the unmatched ambiance of the unique location tops it off.

update: my wife and son and i dined here on sat eve 06 aug 2011, and once again we were not disappointed. to start, we shared the fish and game platter, which included a boar pate, bison prosciutto, lox, house grainy mustard, and gouda; for entrees my son had the pork chop, my wife the sablefish, and i had the steelhead trout. for dessert we had the apricot cake and panna cotta. everything was as we expected, including the helpfulness of our server stefan, who suggested a fine chenin blanc from the loire, 2009 sec domaine huet vouvray le haut lieu, which paired beautifully with our entrees.

a+. great restaurant!. i have nothing but great things to say about the river cafe. i have dined here many, many times, mostly on sundays because it is bring your own wine (with no corkage fee)! my favorite dish by far is the sablefish, it is melt in your mouth and fantastic!
weekend brunch is also delicious. they make great lattes, and the elk bacon benedict is to die for. whenever someone asks me where the best place to eat in calgary is, i always say the river cafe. the servers are always on top of their game and very knowledgeable about the dishes and ingredients.

love it - fresh and clean food. this is our go to special occasion place. lovely location great service and the food is fantastic. it is upscale ingredients and presentation and you pay accordingly but we have never been dissappointed. when i go out for dinner i want it to be something i wouldn't cook at home or if it is something familiar i want it to be perfect and they fill the bill. great cocktails and wonderful wiine list . i wish i were going tonight!

this was a great evening and proved to be an excellent introduction to best's portfolio of products. excellent value all around!

i decided to try river cafe after hearing about their commitment to local products.

ambiance: nice location with an interesting view (i mostly saw condo complexes from my table). the inside was warm and cabin like. very albertan to say the least.

service: our server was great. she was very knowledgeable, and courteous. we called ahead to ask for a vegan dish, and i got exactly that - a vegan main dish. it's nice not having to settle for sides for a change.

food: good, not great. we started with beet and fennel salads, which were kind of bland. the veggies were just steamed and lacked seasoning. the red lentil hummus was a nice surprise, served with roasted garlic and homemade flatbread. our mains were so-so.
i had a barley risotto and my boyfriend a bison strip loin. he raved about his steak, and while my risotto was good it was really over seasoned. don't get me wrong, i love fresh herbs, but sage, parsley, arougla and dill don't really mesh that well. otherwise the dish was creamy and satisfying.

overall, it was an okay dinner, but for the price we paid (around $200 for two people, with a beer each) i would expect a mind blowing meal. i probably won't go back, but then again i prefer west coast style fine dining as opposed to steak house-esque places.

this is our favorite place to eat in calgary by far. clean fresh food with amazing presentation but most of all the location is the best. if you want a break from the city without leaving head to the river. the wild game and fish platter is 5 star, the maple and wild rice pudding is the perfect ending, just don't forget the wine, one of the best selections in calgary!!

i like lots of restaurants in calgary. some are expensive. some are cheap. i try not to discriminate. if there is one place you must go in calgary, it is river cafe. it isn't my favourite place to eat nor is it the finest dining experience. however, it ha

fantastic! we have been going for years but went for a tasting menu last night and was not disappointed. i get to eat meat since they tell us where the meat comes from. my fab last night was thief halibut and the noble farms duck withmushrooms and lentils, divine.

not so impressed. i love the venue, i love the ambience, but on the three ocassions i ate there, i was not blown away. the first time i had the duck, and i really didn't enjoy. another time, i ordered the salmon, and the serving size was just so small, not bad, but not memorable either.

all around superb!. amazing restaurant! this place has a fantastic seasonal menu, with the best ambiance in town. the service was exceptional and knowledgeable. all around great experience.