River Cafe

🍽️ Restaurant Review:

📍 Quick Facts

• Location: 25 Prince’s Island Park, SW, Calgary
• Phone Number: (431) 450-0844
• Website: river-cafe.com
• Cuisine Type: Upscale, locally sourced, fine Canadian

Back in 2024, when we decided to move to Calgary, our good friend Chef Roary McPherson gave us a few tips on Calgary living — one of which was two ‘must-visit’ restaurants in YYC. Coming from the ‘Cod-Father of Newfoundland Cuisine’, we knew these were personal recommendations we could bank on. 

 When we got the call that Roary and his sweet wife Kathy were visiting, our immediate reaction was: We absolutely had to check out River Café together while they were in town! How cool to experience one of the recommended establishments with ‘himself’ by our side. 

River Café is a top-rated, fine-dining restaurant on Prince’s Island Park in Calgary. Nestled right alongside the Bow River, it’s known for its chic, rustic cabin-inspired interior and its focus on locally sourced seasonal ingredients, but many people are unaware of its humble beginnings. 

In 1991, you wouldn’t have recognized the place- it was nothing but an aging, open-air concrete concession stand located on Prince’s Island Park. (Look closely inside the building and you might spot the original roof beams of the concession stand) 

The owner, Sal Howell, saw a potential in the site that most could not, and then made her ‘crazy’ dream happen — renovating the property, enclosing the open-air structure with walls and windows to enable year-round dining. 

Repurposing materials and working with local craftspeople, she brought her vision to life and, with it, elegant simplicity. What was once a crumbling shack was transformed into a woodsy fly-fishing lodge, or mountain resort, but on a cute little island smack dab in the middle of Bow River.  It came complete with exposed wood, vintage sports gear, and a birchbark canoe suspended from the ceiling.

Howell was onto something long before the rest of us caught on. Local ranchers, farmers, and foragers, Slow Food, and hyper-local sourcing were already at the heart of River Cafe’s foundation –years before ‘sustainable dining’ became the buzzword it is today. A team of incredibly talented chefs helped bring her vision to fruition.

We had the choice of several city parking lots and easily found one within walking distance of the island. 

It was a beautiful stroll through Eau Claire and then across Jaipur Bridge.  For some reason, this area is always full of happy people. It’s like time starts to slow down here: Couples walk hand in hand, new parents push fancy strollers, families proudly walk their furry little dogs… even the joggers seem to slow their pace and travel in slow motion. 

Standing on the bridge is a photographer’s dream:  you have the beautiful park-like setting of the island, gorgeous river vistas, and then the dramatic Calgary skyline. I could stay planted right there for hours and watch the time go by. 

Moving from the bustling, modern skyscrapers of downtown Calgary into the quiet, tree-lined pathways of Prince’s Island Park also helped to set the scene for our destination. 

Tip: General public motorized vehicles are prohibited on the island. Park in adjacent downtown or Eau Claire lots and walk across one of the pedestrian bridges (like the Jaipur Bridge or Peace Bridge) to access the park.

As we reached our destination and strolled into the cafe, we were immediately enveloped in a sophisticated wilderness charm that made the bustling rush of downtown Calgary feel miles away.

We were greeted with a warm smile and guided to our table — a four-top on the patio, just outside the open doors. Menus and empty glasses were already waiting for us on the tabletop. 

Our table’s vantage point had the absolute best of both worlds: the vibrant, energetic hum of the indoor dining room and kitchen was behind us, and the serene sun-dappled greenery of Prince’s Island Park spreading out in front. The ‘kitchen-curious’ amongst us could keep an eye on the busy workplace where the line of chefs worked in synchronized precision. 

After filling our water glasses, the server brought out our selection of drinks. We ordered our meals and sat back to enjoy the company and the view.

Here’s what landed on our table –and what we happily devoured. For the starters;

Broxburn Tomatoes

Fairwinds Farm Goat Chèvre, Compressed Cucumber, Buckwheat · Garden mint, Mans Organic Rhubarb and Honey Vinaigrette

Juicy, farm-fresh tomatoes, sitting atop a creamy, tangy goat cheese. The cheese layer gave a savoury depth and warmth. The rhubarb, mint leaves and cucumber added pops of flavour and tartness throughout the dish. The honeyed vinaigrette brought the dish together by cutting the richness and enhancing the tomato’s sweetness. Excellent. 

