The selection of Italian items is good. I must admit the food is pricey, but well worth it. Everything is fresh, with friendly service. I have been here many times and it doesn't matter when you come, it's busy. Inside is clean and well taken care of. - parking lot is very busy just be patient. Well worth the stop if in the area. read more

Fantastic store. Great selection and service. GenuineItalian products and everything is always fresh!

The pizza menu at Italian Centre Shop is amazing, even better is the monthly rotating pizza offer. There hasn't been a pizza from here that I have not enjoyed. This is self serve, so you get in line for the cafe, order and pay. You will be given a number to place on your table if you are eating in. During the non snow season, sit outside on the sidewalk. Enjoy the sun, watch the chaos of Calgary Drivers attempting to park! (Seriously, watch my vehicle get hit when a customer trying to park next to my space, get frazzled by another vehicle baring down on her car!) Thin crisp crust, quality meats and cheese, drizzled oils or balsamic on top. These pizzas put pizza chains to shame, it's also fun to watch people's expressions as a plate of fresh out of the oven pizza (or two!) be delivered to your table. They are also able to box to go, and you can phone ahead to order for pickup. This is a store that offers hot and cold food and salads as well as a grocery store, order you pizza and wander around for a bit, see what's on special. The pastry area is wonderful to just look at, and the cakes are delightful. If you haven't tried this pizza, give it a shot, you will not regret it!! read more

Italian Centre Shop - Delicious - Grocery Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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A busy place for a good reason! Superb food for reasonable prices. Home style cooked italian foods, their thin crust original pizzas and their fabulous sandwiches. Very good service even at the busiest of times. Bar none, the best patio in the southeast part of calgary! It is because of its location, sheltered from dominant winds, East facing with about a dozen tables. Your dog is welcome. Italian products in their store, from herbs to italian bakery products to Italian coffee brands, kit chen tools, dishes cups etc. A wide variety of produce and fresh quality meats and a large deli with Italian meats/ cheeses. one stop shop. I am a big fan of their cappuccinos, and sandwiches, specially the roast veggie one. Try this Italian Centre, you cannot go wrong! read more

This place is da bomb! I've been in Calgary two days now and have been to the Italian Centre three times, and headed back today. Hands down a destination for anything Italian related and more. I stood, stunned, in an entire isle of nothing but olive oils, dozens, maybe over a 100 choices? Unbelievable. The pasta isle is equally mind blowing. The produce is fresh, well cared for and the quality of the products I've already cooked with are exceptional. For those grumping about the service, I found it to be first-rate. Even made a friend with one employee who recognized me from the day before from an extended conversation we had. I will know and remember his name as long as I'm coming here from afar, and when we move here which is our longer term plan. The coffee shop and food bar part of the store is equally impressive and the baked goods first-rate. With the large bakery in the back churning out so many options this place is a must. If I could give it 10 stars I would. I realize Yelp isn't a big thing in Canada but am more than happy to spread the good news about this resource. I wish there is something like this within any kind of driving distance in the midwest in the U.S., but there is not, which is why it makes it even more special. Very highly recommended. read more

The service and products are amazing from the fresh daily baked goods and desserts to the deli, salads and everything in between! They do aim to please and if you can't find what you're looking for... a staff member is aways happy to help. Customer service and product quality are outstanding and we aways bring our friends and family here who wish that they too had such a store in their own neighbourhood !! Check them out! They also serve up the best Italian roasted ! You won't be disappointed read more

Italian Centre Shop - Wall of cheese and Deli Counter - Grocery Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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One of my favorite places! Wonderful round Italian bread in their bakery, awesome selection of pasta, fantastic pizza to go! Check it out, you won't be disapppointed! read more

Great spot to find real ingredients for making food. Deli is perfect for a coffee and pizza. Worth a trip read more

Loving this Italian market. Sure do wish we had markets like this back home (Texas). Cafe, pastry shop, deli and groceries...one stop shop for all things Italian. read more

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Used to come all the time now I will never come back again.Waited in line for deli meat for maybe 5 min then they skipped my number and went to the next,left with nothing. Mad.Came back again few weeks later waited in no line to get meatballs for 5 min as the employee continued to wash dishes,then finally got helped then another customer comes and starts talking to the employee as she is serving my food and begins to talk to her and stops serving my food,again I leave with nothing mad,two times in a row.That's a joke read more

