Calgary: Where to Eat

Most people like to go down to the beaches in the south in the winter, and I guess I’m not like most people, since for two years in a row now I’ve gone up north to my homeland Canada on the cold, dark days of January (and to “vacation”, not to visit family). This January, I booked a trip to Banff and had the pleasure of spending a night and a morning in Calgary before driving to the mountains, which meant being able to experience two restaurants that were highly recommended in the city.

Brunch:

Though not Canadian, the Dutch pancake house Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus is all the rave in Calgary.

If you love French crepes, or pizza, then you would love these Dutch pancakes - they are thin and airy and the options for toppings are endless. You can opt for sweet or savory similar to a crepe, and the Haus offers some signature combinations and specials of the month if you want to try a classic.

We chose sausage, mushroom, and spinach for our toppings, and the one pancake was enough for a meal. Hot Tip: spend that extra dollar for their herb butter spread - it is so delicious on a savory pancake, you won’t regret it! For drinks we opted for hot tea, which were served with cute speculoos cookies.

Dinner:

Since we were staying downtown at the Westin, and it was -25°C plus windchill outside, we decided to stay close to home base and hit up one of my Instagram bookmarks - Royale. Upon entering, I immediately fell in love with the decor - it’s got that nouveau classic French brasserie look with upholstered furniture with brass trimmings, tall open skylights with chandeliers and plants hanging everywhere. The chic decor was nice complemented by the amazing menu, which included a very exhaustive list of spritzers - my favorite drink in Europe!

Fresh oysters were one of the many appetizers we ordered, hailing from one of my favorite places in Canada - Prince Edward Island (if you’re American this might be a good time to learn that a lot of the oysters in Canada come from PEI so don’t look confused next time you’re abroad and they mention this place)

Of course the cuisine that Canada’s most known for is… poutine! Who doesn’t love fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds? Definitely a hearty meal so be prepared to be in a food coma in about 30 minutes.

If you are staying in Calgary for a few days, I suggest visiting Royale twice, once for dinner and once for brunch, just so that you can see the decor and ambiance at night and in the daylight.

Please comment below if you’ve visited these restaurants or if you have any other tips for those planning on visiting Calgary!

Love,

P