Dished Neighbourhood Gems: Calgary's Beltline
Calgary is home to some amazing gems, longstanding classics, and under-the-radar establishments when it comes to stellar food and beverage.Â
We’re doing the digging for you by highlighting the best local destinations to check out in each neighbourhood (if you haven’t already).
Here are our Dished Neighbourhood Gems for Beltline.
Every city seems to have that community that lies on the edges of the busy streets and skyscrapers of the downtown core. The hustle and bustle energy still exists and there are still apartment buildings but very few residential streets, which often makes for a hip area. In this case, one of YYC’s most interesting areas for so many reasons is arguably still downtown, but with a much quieter atmosphere.
In Calgary, that’s the community of the Beltline.
This eclectic neighbourhood is known for city parks, libraries, fashion shops, book stores, vintage clothing stores, and more. There are also some incredible places to eat, many of which are considered the best in the city.
Calgary has iconic streets like Stephen Avenue, mostly made up of chain restaurants (nothing wrong with that, just saying), or 17th, which seems to change by day (easygoing, friendly) and night (vibrant, busy), but it’s the large chunk of the YYC core, between 17th Avenue, the river, 14th Street, and the train tracks just past 10th Avenue that feels like one of Calgary’s most appreciated places to dine.
Several food markets, trendy taco bars, sports pubs, speakeasy bars, fine dining establishments, and award-winning pasta restaurants all make deciding where to eat a very difficult choice.
It’s also packed with Flames jerseys on game days, which gives the area an entirely new energy.
Technically, 17th Avenue is still considered the Beltline, but this list focuses on the rest of the area and will save the gems on tat iconic street for another deep look.
There’s no way we could mention them all, but here are some of our favourite food and drink gems in Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhood.
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10 spots in 1: First Street Market
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Located at 1327 1st Street SW, the foodie destination is situated on the ground level of the Underwood Tower.
There’s a bar, window, booth, and patio seating. Even the patio has a disappearing wall to completely open up the space. Plants line the walls, as do two huge TVs, and the sunroof allows for natural light to pour in. It’s one of the most beautiful spaces in the city and it feels effortlessly casual.
From cafes, juice bars, pizza spots, burger joints, and more, there is something for everyone here in the First Street Market Food Hall. In fact, there are nine unique food vendors here, plus a bar, which makes 10.
This impressive space has some of the best pizza, Vietnamese, pasta, tacos, Indian, and more.
Address:Â 1327 1st Street SW, Calgary
Canadian cuisine: Donna Mac
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Offering a far-reaching menu for both lunch and dinner (with vegan options, for those so inclined), Donna Mac is a bright and spacious dream for food lovers.
The menu takes inspiration from all over, with a well-curated list of food dishes with no categories. Everything is familiar but creative, like the beet pastrami sandwich or the chorizo rigatoni pasta with housemade chorizo, tomato sauce, ricotta cream, fennel, and Grana Padano.
Address: 1002 9th Street SW, Calgary
Flame cooking: Briggs Kitchen and Bar
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This kitchen and bar space is tucked away in the Beltline, underneath trees and slightly off of 10th Avenue.
It’s global comfort food here with a pub vibe, serving handhelds, vegetables, starters, and more. The focus is on wood fire cooking, mostly different meats and seafood fare.
Address: 317 10th Avenue SW #100, Calgary
Vintage Italian: Posto Pizzeria & Bar
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This is one of the best places to get pizza in Calgary, but also has a number of creative sides, salads, pasta, and more.
With pizzas like the one with potato, leeks, smoked pancetta, and culture cream or the one with roasted squash, ricotta, mint, hot honey, and pumpkin seeds, it’s easy to see the fun twists on classic fare.
Address: 1014 8th Street SW, Calgary
Italian food hub: The Oliver
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Inside this huge building are an Italian market, a lounge, a Prosecco and coffee bar, a pizzeria, and a chic Italian restaurant. It’s basically an Italian food hall with a little bit of everything.
Each spot is connected to another, making it easy to hop from place to place if that’s what you feel like doing. It’s one of the best food and drink crawls in the city, and it’s all inside the four walls here.
Address: 524 10th Avenue SW, Calgary
Contemporary brewpub: Last Best Brewing
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Many people know and love the product, but not everyone is as familiar with this downtown space. It’s one of the coolest and most fun rooms in YYC. It’s always packed and even has a great outdoor patio in the summer.
Cast iron nachos, Alberta fried chicken wings, several different pizzas, and bowls like the avocado and tomato bowl with pistachio dukkah make this one of the best breweries for food in the city.
Address: 607 11th Avenue SW, Calgary
Express Indian: The Curryer
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This spot offers a modern take on traditional Pakistani cuisine without sacrificing authenticity or flavour.
