My recent dining experience at River Café, ranked 23rd in Canada's Top 100 Restaurants, was nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment we stepped in, the ambiance was warm and inviting, setting the stage for an unforgettable culinary journey. Starting with the Kyuquot Sound Smoked Sablefish, the delicate flavours of the perfectly smoked fish were a testament to the chef's skill. The balance of smokiness and tenderness left me craving for more. Paired with Amiable Organics Salt Baked Celery Root, the dish achieved a harmonious blend of textures and tastes, elevating it to a true work of culinary art. The Fairwinds Farm Goat Halloumi Salad is an absolute delight. The grilled halloumi's creamy richness, paired with sweet Sudo Farms Beets, crisp Frisée, and a hint of smoky Charcoal, creates a delightful medley of flavours and textures. The Fish & Game Board at River Café is a culinary triumph. A divine selection of Cured Meats, Seasonal Potted Seafood, and Smoked Salmon promises an exquisite journey for the taste buds. Paired with River Café's Pickles, Preserves & Crackers, each element complements the others, creating a harmonious balance of flavours and textures. A must-try for those seeking a charcuterie experience that effortlessly combines sophistication and indulgence. The mains were nothing short of spectacular. The Top Grass Beef Ribeye was amazing, cooked to perfection and served with Forno Roasted Leffers Farm Carrot, Charred Shallot, and Poplar Bluff Agria Potato Fondant. Each element on the plate showcased the chef's dedication to quality ingredients and culinary precision. Equally impressive was the Rangeland Bison Striploin (Way more flavour), accompanied by Poplar Bluff Hasselback Potato, Wise Eats King Oyster Mushrooms, and Southern Skies Swiss Chard. The Brassica Jus tied the components together, creating a symphony of flavours that left a lasting impression. To conclude our culinary adventure, we indulged in the dessert offerings. The Vital Green Farms Yogurt Mousse with macerated strawberries and fennel crumble was a refreshing and delightful conclusion to our meal. The Haskap Sorbet, featuring Smoked Gosford maple and meringue, showcased the chef's creativity with a perfect balance of sweetness and smokiness. Smoke was very subtle and did not over power at all. The impeccable service, combined with the picturesque setting of the restaurant, made our dining experience at River Café truly exceptional. Highly recommend River Cafe!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$80–90
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Charcuterie Board
Parking options
Paid street parking
Parking
The walk to the restaurant is very beautiful. As it is located on the island.

Ok so, I’ve been to river cafe only once before this, but each time has been absolutely splendid! The most recent time I went the staff were incredible and the food was maybe the best I’ve ever had. The thoughtfully designed menu and tasteful plating for sauce presentations or the tea that I had were spectacular as well. A true fine dining experience for a reasonable price. Food: we got the red lentil hummus (not pictured) for the table and I got the eggs Benedict - the braised beef short rib one. I’m celiac, and the restaurant went above and beyond to make sure that I had a great experience. The red lentil hummus came out with gluten free crackers made in-house and the eggs Benedict was served with their GF biscuit (again in-house made). I rarely get to have eggs Benedict, and this one was the best I’ve ever had. The biscuit choice is a welcomed shift as cutting through and eating it was easy and flavoured beautifully! The service: our server was Garrett, and let me begin by saying he was fantastic. Our water glasses were never empty and when the mid-afternoon sun came beaming in right for my eyes, I didn’t even have to say anything and it was dealt with. He preemptively closed the blinds for all of his tables as well. The level of service was outstanding. Well done to the river cafe for hiring fantastic staff, and for curating and customizing their menu for celiac folks like me. I felt very at home and very safe eating here. I dove into my brunch, and then snapped a photo after I had already began devouring it!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$30–40
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Braised Beef Short Rib & Caramelized Onion, Red Lentil Hummus
Dietary restrictions
I’m celiac, and the server was very helpful and knew exactly what to recommend.

