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    Cucina

    4.0 (60 reviews)
    PriceyItalian, Cafes
    Closed 7:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Cucina Photos

    CUCINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Cucina

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    Denise W.

    Came here for lunch with a colleague and I ordered: Arancini (mushroom, sundried tomato aioli) Conchiglie Saltimbocca (braised short rib stuffed shell, crispy prosciutto)- small comes in 3 and large comes in 5 I was definitely amazed at the food and service was not bad. So the Arancini was delicious. I would say you don't need that much sauce. If you add too much sauce it becomes a bit salty. But the sauce was not bad. The Conchiglie Saltimbocca was amazing. Portion looks small for 3 but its enough for myself. The restaurant is very small and you basically need to make a reservation. They have the restaurant split with one part operating as café and offers breakfast items. Overall, I would definitely go back.

    Beet and goat cheese salad
    Will H.

    Had dinner here on a weeknight. Enjoyed the ambiance and decor, tables are a little bit on the small and squished side. Tables close to the door are quite breezy and with the high ceilings it was a bit cold. Shared a small soup (carrot ginger) and a beet with goat cheese salad to start. The carrot ginger soup was good, however it was overly salty likely as a result of sitting on the warmer and became too concentrated. Beet and goat cheese salad was the highlight. There was some fabulous pesto on the side which was great. For our primi, we decided on the risotto (mushroom, fennel topped with fried pork belly). This was also too salty, but the taste, texture and creaminess were great. For our secondi, we ordered the porchetta. The flavor was good and the pork was not overcooked. The pesto on the side went with the pork. Overall good meal. Food was generally a bit too salty. The prices are on the high side for what you get. Would probably go to Sauce on pasta nights to get my Italian cravings sated.

    Table decor
    Sally T.

    Cucina Market Bistro has definitely set the bar when it come to classy Italian dining. I came across Cucina randomly when I was perusing on the Big Taste of Calgary website. Their dinner menu line up secured my need to secure my reservation when I was visiting. I was so pleasantly surprised when our party of 3 walked in and we were greeted immediately by one of the staff. He was in the midst of preparing our table and asked if we could just hang tight. The place smelled wonderful and every table was packed. I would not say it is overly big so I think reservations are definitely recommended. The decor was super modern with a combined taste of European shabby chic as well. I LOVED the dinner tables which had wooden plaques of wine labels on them. As part of the Big Taste of Calgary 2016 Menu, I ordered the leek and zucchini bisque with creme fresh to start. The soup tasted wonderful and it excited my palate for what was to come. The braised lamb shank with fregola sarda (type of pasta) and root vegetables also did not disappoint. The meat literally was so tender that it fell off the bone. The flavors were all perfectly paired together. By the end of this meal, I wanted to lick the plate but then I was reminded that I was a lady (hahaha). The tiramisu wrapped up this meal very nicely and left me more than satisfied! My partner had ordered from the Big Taste menu as well but the opposite of what I had so we would both have a samples of everything. He started with the heirloom tomato salad with celery hearts and aged balsamic dressing topped with goat cheese. His 2nd course was the sweet potato gnocchi with oyster mushrooms and kale in this delicious chutney. Dessert was chocolate coconut budino (pudding). I have to say everything was overwhelmingly good and I must come! Our meal each was $35 off the Big Taste Menu and we added wine pairing with each course for only $20 and each (each pairing was 5 oz).

    Pear and prosciutto salad
    Jenn N.

    Two colleagues have frequented the market/grab & go part of Cucina and rave about the sandwiches so they wanted to try the bistro for a sit down lunch and I was totally for it. Space is really limited, even in the "dining" side they've only managed to squeeze in about 5 or so tables. We got seated right by the street entrance door, and although heavy drapes and a heater were set up HUGE blasts of cold wind would come barreling through whenever anyone opened the door. This was really irritating and it got worse as it got busier - there wasn't an option to move tables :( Our server was really great, she read us the specials, gave suggestions and even checked with the chef for gluten free options for my celiac colleague. We all settled on the specials - two orders of pan seared Scallops and one order of the pork roast. We started with the pear and prosciutto salad - it was good, nothing too amazing. My scallops arrived and the aroma had me drooling! The perfectly cooked scallops were topped with a cream sauce reduction with mushrooms and potatoes, the chunks of grapefruit and springs of arugula were a refreshing touch! It is a bit pricey for lunch, our dishes were around $30 each. So if you're willing to splurge I think it's worth it.

