Ring in the holidays, the celebrations, or the new year, at some of Calgary’s best restaurants.
Credit: Libby Penner/Unsplash
All over the city, these eateries, bars, or cafes, provide reason enough to celebrate through their gourmet meals, ambient atmospheres, or accompanying views. If you are planning for festive drinks with friends, you have a number of top-shelf cocktail bars around Calgary where the food menus are just as delicious as the drinks.
And if you’re looking to celebrate by getting a little fancy, you can opt for the finer side of Calgary dining through brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner.
Best Restaurants in Calgary for Holiday Cocktails
The Wilde
Get your holiday dinner in Calgary alongside premium views from 27 floors above downtown. The newer Wilde restaurant offers a fine dining experience through these views and their gourmet menu. You can order yourself a premium cut, bar snacks to share with friends or family, and from their fun craft cocktail menu.
Where: The Dorian – 525 5 Ave. SW
Paper Lantern
Calgary’s Paper Lantern is new on the scene in 2022 and are a noteworthy option for cocktails of all sorts, snacks and shareables, and Vietnamese main entrees. Their long list of cocktails, hi balls, and unique shots include refreshing mixes of rums, citrus flavours, tequila, ginger, other liqueurs, and more fruity flavours.
Where: Basement – 115 2 Ave. SE
Jin Bar
There are many ways to dine at the newer Jin Bar in Calgary, including a Chef’s Tasting Menu with a select wine pairing. The main menu includes an assortment of snacks and appetizers to pair with cocktails, too, and you can have fun trying the assortment of drinks. Jin Bar offer a cocktail list, soju shots, Canadian and local beer, and wine lists.
Where: 24 4 St. NE
Sukiyaki
Get something different for your Christmas cocktail party, or a celebratory night out, with Calgary’s Sukiyaki, voted as one of the best overall restaurants in the city! Sukiyaki offer craft cocktails like a lychee sour, sake Caesar, or yuzu gimlet, as well as a variety of sake shots, plum wine, rose, beer. Pair the drinks with Sukiyaki’s indulgent desserts!
Where: 207 9 AVE SW
Betty Lou’s Library
Well, if they hold the title of one of the best Cocktail Bars in Canada, then you really can’t go wrong with holiday drinks at Betty Lou’s! But, because of this, you will want to make reservations. The bar offers a number of unique craft cocktails, many of which will be begging to be Instagrammed. And you can pair it with their limited bar snack menu of sweet and savoury items.
Where: The Devenish Building, 908 17 Ave SW
The Blackbird Public Urban Bar
South Calgary can call the Blackbird their new home base pub or can be a place to try for some festive cocktails. They have a variety of beers on tap as well, including a house 2515 Lager. You can visit the pub on any night to take advantage of specials, or from 3-6pm to save on some Happy Hour goodies.
Where: #900, 100 Auburn Meadows Drive SE
Best Restaurants in Calgary for a Holiday Meal with Kids
River Café
If you are looking for a scenic and elegant dining experience you can include your kids in, the River Café can offer the perfect setting for a holiday lunch, brunch, or dinner. The Café has selections for kids on each menu, and a delicious assortment of fresh dishes for the adults including a 5-course Chef’s Tasting Menu.
Where: 25 Prince’s Island
Spot On Kitchen & Bar
Treat your family to Spot On’s menu of local and fresh ingredients for a special meal! The Calgary restaurant offers a dinner menu of finer pub foods like salads, burgers, pasta, pizza, and a wide variety for kids. Check in for their daily specials, too, on drinks and food.
Where: 2 Richard Way SW
Chairman’s Steakhouse
Treat yourself to a premium steak for Christmas, and allow your kids to enjoy some gourmet dining, too! Chairman’s has a wonderfully large dinner menu for adults with entrée salads, gourmet sides, large entrees, and a long list of appetizers. Your little ones can also select from a long list of menu items, steak included!
Where: 2251 Mahogany Blvd SE
Brunch & Lunch Experiences in Calgary for the Holidays
Baekjong
As one of Calgary’s newest Korean barbecue houses, Baekjong make a wonderful lunch location for celebrating with friends or family this season. Their concept includes bringing the meat raw to your table, a table which is equipped with individual grills. You’ll combine all your meat, veggies, and noodles, all at your table, for fresh stew or soup. Consider Baekjong for a holiday lunch, or for any chilly afternoon this winter.
Where: 11660 Sarcee Trail NW
Queens Breakfast Cocktails
You can enjoy any meal at Queens Breakfast Cocktails but may want to try a celebratory lunch or breakfast with a side of their craft cocktails. Their breakfast items include classics and unique items like omelets or eggs benedicts, or waffles, pancakes, and croissant bennies. Care for a drink with all that food? Queens offer signature drinks like Wakey Wakey Eggs & Bakey, made with bacon washed bourbon.