Italian Centre Shop - a person standing on a checkered floor - Grocery Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Disgraceful, the Calgary Italian Center can't make a Pizza. The crust is tasteless, needs salt and looks like a Pita bread with the underside coated with flour. The tomato sauce is tasteless and does not improve this mess. Topped with a liquid pool of too much cheese. The cheese was melted but not golden. A Pizza is a dish of proportion, which is destroyed,, when any one item is permitted to dominates. Even with the advantage of a superior pizza oven, this bunch, can't produce a product from scratch, which tastes any better then, the frozen cardboard garbage, being cooked on conveyor belts. There should be a line up around the block for a pizza made from scratch, instead it is just another epic failure. It isn't exactly rocket science , fresh ingredients, cooked in a proper pizza oven, should produce a superior product. It takes a particular kind of culinary genus to Screw this up! Contacted the Italian Center directly by email with my complaint, and was told management would get back to me. They didn't, so I decided to share the review with Yelp! The search continues for a Quality Pizza in Calgary! read more

I've come here many times. Their selection at this centre is amazing. All of their fruits and vegetables are super fresh. However, their service is atrocious. Twice I have come in here and the workers act like you're an idiot. I once asked a lady (she worked there, she was pushing a bread cart) where the bakery was, and she looked at me like i was on drugs and said, "over there?". I had no idea who this lady was other than a worker, so that attitude and behaviour towards me was uncalled for. That same day, I asked a bald man where I could find the jackfruit and the same thing. Super snobby and very uptight. Get over yourselves, you guys work in a supermarket. Anyways, horrible service, but very good selection. Service: (0 stars) Selection: ***** Cleanliness: ***** read more

Went in there today and Someone brought a dog into the store - Isn't this a violation of some sort? This is a grocery store-why are people bringing their dogs! It was not a service dog of any sort -it was someone's pet. read more

Are you kidding me? This is the most amazing market I've ever been to. The cheese and meat section was unbelievable. I could write a 3 page review and not do this place justice. Just go, thank me later. read more

Quality and service is unmatched! Affordable produce, bakery and some yummy desserts if you want

A great Italian supermarket with a considerably larger space & selection than its peers in Calgary. Prices generally seems a bit more reasonable too. Distinguishing features include a big deli counter with lots of tasters, a huge selection of syrups for Italian soda or coffee (including pine shoot syrup from Poland), numerous brands of fresh frozen pasta, specialty local beef (e.g. Piedmontese) and other meats, and the gamut of fresh baked Italian bread styles. The in-house restaurant has a nice selection of desserts, and the pizza is quite popular. The toppings on the pizza were great, but it wasn't my favorite crust (not a tradition wood burning oven). Overall a great place to stroll around and pick up tasty foodstuffs without breaking the bank! read more

What brought me to the Italian Centre Shop? Word of mouth. I heard they had some produce that wasn't available elsewhere that week. So, I drove straight over to pick up a couple of flats. The store is big - bigger than any other specialty stores that I've been in Calgary (They have similar stores in Edmonton). This means the selection is big, too. I wandered the dry aisles in awe of many brands I had never seen - and I am an avid food shopper. My favourite items to browse were the olive oil and balsamic vinegars. The pricing and packaging vary and that's what makes it so fun picking some out. (Sidebar: I will never be able to justify buying some of these vinegars without trying them - Sampling of some of the more unique items in the store would be proactive! Maybe they do offer samples, but there wasn't anything like that the day I was in). There is a good selection of freshly prepared foods and baking, and this seemed to be where the bulk of the customers were hanging out. The store was definitely busy (mostly in the small sit down eating area), but there was no line at the general grocery cashier when I was ready to pay for my purchases. I wouldn't say the staff was unfriendly, exactly, but while I was wandering the aisles, nobody inquired as to what I was looking for or if I needed help. Also, many items were imported, so that could explain the pricey items - which were many! I will have to do some comparison shopping and report back... read more

