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Brava Bistro
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Wed, Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Thu-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Brava Bistro
Review Highlights
"The lobster poutine was definitely the bees knees."
(in 12 reviews)
"...dessert I tried the gingerbread cake with vanilla ice cream."
(in 1 review)
"The wedge salad was great with lots of chunks of bleu..."
(in 2 reviews)
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Tara M.
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Brava Bistro hands down has the best lobster gnocchi you'll find this far inland. I have had lactose-intolerant dinner guests try the gnocchi and say, "ya, that's worth it."
It's not just the gnocchi that makes Brava special. It's the patio in the summer, the attentive-but-not-in-your-face service, the wine list, the hard lemonade, the lebanese chopped salad, the cracklin' chicken and the comfortable leather booths that all contribute to Brava's charm.
Brava is a great dinner date/girls-night-out/take-your-out-of-town-mom-out -to-dinner place as the space is intimate without being stuffy, charming without being cheesy and affordable without being cheap.
I have always been a fan of Brava Bistro, it's a welcome little haven in the hustle and bustle of 17th Av.
T. -
Review from Wendy P.
When four people head out for dinner, it's inevitable that three of them may have a four star experience and one of them comes out feeling like their visit was a three star. I'm the "one of them" in this story, or rather in this short anecdote.
A reso was made for 3 people during Yelp Eats for 730pm. All was well there! We arrived to a table already set and waiting for us. We added an extra person last minute and the staff had another place setting added to the table. Service level remained at a 4 star the rest of the evening. We were seated at a table on the east side of the restaurant, near the front and with a nice view out onto the patio.
Here's where the 3 stars come in. To start I ordered the wedge iceberg salad. A wedge salad? It sounded intriguing. And it certainly looked intriguing! But once I dug in, it was literally a wedge of iceberg lettuce served with dressing and some garnish on the side. Order the lobster gnocchi or the scallops instead.
In between our starters and our entrees, there was a long wait. And by long I mean 30-40 minutes, probably closer to 40. Brava wasn't overly busy. Not sure what happened there, but it was too long and we had to ask about our food. Minutes later, my prawn penne appeared in front of me. Hooray for food! But not hooray for the prawn penne. The sauce was good, but the noodles were overcooked, it was almost like I had made them at home. It's true, I over boil my noodles all the time, it's usually why I order pasta in fancier restaurants instead.
At any rate, Brava's still a go-to, I just know what I won't be ordering next time. -
Review from Al B.
Calgary, AB
My first experience at Brava was for a business dinner. That visit was an absolute disaster for both food and service. I vowed never to return again.
Thankfully a twitter group organized a dinner out and Brava was chosen for this nights outing. I decided to give it another go and I was suitably impressed. With the large group service was attentive and everyone enjoyed their meals.
Since then I've become quite the regular there and it's become my go-to place for a well done meal paired with great wines.
The only miss I've had in recent visits was the burger was slightly overcooked, however the waiter immediately took steps to make it right. Recent highlights, any of the flatbreads, the burger, the Lebanese chopped salad, plus numerous items from their weekly fresh sheet.
The wine list is well thought out and accessible. The staff don't mind bringing you a taster if you have any questions about a pairing. As well, the cocktails are fantastic and well made. It's apparent they spend time training the staff how to properly make them, something more places should do. -
Review from Angelo T.
3/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was Kenny M's wingman on Saturday night @ Brava bistro.
I ordered their infamous lobster Poutine, along with an avocado/bacon salad. The Poutine lived up to its reputation, it was intensely savory and buttery and the lobster's essence transitioned well into the gravy and the fries. I kinda wished there was more Mascarpone cheese, but after a few bites, the dish didn't really need it because it was very rich enough as it is. However, the avocado and bacon salad was somewhat disappointing. The veggies were fresh, but the bacon was thick and tough. However I liked the salty crisps placed on top.
