Table for one: Super solo-dining spots in Calgary
It’s OK to go out and dine alone, on purpose. Really! Sometimes you’re out and about on your own, and you’re hankering for a decent nosh, so you pop into a place and plunk down. Sometimes you’re in that headspace where you want a good meal with just a book or tablet for companionship. You need no excuses, no apologies. Treat yourself. Here are some restaurants that fit the bill.
The Lazy Loaf & Kettle
8 Parkdale Cres NW, Calgary AB T2N 3T8This homey restaurant overflows with sticky buns and hearty soups just like mom used to make. Just a hop off Memorial Drive on the main floor of an unassuming brown commercial building, Lazy Loaf & Kettle also serves up fresh-roasted coffee, sandwiches made with fresh-baked bread, pancakes, and desserts – the massive ginger cookie sandwich with cream cheese icing is deadly. The warm atmosphere and handiness to the Bow River pathway make it perfect for a nosh for one.
Hearts Choices Vegan Cafe
9679 MacLeod Trail SW, Calgary AB T2J 0P6After wowing visitors and food critics with its Thai vegan food at a kiosk in the Calgary Farmers’ Market for a number of years, the owners of Hearts Choices opened a full café in The Brick Plaza on Macleod Trail last year. The 28-seat spot is a tidy, pleasant, no-frills affair, redolent of delicious curries and satays. It’s a sweet place for a solo chow down or to pick up some fresh or frozen dishes to tote home.
Añejo Restaurant
2116 4th Street SW #2, Calgary AB T2S 1W7There’s enough quaffage in this joint tequila mockingbird (boo, hiss). But seriously folks, Añejo stocks more than 200 tequilas, served by folks that can tell you a thing or two about the spirits. Located in the multi-level structure that once housed the legendary Fourth Street Rose, it’s a funky place for friendly banter at the bar and vibrant people watching – but not for quiet dining, unless you arrive between mealtimes. The tableside guacamole is amazing, and I can’t visit without ordering a chili coconut margarita. Or two.
Cactus Club Cafe
2612 39 Ave NE, Calgary AB T1Y 7J9This is a chain with one of your classier menus, created by renowned chef Rob Feenie. It features everything from the well-rated Feenie burger to a duck clubhouse, rice bowls, curries, short ribs, steaks... lots of meaty goodness. The location just off Barlow Trail has a sexy ambience with amber lighting, red seating and contemporary glass dividers. It’s particularly good for solo diners, with cozy two-seater booths throughout the place, and good WiFi.
Rose & Crown Pub
1503 4 St SW, Calgary AB T2R 0Y3This mainstay watering hole puts on zero airs, and if you wander in solo and feel like company, you’ll probably make a friend before you leave. Maybe it’s some good spiritual juju from those departed. The circa-1920s building was once a funeral home before being renovated in 1986. The original wallpaper and brooding dark wood was kept intact, and makes for a perfect traditional British-style pub feel. The menu is loaded with hearty nibbles, and the long, curved bar is perfect for one to belly-up to.
Ikemen Ramen Bar
217 10 St NW, Calgary AB T2N 1V5Not your no-name, college-days ramen, no siree! Ikemen serves savoury chicken-broth-based ramen (most ramen is made using pork broth) and a selection of sushi at its no-nonsense Kensington location. Its minimal interior features a bar outfitted with tall stools and a long central table between rows of two-seaters. It’s a great place to pop in and chow down, when your main goal is to spend your time wandering the shops.
The Nash Restaurant & Off Cut Bar
925 11 St SE, Calgary AB T2G 0R4Tucked into the front corner of The Nash restaurant, the bar is a less-exposed place for the solo diner. Located in the historic and now restored former National Hotel, Off Cut’s dark, vintage-flavoured atmosphere juxtaposes nicely against the airy, white, contemporary interior of The Nash. Seating is communal-bar style with some single tables flanking bench-lined walls. Good for a craft beer or single-bourbon-style solo. Choose from lots of inventive fare, from salads to many, many meaty dishes, and accompany with craft beer or class-act classic cocktail.
Starbelly Restaurant
220-19489 Seton Cres SE, Calgary AB T3M 1T4Starbelly feels like an oversized rustic-upscale Cape Cod cottage set deep in the southeast suburb of Seton, right near the South Health Campus. Outfitted in reclaimed barnboard and clapboard with weathered aqua paint, post-and-beam accents and huge windows, its airy rooms are set with warm wood tables. Starbelly features an open kitchen and a large central bar with seating all around, surrounding the finishing kitchen and grill. It’s good, hearty, contemporary food. Try the eatery’s amazing take on calamari, and its star dessert: the sourdough root beer doughnut with vanilla bourbon gelato and caramel drizzle. Dinner for one, please.
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