We travelled to Calgary from Red Deer for a weekend getaway, and booked a table for 2 for brunch at the River Cafe at 10:30am on November 25th, 2023. This place is quite unique, has a wonderful rustic cabin designed interior, and came highly recommended. They focus on fresh, local ingredients whenever possible, and take pride in creating dishes that are delightful and bursting with flavour. Kevin was our Waiter and was very friendly, attentive, and extremely knowledgable about the menu items and the restaurants focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients. He was an absolute pleasure to talk to! We began with the Island Fizz drinks, which were very refreshing. Followed those with a Cappuccino and a Baileys and coffee which were much appreciated after the walk to the restaurant in some brisk cold weather that morning. To start, we asked for the Pastry Trio, which was marvellous and made fresh every morning! The Zucchini chocolate muffin was amazing and my personal favourite, but all 3 were delectable. We ordered both the Man’s farm eggs with Hillview Heritage Farm Honey Ham, and the Braised Beef Short Rib and Caremelized Onion Eggs Benedict which were amazing (the eggs were done to perfection), and the Poplar Bluff potato hash was sooooo good! The River Cafe is amazing, and we can’t wait to visit in the Summer time to dine outdoors! Thanks again Kevin and the rest of the River Cafe staff for the wonderful service and superb brunch, we will definitely be back!! 10/10 all the way!!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Host was friendly accommodated us even though we arrived 30 minutes early. Our server was friendly and gave me a recommendation for a beverage. Reason I am giving them a 1 star is the food. We ordered the beef tartare which came out in a timely manner. When the beef tartare came i was pretty disappointment for a restaurant that is highly recommended our beef tartare came out looking like dog food thrown on the plate. You would think they would put some effort into plating it nice. We also waited another 40 minutes for our main course to come out and yet again was disappointed, it looked like food was just slapped on the plate again at a homeless shelter. We ordered the bison tenderloin and the lamb which we were both unhappy with. My potatoes were so burnt that all I could see was black and taste burnt potatoes. Veggies looked super soggy and unappealing but tasted alright. For this price point I would expect the food quality to be a lot higher and plated better for atheistic looks. I felt like an elementary cooking class made my food. Better food else were for the same price and the quality plus food is a milestone apart. Pictures on their Instagram is inaccurate as you can tell from the picture of our beef tartare. Wish I could my money back.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$100+
Food: 1
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3

We had seating outside on the patio, which is absolutely beautiful. It took our server a while to finally came by to greet us and in which we have decided and ordered everything all together(drinks and food). The server asked about allergens in which we told her that any sorts of Onion is a no go. Which we request burger sauce to be placed ok side. Drinks took about 20min to come but the quality is good. Then we waited another 10min or so for the food to arrive. The burger came with sauce already spread in and sides for the burger is purple potato salad mixed with ONION. The linguini plate was super warm and the cheese on top have melted. If you ever work at F&B you'd know what that means. Even tho the food and service didn't match our expectation but still it's a gorgeous place to visit. Overall, I'd say it's once in life time Enough deal.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$50–60
Food: 3
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 5

Been seeing this cafe in Prince Island Park during my walks. Finally went for lunch. Warm and cozy interior, service was on point. Chloe was a delight. She gave the perfect "there right before you think you need her" attention. Had the following: Starter - Halloumi : I love halloumi and this one was really good. The dressing on the salad was not very overpowering, complements the cheese. Main - Pan Seared Yukon Arctic Char : first time to try Arctic Char, was very good. Texture of the fish was perfect so was the crispiness of the fish skin with the salt on top. Dessert - Leffers Farm Carrot Cake : I loved everything on this plate, even the ginger gel! Paired it with a glass of Port as suggested, and it worked. Overall it was a great lunch experience. Will try their dinner and weekend brunch next time.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

Ordered burger...was told it would be cooked medium well....burger arrived rare...they took it back, recooked and served it a second time around...bit of a challenge cutting a new bun, trying to find where the butger was cut in half after previous serve......patty shrunk to size of a slider.....not a good practice to recook food....presentation was very lack lustre .....expected alot better... flavor of meat below average..Smashed potatoes served with burger were just smashed alright, laying on the plate.....but no flavor....very disappointed considering the nice outdoor dining and service. Humous was good... Sprirzer drink was a bit weak and watery... overall nice place to sit. Looling at other photos, this place may have quality issues....Bad day in the kichen....Btw, comped the burger.....$29 dollars, I hope so
Meal type
Lunch
Food: 1
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 5

The decor and atmosphere in this beautiful place is what draws me here. The patio is nestled in the middle of the park. The rustic yet stylish restaurant feels welcoming and elegant. Having said this the food doesn’t feel like it fits the elegance. The presentation is decent. The food is tasty enough. Our service experience this time was just ok. We waited a while to have our orders taken. The restaurant was maybe 25% full at the time. Our server had tables on the patio as well as inside so it was difficult to get her attention. I had to ask the hostess to let her know we were ready to order having waited too long. It was mid-week lunch and most of us had to go back to work. You have to park outside of the park before walking in through the construction in Eau Claire. It will likely be a while before I come back.