    Alberta Rib Eye
    Brian D.

    Great service and good food. Went for dinner but it looked like it be a great place for lunch and breakfast. Can't wait to return earlier in the day. They also serve Phil & Sebastian coffee.

    Seafood pasta
    Lucia L.

    Highly recommended. Their full order portion is bigger than I thought. We ordered seafood pasta, there is a lot of seafood and fresh, and risotto with pork belly, the pork belly are done prefect. Finished off with an amazing tiramisu.

    Alberta Rib Eye: 12 ounce, crisy potato, pan-roasted brussel sprout, smoked paprika aioli, caramelized onion-grainy dijon jus

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

    A solid lunch spot with excellent pasta. Service was ok and prices were slightly on the higher side.

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    13 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Always my favorite place for breakfast while in Calgary. Atmosphere is great and has a French feel, always busy and food is yummy!

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

    I took my wife here for the first time and we enjoyed it. The duck dish is a must try. We will definitely be back soon.

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    12 years ago

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    Element Cafe

    Element Cafe

    4.4
    (16 reviews)
    0.9 km

    Great place IMO, can get busy as it's fresh foods + thanks to being off 17th with generous plugs …read more Not heavily staffed, so not for a rush, but I bet it keep prices down & quality up. Local artwork varies, added eye candy! Breakfast menu is ethnic (Turkish?)

    Why 5 stars? Because we got exactly what we needed…read more --- --- --- We landed in Calgary with a plan to hop in the rental car and head straight to Banff. But our hunger got the best of us, so we ended up stopping in town for lunch across the street from Element Cafe. Our next mission was to get caffeine and a little something sweet to finish off lunch. Element Cafe achieved both of these goals. I ordered an Americano and it did the trick. But I really enjoyed the Birthday Cake cookie. The cookies caught my eye because they looked a lot like the mountains we were about to see in Banff: they had many ridges and depth to them. The guy working in here even offered to heat them up for us before I could ask, so he really understood the keys to our heart. My only piece of feedback would be: when you heat the cookies up, don't be shy! Push that dough to the limit and let your cookies be enjoyed the way God intended: like they just came out of the oven. With that being said, the guy was the picture of a nice Canadian. Don't let his slightly under heating on this day shape how you view him as a fellow human. He was great, as were his cookies and his coffees.

    Photos
    Lots of art.  Be great to have a couple more tables.
    Lots of art. Be great to have a couple more tables.
    Element Cafe
    Hot chocolate

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    Hot chocolate
    Alforno Bakery & Cafe

    Alforno Bakery & Cafe

    3.8
    (221 reviews)
    0.8 km
    $$

    I have gone here a few times years apart since visiting and I have always enjoyed this cafe. I have…read moregotten a matcha here in the past that was okay, but their fall drinks currently look so good. This time around I tried something they offer by reservation called afternoon tea for $40. We each got to pick a tea for our tea pot and had about 8 options. The tea itself wasn't anything special. We tried the chai and the alforno blend which both didn't taste very strong. The afternoon tea deal also came with a snack tower, the bottom consisting of savory sandwich bites, and the top two levels with pastries and sweets. The things that stood out to me were the lemon meringue, fruit tart, and the carrot cake (the cream cheese frosting was really tasty). Overall, this was a super cute and fun thing to try. I'd definitely recommend it if you want to try little bites of various things they carry.

    Dreamy! Wow, we…read morescoped this out on our walk and had to come back. This morning we stopped in for brunch and could not help but order two meals. One for now and a ham and brie sandwich for later. Everything was so delicious and fresh. I had the brisket bowl with scrambled eggs. So amazing. I want to replicate this at home but fear it will take some work. The gremalata was superior. The cronut was so light and almost melted in your mouth. The raspberry filled coconut cookie was chewy and light. The breakfast with sausage eggs and potatoes and toast was enough for two. We couldn't begin to eat it all and took some away for later. Love this place. Wish we had one. We received multiple recommendations to try this from locals as well. Lots of seating. Craft coffees. Bakery and savory and food for all hours. This is the spot for you!!

