I really like the atmosphere here. It was so good. Service was good. Talked about the food, the meatballs at first seemed pricey but it was actually a huge portion. Also tried their Bucatini Carbonara pasta, prosciutto pizza. Would highly recommend.
All the food looks solid at this place. Had just the roasted mushroom pasta and it was quite good. The place is clean and suitable for business lunch in a causal setting. Food ordered at the counter and then they bring your food. Regular restaurant price, not cheap but not outrageous either for downtown centre.
I met a friend for breakfast at Alforno at 9:30am on Easter Sunday. I think 9-9:30 is the perfect time to stop in, because by 10:00 the place was busy and loud. The cafe is open and relaxing, with a fireplace in the centre of the room. We were originally seated under a heating vent that was pushing out cold air, so we asked to move closer to the fireplace which was no problem at all.
Love the atmosphere!! It’s so nice and bright in here. Service was a little awkward at first as I wasn’t familiar with the option of table service or self service. The meatballs at first seemed pricey but it was actually a huge portion! The bucatini carbonara was really good too. The best part - the cheesecake! I think the best I’ve ever had... will have dreams about that for sure haha. The chai latte was a bit bland but I would come back for the food alone!
Yummy Sushi | Delicious Tea
+4
Nice brunch options! Evening pastas are delicious.
Good bread to take home.
Very busy cafe. Limited seating for people who are just having coffee.
Last night we ordered the Bucatini Carbonara pasta, prosciutto pizza and sirloin sandwich. All of the food we ordered tasted amazing - no complaints!
They were short staffed last night but were told once we sat down therefore we knew to go order at the counter.
We are returning customers to alforno - love the food and ambiance! Would highly recommend.
Trendy for sure! Decor is important for a cafe! When I judge if a European bakery is good or not, I tend to judge by their almond croissant. And it was quite good but just a little bit too sweet. But I enjoyed it.
It took a while to order and receive our food, as it was during peak lunch hours. The staff was very friendly and attentive, refilling our waters several times throughout the meal. I had an iced latte and salad, which were both excellent. The pasta was fine, but tasted a bland. Afterwards we ordered carrot cake, which was so delicious I took some to bring to my coworker (who is a carrot cake lover). Very nice food and pleasing aesthetic.
This place is amazing! So trendy and tasty :) I think this is my favourite cafe I've ever been to 😍 What a gem!
I'm going for a picnic in the park later this evening and I'm packing it from here. Staff are very friendly to boot.
The service of the café is alright and it is not too loud inside the café. The prices of the food are reasonable and the quality of the food is good. There are baked goods that can be bought, as well as breakfast and lunch items that one can order at the café. There is an upstairs and outside seating. One must order the food at a cashier first and will be given a small stand with a number, in which one will find a table to sit and they will find and bring the food you ordered to you. The inside of the restaurant looks very nice inside and the decorations look good as well. The funghi pizza and cream puffs are very delicious.
I think I would go more often if it was less crowded and parking was easier. I am not a big desssert person, but I did enjoy their snickerdoodle cookies. I had their pasta one evening and it was quite enjoyable...great sauce and cooked al dente.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Calgary has a lot of good cafes and Alforno is no exception. A wide open and well thought out cafe with tons to offer, Alforno wowed us on a Sunday morning with friendly service and great food. An americano, a latte and a mocha came to our table each with full flavour from the locally roasted beans. Alforno offers a wide range of good looking breads, pastries and cakes as well as menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My dad had the sausage breakfast sandwich, with egg and salsa verde, and said it was wonderful. My brother and I shared some excellent shoux pastry puffs and a piece of apple cinnamon loaf. Next time I will definitely have to have the ricotta pancakes!
Fathers day 2017: Stopped in with my wife and parents for a fathers day breakfast. The service was attentive and friendly and the food came out rather quickly. My dad decided to have the same thing as last time, the chorizo sandwich, because it was that good. The ricotta pancakes my mother ordered were delicious! I am not a huge fan of lemon but the curd worked well with the blueberries. My wife really enjoyed the bacon and mushroom omelette and the nice kale salad that it was paired with. The homemade granola on the parfait was a home run for me while the sweet berries and tangy yogurt worked well with the tart rhubarb compote. Another visit for me, another success for Alforno.