We had brunch last Sunday. Nice spot and location. The food was good. The atmosphere and view out the windows was also good. We understood it was a busy time but it took nearly an hour for our food to arrive. As an adult, we can talk and take time until food arrives. But it was challenging with 1 child and 1 toddler. We were a party of 8 people, but the restaurant just put together 2 small tables together in middle of the hall. With one toddler in a high chair, there simply was too little space for all of us and we felt cramped, in high traffic area of the restaurant. I would probably come back when my children are grown up or with smaller party.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$20–30
Recommended dishes
Eggs Benedict with Spinach and Mushroom Ragout

My first time at the river cafe did not disappoint. I ordered the Eggs Benedict with Short rib and it was amazing. The hollandaise sauce was the perfect mix of sweet and savoury. The short rib added to the savoury flavour and the bread used for the Benny was crisp but broke easily when chewed on. The side of potatoe hash was salted crisp to perfection. I love the way the hash is cubed as well. Overall the attention to detail on my meal was great. I finished it off with a warm apple cider and a maple pumpkin scone. I would come back anytime.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$40–50
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Braised Beef Short Rib & Caramelized Onion

The food and atmosphere was amazing. The vibe is perfect to be a riverside Cafe. Ordered the Fish and Game board, and the smoked salmon is to die for. I would highly recommend the 'Smoked Salmon Tartelette' as a main. It was delicious, creamy, and came with a salad and mid boiled egg. The portion size for this was perfect. I will definitely be back again. The only problem is they were very slow. Even the customer beside us got frustrated. It is wedding season and a lot of people are coming in large groups. So I'm hoping it was just a fluke.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$30–40
Food: 5
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Charcuterie Board

We sat outside even though the host was recommending not to seat outside. It was a beautiful day to sit outside. She mentioned that there were no heaters, but we saw a couple of tables with heaters on. We didn't care as it was around 60F which was perfect. The server was great and attentive. Our food was amazing and my 2% milk latte was phenomenal! Overall great experience. I had the hog wild boar belly that was delicious and perfectly cooked. The dish was well balance!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$70–80
Food: 5
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Recommended dishes
Sourdough Toast, Red Lentil Hummus, Hog Wild Boar Belly

Coffee: 4.75/5 Pastry: 5/5 Food: 4.75/5 Service: 5/5 Location: 5/5 We went to River Cafe for brunch, and it was everything we wished for. The service was friendly yet professional and the dishes were served in a logical order. We first got our coffee, then the pastry trio, and finally the mains. Everything tasted as good as they were diligently presented. We were also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the coffee (they used Monogram Coffee, a local roaster) and the fresh butter and blackberry jam that came with the pastry. We will definitely come back.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$40–50

Nice ambiance, delicious and well prepared dishes using only local ingredients. Our server Antony is attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly. Do start with the hummous which has a diverse range of flavours! Every main course dish we tried was intriguing and delicious. Good wine selection. Hint: tried several highly recommended restaurants, and this is my favourite. As restaurant is located inside a park, do wear (or ask for) bug sprays. I got many bites despite seated indoor.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

The thanksgiving dinner experience was amazing. It hit all the classics, but in such a refined and delicious way. We enjoyed the family style approach and the commitment to local ingredients. We’ve eaten dinner and ordered from the regular dinner menu as well. Always something delicious to choose from and love that the selection changes. Love the rustic, yet refined style of the restaurant.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$60–70
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

River Café, located in Calgary, is a delightful dining establishment. During my visit, I had the pleasure of being served by Farrah, who provided exceptional service. Her attentiveness and warm demeanor enhanced the overall experience. The café's ambiance and delicious menu offerings make it a must-visit destination in Calgary. I highly recommend River Café, and Farrah's outstanding service made my visit even more enjoyable.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Can tell why this is one of Canada's top 100 restaurants. Amazing food, great service and great atmosphere. One downside thing was that the restaurant kept adding more tables as it got busy. I understand the need for it, but we felt a bit too close to the couple next to us when they added another table. Def one of the places you need to try!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$80–90
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

Good for the location. Food wise, it’s unique but not big on portion sizes (depends on the dish). The beef burger was filling but cannot say the same for the cauliflower dish (tasty but not filling). They do not have vegetarian mains. So I would probably avoid it. We went on a Thursday afternoon and the service was slow. For the first time, it was a decent experience but probably won’t return (reason- limited menu).
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch

Great little space in Prince Island Park. Perfect stop for pictures too. The decor inside is rustic and quaint, very beautiful. Prices are on the higher side but the food was amazing. The croque madame in particular was amazing. We find brunch has more reasonable prices than lunch/dinner.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$30–40
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Red Lentil Hummus

I am still in aweh of the experience but most importantly the food! The boyfriend and I went for a date night our waiter was great! He was very friendly and bubbly! I got the Halibut freshly flown in the same day. You can't get any fresher than that. My boyfriend had the bison. It has the best flavors with every bite. Definitely will definitely be back!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Went here for Mother’s Day and I must say the food was very delicious.The restaurant was understandably busy but the staff was very friendly and apologized profusely. They kept on asking if we needed anything and made sure it was a pleasant dining experience. I can see why River Cafe was just ranked one of the top restaurants in the country and wholeheartedly recommend.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$40–50

