The best place I've eaten at in Saskatoon! Our waitress was very good, the atmosphere was perfect for a nice date night! I really love that the 5 course menu has multiple options per course, my partner and I are big foodies so being able to try ten different meals was incredible. Every course was delicious, I particularly loved the house focaccia, the greens salad, the trout, and the pavlova! I will definitely be visiting again, I really hope the pavlova stays on the menu. read more

Visited Primal with some friends recently for a casual night out. It was a great experience. We hadn't been here before, and our waiter really knew the menu well and was able to give some recommendations, which we appreciated. Friendly and welcoming staff. We booked in advance and they checked in with our party beforehand, so we were able to let them know about an allergy concern. The staff handled that information better than so many other restaurants we've frequented. Allergies can be a serious concern for a lot of people, and having staff who handle those requests seriously in turn shows an appreciation for their customers. Kudos. The food we were served was excellent, across the board. The pasta was fresh, and the quality of their ingredients and skillful preparation made for a satisfying, flavourful meal. Also worth mentioning, they have a varied drink menu with lots of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options to complement your meal. If I absolutely have to complain about something to be unbiased... Price-wise, well, it's not the Ol' Spaghetti Factory, but you're paying marginally more for quality - ingredients, selection, service - and you're getting it. So, priced appropriately, I would say. Music might have been a bit loud for my liking, but my likings are particular and it was admittedly appropriate for the atmosphere. *If you're weirded out by seeing people experiencing poverty and the related effects of social disorder, understand that it is located on 20th street. If the reality of the human condition freaks you out, maybe go have a plain waffle in Brighton or whatever. Weirdo. read more

This was just a quick pit stop while in Saskatoon however i am saddened that this cannot be my local - the food was amazing and Tanita (apologies probably spelt incorrectly) was a great host. I started with the house baked focaccia bread and went onto my main course rigatoni, goat cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, greens, truffle oil which they were kind enough to add chicken to. Absolutely delicious. I don't normally do desert but the promise of home made Butterscotch Budino Oh my... what a happy accident to dine here... fantastic Great music and ambience too... read more

A rare 5 star. What a fantastic restaurant. Two of us came for a late supper and wow. Absolutely fantastic . Ordered two dishes to share; a rigatoni, goat cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, greens with truffle oil and a spaghetti carbonara, pancetta, pecorino, pepper with a slow egg. We had this with the house made fried bread. The pasta was made inhouse from Saskatchewan ancient grains and melted in your mouth. It was some of the best pasta I have ever had. Our server was amazing and everything was just a wonderful experience. Highly recommend. read more

Primal - three plates of food on a table - Italian Near Me - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

One of my favorite places to go.. I always recommend this to some of my customers if they're in from out of town.. Oysters on a 1/2 shell, so good... And the Pasta is fresh and delicious.. Great service always.. Good choices of wine. It's dark And kind of sexy. Great place for a date. read more

I was excited to take my son there for his 16th birthday, but it was not a good meal or service. I ordered the beef, fried potato, parsnip purée, mushrooms, Diane sauce but could not eat it. The cut of beef was so tough the steak knife couldn't cut through it. When I mentioned it to the server they apologized and said they would return to the table shortly. We waited for over 30 min and nobody returned. We then decided to go and the only thing Primal did, was not charge for the meal I could not eat. There are far better restaurants in the city, I would not recommend Primal. read more

My fondness for Primal has grown through the years. Their food is very good and is made with local ingredients. The specials are usually very interests. I like the dark ambiance. We often go here for special date nights. read more

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Decent Italian wine selection. We had mushroom truffle risotto and eggplant parmigiana with white from Puglia. Staff can talk about wine. The risotto was full of flavour and generous truffle flakes. Eggplant was lightly breaded and rich flavour but not too heavy. Such a pleasant place for great dining. read more