Decent place to study! Very pretty atmosphere and professional staff. Not as pricy as I expected. I liked the bar taps for creamer and milks.
Love this Bakery & Cafe. My sister and I chose this spot to come sit and do some work, we had delicious Latte's as well as a creamy butternut squash soup. The decor is very simple and inviting with ample seating. Nice menu that is very reasonably priced. Only thing I would say is that the restaurant is a tad on the cold side, could have been where we were seated, although opposite the fireplace, we were still cold. The staff are all friendly and very efficient.
Loved it! The airy, cozy but modern environment. Friendly, efficient staff. And the food was beautiful and delicious! We enjoyed the Eggs Benedict's, Salted Caramel Cheesecake & lattes. So going back! My friend and I had a perfect time. 😊
Loved Alferno. Definitely recommend. Beautiful interior. Had hot chocolate, tiramisu, chocolate cake, mango cake. Tiramisu was the best one! Chocolate cake was a little hard...management please ensure cake isnt hard.
The French toast with salted caramel is amazing! Served with mounds of whipped cream and caramel sauce that melts in your mouth. Only down side to the cafe is wondering if you will get a table after you have ordered your food.
Very Elegant, great food, great coffee. Service was excellent and the atmosphere is lively and classy. Super impressed with this place. Highly recommend it!
Alforno's atmosphere reminds me of Corbeaux Bakehouse that shut down not too long ago. They both had an amazing interior design. I came here for breakfast with one of my colleagues for the first time, and I was very happy with my dish. I got the bacon & eggs - over medium, which came with hash browns, toast and fruit preserves. My colleague got the Gravlax Eggs Benedict - smoked salmon, dill cream, and house made hollandaise sauce, served with a side of greens. Overall, we both enjoyed our dishes! I would definitely come here again.
Alforno Bakery and Cafe is like an elegant cafe, a restaurant, a bakery and a bar all in one! We ordered the bianca pizza ($15), margherita pizza ($12) and the sautéed calamari ($14), as well as lattes and a chocolate tart. Everything was good, but I was a bit disappointed with the bianca pizza since it was too dry. It's a bit more expensive compared to other cafes, but they serve good food & drinks.
My new fave coffee-cake shop. Their carbonara is the best! Their service is not too bad but kinda slow. But it's ok cause it's bakery and Cafe..u're there to chill and relax. So no rush for the orders.
I usually try to judge a place only on food quality. The food here was amazing! The duck and roast chicken sandwiches were both so good and worth the cost. The kougin amin is to die for! And an amazingly tasty $5 mimosa was icing on the cake. Unfortunately the service was not great. Tons of staff around all seemingly disorganized, not very welcoming and so slow at the till. The line control was horrible and what felt like a short line took 30minutes of waiting as servers ran back and forth in front of me seeming very annoyed that I was in their way yet the lineup only guides you in one direction. Undecided if the food quality was worth all the other service problems this place has.
Tried the yogurt parfait, veggie breakfast sandwich and the Nutella croissants. Everything was amazing - really fresh! I did find it quite expensive though.
Alforno is such a chic little spot. As you walk in you order at the counter, and then the server will give you a number and lead you to your table. Their menu has some great variety, all the way from breakfast to pastas and pizzas with a big selection of sandwiches from the deli. It has a lovely atmosphere with a fireplace and a skylight rooftop. I opted for the eggs Benny, and was so thrilled that it comes with a salad. The coffee is quite strong for my taste, so next time I will go for a single shot. Overall a lovely experience and delicious food.
The design is gorgeous and it's a beautiful place to relax. Baked goods have been enjoyable.
The downside is that the staff has made us feel kind of unwelcome, like we were a bother for even ordering? Have heard some similar sentiments from friends. Confusing.
