River Café

Mike Henry

This was a fantastic dinner. Everything we had was great. The red lentil hummus and the fish and game Board was great. There was this food I can only describe sourdough chips that was also amazing!!I had the char and it was great. Others had the bison, lamb and beef and said it was great!! The location on a beautiful island park is second to none!! With lovely views and great atmosphere to and from dinner

Charles Yu

“River Café, Calgary” — An Unexpectedly Disappointing Dining ExperienceDuring our brief four-day getaway to Calgary and the Canadian Rockies, my wife and I spent our first day leisurely exploring downtown Calgary with close friends of several decades. The evening concluded with what we had anticipated would be a memorable fine-dining experience at the acclaimed River Café.Unfortunately, the experience proved memorable for all the wrong reasons.Our party of four opted for the five-course tasting menu, expecting the level of refinement and execution typically associated with one of Calgary’s most celebrated dining institutions. Instead, the meal ranged from merely above average to, at times, simply decent. While the dishes showcased an ambitious array of ingredients — some uncommon and intri

annika k

I have always wanted to try this place after passing by it. It is located right in the park by the river, and is such a beautiful and wonderful spot. The lights, ambiance, and overall vibe is so worth a visit. On top of that, the food was incredible. We started with bread, and then had to beef tartar which was excellent. We had the fish and beef, both of which tasted perfect. I recommend coming here during sunset as the scenery is beautiful during that time. Great date spot.

Hangry is not a joke

River Café has a wonderful reputation, but our 15th anniversary dinner fell short in ways that were hard to overlook.I used my Visa Dining Collection program privileges to secure the table, requested the tasting menu, and made our celebration clear in advance. We were given a card — but I had hoped that thoughtfulness would carry through the evening.Contrary to the Spring menu, the summer menu had limited options for our dietary restrictions, and despite over a week's notice, nothing was offered to accommodate us. The pacing was off all evening: 15+ minutes for cocktails, 20 for oysters, even longer for mains. The sommelier appeared early to ask about the corkage wine — cocktails still in hand, nothing else on the table — and was dressed too casually for the occasion.A few smaller moments

Kit LaTigre

All the food ingredients are Canadian... every item on the menu! Pretty impressive that they are able to create such a spectacular menu with only Canadian ingredients.Holy cow it was spectacular. The duck was sous vide and I've never had anything in my life that tasted so good. Duck is hard to do, and they did it better that I could have imagined.The crème brulee was divine and blew me away.The servers (especially Melanie) were all sweet, patient, informative, entertaining, kind, and lovely human beings. I absolutely had a wonderful experience and I would 1000% recommend in the future!They're doing the YYC food expo, and the tasting menu looks amazing! I would definitely suggest it for anyone curious.I'm so full I can barely stay awake so that's all I have to say for now. Thank you!! 🙏🏼

Mike Henry

This was a fantastic dinner. Everything we had was great. The red lentil hummus and the fish and game Board was great. There was this food I can only describe sourdough chips that was also amazing!! I had the char and it was great.

annika k

It is located right in the park by the river, and is such a beautiful and wonderful spot. The lights, ambiance, and overall vibe is so worth a visit. On top of that, the food was incredible.

Kit LaTigre

All the food ingredients are Canadian... every item on the menu! Pretty impressive that they are able to create such a spectacular menu with only Canadian ingredients. Holy cow it was spectacular. The duck was sous vide and I've never had anything in my life that tasted so good.