Mama Mia Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in Town of Cochrane

Visit: Aug 25, 2025 ~1730hrs. Terrific service (Thanks Pam and Sofia (or Sophia)). Terrific food. We were very impressed with both the canelloni and the rigatoni arrabiata. Calamari was delicious too, but the portion was a bit small for the price. However, it was terrific. Nicely cooked and seasoned. Food was hot and portion sizes were good (outside the aforementioned calamari). The pasta was cooked PROPERLY (bravo). Further, the dessert (chocolate torte) was outstanding. Singing happy birthday to the birthday girl was also a terrific touch that doesn't happen enough anymore. Finally, the ambiance was excellent, and the Italian music was what I think one should expect when visiting an Italian cafe/restaurant.

I'm not prone to leaving reviews, (let alone 5 stars) but this little gem of a restaurant is worth a visit.

My only requests and suggestions:

1. Request: Please keep it up. The quality control is great. The flavour of the food is great. The service standard is great. Please don't let it slip.
2. Suggestion: Please consider adding cannolis to your dessert menu. I'll bet you'd do a terrific job with them and really, they should be on the dessert menu of an Italian cafe/restaurant of this quality.
3. Suggestion: Perhaps offer your calamari with Tzatziki or Tartar? But a garnish of chopped red onion would be terrific.

Please consider my suggestions to be only as they are intended: suggestions. We will be coming back regularly as long as you keep up this standard. Can't wait to try some of your other offerings.

Overall, well done.

A special secondary shout-out to our server Pamela, who was just fantastic. She made our experience...

Visited Mama Mia for a birthday dinner, and it was fantastic. Given that it was severely cold outside, the restaurant was busy.

Our server was informative, attentive, and really friendly. She provided great recommendations and was very patient with our group of 7.

The night manager was also super friendly and frequently visited to make sure everything was good.

We started with Meatballs, arancini and calamari. All were good, except the overall winner was the sauce that the meatballs were in. The calamari was also very good. Even one of the kids that doesnt like seafood, liked it.

We had a variety of mains, ranging from carbonara, lamb shank, pizzas, lasagna and a chicken marsala. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the restaurant was very open to making minor substitutions when requested. To highlight the tastiness of the sauce that came with the meatballs, it server as a fantastic dip for the pizza crusts.

Prices seemed on par with other Italian restaurants in Calgary, though the portions were better here.

We will look to return again to try other items on the menu.

One note to consider, in another review, a patron had indicated that the music got louder at night and that they felt that they had to leave. Not sure about the "leaving" part, but we did notice that when the bar server took over our table, the music did get a bit louder, which led to louder conversations. The noise level didnt bother us, but the volume increase...

We absolutely love Mama Mia — it’s a gem in our neighbourhood and easily one of our favourite places to eat. The food is consistently incredible, the atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, and the service is always top-notch.

We want to give a very special mention to Bestin, who is hands-down one of the best servers we’ve ever had. We’ve had the pleasure of being looked after by him the last two times we’ve visited, and his kind, warm, and attentive presence truly elevates the entire dining experience. He remembered us from a previous visit and made us feel so genuinely welcome — it’s that kind of thoughtful service that keeps us coming back.

Tonight was our baby’s second birthday, and because Mama Mia’s meatballs are her absolute favourite, the team went above and beyond by letting us order them ahead so they’d be ready when we arrived. The look on her face when she walked in and saw them arrive right away (after proudly declaring “meatballs!” at the door) was priceless.

Dinner was amazing, as always. And to top it off, the staff brought out a beautiful tart and sang happy birthday — with the entire restaurant joining in. It was such a joyful, heartfelt moment we’ll never forget.

We can’t say enough wonderful things about Mama Mia. Whether it’s a special celebration or a casual dinner, this place never misses. And if you’re lucky enough to have Bestin as your server, your night will be even more exceptional....