A Francophone community centre in Calgary’s Lincoln Park neighbourhood, Cité des Rocheuses is home to a French language school, a theatre, and now, a new restaurant.

Open since September, Café Théâtre brings a new French dining experience to the centre. The restaurant is focused on classic French cuisine, with dishes like blanquette de veau (a veal dish), confit lamb shoulder, salmon clam chowder, burgers, onion soup and more. The restaurant also serves brunch on Saturdays, with all the usual fare including crepes.

Café Théâtre offers a place to gather before and after watching a show or performance at the community centre’s Rocky Mountain City Theatre, where Cité des Rocheuses hosts larger plays, movie nights and more. However, there’s also a small stage in the restaurant for musicians, comedians and other small-scale performances. The restaurant is decked out to look like a retro theatre, creating a link between it and the Rocky Mountain City Theatre.

And while the restaurant and theatre are within a French community centre, the experiences aren’t just for French speakers. Café Théâtre’s menu comes in both French and English, and the community centre events have accommodations for those who don’t speak French, such as English subtitles at movie nights.

“The purpose [of opening Café Théâtre] is to get more Anglophones in and get them more interested in the Francophone culture,” says Cité des Rocheuses CEO Hervé Stéclebout.

4800 Richard Rd. S.W., 587-392-3062, cafetheatre.ca

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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

The post Spruce Meadows Has a New Restaurant Overlooking the Show Jumping Arena appeared first on Avenue Calgary.

Nowadays, food is rarely just one thing — cultures cross boundaries and constantly influence each other, becoming something entirely brand new. And that cross-cultural reference is on full display at one of Calgary’s newest restaurants, Orijins.

Started by Eduardo Sosa and helmed by chef Francis Martinez, Orijins is inspired by a specific type of fusion cuisine called Nikkei. Originating in Peru, Nikkei cuisine was created by Japanese immigrants using traditional Japanese cooking methods fused with Peruvian ingredients to create a very distinct cuisine. Orijins expands on this idea by drawing inspiration from flavours found across Latin America to create an exciting menu of tapas-style dishes.

Coming from Bolivia, Sosa was familiar with Nikkei cuisine, but he wanted to do something a little different. “We’re not traditional Nikkei,” says Sosa. “We’re influenced by it, but we’re doing our own version. We don’t want to be boxed into a category.” And not being boxed in means plenty of opportunity for unique new flavours.

When Eduardo pitched his idea for a Nikkei restaurant, he knew he would need the right chef for the job. Eventually, he found Martinez, who, coming from FinePrint, knew his way around a kitchen and already had experience fusing flavours from his Filipino heritage into FinePrint’s food.

The restaurant’s kitchen is small but mighty. Much of the food is cooked on two charcoal grills, including dishes like pork belly with ají-som (a cross between chimichurri and Vietnamese nước chấm), a whole grilled sea bass with coconut cream and ginger scallion salsa, and anticucho, a variety of grilled skewers that change weekly.

Other dishes include raw preparations like red prawn ceviche with cantaloupe, guajillo chiles tobiko and ponzu or Hokkaido scallop ceviche made with coconut leche de tigre, pickled daikon and shiso oil. For dessert, more mashups like matcha tres leches cake and miso chocolate mousse are on the menu.

Orijins plans to eventually launch a chef’s tasting menu at the kitchen bar so you can get a full taste of the breadth of flavours here. The tasting menu will include a variety of anticucho and ceviche.

Despite the high level of cooking, Orijins maintains a casual atmosphere. “Our aim is not to try to be fine dining at all,” says Sosa. “It’s just simple food that looks and tastes really good. We want our doors to be open to everyone.”

1A, 8330 Macleod Tr. S.E., 403-255-1222, orijinsyyc.com

The post This New Calgary Restaurant is Inspired by Nikkei Cuisine appeared first on Avenue Calgary.

Kondattam owner Sudha Thangavel, and her husband and chef Saravanan Senniappan, are no strangers to Calgary’s food scene — Senniappan is the owner and executive chef behind Calgary’s Big Fish & Open Range restaurants. With one foot in the restaurant world already, Thangavel dreamt of owning her own restaurant that highlighted her love of Indian cuisine.

