Alforno Bakery & Cafe
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A fantastic place to stop for treats that are not only delicious and well-made but also priced affordably! I have an affinity for cafes and bakeries, and whenever I’m travelling I make a point to stop by one wherever I am. Having stopped in Calgary for a night, I arrived rather late and found that a lot of bakeries that were recommended to me were closed. Luckily, Alforno was the only one open in the evening hours, and I’m glad that I ended up coming here to satisfy my sweet tooth. The cafe decor is very chic and cute, with a classy feel to it but nothing to make you feel out of place if you stop in for spur-of-the-moment snacks. I did not order any of their food, but their pastries are the stuff of dreams and they have a vast variety available! I ended up with an earl-grey macaron, a mini lemon meringue tart and a chocolate tart, which I cannot recommend enough! The chocolate they used was very decadent and lush, and I was happy to find that unlike some bakeries, the tart crust wasn’t super hard. The meringue on the mini lemon tart was also very soft, and the macaron was well-made. As much as I enjoyed myself, I docked a star as despite most of the staff being very friendly and accommodating, one staff member in particular seemed to be in a bad mood and was rather rude to me when I was trying to find seating. (They do have reduced seating due to COVID restrictions, which is per the norm, of course.) Luckily the other staff members were happy to clear a table and get me seated promptly before my drink arrived! They can get busy, and since they do take reservations, I will be sure to make one the next time I’m in town, and I suggest to anyone planning a visit to make one as well.
Aileen ChenAileen Chen
00
A great place for meals or just desserts with coffee. Very intriguing desserts on display for $6 - $7. Coffee is well priced but the price shoots up to >$8 for anything complicated (e.g. pumpkin spice latte). Those premium drinks may very well be worth the price but the price is too high for me. You pay first and then seat yourself anywhere. Going for celebration occasions with a big group could be challenging because of the initial attention on the ordering/seating process. The atmosphere is both welcoming and classy. You can be dressed up or not, be alone, be on a date, be young, be old - it's really for everyone. I have really liked every time I've gotten the soup of the day. The staple mushroom soup that they have on the menu is just okay. The mushrooms are immersion blended so it's a thicker soup and not a uniform smooth consistency. If you want a "cream of mushroom" can of soup experience, this is not for you. The gnocchi was quite salty. I probably wouldn't order it again but I would try another pasta. For breakfast, >$20 is pretty steep for eggs benedict but the price fits the neighborhood. I prefer the baked goods they have by the counter for breakfast. I also like their bread. I haven't been disappointed by any of the desserts. I think the desserts are really well priced and look very special. There's not too many places nearby selling cakes like that.
Kristen NghiemKristen Nghiem
00
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 5x, shame on me. Having lived next door to Alforno since they opened, we have tried to enjoy it on multiple occasions over the years. Tonight was the last straw, I give up! We ordered the Thursday pizza special ($25 for a pizza and house wine) and the feature soup (dill pickle, $16 for a large bowl). Our food took just under 40mins to arrive, which was surprising. Restaurant was maybe 3/4 full, but not busy (ie. most other tables seemed to be wrapping up or were just grabbing desserts). Maybe a long line for the pizza oven, who knows. We got a cursory "your food is 5mins away" from the supervisor at some point. When it finally arrived, the pizza was a soggy, inedible mess. The soup came with a small dry piece of toast and tasted like warm watered down milk with a few carrots. No substance, no flavour, nothing to warrant a price of $16 or even close. Small portions, awkward/disinterested/rude service, and disappointing meals have been our experience over the years. We expressed our frustrations to the supervisor tonight, who refunded us for our meal, which we did appreciate. I'm not sure where the disconnect is at Alforno. We have had wonderful experiences at other Teatro locations and consider them some of our favourite restaurants (EAT, Cucina, Teatro); the quality of the food always matches the price, service is friendly and enthusiastic. Not the case at Alforno.
Danielle WallaceDanielle Wallace
10
Interesting concept. It seems like Phil & Sebastien's meets Good Earth here as a concept. It has the modern look of Phil's but the baked goods and meal items of Good Earth. When you walk in you are greeted by a friendly lady at the counter with a wide variety of tempting treats in yhe display cabinet. You can order right away if you know what you want or show your Covid19 passport and ID, get a table place holder number and find a seat upstairs. The odd part of the experience is that at your table there will be a QR code that brings up the menu on your phone. Once you have found what you like, UNLIKE a restaurant you have to go back downstairs, line up at the till and then order from the lady who welcomed you in the beginning. At least they do bring the items to you, but it is strange not to have a prominent QR code upon entry or more of a push to order from the lady at the front to order first before getting your seat. It would reduce the customer movement in the building which would likely be safer in these Covid19 times. The Café Mocha was great as well as the cinnamon buns! Their Kahuna Pizza and the Cauliflower appetizer is amazing too! It made for a fun an eclectic experience.
John William WadeJohn William Wade
50
Good part - the pastry and coffee. Now comes the rest. I was here with my 6 months' old baby today and there was place outside on their covered patio or there was one table in a corner. The main dining area only has stairs and is not accessibility friendly. I was given the option of either parking the stroller and getting a high chair for my baby or pick the corner, sole table but it wouldn't have any service. I picked the table in the corner because it was easy to park the stroller and as the only parent around, I couldn't have possibly carried around my wallet and other belongings along with the baby in tow and I knew she'd need a feed. This table in the corner though had zero air so my baby was sweating. The last thing you'd want is for your baby to get dehydrated. She slept in my arms while nursing so I couldn't get up from my seat to ask for any possible way to get air. 5-6 of the servers walked past the table and refused to merely look our way so I had to make do with zero air and a sweaty baby. I was given a high chair at the start and it was dirty. I requested the server to clean it but she ignored my request. Horrible horrible service and not accessibility or kids friendly.
Ishani ChandraIshani Chandra
00
I recently came here on a Saturday for brunch, and the food was delicious! The price you’re paying is definitely evident in the portions you’re ordering. However, I did not like the attitude of the waitresses. Our server was doing the bare minimum, and the other employees (an asian lady & the guy in the pink polo) that served us were doing the waitresses’ jobs more than themselves. We even had to ask another waitress for our bill and she told us that she’d go call our server for us. When my dad spoke with our server she mentioned that it was considerably dead for them, and they’re usually busier. But that statement really just made me question their service at that point. A 20+ minute wait for the food to arrive & a server that was barely making an effort to serve her tables during a time that was pretty dead. That just doesn’t make sense at all. Also, the water jugs seem to be somewhat filthy as if they’re not being cleaned properly, maybe it’s just me, but just wanted to put that out there. Last note, their lighting fixtures also had spider webs on them, perhaps a good dusting might be helpful. Anyways, it’s a decent brunch spot with good food.
AlyanaAlyana
40
Nearby Attractions Of Alforno Bakery & Cafe
CORE Shopping Centre
Prince's Island Park
Peace Bridge
Devonian Gardens
Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire
Stephen Avenue Walk
Trapped Escape Room Calgary
Lazy Day Raft Rentals
Eau Claire Park
Globe Cinema
CORE Shopping Centre
4.3
(4K)Click for details
Prince's Island Park
4.7
(3.6K)Click for details
Peace Bridge
4.6
(2.5K)Click for details
Devonian Gardens
4.6
(1.5K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Alforno Bakery & Cafe
Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey
JOEY Eau Claire
Yemeni Village Restaurant
Bridgette Bar
Cactus Club Cafe Stephen Ave
The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - 4th Ave
Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse
LOCAL Public Eatery 8th Avenue
Minas Brazilian Steakhouse
Higher Ground Cafe
Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey
4.6
(2.2K)Click for details
JOEY Eau Claire
4.7
(1.8K)$$
Click for details
Yemeni Village Restaurant
4.6
(1.6K)Click for details
Bridgette Bar
4.7
(1.5K)$$$
Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
222 7 St SW, Calgary, AB T2P 0E4, Canada
Map
Phone
+1 403-454-0308
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Website
alforno.ca
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Reviews
Overview
4.4
(1.3K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Modern, light-filled place with cafe fare, baked goods & coffee, plus artisan beer, wine & spirits.
attractions: CORE Shopping Centre, Prince's Island Park, Peace Bridge, Devonian Gardens, Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire, Stephen Avenue Walk, Trapped Escape Room Calgary, Lazy Day Raft Rentals, Eau Claire Park, Globe Cinema, restaurants: Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey, JOEY Eau Claire, Yemeni Village Restaurant, Bridgette Bar, Cactus Club Cafe Stephen Ave, The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - 4th Ave, Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse, LOCAL Public Eatery 8th Avenue, Minas Brazilian Steakhouse, Higher Ground Cafe
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