Mediocre food and service on a Friday night. We waiting at least an hour between appetizers and…read moremains. During that time no one checked in on us, or offered us any extra bread despite knowing food was delayed. Finally we asked our waiter at the 1 hour mark when food was coming and he said there were still 3 tables ahead so maybe another 15-20 minutes. After we finally received our food, the manager came and checked in. When we told him we waiting an hour he simply replied "It's a Friday night and we're fully seated. Thanks for waiting." Overall, the lack of empathy from the staff, the under seasoned pasta, and the overcooked risotto made this a very underwhelming experience. We will not be coming back. PS. No pictures because we inhaled our food.

Yesterday, we had a wonderful dinner at the new Buon Giorno, downtown on 17th. We hadn't been there…read morefor many years, and we wanted to try the brand new one. Its reputation is glowing, and many of the old staff have stayed on. Also, we were celebrating one year out of hospital for Linda - a long road of recovery that has led to her feeling better than ever. The remake of this restaurant, just down the street from the original location, was as good as it can possibly get. It was an icon, and it most certainly is even more so today. The décor, the design, the layout inside - were exceptional. What a great place! And the vibe! It buzzed with life and enjoyment, at the perfect level so you could still hear and have a comfortable conversation. This is a happy place. The service, from a professional and happy server who had been with Buon Giorno for 25 years, cheerful and attentive, was excellent. We started off with a Calamari Napolitana as a shared antipasto. Fried and breaded calamari, in a spicy tomato sauce, exactly to our liking. Delicious! We agreed that this was the best fried calamari we had ever tasted - and we have tasted quite a few. For my main, I chose the Gamberetti e Capesante Livornese - or, if you like, the shrimp and scallops in a light white wine tomato sauce with fresh basil. This was wonderfully delectable. It made me very happy. The serving size was perfect. Linda chose the Cannelloni Fiorentina, stuffed with veal, prosciutto and spinach in a bechamel tomato sauce. Oh, she loved it! All the flavours were perfectly integrated. The serving size was a bit larger than necessary (a personal observation), so some was left on the plate, but it was as delightful as it could get. We finished off with perfect deserts. I have to say something about Italian restaurants in Calgary. There are scores of them. The new Buon Giorno is one of the very best we've been to anywhere in Canada. Buon Giorno is right up there with the absolute best. No, I don't know anyone who works there, or any of the ownership, nor do I have a financial interest in this gem. But I am interested in supporting exceptional local restaurants. This is one of them. Presentation: 5/5. Flavours: 6/5. Portion Size: 5/5 Ambience: 5/5. Service: 5/5. Parking: 4/5. Value: 5/5

My friend and I wanted to try something new, so we decided to meet at Carino, which is a Japanese…read moreItalian fusion restaurant in a super nice district with lots of expensive restaurants near downtown. We started with the agedashi mozzarella, which is this fried mozzarella ball with a japanese plum puree and soy dashi glaze. This is not what I thought it'd taste like lol. It was a bit salty and sweet, and the fried mozzarella was done really nicely. Even after it cooled down, it didn't harden the way most fried mozzarella does! We also tried the tagliatelle with Italian sausage rose sauce. All of their pastas are cooked in a Japanese seafood broth (dashi), so it infuses like japanese flavors despite the Italian forward ingredients. This was SO delicious - the cream tomato sauce, mushroom, and bacon merged with the dashi flavors that gave it such a nice umami and an additional layer to the usual Italian pasta. The gyogzana was the definition of fusion. This is like spaghetti with wagyu meat sauce, but replace the spaghetti with gyoza. This comes out bubbling hot with melty cheese - yum!!! We finished with the dessert tasting, which includes a Japanese black sesame tiramisu with azuki bean paste, yuzu gelee, and chocolate chiffon cake. The yuzu gelee was a nice tart finish to the meal with jelly textures, while the black sesame tiramisu tasted more like a creme brulee. Our server was very friendly and let us take our time with the meal! They don't have that many tables, so make a resy if you can!

Checked out Carino Japanese Italian Kitchen for a late weekend lunch. They do a mix of Japanese…read moreItalian dishes. Service was friendly with only one waitress. Main dishes range from $16.75 to $29.50. - Spicy tomato tonkotsu tsukemen ($18.95) - generous 1.5 noodle serving. Good bite, tasty broth - Spicy "wagyu bolognese" miso ($23.25) - touch of heat. Broth was rich, leaning on the heavier side - Duck "nanban" soup ($28.50) - gnocchi were okay. Duck leg was excellent. Broth was light, citrusy and the yuzu kosho added a nice kick

An all-around great food and shopping experience. Food quality is amazing and prices very…read morereasonable.

Lina's is a local spot, but Italy specific. Great selection of pasta, dishes, sauces. We had…read morewine, pasta, meats, desserts and great , patient service.