The couple, who are originally from India, held onto that dream for a while, and after Senniappan hosted a wine dinner last year at Big Fish & Open Range with Indian winemaker Sula (the winery’s first foray into the Western Canada market), they realized they would be able to pull off their vision for a contemporary restaurant that celebrates India’s food and drinks. And so, Kondattam was born.

Kondattam means “celebration” in Tamil, and the restaurant is exactly that — a celebration of India’s vibrance. The menu feels like an authentic road trip across the country — the restaurant cuts no corners in showcasing all the flavours. Almost everything has been sourced and imported directly from India, from the spices to the decor.

For example, Kondattam sources its cardamom from Kerala. “If the cardamom you buy is from South Africa, it’s not gonna have the same flavour,” says Senniappan.

“[The menu] covers from north to south, and you’ll find very traditional, flavourful popular foods. The Calcutta [Man Chow] is from the east, the Edappally [Beef Ularthiyathhu] comes from the south. So it’s almost everywhere from India,” says Thangavel.

A particular standout is Kondattam’s signature curry, a masterful blend of 16 spices from the southern Tamil Nadu region, creating an incredibly rich and complex flavour. Other menu items include idli, dosa, biryani, tandoori salmon and more.

For beverages, there’s a little bit of everything. Kondattam has a menu of cocktails created with India flavours, like the Faithful Ginger made with turmeric-infused gin and St-Germain elderflower liqueur. There’s also a mix of local craft and Indian beers, Indian spirits and a wine list that includes some of the Sula wines that helped inspire it all.

With a menu this large and varied, coming with friends is a must if you want to try even a fraction of the flavours of Kondattam (which you absolutely do).

1006 1 St. S.E., 403-453-0078, kondattam.ca

The post This New Beltline Restaurant Offers Authentic Indian Flavours With Modern Flair appeared first on Avenue Calgary.

Few people have properly paid homage to sandwiches like Canadian musician and children’s entertainer Fred Penner did in his popular children’s song, “Sandwiches” like so:

Sandwiches are beautiful,
sandwiches are fine; I like sandwiches, I eat them
all the time; I eat them for my supper and
I eat them for my lunch; If I had a hundred sandwiches,
I’d eat them all at once.

That may seem extreme, but really, what other dish brings together the best of all worlds quite like a sandwich? There’s the chewy, crusty crunch of bread, the tender bites of protein and an endless amount of refreshing fillings and tangy sauces to bring it all together. Penner knew what he was talking about.

Calgary staples like Alumni and Spolumbo’s will never go out of style. But, when it comes to great sandwich shops, the more the merrier. The days of boring bologna are long gone — sandwiches are having a moment right now. Check out some of the new sandwich shops in town that deliver on style and flavour.

Bonjour Sandwich Shop

Most popular sandwich:
The Turkey Move on the French menu and the Hot & Cheeky on the Italian menu

Most underrated sandwich:
The Mama Mia!

After moving from Paris to Calgary, François Mion had difficulty finding the European-style sandwiches he used to enjoy back home. So, he decided to bring a taste of Europe to Calgary with Bonjour Sandwich Shop.

“From … my experience in France and Europe in general, I’ve had some of the best sandwiches that I’ve ever had [there]. And it doesn’t need to have a whole load of sauce or a whole load of ingredients for it to be really tasty. Just simple, great ingredients are the key for a good sandwich, and this is really what I’ve tried to do here,” says Mion.

Decked out in cheerful red-and-white checkered decor, Bonjour’s menu is split into French-inspired sandwiches served on baguettes and Italian-inspired sandwiches served on schiacciata, a Tuscan flatbread. There’s also a “build-your-own” sandwich option.

Mion says many of the sandwiches embody classic European flavours, from the Parisian sandwich with cultured butter and Paris ham to the Green & Groovy, Bonjour’s take on a popular Italian sandwich filled with burrata, mortadella, honey, roasted pistachios and handmade basil pesto.

While the breads and some meats are sourced locally, many ingredients like the cheeses and other meats are imported from Europe to make the experience more authentic. The result is a sandwich that will have you saying “merci” from the very first bite.