Where: 3927 Edmonton Trail
Broken Plate Kitchen & Bar
All of the ingredients in Broken Plate’s menu are local and seasonal but come together to create Greek-inspired cuisine. Stop by for lunch and enjoy shareable plates or try one of the Broken Plate’s mouth-watering lunch mains like chicken or lamb souvlaki, moussaka, or organic Chinook salmon.
Where: 10816 Macleod Trail SE #590
Deane House
You can dine at the historic Deane House for brunch every Saturday and Sunday, and the multiple-award-winning restaurant will have some Christmas dining offerings soon, too! But you can visit any weekend this holiday season to indulge in their menu of pastries and sweet breakfast items, egg dishes, seafood plates, and gourmet lunch items.
Where: 806 9 Avenue SE
Rouge
There are many ways to build a beautiful multi-course lunch at Rouge in Calgary this season. Try a first course with their appetizers, salads, and soups; keep things going with delectable main course of meat or vegetarian options; and finish it all with a third dessert course. Their desserts include items like a honey parfait or brioche pain perdu.
Where: 1240 8th Ave. SE
Afternoon/High Tea in Calgary this Holiday Season
Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant
Call and book your table for Afternoon Tea at the Bow Valley Ranche as soon as you can! They accept reservations one month out, but that still gives you time for tea for the holidays. The weekend menus include scones and jams, finger sandwiches and canapes, as well as an assortment of sweets.
Where: 15979 Bow Bottom Trail SE
Fairmont Palliser
You could book your afternoon tea experience for one of the fanciest dining rooms in the entire city at the Fairmont Palliser. High Tea at the Palliser is available on the weekends, and could be a great date, or way to start some Christmas shopping. You can warm up with the loose-leaf teas, and fil up on fresh scones, finger sandwiches, and delectable pastries. The goods are also available for takeout!
Where: 133 9th Avenue SW
Café du Centre
Enjoy a romantic holiday experience and afternoon with the Café du Centre’s High Tea. Your snacks will include a mix of savoury and sweet through the small sandwiches, pastries, and unlimited tea tastings. The experience will be complete down to every detail through the cafe’s décor and atmosphere, too!
Where: 509 22 Ave. SW
Heritage Park
Heritage Park will host special afternoon tea events from December 28-30 this year, giving you a perfect way to enjoy the scenic park with family and loved ones. The menu will include sandwiches, holiday treats, chocolate scones, and the freshly brewed teas, or warm apple cider.
Where: 1900 Heritage Dr. SW
Places in Calgary for a Gourmet Holiday Dinner
Yellow Door Bistro
There are many things to celebrate at the Yellow Door Bistro in downtown Calgary, including the holidays, the dinner items available, and their specials nights. Join them November 10th for a Collazzi Italian Wine Dinner; on every Thursday and Friday for oysters and prosecco; on Calgary Flames game nights; or, every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, for half-priced wine.
Where: 119 12 Ave SW
Alloy
The dishes which make up Alloy’s fine dining dinner menu draw inspiration from the chef’s own cultural backgrounds, as well as their travels around the world. So, you are going to get a unique combination of international flavours at Alloy through items like truffle gnocchi, lamb chops and NY steak, or sweets like honey cake and milk chocolate cheesecake. Alloy also offers a long list of wines to pair with your meals.
Where: 220 42 Avenue SE
Luca Restaurant
The new Luca Italian restaurant in Calgary is making a name for itself based off its gourmet selection of seafood, pasta, salads, and more. The holidays are a perfect reason to try something new in the city, and Luca has many things in which to indulge, including a delectable dessert menu of panna cotta, tiramisu, or bavarese.
Where: 524 10th Avenue SW
D.O.P.
Many consider D.O.P. as one of the best new restaurants to grace Calgary’s presence in 2022, with their dinner menu of Italian foods. You can start your holiday meal with some antipasti to share, a salad, and a third main course of pasta, meats, and more.
Where: 1005A 1 St. SW
Hy’s Steakhouse
You can reserve a gourmet dinner with Hy’s for the holidays or inquire about private bookings for groups. This incredibly homey and comfortable steakhouse offers a mouthwatering dinner menu filled with premium cuts, fresh vegetables, seafood cooked a few ways, surf and turf options, and a craft cocktail list. And if you’re here for steak, you have a huge variety for that too, with porterhouse, NY strip, filet, or bone-in rib steak.
Where: 8 Avenue at, 3 St SW
Mercato
Take a quick trip to Italy this December and book a table with Mercato! The fine dining Italian restaurant can make for a romantic setting, or a delicious family dinner. They offer traditional fare with a menu of antipasti, entrees, and fresh pastas. For the entrée, you can pick from plates of ribeye steak, chicken alla mattone, or pork back ribs.
Where: 2224 4 St SW
Teatro Ristorante
The overall dining experience at Teatro can be summed up as gourmet Mediterranean. Although, you will find some heavy Italian influence in their food, too. With this fusion, Teatro’s menu offers plenty of snacks and shareables, fresh pasta, grilled vegetables, and premium cuts of meats. You can also opt for their 5-course Chef’s Tasting menu to make ordering nice and easy.
Where: 200 – 8th Avenue SE