The old Sobey's on Fairmount Drive is the new location of quite a large Italian store called the Italian Centre! They have a very nice produce section where you can find fresh figs (get them quick though, as they sell out frequently) and other typical produce selections. My favourite part about the store is the deli and cheese, and bakery areas - they have some beautiful meats and cheeses, and the breads are excellent. I wish they would serve canned goods that don't have all the extra chemicals and additives like The Italian Store does. They also don't have the brand of San Marzano tomatoes I have become accustomed to, the Rega Rega San Marzano DOP tomoatoes. They have a lot of other brands, and they just don't compare. I asked the girl at the checkout if they sold the Illy espresso pods, and they also don't sell those. Unfortunately that forces me to make the drive up to Scarpone's Italian Store where they have the products I actually use. Too bad too, since this location is closer to me. read more

Today my brother took me to visit this fabulous Italian shop! Wow! Such a neat place with so much variety of things to buy! A fresh vegetable & fruit section where I bought mini sweet potatoes to try. Reasonable prices for a lot of items. Then we passed by the bread section where I bought a large pkg of fresh baked cheese buns . The place had huge cheese wheels that were so impressive! I bought fresh bags of pizza dough to make my own home pizzas for under $2. The freezer section had so many varieties of frozen items that I wanted to try so many things! I picked up a huge heavy tray of Italian lasagne with meat sauce to feed 6-8 . Can't wait try it out since I haven't found a good frozen lasagne yet that I truly like. I grabbed a bag of lobster ravioli and a bag of gnocchi into my cart. Passing by the bakery section were so many varieties of fresh baked croissants , squares, tarts, cookies, etc. We picked large chocolate croissants, pistachio croissants, cheese ones and ham & cheese ones. We ate them later when we got home and they were so flaky and yummy! We will try the others next time! They had huge beautiful tiramisu cakes , fruit topped cheesecakes , etc... I'm going to try them on my next birthday or special celebrations. There's a big deli dept, an amazing cheese dept, an assorted olive section, a deli spot to order fresh baked pizzas and sandwiches too. A large coffee section for all kinds coffees and supplies . There's a special seating area for people enjoying a lunch or coffee with dessert choices. And even an area carrying an assortment of Italian kitchen items & souvenirs too. So much to see , so many varieties of imported choices of cookies, pastas , olive oils, sauces , etc ! I will be back and totally loved shopping here! read more

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Excellent service on every visit! Love that staff take time to let you taste meat and cheese selections prior to slicing everything. I was in last Saturday and was served be a young man (reddish blond). I had let him know that I required gluten free options and he carefully made recommendations. If he was unsure, he made a point to consult with a senior staff member. I truly appreciated his attention to detail and his friendly demeanour. read more

Great selection and service. I will drive from the far northwest to visit this shop. The Italian Centre Shop offers the most diverse and authentic Italian food in the city. read more

I was so excited to make my first trip to the Italian Centre. My part of the SW isn't exactly loaded with different places to buy ethnic groceries. This place is crazy on a Sunday morning. You can do your groceries, take out food or sit in at the cafe. They offer catering as well. While they don't have the largest of selections for produce, they have a million choices of meat, tons of cheese, in house baked bread as well as oodles of pasta (boxed,bagged, fresh or frozen) They are also a slew of options when it comes to olive oils/ canned & jarred goods, sparkling waters and desserts. Next time I go in, I'll be stopping for an americano and try one of their home made cannoli. read more

Imagine my surprise when one day I went to a nearby Sobey's and tried the doors only to discover the store had closed! I wondered what would take the grocery store's place... Fast forward six months later and I couldn't have been happier to have the Italian Centre Shop open in that same location! It is truly a mecca of all things Italian (though I keep on bothering Gino to bring in some 'roast your own' porchetta) and European. I usually go in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday so that I can have a cappuccino and explore the aisles at my leisure and I find something new (to me) on the shelves every time. Squid Ink, Quince paste, frozen sour cherries...and all of it at pretty decent prices. I buy all my deli meat and some cheeses at their deli, which they say is the largest deli in Western Canada and I've even found a variety of olives that I adore. Don't forget to stand staring in amazement at the wall of cheese or order one of their freshly made pizzas with the best chewy/crispy crust to go. I do think, however, that they need a better system for ordering pizzas. It isn't obvious that you have to go directly to the till to order a pizza, especially when everything else can be ordered over the counter. I was waiting for quite a while my first time ordering and was wondering how come so many nonnas were zipping right by me with their little excuuusaamee's :) I love that, in addition to the hard to find imported goods, you can find so many local products, like Messenger Meats Piedmontese beef and peppers grown right in Lacombe, AB. I think that it's fair to say that a store of this size and quality might have some growing pains in the first few weeks of operation. The staff have taken on a huge learning curve and are getting more informed every day. I find the number system at deli's to be quite useful (they are used in Europe and other countries) when used consistently (when it's not busy they don't use it and it gets confusing) and I think people should just roll with it. Oh, and if you live 'down south' like I do, you can buy espresso on your way to work as the cafe opens at 7:30 am. read more