1909 34 Ave. S.W., @bonjoursandwich.yyc

Super Variety

Most popular sandwich:
Turkey Bacon Club

Most underrated sandwich:
The Buckin’ Brocc

Sister businesses Super Variety, a new sandwich shop facing the main Inglewood strip, and Business & Pleasure (B&P), a small and sophisticated bar and restaurant in the space directly behind it, have a symbiotic relationship.

In February 2025, owner Brett McDermott (who is also behind spots like Our Daily Brett, Neighbour Coffee and Actually Pretty Good) and his team transformed Neighbour’s Inglewood location into Super Variety. “We wanted to do sandwiches that you wouldn’t necessarily make at home — more like chef-driven sandwiches,” says McDermott. When Super Variety closes for the day on weekends and selected weeknights, B&P expands its operations into its dining space.

As the name indicates, there’s a great variety on Super Variety’s menu, from the prosciutto and fig sandwich to the Sunday Sub with beef meatballs. Many of the sandwiches feature focaccia made in Our Daily Brett’s production kitchen. They can all be paired with one of the many creative cocktails created by B&P’s bartenders, wine, beer or alcohol-free drinks.

And, for those who miss popping into the former coffee shop in the morning, don’t worry — you can still get a breakfast club sandwich and cup of espresso here.

1327A 9 Ave. S.E., 403-300-1566, supervariety.ca

My Piknic Sandwich Café

Most popular sandwich:
The Seoulful Bulgogi

Most underrated sandwich:
The Savory Sunrise

Sandwiches are a picnic must-have, so it makes sense that this idea is at the heart of one of Calgary’s newest sandwich shops.

Co-owners Yong Shin and Min Bang started operating Piknic Café out of a shared kitchen in 2023 with catering, delivery and wholesale services. In October 2024, they opened their bright, plant-filled café storefront in Brentwood. “We wanted to have something more like a picnic environment. Especially during the winter in Calgary, it’s hard to go out for a picnic or any outdoor activities, so we just wanted to bring [a] green environment into our place,” says Shin.

The shop specializes in picnic-inspired sandwiches that are bursting with colourful fillings. The convenient wrapping makes them easy to take on the go — like for a picnic in the park.

The team has incorporated Korean ingredients into the offerings with flavours like the Seoulful Bulgogi sandwich made with beef bulgogi. Packed with protein and veggies, additional sandwich options include the spicy Crabby Catch, a BBQ beef galbi and the vegetarian Carrot Crunch. Pair with one of Piknic Cafe’s enticing salads and baked goods and you have all the makings of a satisfying lunch, no matter the weather.

255 Brentwood Pl. N.W., 403-999-5530, mypiknic.ca

Scozzafava’s Deli

Most popular sandwich:
The Italian Combo

Most underrated sandwich:
The Eggplant Parm

Growing up in Niagara Falls, Nick Scozzafava frequently dined at classic, family-run Italian delis. After moving to Calgary as an adult, the opening of Uncle Paulie’s Deli in Los Angeles caught his eye, and he was drawn to visit the contemporary sandwich shop for himself. “It was just kind of the first modern Italian deli, and ever since then I was just so fascinated with it,” says Scozzafava.

The experience stuck with him, and he eventually started doing sandwich pop-ups before opening Scozzafava’s Deli on 17th Avenue S.W. in September 2024. The result? Calgary’s own modern Italian deli that is still consistently drawing crowds (and often selling out) a year later.

The small, yet mighty menu boasts only nine sandwiches (plus a rotating special), but each one is memorable.

Hot sandwiches like a fried-to-order chicken parm and cold staples like the hoagie stuffed with meats like salami, mortadella and capicollo all make an appearance alongside veggie-forward sandwiches like the Beltline Veg and eggplant parm.

And it’s not just the menu that’s attracting attention. The deli also regularly hosts weekend DJ nights that keep the space bumpin’ until late. “I’m just trying to keep it fun,” says Scozzafava.

1004 17 Ave. S.W., scozzafavasdeli.com

The post Sandwiches: The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread appeared first on Avenue Calgary.

