Flip, flop and fry: freshest seafood restaurants in Calgary

This is a fish ‘n’ chips town that also loves its sushi. Though dedicated seafood restaurants are something of a rarity, good seafood is not hard to find. As the list below indicates, some of the city’s finest fish dinners share equal menu billing with steak.

Big Fish

1
1112 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3K4

A fine seafood restaurant with a casual diner feel, Big Fish on Edmonton Trail is owned by acclaimed chef Dwayne Ennest, whose sister establishment down the road, Open Range, happens to serve some of the city’s best steak. Also an Ocean Wise supporter, its menu includes Canadian oysters and mussels plus fish feasts incorporating salmon, Arctic char, walleye and more. Try the smoked oysters, and drop in for the seafood paella served every Sunday.

Ric's Lounge & Grill

Though red meat comprises two thirds of its cuisine concept, Ric’s Grill in Four Points Calgary Airport serves a lengthy list of seafood dishes. Appetizers include seared scallops, ahi tuna carpaccio and New England clam chowder. Served with seasonal veggies and basmati rice pilaf, its generous mains include Alaskan king crab served with hot butter and a duo of Nova Scotia lobster tails served with — you guessed it — butter. Also try the prawn and scallop linguine.

Alloy

2
220 42 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 1Y4

Though not a fish restaurant, this fine dining spot just off Macleod Trail and 42 Avenue Southeast serves superb seafood. Appetizers include grilled Canadian lobster as well as seared tuna, while seafood entrees range from Arctic char with mussels in Thai red curry and tomato sauce, to panko-crusted prawns.

Catch Restaurant & Oyster Bar

3
100 Stephen Ave SE, Calgary, AB T3Z 3J7

The city’s undisputed No. 1 seafood server, the two-level restaurant features The Oyster Bar, a casual shell-shuckin’ saloon on its main floor, and Catch, a contemporary white tablecloth dining room, upstairs. Located in the beautiful sandstone Imperial Bank of Canada building on Stephen Avenue Walk, the place serves sustainable Ocean Wise approved fish and shellfish flown in daily from both coasts.

The quintessential Mexican meal, tacos are also a relatively scarce commodity in Calgary. However, we’ve done some digging and unearthed the select few restaurants that make truly marvelous versions of these hand-held snacks.
The city’s summer season features a delicious dance card of culinary festivals and events. Many, such as Stampede-time pancake breakfasts, are easy to access the day of, but the various tasting and tippling shindigs listed here can fill up quickly, so purchasing tickets sooner than later for these foodie festivities is recommended. Image credit: iStock.com/kasto80.
The city’s pathway system is one of the longest in North America. Given its lengthy stretches, the occasional rest and snack stop, though few and far between, are a welcome sight when walking, biking and inline skating. Here are a few restaurants, cafés and snack shacks located on or near our scenic cycling system. Image credit: iStock.com/mihailomilovanovic.
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