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I recently had the great pleasure of dining at Rouge for a special occasion with friends. Even though I have lived in Calgary for nearly a decade I had only visited the restaurant once previously, many years prior, and therefore quite excited about returning.
We were seated outside overlooking the green and lush garden on a patio that was intimate and quiet even though at capacity. The ambiance outside, during a late August evening was welcoming yet calm, with no traces of the busy city the restaurant is located in.
We were looked after and cared for from the minute we entered the restaurant. We were warmly greeted by a hostess and promptly seated. Our waitress was personable and professional and attended to us in a perfectly timely manner throughout the entire dinner without us feeling neither rushed nor interrupted.
The entire dinner service was very much comparable to an experience you would have in some of the most acclaimed and influential fine dining establishments in Europe. It was a breath of fresh air to have a dining experience in Calgary where the restaurant with its staff were completely confident yet humble about the unparalleled gastronomic experience and their ability to deliver it perfectly.
We received wonderful and knowledgeable recommendations from the sommelier, who made sure we were enjoying perfect pairings for all the different meals the party had picked. The wines we enjoyed were a special treat on their own, but paired together with the food it became a 5-star experience.
The food was absolutely outstanding. Prepared with such finesse that it was as much of a pleasure to look at our plates as it was to consume the meal. It was evident that every plate had been prepared with only the highest quality of ingredients and by incredibly skilled chefs and kitchen staff. Every course contained vibrant flavour combinations yet paired with delicacy and intention.
It was a magnificent evening in its entirety and I can’t recommend Rouge enough, for special occasions, as a treat for any food enthusiast and for the opportunity to experience a dinner service that make many others’ pale in comparison.
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I don't even know where to begin, 9 courses, each beautifully composed, multiple components in each dish, beautiful plates, varying textures and concepts, something that is extremely difficult to execute properly. Rouge has combined traditional french methods we all know and love and fused them seamlessly with Canadian ingredients and dishes, during my tasting menu each course had me memorized to the point of near tears, the lamb dish I enjoyed this evening course 6 I believe was so simple yet due to the diligence of the chefs, came out as arguably the best piece of meat I have ever had. The servers were extremely attentive, keeping my water full and constantly tossed me little tidbits of information about the plates. The wines were paired well and weren't your typical French paring, the third glass was a wonderful novascotian rose, paring beautifully with the rich foie gras, the use of in-house ingredients was also outstanding, between in-house butters, fermented teas and sorbet. No restaurant in Calgary and I dare say Canada has encompassed what cuisine should be so much, every bite brought me and my family joy, every dish was memorable and left me in anticipation for the next.The experience overall was the best I have ever had at any restaurant. Really amazing work, I can't wait to visit again in September and do it all again.
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This review has a bit of story associated with it to show the care that the team at Rouge has for their patrons and tries their best to make things right in the case of unfortunate circumstances. Apologies for the long read but worthwhile if you're hemming and hawing about coming here and worried about the price and/or a potentially negative experience.
We first tried Rouge with some friends as part of a celebration and informed multiple servers of our dietary restrictions. Unfortunately, our table was handled primarily by a new server and the dietary restrictions were not passed along to the kitchen and conflicts between these restrictions and the tasting menu were not identified when we ordered. This made the dinner horrible for one in our group who could not eat 4/6 courses in the tasting menu due to dietary restrictions and we left with an apology from their team but a bad experience overall.
I left feedback for the team at Rouge and their manager reached out to us to offer us an opportunity to experience Rouge again. We opted to try Rouge again and ordered a la carte instead and had a great server taking care of our table.
All I can say is wow, what a night and day difference between our first experience and second experience. I suspect our second experience is more in line with what a typical experience at Rouge is like.
The staff at Rouge are professional, kind, attentive, and just overall great!
Thank you so much Rey and Miyuki for making our night so great and memorable. The team strikes a perfect balance of ensuring you're taken care of without intruding on your dining experience.
We ordered two appetizers, three mains, one dessert, and a few drinks.
The Poached Atlantic Cod is possibly one of my favorite fish appetizers in Calgary now! It is delicious and flavourful without being over the top. I normally dislike olives but the way they did the olive tapenade was just spectacular and matches the cod/potatoes perfectly. My wife had the beet salad and it was a bit salty for her palate. The thing I discovered with the dishes at Rouge is that they're meant to be a whole plate experience. When I tried her beet salad with some of the fried goat cheese and yuzu curd all in a single bite, it was so balanced and delicious.
Our mains were delicious. We ordered the lamb, beef brisket, and arctic char. Again, the fish dish stood out as my favorite. The unique twist on a risotto with a barley grain provided a very unique and delicious risotto with a textural twist. The proteins were cooked perfectly for our needs and overall the mains were very tasty.
For drinks I tried the El Rouge and it was absolutely delicious! My wife had a grapefruit lemonade made by Rey and it was out of this world tasty too. The team at Rouge is incredibly accommodating and offers great alternatives if you order something that isn't offered on their menu.
The ambiance in the restaurant is great. It's fine dining without the pretentiousness that some other fine dining places have. The cozy tables nestled in the old home layout is fantastic.
Thank you again for letting us experience what true dining at Rouge is meant to be and we look forward to visiting again!
This is my first time here since they had the renovation. The food quality and service was good. Just wish the ambiance would either modernized a bit or add some charisma to the decor. But overall it was still a good experience.
Sooo good! We had the 6 course dinner with wine pairing. It was exquisite. Sat on the beautiful patio and toured their kitchens garden. Plating was beautiful, food was rave worthy, wine pairings were perfect and the service was excellent. Worth every dollar.
Booked a special birthday dinner a couple of weeks in advance. Had the chef's tasting menu. Fun unique and delicious dishes along with a shared wine paring (server recommendation). Service was exceptional.
Wasn't until we were leaving did we realize we had been their only customers that evening. They kept the restaurant open just for the 4 of us.
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Okay get ready for a huge review because this place... is unbelievable. I don't know enough adjectives to describe it.
Price: $$$
Service: absolutely outstanding 11/10
Atmosphere: calm, relaxing, beautiful 10/10
Food: incredible, out of this world 10/10
Coming from Toronto, we are so used to eating extremely rushed and eating a lot but, here was the complete opposite. Portions were smaller than normal but so exquisite, filling, filled with amazing flavours and accents. The charcuterie board was amazing to start with.
I had the Arctic Char. Now... I don't love fish. I actually rather dislike it but this... this was the most buttery, delicious, fresh tasting fish meal I've ever had in my entire life (speaking from someone who has eaten in the European west coast, Mexico East coast and the Canadian East Coast!).
My husband had the Rabbit and for a man who is scared of trying new things, he almost cried. It was unreal.
Desert was fantastic. Espresso, champagne and so much more. The music playing had us so relaxed and sitting for nearly 4 hours, enjoying every bite and enjoying the atmosphere. Our waiters, the young man (sorry didn't catch his name) and Jillian were amazing, sweet, attentive and fast.
We will remember this experience forever here.
Tried the chef's tasting menu and it was absolutely phenomenal. Every bite was so interesting and delicious, the experience was so delightful. The service here is also great, everyone made us feel so comfortable and allowed us to enjoy our food in a warm, relaxing atmosphere in such a cute old house. I highly recommend this experience, the best fine dining in the city.
The ambience was the star of the show. Very quaint and cozy feel while still elegant and high quality. The portions were decently sized for a high class restaurant. The appetizers were not super memorable but the main course was and I cannot stop thinking about the desserts.
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