This is an excellent spot for that meal you want to make a real treat. Located in the up-and-coming Riversdale area, this restaurant is nestled in a rather unassuming and ugly looking brick building. Walking in, however, the mood transforms into a classy boho vibe, with dark and moody lighting, wall mounted wine displays, and stools sporting faux-fur seats. The menu is compact, and the food is quality, crafted from local produce. For starters, we had the bison carpaccio, which was a marvelous earthy blend of grated parmesan, succulent meat, and lightly crisped artichoke. We made a point to include all the components in each and every bite. I went on to enjoy the tagliatelle with pork and beef-heart bolognaise, a rich meaty sauce coating perfectly cooked wide noodles. I was recommended the Tenuta del Portale Basilicata Starsa red, which matched wonderfully with my main as well as the appetizer. I also really enjoyed my partner's choice of the truffle spaghetti: A simple yet stunningly delicious combination of buttery pasta coated with truffle oil and thinly sliced truffle. The price of this place is not trivial, and with drinks will run you at around $50-60 a person. Definitely 100% worth it for the high quality of food. And what a pleasure to have this dining option in Saskatoon! I'm sure this place will be our top pick for special occasions many more times in the future. read more

I love this place!! The food is so yummy and comforting. It feels like home but with better food and wine :)

This is a wonderful restaurant but not tonight. The hangar steak was tough and the side of kale was was just too chewy! The pork was dry and awful. It was only edible because I had BBQ sauce in my fridge. Sadly our meal this time was a total waste of money. I'm sure it will be better next time. read more

Primal is possibly one of my favourite restaurants ever. I die for their homemade pasta. I love that they keep their menu small and seasonal. They also update their menu regularly and offering different specials each time. I like the price point of the food, not too expensive, but high enough to maintain the quality of their food (and ingredients) and the labour that goes into it. Service here has always been great. Very attentive and friendly staff do make a difference in a dining experience. The two pastas I've had here have been their take on Mac and cheese and their carbonara. The Mac and cheese was so divine. Perfect cheese sauce and the fresh noodles made it to die for. I'm just slightly mad that my portion wasn't larger because I inhaled it. The first time I came here I ordered the carbonara which was also delicious. Splitting that egg on top made me feel like an Iron Chef America judge. My only complaint was it was lacking pepper (for my tastes). But the second time I came back my boyfriend ordered the carbonara and it was perfectly peppered so I'm not going to hold that against them. One frustrating thing is how they close for random staff breaks. (But I totally understand this because I love watching the Food Network and know how stressful having a restaurant can be). Because pasta-loving me doesn't always check the website before I head down here and am ultimately heart broken when they are closed. I would eat here every single day of the week if I could! You have my heart Primal. read more

Great price point, perfect for dates, groups of four or more as they have a long community bar style table. No reservations policy however not a problem getting a table. Make sure you sample the cocktail specials, wine and starters. Also end with the chocolate truffle for a small taste of sweetness to end your meal. Or share the potato donut complete with a shot of espresso and vanilla ice cream. Everything on the menu is great. The Saskatchewan flair makes the atmosphere feel like home. read more

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Excellent food and service. A perfectly paced meal. Nice atmosphere and conducive to conversation. We will definitely return.

Went out for a Birthday Dinner. Did the four course tasting menu with a nice bottle of Merlot. Food and service were both excellent - highly recommend!! read more

What a treat! Beautiful decor, quality food, and friendly service. The rigatoni with truffle oil, arugula, and sundried tomatoes was perfect. The tiramisu was airy and fluffy, and it was a giant portion. Delicious aperol spritz. No complaints at all, this was probably one of the best meals I've had in Saskatoon. Wish I went sooner! read more

The spaghetti was amazing the special salad was small, 1/2 a tomato and a couple of chunks of green pepper with cheese, but the service was not to the caliber you would expect at restaurant with this price point. I didn't have liquor so my sever did the bare minimum as compared to the guest sitting beside me who ordered drinks including a bread roll that they raved about. read more

Primal is a great restaurant with amazing atmosphere and exceptional service. My favourite dish is the tagliatelle Bolognese but there are many great entrees to choose from and their specials are always phenomenal. The house red wine is always a good match but there are some great wines on the list including a lovely Chianti. read more

Pasta is on point. Flavours are excellent. Portions can be a little small, but not tiny. Price is appropriate.