Hey Sugar

 

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Operating out of its original Macleod Trail location since 2023, Hey Sugar recently launched a second location in downtown Calgary. The bakery’s new location, which opened in late July, is easy to spot inside Bankers Hall with its pink and floral walls. It has digital kiosks where guests can order their desired pastries and then pick them up at the desk when their order is ready. Dig into treats like strawberry shortcake cupcakes, blueberry cheesecake doughnuts or triple chocolate gold cookies. Hey Sugar also offers custom cakes and cookies.

Bankers Hall, 236, 315 8 Ave. S.W., 403-453-8266, iloveheysugar.com

Mari Bakeshop

 

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A local bakery staple since 2017, Mari Bakeshop is known for its incredible spread of rollcakes, choux pastries, freshly baked bread and more. In June, the team opened a sleek second location in downtown Calgary’s Brookfield Place building, making it even easier to get your hands on these creative and beautiful treats. Featuring an elegant design with a neutral colour palette, the new location is a great spot to visit for delicate choux pastries in flavours like matcha or passion fruit, as well as a mix of staple and ever-changing viennoiserie options that have ranged from kimchi musubi pain suisse to summer pudding danishes in the past.

Brookfield Place, 207, 225 6 Ave. S.W., 403-264-8992, maribakeshop.ca

Millo Millo

 

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New bakery Millo Millo serves an exciting menu of freshly baked goods and tasty beverages. Grab a seat inside the bakery’s cozy space and enjoy an assortment of artisanal croissants, cakes, cookies, sourdough breads and more. Drinks like the strawberry matcha latte pair well with savoury items like the pretzel bagel with green onion cream cheese. Custom cakes are also available for order in flavours like black forest, lemon and basque cheesecake.

3003 37 St. S.W., 587-353-0777, @millomilloyyc

The post 3 Delicious New Bakeries to Try in Calgary appeared first on Avenue Calgary.

An exciting fine-dining restaurant concept has landed in Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhood.

Offering a luxury dining experience, Gatsby’s is part of Vintage Group, which includes some of Calgary’s highest caliber restaurants like Chairman’s Steakhouse and Luca Restaurant. Located underneath The Oliver apartments, Gatsby’s is a 1920s-inspired restaurant with Art Deco decor, a set-menu experience and an ultra-rare collection of whiskey.

Gatsby’s focuses on Canadian cuisine made with French techniques that highlight seasonality and regional ingredients. The restaurant has three options for menus with a six- and nine-course tasting menu, as well as a six-course vegetarian menu. The dishes are always changing, but you can expect thoughtfully composed dishes created by chef de cuisine Asher Wilson and precise, personalized service.

Gatsby’s also has an incredible whiskey collection as the first House of Hazelwood keyholder location in Canada, with access to the distillery’s incredible whiskeys like Old Confectioner’s 44-year-old malted scotch. You can also try one of two whiskey flights containing rare whiskeys that can’t be found anywhere else in Canada.

524 10 Ave. S.W., 403-387-1335, gatsbysyyc.com

The post Gatsby’s is Calgary’s New Fine-Dining Destination appeared first on Avenue Calgary.

If you live, work or play in downtown Calgary and are looking for a new restaurant to try, the newly opened Mille Restaurant and Café may be just the spot.

Owned by Jenna Bazzana of the now-closed Sauce Italian Kitchen and Market, this new Italian restaurant and café is located in Plaza 1000, a freshly renovated office building in Calgary’s Downtown West End area. When you enter the office tower, you’ll find yourself immediately inside Plaza 1000’s spacious, boutique-style lobby with comfortable lounge seating. Directly across from the lobby is Mille, which has a bar inside the indoor restaurant seating area and an outdoor patio.

The menu reflects contemporary, elevated Italian cuisine. Expect lunch options like antipasti, sandwiches, salads and pasta, as well as dinner dishes such as a 24-month aged prosciutto di parma, scottadito (lamb lollipops) or the salsiccia pasta with housemade spicy Italian sausage.