This place has the best minimalist decor. In love with the environment, perfect place to bring a book or computer and get things done. Cute comfy corners everywhere - perfect chatting place. I tried their Pasta and I love it. Their price is moderate and this is for sure my go to spot 💕
Came here for the first time today. Service and food were both excellent. Had a great time enjoying my coffee with a slice of pecan pie. The decor and the patio are both beautiful. A must try.
Love the decor and the menu selection. I went for brunch on a Sunday (it was so packed) and my meal was delicious. I found some items to be quite expensive, however the space is so beautiful that I didn't mind spending a few dollars more for the experience.
We stopped by here for a quick snack, heard good things about this place. The duck panini was good, not too salty and not too bland. The salted caramel was amazing and their portion sizes aren't too big or too small just right. I kind of wish they had more of a cold beverage menu other than the bottled stuff. Will come back!
Being a sister company of Teatro, I was expecting Alforno to be obscenely expensive, however, found that the prices are very comparable to other fancy 'coffee and bake shops'. The prices are similar to Vendome (also a sister company). We came during our morning break at work and it was busier than I expected for 10am, however, there was still tables/seating. I got a chocolate chip and lavender cookie for $2, which was delicious. I also got a medium dark roast brewed coffee for $2.25 which was very good. Will definitely be back to try more. I enjoyed the atmosphere and decor.
Love the energy and buzz here at this new cafe/coffee house. Great bakery, good breakfast and sandwiches. Grab a single table or share a large common table. It's a fabulous addition to the Eau Claire area which desperately needs new, fresh places to hang out.
I loved alforno! Just like vendome, you order first and then grab a table. They have brunch ranging from simple bacon and eggs to egg's benedict to pasta! (served after 11:30 I believe). Their cakes and pastries are very rich and fresh, believe me.. You can taste the difference! I ordered the carbonara and the flavour was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the quality of the food as well as the experience. I'd highly recommend to come and try this place out! It's one of my new favourites.
Scrumptiously Fit Food
+3.5
There is something about bakeries that just make the kid in me smile. Nothing beats the smell of baked goods. It literally is one of my favorite smells in the world! Which is probably why I try to always visit a bakery no matter what country I’m in, how could I resist the urge to taste specialty treats such as flaky croissants, cakes and more? So how excited was I to find out that there was a new bakery in town and not only did they serve delectable treats but also appetizing savory dishes as well. I couldn’t wait to stop in at Alforno Bakery and lucky for me it was a beautiful day to do.
Modern chic style cafe and offering pastry plus a basic menu with pasta, a relax place to chill, great location as its a block away from the PEI park. We only tried out the coffee, pastry and dessert: the mocha latte was creamy but a little light. The croissant was tasty and better than the chocolate dessert as the cake is the hard kind, which I prefer the softy ones.
Cute spacious cafe near the river. Bright beautiful decor. I ordered soup and a croissant and though there was no line and the place wasn't that busy it took nearly 15 minutes to get my soup. Not sure why. Food is really good though.
There is a beautiful patio and a number of good pizza, salad, sandwich and pasta options. And pastries of course. Tons of pastries.
It’s not every day that you can find somewhere with luxurious pastries, fresh baguettes, to-die-for pastas, and high quality coffee all wrapped into one. A little while ago, Corbeaux Bakery locked their doors and closed up overnight. Since then, I know a lot of you have been pining for a similar location, feeling lost at the lack of such a European staple here in town. Lucky for you, I’ve got just the spot.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Came here for breakfast on a Saturday morning around 10am and the place was packed already. I went to save a table so we would have a place to eat our meal. They have 2 lines one for just pastries & coffee and the other for everything else. The wait time to order was quite long. You order at the till and then they give you a table number and bring it out to you. I wanted soup but was advised that they didn't serve it until 2pm. My friend and I ordered the Egg & Bacon sandwich and the Duck Sandwich. We shared half half with each other so we could sample both. We were quite impressed with it and thought they were both delicious and would recommend this. I bought the opera cake for dessert and thought it was yummy but really rich, not sure I would be able to eat the whole thing but perfect to share. One suggestion I would give to the owners is have menus where people can grab a table and order off a menu instead of having people order at the front and having them bring their pastries to they own table and wait for the rest of their meals to come out. Not very efficient.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Spontaneously decided to visit Alforno based on some great Instagram pictures! Best decision ever! The interior design was amazing! The service was nice and similar to Vendome (order your food, take your number, find a table, and a server will bring you your food). We got the Funghi pizza which was great! As well as a slice of Passionfruit Blueberry Cheesecake (could go for another slice)! Would HIGHLY recommend checking out! Hoping they will extend their brunch hours from 11AM to 2PM on weekdays!
