Welcome to the Blue Sky City
We were under a sunny blue sky when we made our way to CHARCUT, which is connected to the Alt Hotel Calgary University District. On the menu? The best of chefs Connie DeSousa and John Jackson. Inspired by Italian and Portuguese cuisine, a nod to Connie’s heritage, the restaurant serves charcuterie platters, exceptional cuts of meat, pasta, pizza and veggie-forward dishes. For the occasion, we got the royal treatment and both chefs showed us how they made their homemade sausages.
After this feast, a short walk towards the Alt Hotel in the East Village was a must. Once settled in, we had to figure out a place for dinner and luckily, we weren’t lacking in choices near the hotel. Korean restaurant JINBAR was the perfect spot for happy hour, along with its renowned fried chicken sandwich and a spicy margarita. Chef Jinhee draws inspiration from her childhood comfort foods to create a menu that’s bursting with flavour.
On our way back, we slowed down our pace to watch the sunset on the Bow River Pathway, a trail system surrounding this river that flows through Calgary. What’s even better is that we had a superb view of the river from our hotel room.
DAY 1: In the heart of the city
The day in the city looked promising with the blue sky still above us. We enjoyed breakfast at the hotel to make the most of the day’s busy schedule. We stopped by CHIX Diner for their sandwiches and other American diner-type classics. We opted for the Cheese Louise, hearty enough to sustain us until our next stop.
A short jaunt across the street from the hotel is all that’s needed to visit the famous Simmons Building, an abandoned mattress warehouse that was converted in 2015 to host renowned culinary establishments in the city: Charbar, friends of John and Connie, Sidewalk Citizen bakery, and Phil & Sebastian coffee roasters. Coffee in hand, we visited various architectural marvels, both old and new, that make up the downtown core: Calgary Central Library, National Music Centre, King Edward Hotel.
We started getting hungry after a few kilometres of wandering downtown. We took a break and visited Class Clown Hamburgers in the Mission district, known to serve the best smash burgers in the city. We were warmly welcomed by owners Xian Fullen and Noel Sweetland into this charming establishment, with its wood panelling, overflowing bar and kitschy decor, reminiscent of a 1970s basement. The menu is simple and focuses on its specialties: Alberta beef burgers, loaded fries and local beverages to crown your meal. We adored the classic Donald McRonald paired with a glass of natural wine. Judging by the line outside the restaurant before opening time, it’s clear that this is a winning formula!
Our tour of the city continued along the popular 17th Ave SW, studded with stores, restaurants and bars. We then made our way to 11 Avenue SW for a visit to The Cookbook Co. Cooks, a cross between a store and a culinary school, boasting a wide selection of specialty ingredients, cooking accessories and books. It’s a veritable food lover’s paradise. At the back, you’ll find Metrovino Fine Wines, a great spot for wine lovers, run by true enthusiasts.
What better way to end the day than a visit to Noble Pie, where owner Mike Lange has a real passion for pizza. Here you’ll find signature pizzas with carefully thought-out recipes, on a poolish dough base. We had a soft spot for the Brooklyn White (olive oil, garlic, aged mozzarella, ricotta, caramelized onions and Grana Padano) as well as Hotlips (tomato sauce, aged mozzarella, hot peppers, calabrese salami and a very spicy honey).
DAY 2: Gourmet festival and cooking on the fire
This visit to Calgary over the civic holiday in August coincided with the start of Taste of Calgary, one of the largest food festivals of the year. What luck! Restaurants, food trucks, breweries and distilleries; there were just over 70 food counters on-site to visit. We tried Filipino pork sui mais, Mexican mango chamoyada and even bannock from Kokom’s Bannock Kitchen. It’s important to allow yourself enough time to enjoy the festivities and taste a bit of everything.
After a few small involuntary detours, we finally arrived at Bridgette Bar where we were greeted by chef Mackenzie Pavka and his team in a most welcoming environment, located in an old converted Five Roses warehouse. The inspiration behind the restaurant? Brigid, the goddess of perpetual fire in Celtic folklore. A wood fire is therefore at the heart of the design of the meals, as is the provenance of the ingredients. The cuts of meat and vegetables come from local farms, including that of chef Mackenzie himself. We were blown away by the uniqueness and abundance of each dish, like the garlic bread stuffed with cheese curds, Alberta tomatoes, nasturtium and a Béarnaise-style sauce; the wood-fired grilled steak with pommes paillasson and wild mushroom jus; and lastly, their famous banana pie with a pretzel crust. Delectable.
DAY 3: Enjoying the hotel and its surroundings
After two busy days of exploring, we slowed our rhythm and took our time with breakfast in the hotel room to take in the view. We then headed to the coffee shop in the Simmons Building to pick up a few pastries and house specialties to go: small cheese breads, banana bread from Sidewalk Citizen Bakery, all paired with some Nitro Cold Brew from Phil & Sebastian.
For lunch, we chose the First Street Market food hall, which needs no introduction after being at the heart of many culinary series these past few years. We sat at a table of the popular Vietnamese restaurant Pure Street Food, where we enjoyed their famous char siu-filled sesame doughnuts.
Dinnertime was full of surprises and discoveries as we enjoyed an omakase at Nupo, located at the Alt Hotel East Village. It’s a unique evening led by an all-female kitchen team. We had a chance to chat with them and learn more about the various dishes served, like the sashimi and nigiri presented with the utmost respect for Japanese traditions. The freshness of the seasonal ingredients and the sustainable practices are close to the heart of chef and owner, Darren MacLean.
We continued our evening at afterEIGHT, located next to the EIGHT restaurant, the only Canadian bar chosen by #World50best to be among the best new bars that opened in 2025. These three projects within the hotel are all led by chef MacLean, who brings Canada’s multicultural identity to life through unique cocktails, in an intimate setting that can welcome only 8 people at a time. We were astonished by some of his creations, such as the MacLean Manhattan, a cocktail made with 18-year-old Dalmore scotch infused with kashiwa herbs, then blended with a touch of Cocchi di Torino for notes of cherry and caramel with a roasted profile.
DAY 4: Eating in trendy neighbourhoods
Our trip is nearing its end and we enjoyed these last moments by returning to the Bow River Pathway, taking our time on a short walk that would lead us to our next destination. In the very trendy Bridgeland neighbourhood sits the Shiki Menya restaurant. This establishment, run by chef Koki Aihara, is renowned for its tonkotsu ramen prepared from pork broth simmered for more than 20 hours, homemade noodles and an electrifying setting where good times are always on the menu. After leaving the restaurant, we took time to explore the north shore of the Bow River, as well as the neighbourhoods on the east side of the Elbow River. Residential for the most part, these areas offer a stunning view of the city and its gorgeous sunsets, notably when on Scotsman’s Hill.
The final stop of this gourmet itinerary is in the Marda Loop district, at DOPO restaurant. It currently sits at fourth place among the 100 best restaurants in the country, according to Canada’s 100 Best 2025. We savoured delicious Italian cuisine featuring recipes from southern Italy and Calabria of owner Tony Migliarese. He gives a warm welcome to all his customers and makes sure they have a memorable evening. The stuffed pasta dishes are succulent, as are the starters. We also have to mention the Tiramisu alla Rose (the chef’s mom), which is one of the things we loved the most from our Alberta excursion. Chef Tony decided to add his mother’s phone number to the menu so that diners can write to her and express how much they adored her tiramisu.
Yes, we did indeed write to her.
This article is a collaboration between RICARDO and Alt Hotels.