    Photos
    Taps
    Taps
    Sugar diet
    Sugar diet
    Dinner!

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    Dinner!
    ZCREW Cafe

    ZCREW Cafe

    4.6
    (108 reviews)
    1.2 km

    What I love about this place is how inclusive it is while being so flavor forward…read more Our group had vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, folks with walnut allergy and dairy intolerance and we all found plenty of options to pick from and try the range. Vegan breakfast options that too savory are hard to come by. You're limited to soy or coconut yogurt or just potatoes but this place had buddha bowl, tofu bowl, ramen, salads. So many options. Additionally they can make modifications to accomodate any requirements. We had our coffees made with soy milk and sugar free syrup. Everything is plated so beautifully. Super fast and friendly service. You must reserve ahead online a day before atleast before you go to ensure they confirm a spot because the seating is limited. In addition to kitchen items they also have a small bakery shelf for banana breads or anything else. 10/10 would recommend.

    I had a very uncomfortable experience at this café. The male owner, Zack, was dismissive from the…read morestart. We were shocked to find another couple sitting at our reserved table--frankly, I hadn't anticipated it would be a shared table for eight in the first place. To make matters worse, we were rushed to order and pay the bill. After that couple left, another pair were seated at our six-person table without any explanation. Our dishes arrived in two separate waves with a 10-minute gap. They also automatically added an 18% tip for parties of more than five people, which I expect at least we should have a private table. When I expressed my dissatisfaction to the server, the owner came out and became confrontational and aggressive. He raised his voice, saying I could "tell him what I am not satisfied with." Then he offered a refund, which I immediately declined, and afterward snatched a package of coffee from the counter and offered it as compensation. I refused again--it felt more like an insult than a genuine apology. After we posted our reviews, the owner privately messaged my friend, asking us to remove them and citing the "small Chinese community" as a reason we should support each other. That's incredibly manipulative. Using community guilt to pressure customers into deleting honest feedback is inappropriate and only reinforces our negative experience. I will not be returning.

    Photos
    Interior of the cafe
    Interior of the cafe
    ZCREW Cafe
    Canadian latte with maple syrup

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    Canadian latte with maple syrup
    Prologue Day Bar

    Prologue Day Bar

    3.4
    (9 reviews)
    0.3 km
    Free WiFi
    Wheelchair accessible

    I am not quite sure why the reviews for this place are this low. My coworker and I checked out…read morePrologue for dinner as he was staying at the Courtyard located in the same building. I was expecting just a decent meal but was pleasantly surprised. First off, the service was top notch. Rafaelle (spelling?) made sure our water was topped off at all times and checked up on us in perfect intervals. He really made our experience great. The food and beers were great as well. I got the papardelle bourguignon and we split the house kettle chips. Both were very tasty. The bourguignon was cooked perfectly and the portion was just right; not too heavy and not too light. I want to come back and try the poke bowl next time. The atmosphere there is also very nice. It was a great location for us to discuss business and enjoy our food. Thank you for the great experience! I will definitely be back.

    I had a few meals at this place on the first floor of the hotel. The service is very good and it's…read morea nice place. I had a simple breakfast of scones and oat milk latte. The scone was a big and I could only eat half of them, but it was good. I tried Tuna Poke Bowl for dinner. The tuna was seasoned, and the rice underneath was just the right amount, but it was quite voluminous. I tried Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner the next day. This brings salad to basmati rice and naan to chicken tikka masala. Chicken tikka masala and naan were delicious, but the salad was a little watery. There was a piano performance on Friday night. It's a nice place with a cozy atmosphere even by myself. The server was bright and friendly. I would like to stop by again if I get the chance.

    Photos
    Bar and Lounge Area
    Bar and Lounge Area
    Prologue Day Bar
    Breakfast Sandwich

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    Breakfast Sandwich

    Cucina - italian - Updated August 2026

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