River Cafe dates back to 1991 when it started as a full-service café on Calgary’s Prince Island for the summer only.  In 1995 they enclosed the space and began operating year-round.  The desire was to create a restaurant space that would blend into the Bow River setting and they ranked at #22 on the 2023 100 Best In Canada.  Attempting to serve cuisine from local areas was also part of the plan.  To this day there is no access to the place except to walk there across the pedestrian bridge and through the friendly geese.  It’s a fairly large space with bare wood tables set with towel-shaped napkins, faint music in the background and decorated with a fishing/nautical motif.  An open kitchen is part of the rambling room as is a long bar.  They are open 7 days a week and serve lunch/brunch as well as dinner. At dinner, they offer a Chef’s Tasting menu as well as an a la carte menu.  We chose the tasting and they were willing to give me a copy of the night’s menu, but the dessert listed was not accurate. Service was friendly but the pacing was off and the food was good but not outstanding.  It’s such a pretty spot, though I would recommend you try it. Continue reading →