Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, Bars and Chefs.

The unusual location of River Café sets it apart from most restaurants, but also serves as muse and reflection for the rustic décor and menu.Set on an island in the rushing rivers of the Bow, and in the shadows of the glass-and-steel monoliths of Calgary’s downtown core, River Café is a way of escaping the bustle, without leaving the city. The décor, with its vintage sports equipment and a bar made from a boat, is a nod to a fishing lodge or mountain resort, and the everchanging menu from chef Andrew Winfield shares a rustic feel. Dishes are focused on game meats, fresh fish (all Oceanwise-approved) and produce, raised locally and sustainably. The dishes reflect a philosophy of taking food straight from the land and cooking simply to let the flavours of each ingredient speak for themselves. There is a pastoral feeling in the space and on the plate, a sense of escape to a different time and place, all in the heart of the city.