As soon as we arrived , 10 min early the place was packed and filled with people however, they had…read moreour table already ready! We didn't wait 1 second and got seated right away. This resto screamed authentic from the wood burning over in an open concept kitchen where you can even sit by the bar and observe the chefs cool up pizza's and food in front of you, it's quite an experience ! We sat down ordered 2 bottles of Prosecco for our table of 4. Unfortunately, they didn't have orange juice .. in order to make a mimosa's quite a bummer. Service: Quick and easy, waitress was very nice to us .. perhaps I wished she took more time explaining their menu.. Food: Charging money because you have a gluten allergy is absolutely BONKERS !!!! The bread itself came automatically for our table already ready.. however one of my friends has celiac and they charged an extra 15$? For Gluten free crackers that didn't taste that good!! The Bistecca was the highlight of the night A huge 25 oz tripple A (small size) bone in ribsteak was big enough to feed all 4 of us , cale with delicious shiitake mushrooms (funghi) Absolutely delicious loved it!! The burrata was alright, I've had better.. wish it was dressed in a different dressing. The salad was ok.. nothing really special. The eggplant was a lil undercooked... very cold and harder on the bite.. shouldn't be this hard to eat an eggplant lol Overall, the service could be better, the food was ok could be way better .. however steak was absolutely fantastic definitely the game changer.. maybe I'll be back again when it is less busy and that day was just a one off .. Cheers

The food was outstanding. Had a nice 2019 Chianti that was a perfect pairing for the entire meal…read more The Caprese with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella starter was so delicious. The special pasta with tiger prawns was light and cooked perfectly. We shared the roasted lamb as a main dish. We also had the eggplant as our veggie side which was amazing with soft, smooth and sublime seasoning. Ended the meal with tiramisu and carrot cake. Our server Fabio was fabulous both attentive and friendly. Ambiance was very clean and comfortable with large group high top tables and large bar around the chef's open kitchen. I loved this first experience at Mercato Mission and look forward to a future visit when we return to Calgary.

Originally went to La Luna Rossa on the recommendation of a friend, who happens to be a pretty big…read morefoodie. The several times we have been there, including Valentines Day have not disappointed at all. Chef Benny is a master in the kitchen and he finds the time to come around and talk with his guests. This personal touch always makes the evening a bigger hit! The food Chef Benny creates is in a word awesome! Rich deep flavors, ample serving sizes and wait staff that really care about how their guests are enjoying their time in the restaurant.

Great food and good service. Cute family run business. Quaint setting with a limited number of…read moretables that are NOT crowded into the facility.

For its plain appearance in a local strip shopping center, it was very surpisingly good. The…read morepasta and seafood dish that I had was both delicious and good in its protions. Dessert was also excellent. The staff was quick, friendly, and knowledeable.

Sneaky good place. Italian classics executed very well at reasonable price for quality. Fast…read morefriendly service. Clean no frills dining area. Kid friendly. Not a ton of restaurant options in area, so this place is definitely worth checking out.

Good parking, quick seating on a busy Saturday night- and friendly and helpful service too... my…read moremartini was on point- sorry no pictures because I inhaled it - lol- let's let what the food brings! So we were in a pasta mood and ordered the lasagna and the cannelloni. Sad news for the cannelloni: we felt they were flavorful, but too dry inside. Cannot recommend. The lasagna was very tasty, but for my liking it had very little cheese. We did eat all the portion though ;) it was flavorful. Italian cuisine varies from region to region, we were expecting a plate covered in bechamel for the cannelloni and there was none. So it did not meet expectations... but the pasta was good, home made, thin, and the sauces were flavorful... so a solid 3 stars for good quality. I do have to say that our waiter approached us to ask if all was to our liking, and only at the end did I disclose our disappointment... I didn't know what they could do to make it better...and we were so hungry we had already eaten half anyways... well in this they excelled as they comped our cannelloni and gave us a very good tiramisu to top it off! Definitely 5 star customer service! This is a local family owned restaurant that prides itself in having happy customers, and we are just passing by... nonetheless they really tried, and succeeded, in having us leave with a happy face. And that gives them a solid 4 star overall! Enjoy.

This was my second time going to Pasquales. Went for lunch and ordered:…read moreFrench Onion Soup Caesar Salad Bruschetta The bruschetta was great. Big chunks of bread covered in bruschetta. Really satisfying. French onion soup was the reason we returned (we don't live in Calgary). As good as I remember - broth is perfect, good amount of bread in the bowl, toasted cheese on top. Highly recommend. Caesar salad was meh. Lettuce/dressing tasted really watery. Skip it if you have high caesar salad expectations. **Edit to add pictures.

They make really good pizzas. I first went here 8 years ago and loved it. I just came back…read moreyesterday and the pizzas are just as good. They have quite a large selection of pizzas to choose from. Great service too! Here is a tip to save money! Happy Hour is from 3-6 everyday!!! :) Sunday Happy Hour all day! Also after 9 pm I think they have another deal bc they are trying to get rid of their dough. Therefore, if you come during these times their pizzas will be affordable. :) Otherwise be prepared to be $20 + for their pizzas.

Great little Neapolitan pie house in downtown Calgary - fresh/tasty eats with great service. The…read moresalads were a little small - they might want to offer a more fuller size option but...I'm sure they have their reasonings. ;). Pizza was outstanding ding though / they've nailed it.

Excellent sauces. Had rigatoni and sausage, caprese salad and tiramisu. All very yummy, plate…read morelicking good. Service was sparkly and friendly.

Our group was curious to try this newly opened restaurant. Their fresh pasta was delicious as were…read morethe rest of our meals. The wine is overpriced as our $60 bottle (their entry level wine) retails for only $14, and their corkage fee is a whopping $30, the most expensive I've seen in Calgary.