Is Calgary's Top 1 Restaurant Worth the Hype? A Hit or Miss?

I finally visited the famous River Café—a long-renowned dining spot in Calgary. 🏆 Award-Winning Legacy: Consistently ranked among the World’s Top 1000 Restaurants #23 on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants 2024 Best Overall Restaurant in Calgary Best Wedding Venue 2024 ...and countless other accolades over its 33-year history. 🏡 Ambience: Nestled in Prince’s Island Park by the Bow River, this charming log cabin offers a tranquil, romantic escape—perfect for a date night! 🍽️ Dining Experience: The menu focuses on seasonal Canadian cuisine, with options for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch (reservations required—I could only snag a dinner slot). Starters: 🫕 Benchmark Beef Tartare – Deliciously tender beef paired with flaxseed crackers, no gamey taste. 🫕 Wild BC Octopus – Crispy fried octopus with a tangy vinaigrette, refreshing and light. Mains: 🐂 Rangeland Bison Striploin 🌟🌟🌟🌟 A fusion of bison, ginger purée, Alberta wheat, and valley hazelnuts—the meat was perfectly dense. 🐗 Hog Wild Boar Belly 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Tender boar paired with bok choy, mushroom purée, and rich XO sauce. 🦆 Farming Worx Duck Breast 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Smoky duck and bacon balanced by red cabbage, apple, and Ontario black walnuts. 🐟 Haida Gwaii Halibut 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Buttery halibut with potato-leek soup, radish, and butter lettuce—my personal favorite! 🐑 Lambtastic Farm Lamb Sirloin 🌟 A letdown—bland and underwhelming, according to my friend, who barely touched it. 👏 Verdict: Most dishes were solid, and the service was excellent. When the server noticed my friend didn’t enjoy the lamb, they comped it—great gesture! Has anyone tried their brunch? If it’s good, I’ll be back! 🏠 River Café 📍 25 Prince’s Island Park, SW 💰 Dinner: ~$80/person #Calgary #CalgaryFoodie #CalgaryEats #CalgaryBrunch #AlbertaFood #CanadianCuisine #PeaceBridge #PrincesIsland #YYC