Love it! Great food, and service. The place is very nice, warm and cozy. We went for dinner, and the whole experience was just amazing! I will recommend this restaurant 200% is a most on your visit. Even with a couple of weird allergies they could accommodate us and made us great dishes... We'll visit again next trip
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$100+
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Good experience here for brunch! Atmosphere was very cool walking through the park to the cafe. It was a bit too cold for outdoor dining, but the restaurant was full, so we had to take what we could get! Well made barista beverages, tasty pastries were the food highlights. The service was AWESOME! Easy to recommend.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$40–50
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

My husband and I had a lovely brunch here. We both opted for the Croque Madame, which is phenomenal, and a feature Prosecco. The meal was artfully prepared, the scenery was gorgeous, and our service was top notch. Thank you, Jane, for the great service and menu recommendations. We enjoyed our experience very much.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$40–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Everything in general was good, but with my beef tenderloin steak, I was served borderline raw potatoes that had not been seasoned at all, and the greens were also undercooked and under seasoned. The steak however was perfect. For the price point, I would expect something as basic as a potato to be cooked.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$80–90
Food: 3
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 5

Lovely ambiance and high quality dining experience. Locally sourced ingredients and lavish items on the menu. Portion size would be better but that’s the thing about fine dining.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$60–70
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Chocolate Raspberry Tart, Salmon and Wild Rice, Red Lentil Hummus, Sablefish Noble Farm Duck

We came for a Sunday brunch All went well. Quick hostess , accommodating. Server friendly and professional Food great incl. vegetarian options. All canadian based, including "pepper" which was made from regional tree bark. Not as spicy as real pepper but great. Good selection of drinks.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$40–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Lovely spot right by the water with indoor and outdoor seating. The food is excellent, both the starters and mains. We especially enjoyed the sablefish, the bison and the boar loin, but really everything was great. The staff was also very helpful in choosing the dishes. We had a solid experience and would definitely come back if ever in town again.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner

Went to River Cafe for our anniversary dinner. The outdoor seating was a bit more packed than my liking. Tables are placed very close together. Food is great in general. Service is lovely. Having dinner outdoor in a park setting is very relaxing. Just the noise level is a bit loud, it is hard to carry a low volume conversation.
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 5

Definitely worth a visit. I never tried such a tender duck. And in a whole combination of flavors was unusual.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$70–80
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Arctic Char Benedict, Hog Wild Boar Belly
Kid-friendliness
Positive attitude towards my kids .

Decor is amazing, plus its in the middle of the park which makes location really nice. I think they need to increase their staff, when i went it was at 50% occupancy still staff was overworked and hard to get attention of. Food is nice, their house hot sauce and hot chocolate is amazing.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$30–40

took my daughter here for brunch with a bunch of her friends for her 16th birthday. everything from start to finish was amazing. I normally hate eggs Benny but they did something magical to the mushroom eggs Benny. they were amazing.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$60–70
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Excellent restaurant. Exclusively Canadian ingredients, wide variety of selection, great ambiance inside and views outside. Service is very good, servers are well trained. Perfect place for date night, unless you are cheap.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$100+
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Excellent spot for lunch in the park. Great patio. Nice menu! Friendly service. Super cute little spot right in the middle of the park. I had the oysters and they were fresh and I loved the homemade sauces.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$30–40
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Grear evening at this beautifully located restaurant. The tasting menu was balanced. The PEI oyster, fogo island shrimps and asparagus were delicious. The main boar belly and dessert lacked originality. The pairing with the Canadian white wines were nice, Looking forward to the new tasting menu.
Price per person
$100+

I was here on a date and it is such a lovely place. Great food, atmosphere and service. Definitely want to come back.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$40–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Arctic Char Benedict

We were for thanks giving dinner, the service was poor, food was very average compare with other times that we were there and it was great. When we had order a la carte the food is really good but when there's special menu it's meh.....
Food: 3
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 5

This is a warm, cosy, inviting venue for an intimate wedding of up to 80 people. You can have your outdoor wedding ceremony right in the heart of Prince’s Island Park. The staff is awesome and the food is phenomenal! We provided the DJ and tunes, and would highly recommend this venue.

Very delicious brunch and setting. Attentive service. No wait, seated in a great spot. We went early, around 10:45am. Highly recommend.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Food was super well done, I absolutely loved the pasta and it is not hard to mess up a pasta dish in north america.