Tired of burger and pizza joints? Dining out with our children means constantly finding places that have entrees our kids will eat and that are affordable for our families to dine at. But what about for those special occasions, like anniversary dinners, or just a well-deserved date night?
If you’re not in the loop of some of YYC’s hottest date night spots (because you’re spending all of your dinners out at family-friendly chain restaurants), let me help! Fall is crazy with our children’s hectic schedules, so this season, plan in advance for at least one evening out to completely indulge and relax. You deserve it!
Here are a few of some of Calgary’s best date night options with various and unique offerings sure to hit something that you’re craving, making them some of my top choices for that special night out:
Craving Seafood?
Vero Bistro (209 10 Street NW) – Vero is my top choice if you are looking for somewhere quiet and charming. It’s a cozy place for quiet conversation. Chef Jenny will wow you with what comes out of her kitchen. It’s also a must if you are craving some serious seafood. Their signature platter for two contains mussels, clams, prawns, scallops, two kinds of seasonal fish, calamari, and Champagne-butter-poached Atlantic lobster tail for $185.
Japanese Omakase?
Shokunin (2016 4 Street SW) – If it’s Japanese cuisine you’re craving, look no further than famous Chef Darren MacLean’s Shokunin, which has been listed in Canada’s Top 100 Best Restaurants for eight consecutive years in a row. I highly recommend going for their signature 15-course yakitori omakase experience, where you will indulge in the best cold-shucked scallop you have ever devoured, a nori hand cone, five yakitori skewers, 45-day beeswax-aged Wagyu, and more. You get to sit counter-side at the kitchen and watch the chefs prepare this unforgettable experience for you. It’s truly a date night that you will never forget. This experience must be booked and prepaid in advance, and at $95 per person, it is completely worth the memories.
Cocktail Hour?
True Wild Distilling (3115 11 Street SE) – Looking for something unexpected and unique for date night with some tasty cocktails? True Wild Distillery is your place! It is hidden way in a SE industrial area, but when you pull up to this historic building in the evening, with its lights illuminating this architectural beauty, your jaw will drop. This 1911-built structure includes a cast-iron spiral staircase, an original crane, and is home to their showcased distillery. Needless to say, the cocktails are outstanding. And the food? Phenomenal! They have a simple menu that changes regularly and includes a variety of sharing plates. If you want to add on a pre-dinner experience to your date night, on Saturday afternoons they offer a Distillery Tour and Tasting Experience, which includes a 30- to 45-minute distillery tour and a tasting of three to five flights for $25 per person.
Road Trip?
Flores & Pine (254028 Bearspaw Road) – Maybe it's quiet conversation and a road trip that sounds appealing to you. If so, Flores & Pine offers a wonderful Tuesday Date Night Deal for $99, which includes two mains and two sides. The entree offerings to choose from are a half rotisserie chicken, a 10oz striploin, or an 8oz piranha. Optional side accompaniments include sauteed garlic mushrooms, fire-roasted vegetables, brown butter whipped potatoes, mac and cheese, truffle parmesan fries, or regular french fries. You can also choose to add on a bottle of one of their featured house wines for $45, or optional signature sauces or seafood pairings for an additional cost.
Good Ol’ Alberta Beef?
Modern Steak (100 8 Avenue SE and 10606 Southport Road SW) – Another great date night deal is Modern Steak. Their date night special is on Wednesdays, where you can enjoy two steaks, two sides, and a bottle of wine from their Date Night Feature Wine List for $118. For your steak, you can choose from either their 6oz AB Benchmark Flat Iron, 12oz AB Benchmark NY Striploin, or 6oz AB Benchmark Filet. Their Benchmark Angus steak is Alberta local, and cooked to perfection… your personal perfection, that is.
Celebrity Getaway?
Hawthorn (at the Fairmont Palliser) (139 9 Avenue SW) – You hear the words “Fairmont Palliser” and you think that this date night is going to be unaffordable… correct? Wrong! I’m about to let you in on an affordable secret. On Tuesdays only, Hawthorn has a date night special that includes a selected appetizer to share, two entrees (choice of a meat option, a fish option, or a vegetarian option), and a dessert to share, plus a bottle of wine hand-selected from their cellar for just $125 per couple! Right now, the seasonal offerings include Zucchini Salad to start, entree options of Pan-Roasted Rossdown Chicken Supreme, Steelhead Salmon or Penne Arrabiata, and a Hazelnut Cinnamon Slice (topped with salted caramel gelato) for dessert. Dining in style does not get any more affordable than that! If you want to splurge and turn date night into a weekend, you can just spend the night and enjoy Hawthorn again for breakfast!
Jennifer is a foodie with a passion for food writing.
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