Cardinale

Cardinale fills the historic Defoe building in Victoria Park, just outside the Stampede grounds, in the space that long held La Vita e Bella. Avenue Calgary called it new-school Italian with an old-school neighbourhood feel: a central bar that draws after-work and late crowds, a small dining room of plush velvet banquettes and exposed brick, two semi-private rooms, and patches of old wallpaper still showing between the bar and patio.

Everything is made from scratch, including fresh pasta rolled each morning and served in half or full portions, alongside antipasti and larger plates such as veal ribeye and seared sea bass. Avenue named the mezze maniche with roasted bone marrow and smoked bacon as the signature, and flagged cocktails that borrow from the kitchen, one built with clam brodo and green peas. The Italian wine list changes often, and Gambero Rosso singled it out in its 2022 Top Italian Restaurants guide.