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They lost my business - I was standing by the deli looking at the prepared pasta that you would take home to bake. I noticed that the pastas were all "best before" the following day. I then watched an employee scoop them all up and take them behind the counter and he and his coworker peeled the old stickers off and replaced them with new stickers that said they were packaged that day and good for another 3 - 5 days. read more

First let me say that I do like this place very much. They have a great selection of products and it reminds me of being in Italy every time I go there. That said, I wish someone could speed up the time it takes to get a cappuccino. The girls working the coffee bar in the morning are brutally slow. I understand you want to talk to your customers and make them feel welcome, but waiting 17min. for a cappuccino (to go) because the girls are chatting too much is a bit ridiculous. I normally wouldn't say anything about this but lately the time it takes to get a coffee keeps getting longer and longer. Please guys, get it together. Also, you have a large cappuccino machine... you can make more than one at a time. I think the rest of the Italian Centre Shop gets 5 stars, but this review is only for the coffee bar. Sorry ragazze, you get 1 star. read more

I love this store so much! So happy that we have an Italian store in South Calgary. Since my first review, the deli service has improved tenfold. There is still a wait when getting deli items, but considering how many people go there for this service, the wait is anticipated. If you don't want to wait, I suggest going in the earlier part of the morning. I would avoid the lunch hour. I seldom go in the evening, so I'm not sure on how busy it is at that time. I go here every week for my pizza ingredients and luncheon meat and the prices are always better than the major stores. read more

The thing I love the most about European culture, is being able to walk into small markets and sandwich shops and being able to pick a sandwich on display and eating it almost immediately. I went to the Italian Centre because I heard they had a great deli/bakery where I could do such a thing. We ordered a few different ready made sandwiches to try as well as some pastries and cakes. A) It smelled delicious in there and B) It was exactly what I was hoping it would be. The sandwiches were fresh and delicious and the price point was fantastic. I couldn't resist the desserts. Plus you get loaves of banana bread and other sweet treats also for a good price, especially compared to some of the hoighty toighty bakers downtown. read more

I really enjoyed my first experience here. The week it opened, I was in just to check it out. I ended up buying some fresh bread (their bakery has the newest equipment I've ever seen) and some pantry essentials - semolina and bay leaves. I was impressed by their cheese display with whole wheels, and they had a good selection of produce. Their cashiers were quite slow, but it was the second or third day it was open - I am sure they were overwhelmed with how busy it was, and I am sure the next time I am in they will know every code by heart. read more

Heard lots about this place. Heard it was big. Heard there was lots to choose from but didn't hear much about the quality, just about quantity. Thankfully everything I tried was awesome! Had the spagh and meatballs from the hot bar and was truly impressed at how good it was and for an amazingly affordable price. Also had a diabolo spicy pizza from their pizza oven and it was delicious. Not quite Neapolitan but quite tasty. And had the chance to load up on lots of great Italian stuff from the store. Very nice looking meat and fresh produce. read more

Great produce! Great deli and cheese selection! Great breads and croissants. The biscotti are fabulous. The Cannoli where terrible. I don't understand. read more

Preordered 9 inch Tiramisu cake four days in advance to ensure freshness and availability. Picked up at 1030 to have at brunch. Order ready and brought out from refrigerator (what I thought was refrigerator). Attempted to cut into 1.5 hours later (had placed in my fridge as was a hot day) and could not cut. Frozen solid!!At close to 40$ I would expect fresh not frozen. Gosh I could have gone to DQ for a frozen cake. Went in following day to discuss what I felt was my expectation of this product and told it was meant to be frozen to ensure the mascarpone was set. As well the chocolate would melt. Yet 6 cakes sat out today in display case when I reviewed my expectation with the employee. Oh and the manager of this dept is in India on vacation. When I asked who might I speak with covering told call in morning. No name no I will take your name and get this person to call. Really doubt I had a fresh tiramisu cake. Buyer beware!! read more