Update: went again for a second time and had, possibly, the worst experience! The server was SUPER awkward and unapproachable! Not only did my order get messed up, I had to wait for the general manager so I could order something else! I understand mistakes happen, but could have been handled with a friendlier service...also would not recommend lemon tart AT ALL! It was terrible and made me sick for the rest of the day!
I think this place is still good based on my first experience but my bad day has scared me away from coming back for a while....
My friend (J) and I had a much needed trip planning session, and I let J decide where we should go to grab coffee, absorb the atmosphere, and also grab some quick bites. J ended up choosing Alforno Café, which is a newly opened café/bakery in Calgary, owned by the Teatro Group (also owns Vendome). I’m really glad J chose this café because we ended up planning our Europe trip for almost four hours (5PM to closing).
Went for a wall on Sunday and discovered this jewel. Once I got over the beautiful space and decoration I ordered a Memosa (5$) and a butter nut squash soup (4$). The prices are extremely reasonable for downtown. They have a great brunch, lunch, and dinner menu and I cannot wait to return to try it all.
The café has a great layout, where you are greeted with the display of pastries and cash register upon arrive, and an upper area with plenty of seating (booths, communal tables, and individual tables), as well as a smaller bar area.My friend and I ordered lattes and pastries when we arrived. J ordered a regular latte and the chocolate tart and I ordered a matcha tea latte and a strawberry and cream dome pastry. Both of our lattes were disappointing in terms of latte art, where we compared our sad latte art to our neighbouring table, but I’ll just assume the barista hasn’t mastered latte art just yet. J really enjoyed her chocolate tart, which was decadent and wasn’t too sweet. I absolutely loved my strawberry and cream dome, which had a strawberry mousse filling and a soft cake base. Our lattes weren’t anything extraordinary, but I would love to come back just to try the other pastries.
A bit on the pricey side, but mouth watering eats of the sweet and savoury variety alike. the flat breads are phenomenal and very well seasoned. Not too heavy or greasy. On the sweet side, the tarts blew my mind. Bought my food to go and when I got home, realized they gave me the wrong flavours but they were still delicious anyway. Can't wait to try other menu items and see what other delicious teats they have in store.
I find it super lame that people would rate this place low because on one visit, one person didn't answer all of their questions perfectly or demonstrate enough enthusiasm. Having worked in cafes when I was younger, I don't think most people realize how hard serving hungry or under-caffeinated customers expecting you to act like Vanna White can be. Let's be a little more considerate, folks. The place is new, they staff have lots to learn and some very high maintenance customers to serve, apparently.
Loved the spacious, well-lit, minimalist interior! Besides freshly baked goods (house-made pastries & bread), the cafe also serves brunch, lunch & dinner. I came here for a meeting and grabbed their strawberry dome, which was not only beautifully presented, but also turned out to be irresistibly delicious. The mousse filling was delectable and not overly sweet. I will need to come back again to try its savory food.
Newly opened by the Teatro group, I had no doubts that it would be a great place for a bite. So far I've only had the grilled cheddar and apple sandwich but man, was that ever tasty! The star of the sandwich is actually the bread - soft, chewy and the right amount of crust, hmmmmm! I'm also quite happy you can get their panna cotta and tiramisu - seriously best in the City - to go! Plenty of options to dine in or take away - don't miss them!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Brought to you by the Teatro Group, Alforno Bakery is the latest addition to their growing family.
