These Are the 14 Best Calgary Restaurants for Celebrating Special Occasions

by OpenTable

Updated July 27, 2021

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has altered how we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions, most of us are still inclined to mark milestones with some kind of food. Some people are choosing to gather at home with a lavish take-out spread ordered from a favorite restaurant, while others are getting together with small groups of close friends or family to savor a good restaurant meal. Calgary is full of restaurants ideal for celebrating life’s special occasions, whether you’re looking for a luxurious multi-course tasting menu or beers over a fully loaded pizza. While the pandemic has limited how many revelers can come to the table, most of the city’s celebratory restaurants are open for business and ready to help diners feel like they’re escaping the weight of the world, even for a couple of hours or so. These Calgary restaurants are all worthy of hosting small celebrations.

Alloy

4.7

4.7 (4401)

CAN$51 and over

Global, International

Calgary

About the restaurant

Despite its unusual location near an industrial park, Alloy has been a go-to date night spot for Calgarians for more than a decade. Not only do the dining room and adjacent patio offer a gorgeous contemporary oasis that belies the restaurant’s oddball location, chefs Rogelio Herrera and Uri Heilik’s fusion of Latin, Mediterranean, and Asian cuisines also never fails to impress. Dishes such as the pork striploin with grilled apple salad and organic salmon with lemongrass coconut sauce always offer the right balance between surprisingly unique and comfortingly familiar.

Top review

VeredVIP

Dined 5 days ago

A wonderful place for a business lunch during the week and an even better place for a weekend with friends. Service & Food are exceptional.

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Anejo Restaurant - Calgary (4th St)

4.7

4.7 (2402)

CAN$30 and under

Mexican

Mission

About the restaurant

There’s no need to wait for a Tuesday to celebrate with a plate of tacos and one of Anejo’s famed chile coconut margaritas. Located on a strip of 4th Street SW that has long been a hotspot for independent restaurants and bars, even in pandemic times, Anejo is a vibrant and lively restaurant. Its selection of over 200 bottles of tequila is probably the best in Calgary, matched with a menu full of Mexican fare like ceviche, flautas, and, of course, tacos.

Top review

KELLY

Dined 5 days ago

Love happy hour! The food and drink specials are perfectly priced and delicious!

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Chairman’s Steakhouse

4.8

4.8 (3598)

CAN$51 and over

Steak

Calgary

About the restaurant

For those nights that call for white tablecloths and servers decked out in tuxedos, Chairman’s fits the bill. A rare fine dining restaurant located in the deep suburbs, the large dining area has plenty of room for social distancing, with the convenience of being in a residential development. Obviously, the house special is high-quality steak, with many cuts on offer along with classic sides like hickory-spiced fries or an over-the-top black truffle double-stuffed potato.

Top review

Russ

Dined 3 days ago

We have never had a bad experience at Chairman’s. Overall it is a great experience!

Goro + Gun

4.7

4.7 (330)

CAN$30 and under

Japanese

Downtown

About the restaurant

During non-pandemic times, the downtown Goro + Gun is an after-work happy hour hot spot. While it may be a bit quieter these days, it’s still a great place to safely share a toast over a glass, bottle, or flight of sake chosen by the in-house sake sommelier. As for the food, the rich and tasty ramen is the specialty here, but the kitchen also puts out some top-notch sushi and Japanese appetizers.

Top review

Aditi

Dined 4 days ago

Great overall!! The bluefin tuna sushi is really good. I didn’t particularly enjoy the spiced cocktail but the rolls and everything else was fabulous

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Experience

Happy Hour

MODERN STEAK on Stephen Avenue

4.6

4.6 (1410)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Steakhouse

Downtown

About the restaurant

Calgary has its fair share of opulent steakhouses decorated with dark wood and classic décor, but Modern Steak’s owner Stephen Deere wanted to do something a little bit different while still serving some of the best beef in Alberta. Both of Modern Steak’s locations (and their sister restaurants Modern Burger and Modern Ocean) boast contemporary styling, cool music, and a laid-back atmosphere, but the menu is completely serious when it comes to the steak. All of the cuts are specific to Alberta ranches, with the prized Modern Benchmark black angus beef coming specifically from the offspring of a bull owned by the restaurant.

Top review

J.VIP

Dined 3 days ago

Amazing lunch! Enjoyed the Modern Benchmark Filet cooked to a perfect medium rare.

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Experience

Modern Steak Date Night

Experience

Happy Hour & Club Frites at Modern Steak

Experience

Magnum Monday

Moti Mahal Restaurant - 17th Ave

4.5

4.5 (655)

CAN$30 and under

Indian

Calgary

About the restaurant

Calgary is full of restaurants that serve tasty meals from every region of India, but Moti Mahal has thrived for decades thanks to its refined décor, family-run atmosphere, and extraordinarily prepared Indian dishes. The menu is extensive, featuring a wide range of complexly flavored curries and other Indian fare, including a large selection of vegetarian items. Because of the pandemic, Moti Mahal is currently only open for dinner, and diners who would rather celebrate at home can order take-out from a specialized menu for items that travel particularly well.

Top review

GilVIP

Dined on Dec 14, 2024

Overall a great experience. Fantastic food and service.

National on 17th

4.5

4.5 (93)

CAN$30 and under

Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Calgary loves its beer halls, as is apparent from local success of the National chain. The original National is the location on 17th Avenue, which got a light and bright renovation shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The large room has plenty of space for safe celebrations involving brews from the lengthy beer list and above-average bar food ranging from meal-sized salads and bowls to one of the best (and possibly most underrated) pizzas in town.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Jun 30, 2024

Fries portion with burger was pretty small comparing… and otherwise regular tasting, so only 3* for this. also had rigatoni and a yuzu salad. Latter was great, however the chicken again fairly small. Service was nice, but forgot the starter completely without even noticing or mentioning. As the main had already arrived we decided not to insist. On the positive side, the ambience is lovely and the food came fast, and even the soft refills without even asking. So overall a 4*

Teatro Restaurant

4.6

4.6 (2925)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Italian

Calgary

About the restaurant

Sitting in a gorgeous old bank building right across the street from Calgary’s Arts Commons theatre complex, Teatro is without a doubt one of the city’s most iconic places to celebrate a special occasion. With tall white columns, a gleaming bar, and a bustling open kitchen, the room itself is all class, but it’s the expertly prepared food and robust wine list that truly dazzles. Some of the best chefs in the city have worked in this kitchen, and current chef Daniel Pizarro is no exception, with his menu of Italian-inspired dishes such as risotto with roasted mushroom, chicken with brown butter gnocchi, and Teatro’s legendary seafood lasagna.

Top review

Dined 2 days ago

Great service with amazing food! 10/10 Lots of amazing gluten free options, and all of them outstanding

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4.8

4.8 (6270)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Contemporary Canadian

Calgary

About the restaurant

One of Calgary’s most consistently well-regarded restaurants, Ten Foot Henry isn’t a vegetarian restaurant, but it prides itself on having enough veg-based dishes to let vegetarians and meat eaters dine together in harmony. Sharing is the best course of action here (for those dining with others in their family or cohort, of course), as the restaurant specializes in small plates that are packed with flavour. Everything tastes good, but first-time customers shouldn’t miss out on the cauliflower with spicy gochujang, the tuna crudo with chimichurri, or the much-lauded butterscotch pudding with salted caramel and sponge toffee.

Top review

TaylorVIP

Dined 6 days ago

I have been to a lot of the nicest places in Calgary, ten foot Henry blew them all out of the water. Best food, wine and service I have ever had at a restaurant. Had a pretty cute date too. 10/10

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4.8

4.8 (2131)

CAN$30 and under

Italian

Calgary

About the restaurant

Vero Bistro isn’t the most famous restaurant in Calgary, but it definitely has one of the most loyal customer bases. Regulars flock to the small Kensington restaurant to enjoy food prepared by chef Jenny Chan, whose passion for Italian cuisine shines strong in all of her dishes. Her regular menu is full of Italian classics such as veal meatballs in Bolognese sauce, bucatini cacio e pepe, and Broxburn Farms tomato bruschetta, but Chan is also known for her specials, including evolving creations available for take-out meals.

Top review

Ted

Dined 2 days ago

Three of us recently dined at Vero for the first time. I decided to take a moment to write a review since we were all very impressed with the quality of the service, the ambiance, the quality of the food, and the attention to detail. Two of us had the surf and turf platter and the other had the tagliatelle puttanesca. We also had some olives to start and tiramisu to finish. The suggested wine pairing with the platter was spot on and was not overly expensive. After the first few bites, it soon became apparent that the chef was able to capitalize on the quality and marriage of the ingredients for flavour so did not need to use excessive salt, sweetness or butter as a crutch. While the pasta and the platter offerings were all terrific, I thought the lamb stood out. It was exceptional. Dining at Vero is not cheap but I think it is good value considering the outstanding quality of the food and service. I will definitely be back. By the way, I'm almost positive that I saw Mr. Frank Wong dining at a nearby table. Frank Wong seems to have disappeared from the scene over the past decade or so, but some foodies may recall that "back in the day" Frank Wong was one of the country's most discerning yet reclusive food critics. The fact that Frank Wong chooses to dine at Vero is high praise indeed.

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Experience

Seafood Platter Special - Every Thursday!

Experience

Christmas Eve Dinner