You can find items on their menu like savoury samosas that are filled to the brim with meat and veggies, their famous half-naan-half-sandwich naanwiches that are dripping with sauce, as well as multiple types of spicy curries and, of course, sweet desserts that are the perfect end to a meal.
Address: #105, 550 11th Avenue SW, Calgary
Mediterranean flavours: Park by Sidewalk Citizen
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Set inside a breathtaking solarium space with open-concept views of Central Memorial Park, this is the latest venture from the Sidewalk Citizen team.
The menu highlights the flavours of the Mediterranean, with dishes from Israel and elsewhere.
Even though it’s won awards in its short time, it still feels like it hasn’t gotten its due yet. There is a brunch menu and a dinner menu here, both of which feel comforting and upscale at the same time.
Address: 340 13th Avenue SW, Calgary,
Asian fusion: Foreign Concept
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Serving dinner as well as a bar menu, Foreign Concept spans a range of eats from charcuterie boards to numerous small and large plates representing a broad swatch of Asian flavours and techniques.
This is a fusion restaurant that serves elevated classics like the papaya slaw (but made with sate jerky, cherry tomato, creamy yuzu dressing, and green mango), but also items like the “Nashville” hot fried chicken with honey mustard seed and pickled chili pepper.
Address: 1011 1st Street SW, Calgary
Pub inside a house: Civic Tavern
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Civic Tavern has a vibe unlike anything else in Calgary. It’s truly a house party here. Sure, other places might be built inside renovated homes, but this space still feels like it and welcomes you in the same way. You can even grab your beer and sit outside the front door on the porch or on the window sill.
There are often events here, but the craft beer and housemade pizzas are always enough reason to go.
Address: 213 12th Avenue SW, Calgary
Upscale global cafe: A1 Cafe
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This everyday cafe, bar, restaurant, and wine bar is one of the most underrated restaurants in the entire city. It never feels as busy as it should, which never makes sense because with every visit it proves just how interesting and spectacular the food is.
The food menu is vast, but we recommend getting the pizza/breakfast crossover khachapuri, a traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread and A1 has a few different options.
Address: 1213 1st Street SW, Calgary
Cocktail bar: Proof
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Proof was the highest-ranked Calgary bar on Canada’s 50 Best Bars 2022 list at #12. It’s an intimate and energetic cocktail bar that does the classics right and creates wild new concoctions.
The team here hosts tiki nights, themed cocktail travel menus, and the always-popular Miracle on 1st Street holiday pop-up.
Address: 1302 1st Street SW, Calgary
Bistro Brunch: Monki Breakfast Club
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Monki Bistro is one of YYC’s best spots for brunch, and luckily, it’s right here in the Beltline.
Address: 1301 10th Avenue SW, Calgary
Italian joint: D.O.P.
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D.O.P. is a destination spot for the experience just as much as it is for the food.
The acronym stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta, or Protected Designation of Origin in English. It’s a certification that confirms that the products are locally grown and made, and this restaurant certainly upholds that.
Fresh ingredients are always used, and in certain dishes when authentic Italian ingredients must be shipped direct, the team does just that.
We always recommend going hard on the antipasti menu.
Bowls of Calabrian spicy sausage spread, whipped ricotta, pickled green tomatoes, burrata, anchovies, and balsamic marinated eggplant are there to start off the meal, enjoyed with high-quality olive oil and freshly grilled bread.
Address: 1005A 1st Street SW, Calgary
Plant forward: Ten Foot Henry
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Ten Foot Henry is a rustic-modern restaurant in Victoria Park, serving a vegetable-forward menu with some of the best vegetarian dishes in YYC. Brunch, cocktails, and a killer wine list round out the experience with an open kitchen concept here.
The name comes from a larger-than-life cartoon character created in the 1930s, who became a muse for Calgary’s creative community in the 1980s. This cartoon remains the restaurant’s logo today.
Anecdotally, more than any other YYC restaurant, when asked what a Calgarian’s favourite place to eat is, Ten Foot Henry comes up the most.
Address: 1209 1st Street SW, Calgary
New York Pizza: Noble Pie
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Starting out as a pop-up, Noble Pie quickly gained a reputation for having some of the best pizzas in the city. Today, in its tucked-away back alley entrance just off 11th Avenue, it’s one of the most Brooklyn-like spots in YYC.
There are eight different massive 18-inch pies on the menu here, all made with fresh ingredients and homemade dough that crisps perfectly by the time it comes out.
Fresh ingredients and sauces make each pizza taste delicious, from The Original to the Bikini Bottom, a twist on the Hawaiian classic.
Address: 720 11th Avenue SW, Calgary
If you have a neighbourhood gem in or around the city that you want to shine a spotlight on, let us know at [email protected].Â
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