The food and groceries are great but service is why I gave a 3. Lots of times long lines and employees standing around talking. Last time there I tried to get a pizza to go and 50min wait. read more

Excellent Customer Service..... Custom Coffee Orders Handled With True TLC....... Thanks Again For All the Great Baristas # Italiancentreyyc

Coffee pastries panini pizza hot meals shopping for cheese bakery It's heaven. My favourite coffee place but long line ups at lunch read more

This is the best Italian shop in the city. They have one in Edmonton that I used to go to on a regular basis, and now that they are in Calgary, I will make that extra long drive, just to come here. They carry unique products that you can't get anywhere (that I know of) such as 3 types of truffle cheeses! Their produce section is always really fresh - you'll never see wilted produce, like I've seen at the other Italian markets, they have an amazing section of deli meats, cheeses, a bakery, an olive bar (try the nocerella), on top of being a grocery store (you can buy fresh meats, and dried goods as well). Overall this is a very well rounded Italian market. I have always been a fan, and will continue coming for the amazing product and fantastic customer service! Also, the prices are very reasonable here, they aren't jacked up like they are at the other Italian shops! read more

The hype didn't match my first experience at the shop. I went there looking for fresh pasta and sauce, either prepared for the oven or something I could quickly put together. What I found was a large grocery store with staff that couldn't care less I was there. The way people talked, I thought it would be more like a Lina's or Mercato or Sauce - nope! I ended up buying frozen pasta and making my own sauce which was not what I intended. The icing on the cake - I asked a staff member on the floor for grated Parmesan cheese. He showed me the powder version which I had already seen. He then proceeded to tell me, they don't sell "Kraft Singles" if that's the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I won't be going back. read more

I appreciated the tasty and flakey cheese and ham croissoints and good brewed coffee (rather than the cafe americano that some espresso-equipped places want you to settle for). However my dining companion and I were served the wrong pizza, topped with a meat neither of us liked. Our short window of time to eat did not allow for us to request a redo but the people two tables down seemed to enjoy what we were pretty sure was our pizza! read more

On opening day, one might expect it to be crowded, but certainly to have attentive staff. Unfortunately, my mother and I found the staff to be disengaged. The deli counter- take a number, if only you could locate the machine in which to do so. While I went over to get the number, people were helped ahead of me without numbers. Pointless! The staff seemed baffled by their stock, unfamiliar with everything, and for the most part, unenthusiastic. The selection and prices were actually quite reasonable, but unlike Lina's, this Italian Centre Shop might not be worth driving across town for.Sandwiches were served to go in huge, unnecessary and wasteful pastry boxes instead of a paper sleeve, which would make more sense. Panini had been warmed to dryness, and the selection was certainly not comparable to Lina's. read more

I don't normally write reviews but had to for the italian centre. Came in last Tuesday and received great service at the Deli Meat and cheese service counter. Was hosting a party and wanted to make sure that I had a good assortment of high quality Charcuterie meats and fine cheeses. They had so much selection that I didn't know where to start. Luckily the service clerk was knowledgeable on their products and able to provide great recommendations and quantity that I should buy. She let me taste all of the meats and cheeses prior to purchasing. Even though a line was building she still provided attentive service without being flustered. Being able to sample the cheese and meats before purchasing was important as I knew with confidence that I would like the items. So often at cheese counters there is such an overwhelming selection that I don't end up purchasing as I don't know if the cheese would be good as samples are not avaliable. I ended up spending over $100 on cheese and meats and happily did so knowing that my guests would enjoy the Charcuterie cheese board. read more

Great open design concept packed w/ surprisingly affordable high quality ingredients. Great place for assorted produce, meat and cheeses, breads, and just about anything your regular Safeway or co-op would have except at a much better quality level. Stop in at the cafe and be sure to grab a late or cappuccino, sit down, relax, and take a quick staycay to Europe. read more

Italian Centre Shop - Great crema and amazing taste for Italian venters cappuccino - Grocery Near Me - Calgary, Alberta