Tucked away on the quieter side of downtown, Alforno Bakery can be seen as a new white building (don't forget those golden doors!) that can be found near the peace bridge. Although I've been here 3 times already, each time was just to grab something small so I could sit around and have a conversation with a friend, therefore I can't give a proper review of their meals. Having said that though, I have tried their blueberry cream puff (delicious!), an orange-almond cake (super soft and flavourful), and their half-price bottle of wine accompanied with a cheese platter (served with a variety of house made bread. I'm a total carb person so this was absolute love!).
Despite having visited a few times already, I still can't get enough of their gorgeous space. It is so beautiful and provides a very relaxing environment to be in. I love that it isn't super busy when I come, because the noise level is low enough for me to share conversation with a friend, nor is it eerily quiet. It's just a perfect spot to hit up if you're looking for some dessert after dinner, or after work drinks.
Service is bit more difficult to review because it's been different each time. One thing I noticed is that even though I come when it's not too busy, there are always several tables that are left uncleaned, leaving less seating options available.
My friend and I arrived a few minutes short of 5pm and wanted to order the cheese platter from their small plates menu. We were informed by the young male server at the till that we weren't allowed to order off of the small plates menu until 5pm (it was 4:57pm), but luckily he made an 'exception' for us. He also seemed unaware of the half price off bottles of wine special that happens on Wednesdays, as my friend had to remind him when he was entering the item into the till. Although he seemed rather new to the industry, he was very pleasant and friendly. He came by a few times to make sure we were doing fine and offered to place our wine bottle in a cooling canister.
I'm definitely looking forward to coming back to try out their meals, especially their sandwiches because they look amazing!
Macchiato was really good at this place and I got a vegetarian sandwich full of yummy goodness that really filled me up. The wait wasn't long and the atmosphere of the place is fantastic. I love the overall look of this restaurant and I'll be visiting again to try out more of their coffee later!
This cafe has beautiful Decor, great food and friendly service! I will defiantly make this a regular!
I had the pear pizza and a latte. Pear had light flavour that merged perfectly with the gorgonzola cheese. The portions were big and fair priced. I also enjoyed my coffee. They seem to be going for a more European style coffee with attention and detail put into each drink.
I look forward to trying the pastries and bread in the future.
The interior looks great! The pastries look yummy and my hot chocolate was delicious! I would definitely work on the waiting time and the confusion around where the line up is when you want to purchase food for take away. Will come back to try the other items on the menu.
Fantastic addition to the Calgary restaurant scene! It's light and airy and clean, offering full meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, serving an underused area of downtown and highly useful for commuters crossing in Kensington or into the core. Bread is fresh, hearty, very pleasing. Had the carbonara and was impressed with the price ($14) and the attention to fresh detail. Family friendly, also great for solo meals, first dates, overdue reunions, business meetings. Very impressed. Also, Zomato is incorrect - there is a full bar with $5 wine on Friday nights. Welcome to the neighbourhood, Alforno!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Brought to you by the Teatro group, Alforno is a bakery concept cafe located in the Eau Claire area closer to the Peace Bridge side. Walking in, I was impressed by the layout of the space, and could see that a lot of attention was put into the details of creating an inviting dining experience. Ordering at the counter, I found the service to be quite friendly and refreshing, answering any questions I had about the location and food items. I decided to try the duck sandwich, a slice of the feature cake, and a latte. The duck sandwich became an instant favourite, filled with pieces of tender duck with a truffle finish, making it hard to not devour the sandwich in one sitting. The feature cake was a raspberry mascarpone cream cake, which I thought was well balanced, not too rich, but still with substantial flavour. I thought the prices were fairly reasonable, although it might fall on the higher end of typical baked goods, I would say that it's been well worth it so far, definitely a new favourite for this foodie!
Update: Second time coming around, service was a little bit more mixed, my order was left in the back for around 25 minutes before I asked someone to check up on it. Hopefully these kinks get worked out once they find themselves a bit more busier! Food was still fantastic though.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes