Seasons of Bowness Park — Restaurant in Calgary

Our second time trying Seasons after a less than stellar initial visit; unfortunately, this time was much the same. The space and surrounding area of this restaurant is clearly the back bone to its success in staying open. The patio is phenomenal, both ample shade and sunny spaces with terrific views and right on the lagoon. Sadly however, it feels this operation works in spite of itself. Both visits received sub-par service and unacceptable serving timelines. The first visit for dinner on a Tuesday early evening we had a brand new waitress, working a double due to staffing issues who clearly needed some further guidance as she admittedly did not realize she had to fire our mains for the kitchen to prepare them after our drink/appetizers; we do not fault her for this, as she was lovely, apologetic and tried her best to make up for her mulligan. I hope for her sake, she received some further guidance or found an establishment that she could succeed in as she truly was lovely. This meal for five took 2.5 hours and the meals came out at wildly different times. One of our guests had contacted the restaurant the following day to give some feedback as we felt it would be appropriate, however the discussion clearly fell on deaf ears.

Our second visit with a different group (4) for lunch went nearly the same. Forty minutes for our mains to arrive, one arrived a full twelve minutes after the rest. It was clear two had been sitting for some time as soft poached eggs were now a medium-firm from the heat lamps. Our server was polite, however had zero opportunity to be anything more as she was clearly spread far too thin with most of, if not all, the tables on the patio. We overheard two tables question timing of their meals, one even requested to cancel an order as they needed to leave. Again, I do not fault the service staff but after the second visit, I do fully fault management and ownership. Staffing is incredibly tough right now understandably, however having a hostess polishing at the door while one server runs frantically about is a lack of leadership and direction, and I would have been appalled by this in my restaurant at the time.

When it arrived, our food was adequate, apart from the Benny’s arriving overdone. Fish and chips were well portioned, coleslaw was nicely lightly dressed and the chicken sandwich was, too, well portioned and decent.

Seasons is far too great a location to have this level of service, or lack there of and I strongly encourage ownership to review their management and operation strategy as this space has fantastic opportunity with someone that knows what...

Updated Review: I previously gave this place 5 stars despite the embarrasing experience we had but I’m now disappointed to update my rating to 1 star. Despite highlighting issues with the very long wait times in my last review to get the owner’s attention, no one bothered to respond. It’s frustrating to see that feedback isn’t valued here.

Dear OWNER, I am giving your restaurant a 5-star review, not because I was completely satisfied with my visit, but because I do not wish to negatively impact your ratings. I made a reservation for brunch today at 11:30 AM. We arrived at 11:10 AM, took a short walk, and returned at 11:30 AM as the first guests to enter the restaurant. Unfortunately, despite our early arrival, we left at 12:50 PM without receiving our main courses. During our time there, we noticed other guests who arrived after us receiving their orders, finishing their meals, and leaving. The server mentioned that there is typically a delay between serving appetizers and mains. However, we ordered both the appetizer and mains at the same time. While our appetizer arrived within 10 to 15 minutes, our mains never came. Despite following up multiple times, we were told that the orders were in progress and offered the option to take them in a box. We came to dine in, not for takeout, so this was disappointing. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere, and our server was very pleasant. However, we ultimately left by 12:50 PM because I had a chiropractic appointment in Airdrie and we were extremely hungry. I managed to control my emotions despite no one attempted to improve the situation. I felt embarrassed for our guest, whose birthday we were celebrating, especially since I had mentioned this in my reservation notes. I am writing this to highlight the waiting time issue in hopes that it can be improved. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I wish you...

Local Restaurant knocks it out the park, the food was 5* presentation and taste. Every bite reviled a new pallet of perfectly prepared in season roasted vegetables including the most tender crispy amazing fingerling potatoes.

This woman only run kitchen is managed well with super friendly and professional staff. Greeted by an ice cold bottle of water to the prompt yet only when the time is appropriate service. This team works very well together sharing the front staff responsibility seamlessly.

Food is accurately priced for the level of quality put in every dish. My wife and I both ordered the Parm fries to start with and a sirloin steak with wild sautaed mushrooms with fingerling potatoes and perfectly exicuted roasted local veggies.

The hand cut fries were the best I have ever had including my own, they were crispy and soft inside and constant throughout. Topped with Parm and truffle oil, these were to die for. We ordered a small but would be happy to upgrade to a large any time.

The only real constructive feedback would be to have a wine pairing to the current seasonal meats in particular there was no option for a glass or Merlot. A wider variety of cuts of steak available would also let me come back to see how the amazing kitchen takes the challenge.

To conclude and my longest review ever but bear with me.

This is a true Gem of Calgary Bowness Park shout out open for breakfast lunch and dinner, the atmosphere overlooking the pond is the perfect way to spend a summer meal.

Thank you especially the kitchen for the most amazing meal I have had, we will be back and looking FWD to are next...