With a bustling downtown location that’s steps away from the C-Train, plus a dress code that calls for “evening chic” attire, Mille is a great option for a mid-afternoon espresso, business lunch or a night out.

1000 7 Ave. S.W., milleyyc.ca, @dinemille

The post There’s a New Contemporary Italian Restaurant in Calgary’s Downtown West End appeared first on Avenue Calgary.

Inspired by wine’s knack for sparking great conversation, Unfiltered Wine Bar is a down-to-earth space for great sips and even better chats. Partners in both business and life, owners Nina and Haafiz Hasham set the tone with their grounded warmth.

“At the end of the day, it’s just great grape juice,” laughs Haafiz. “It doesn’t need to be pretentious.”

Open in the Beltline since late June, Unfiltered Wine Bar offers small bites and a rotating wine menu with tasting notes listed in simple, accessible language. Alongside well-loved varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Riesling, guests can also try lesser-known gems.

“We have this Greek one — the Assyrtiko — and most of our guests haven’t tried that,” says Nina. “When they get a flight, that often ends up being on the flight. We’re just encouraging people to try new things and discover their new favourite.”

To prevent kitchen aromas from interfering with the wine, Unfiltered’s small bites are prepared in-house without cooking or baking. The menu features sophisticated bar snacks like truffle and red wine burratini or crab and pickled oyster mushroom on sourdough thins.

Having built most of the space themselves, Haafiz credits Nina for wearing many hats — from navigating permits to hands-on construction. “She literally did like 95 per cent of all the tiling,” he says.

Light colours carry through the space for guests to better see and experience the wine — from stone-hued stucco walls to oak-finished dining tables handmade by Nina. A deconstructed wine barrel adorns the back wall, dyed with real wine from Bordeaux.

Grateful for the community’s early support, Nina and Haafiz are eager to grow alongside the area — they already share a joint Instagram account (@daddiesof14street) with the brewery across the street, Best of Kin. In the spirit of collaborating with local businesses, they’re teaming up with True Wild Distilling for a wine-infused cocktail night on August 15.

“The whole goal here is to create a community of local businesses. It’s not about us, it’s not about them, it’s about everyone thriving,” says Haafiz.

1020 14 St. S.W., 403-991-9463, winebarunfiltered.com

The post This New Calgary Wine Bar is Pouring Without Pretension appeared first on Avenue Calgary.

Calgary’s newest hotel isn’t just a place for visitors to rest their heads for the night — it also brings two new dining options to the city.

Element Calgary Downtown is a former office space that has now been converted into a hotel with the help of the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program. While that already makes it a noteworthy addition to Calgary’s downtown scene, the hotel’s two new dining options are also drawing attention (and for good reason).

On the hotel’s street level, Wander Coffee & Cocktails offers coffee and tea drinks, smoothies and a mix of breakfast and all-day fare like a breakfast sandwich, a beet root hummus bowl, marinated flank steak ciabatta and more. There’s plenty of seating inside as well as a patio that wraps around the front and side of the café.

For something a bit more elevated (literally), guests and locals can head up to the hotel’s 12th floor to dine at Bow & Bend, a rooftop restaurant with a patio that overlooks the Bow River, downtown Calgary and beyond. But if you can’t snag a seat on the patio, don’t be dismayed. The restaurant’s interior is a sophisticated and bright space that boasts some great views of its own, as well as unique touches like an eye-catching ceiling design.

Wherever you end up sitting, you can expect a well-rounded menu with a focus on local ingredients. There are shared plates of blackened shrimp and grits or whipped ricotta with sourdough, house-made pastas like the truffle rigatoni and elk bolognese, and hearty mains ranging from red wine braised Alberta beef to a seafood and chorizo risotto.

The cocktail menu also beckons with creations like the Bow + Basil Rita and Summer in the Apiary, as well as the not-too-sweet Blushing Arnold Palmer mocktail.

No matter what you choose, it’s hard to beat the combination of delicious eats, fun cocktails and great views.

833 4 Ave. S.W., bowandbendrooftop.com; marriott.com

The post Calgary’s Newest Hotel Has a Rooftop Restaurant and a Streetside Café appeared first on Avenue Calgary.