Poplar Bluff Potato Agnolotti

Sudo Farms Caulini, Raisin and Walnut Agrodulce · Blue D’Elizabeth, Garden Marigold

Delicate potato-stuffed pasta served with a butter emulsion; caulini — a sweet, tender variety of cauliflower that looks like baby broccoli — provided texture and crunch with long, elegant stems and small florets.  Jammy clusters of sweet agrodolce combined chewy, sweet raisins with the rich flavour of walnut; this contrasted the rich buttery sauce, and blue cheese added a bold and creamy element.  There was also a slightly citrusy, herbed emulsion which I couldn’t quite identify. Very good.

And the main courses were;

Lambtastic Farms Lamb Sirloin

Heritage Harvest Red Fife, Sudo Farms Broccoli and Walnut Purée · Southern Skies Kale, Oyster Caramel, Okanagan Cherry Jus

 The lamb was buttery soft, delicately flavoured, and perfectly cooked. Under the lamb, a broccoli and walnut purée served as a creamy base that tasted bright and earthy against the lamb. The fife added a rustic and nutty chew that satisfied the palate. The kale was coated in a creamy emulsion that, when paired with the bitter notes of the kale, balanced the richness of the lamb. The oyster caramel and cherry finished the dish with a pop of unexpected umami-type sweetness. Lovely.

Rangeland Bison Striploin

Poplar Bluff Potato and Spruce Tip Rösti, Chestnut Mushrooms · Southern Skies Swiss Chard, Saskatoon Berry Jus

Perfectly medium-rare, deeply rich, slightly sweet meat, fine potato matchsticks, infused with the citrusy flavour of spruce tips, then compressed into 1×4 inch bands and roasted until shatteringly crisp. Accompanying the bison and rosti were small, piped mounds of an earthy, textured (mushroom and root vegetable?) paste that packed a deep, savoury punch. Earthy Swiss chard, tiny meaty chestnut mushrooms — that taste and look just like baby chanterelles — and a Saskatoon jus finished with a sweet yet tart sauce. Decadent, rich and delightful.

Farming Worx Duck Breast

Broxburn Baby Carrots, Saskatchewan Wild Rice · Hemp Heart Romesco, Chicken Chicharrón, Parsley

I did not taste the duck, so I’ll leave the verdict to the person who did: Apparently, it was very tasty.

Trafford Farms Lion Mane Mushroom

Southern Skies Scallion, Deepwater Greens, Pickled Carrot · Pepita, Margaret’s Kimchi, Bulgogi Glaze. 

I saved this dish until the end of my review because, in my opinion, it was the star of the night. As much as I loved all the food that I sampled, this was absolutely spectacular. This was a vegetarian dish, and while I’m usually more of a ‘must include meat’  kind of girl, this is the dish I would order if I found myself seated at River Cafe again. 

The mushroom’s texture was meaty in a way that closely mimics lobster or very tender poultry. It was tempura-cooked on the outside, which gave it a delicate yet extremely pleasant crunch. It was then tossed in a sweet, savoury and deeply umami bulgogi sauce. A side of Kimchi provided a pungent fermented punch to cut through the sweet glaze. It was one of the nicer kimchis that I’ve tried. I didn’t try the accompanying vegetables on this dish, but the lion’s mane mushroom and kimchi alone made this my ‘Worth Uncovering‘ dish of the evening.

Overall, there wasn’t a weak link among the dishes we ordered. Every dish seemed to be an excellent example of how to use accompaniments and sides to balance a plate perfectly. 

The table-side ‘storytelling’ — when the servers explain the unique components on the plate – does a perfect job of helping guests appreciate the thought, effort, and sustainability behind each bite. It’s easy to see why this restaurant is firmly planted on Canada’s top 100 list. 

Two years ago, Roary told us River Café was one we couldn’t miss. Turns out, just as I suspected, the Cod Father knew exactly what he was talking about.

📊 Scorecard

📊 Scorecard
🍴 FOOD — 5 / 5

✨ EXPERIENCE — 5 / 5
Average of Service & Hospitality, Atmosphere & Vibe, and Value for Money.

• Service & Hospitality — 5 / 5
• Atmosphere & Vibe — 5 / 5
• Value for Money — 5 / 5

Notes for improvement: A little extra lighting outside the facility washrooms is recommended.