Buon appetito! Try the best Italian restaurants in Calgary
Calgary’s Italian restaurants contribute heavily to its reputation as a rising culinary star among North American cities. The following establishments reinvent and reengineer Old Country standards in new and oh-so-delicious ways.
500 Cucina
1003 9 Avenue SE, Calgary AB T2G 0S6Immediately adjacent to the East Village in Inglewood, 500 Cucina in the sexy Atlantic Avenue Art Block serves lovingly crafted Italian pizza, pasta and mains. Former food truckers Genarro Silvestri and Rocco Bartolotti have settled into a cheerful and airy permanent space complete with an open kitchen, its own pretty little coffee bar and a live-music area handsomely decorated with a selection of bottled wines.
Cibo Urbano Cucina
1012 17 Ave SW, Calgary AB T2T 0A5Situated in a refurbished, two-level redbrick building on 17th Avenue Southwest, Cibo features a variety of seating – relax bar-side or overlooking the avenue. Its open pizza kitchen keeps this hopping Italian spot fragrant. Ruggedly refined pies include prosciutto with fig jam, radicchio arugula, caramelized onion and grana padano cheese. Also recommended are the house-made ricotta gnocchi or ravioli, the veal Milanese and absolutely indulge in Cibo’s small-dish selection.
Centini Restaurant & Lounge
160 8 Ave SE, Calgary AB T2G 0K6This upscale Italian go-to spot has a stylish yet lightly casual air that befits its location in the city’s arts district. Settle into a multi-course meal in one of its dining rooms or in the long, central lounge, both of which overlook Stephen Avenue Walk. Take the chef’s lead and ask about the restaurant’s daily specials.
Bocce
110-2207 4 St SW, Calgary AB T2S 1X1A spinoff from the very popular Mercato Italian restaurants, Bocce is a fun and casual Fourth Street Southwest eatery serving its own Italian menu. This includes hand-made pizza dressed in the best traditional ways. Try the spiaggia with Lennox Island clams and roasted garlic or the isola topped with, among other things, pancetta, roasted pineapple, mozzarella and smoked scamorza.
Teatro
200 8 Ave SE, Calgary AB T2G 0K7Housed in the big, beautiful Dominion Bank building on Stephen Avenue Walk beside Olympic Plaza, this top Italian restaurant has more going for it than mere good looks. Its fine contemporary Italian cuisine, prepared using premium Alberta ingredients, keeps the dining awards and commendations rolling in. And the wine cellar is stellar.
Bonterra Restaurant Ltd
1016 8 St SW, Calgary AB T2R 1K2This cozy spot serves seriously artful Italian dishes that include a generous list of shareable antipasti plates, pastas, risottos and mains. In warm weather, take to the terrace. It’s one of the city’s best little outdoor patios.
Posto Pizzeria and Bar
1014 8th Street SW, Calgary AB T2R 1K2The smaller and more casual sister restaurant to Bonterra Trattoria, Posto is cheerful, charming and one of the best contemporary Italian eateries in the city. Settle in at a table or at the open-kitchen bar, and start with small plates such as salami with beans and artichokes and sunflower seed “risotto.” Watch the making and baking of your thin-crust pizza (try the gorgonzola with radicchio, figs and potato!) or go for a creative main dish such as perogies with fig crème fraiche and bacon jam.
Scopa Neighbourhood Italian
2220 Centre St NE, Calgary AB T2E 2T5Located adjacent to Lina’s Italian Market on Centre Street Northeast, Scopa offers a contemporary take on the Italian neighbourhood restaurant. Its comfortably familiar but amped-up food prepared with local ingredients is a hit with families and foodies alike. Dishes include pastas such as spaghetti carbonara with boar bacon and four-cheese cannelloni, thin-crust pizzas from margherita to pancetta, and mains such as slow-roasted pork ribs, chicken saltimbocca and several steaks.