I wasn't really that hungry at the time so as I watched everyone chow down on their main courses, I decided to order Brava's Manhattan to slowly drink. Kudos to our very cool and very cute waitress from Manitoba, who enlightened me with a story of how she sneaked alcoholic beverages into concerts by soaking it up with fruit, revealing that this was one easy way to get LIT. Why the story? oh it was because of Brava's special bourbon soaked cherry. I was skeptical at first but when I tried one piece, it was definitely potent! After I finally managed to swallow the cherry, my mouth was so drunk my tongue was doing a one night stand with the back of my teeth. It was as our table described it, the "lembas bread" (re: lord of the rings) of alcohol treats.
The service was great, although everyone at the event didn't seem to share this sentiment. I for one had no problems and found them friendly. But they seemed to have ATM issues that night and had to result in sending their customers to the bank next door to make withdrawals. I think they had enough servers on hand to be capable of escorting clients to the machine, especially girls who have to brave the elements of 17 Ave (and by elements I mean roaming drunken vagabonds heading to Melrose). But instead they just awkwardly peeked at the window. Not taking points off, but just a kind suggestion.
But I have to admit, despite the great service and flagship dishes like the lobster poutine and manhattan, I didn't see it being on a level deserving fine-dining prices, especially if their salads aren't up to par (re: review on burned salad below). Besides, aren't real French Bistro's supposed to be affordable yet creative meal experiences? -
Review from Andrew D.
3/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I don't really know what type of food to classify Brava Bistro under but I know I will surely be back to try some other dishes on their menu.
The lobster poutine was definitely the bees knees!!!!! Its nicely cut fries with marscopone cheese, lightly drenched in shellfish butter sauce topped with little pieces of lobster was just the ticket to end a weekend of fine dining. It automatically soared to the top of my list of favourite fried food appeys!!
The main I had was the lamb burger with feta cheese and tzatziki sauce. Though it was quite delectable it was inevitably overshadowed by the heavenly lobster poutine. oh god...I'm going to be thinking about that dish for the next couple of weeks.....(if anyone knows the recipe for the sauce you have to let me know!!!!)
For dessert , if you are a dark chocolate lover than the chocolate pot de creme is right up your alley! simply pure dark chocolate moose topped with whip creme and a cookie..it had me weary after a couple bites it was that chocolaty.
I'm no expert on decor but I would say this place is quite romantical (whaaaa! romantical isn't a word!...what do you know Spell Check?!) and the service was very pleasant and attentive. I would definitely classify it as a quality date place...so ladies form a queue!...actually don't cause I don;t think my wallet is fat enough! lol.
oh side note....it was great meeting some of you yelpers on Saturday...Excuse my seemingly tepid demeanor I was just trying to take it all in! I think years and years of video games have dulled my senses lol.
Praise all thy that is edible!!!! -
Review from Kenny M.
Brava was a pretty cool little bistro. I came here for a UYE and I came for the famous lobster poutine!
And did the lobster poutine deliver? in short YES, it was great! really unique and a ton of flavor. At first when it arrived I saw that their was only a tiny bit of actual lobster meat in the dish ( not surprising) but as I started to delve into the dish I got a fry soaked in sauce and OH MY! I got it! its the sauce, the only way I can describe it is: like a high end buttered popcorn with essence of seafood flavour in it hahaha, how is that for an explanation? It was amazing! Really, really good, and I will go back some day to eat it all over again! It just has a depth of flavor and is mysteriously delicious, it has something in it you can't quite put you finger on.
I also got a lamb burger which was pretty decent, though I don't think I would get it again. I actually wanna go back and try this lamb pasta that the lady sitting beside me ordered. It looked great and she said it was really good as well! So Brava is on my ever growing list of places to come back to!
The dessert was awesome as well, warm ginger cake! My buddy Andy thought it was a little to gingery, but I loved it. It tasted like christmas! and it was sitting in a caramel soup and topped with ice cream!
The service was fine (for our end of the extra long table) The waiters and waitresses were attentive but I heard other people down the line had some mixups and some mistakes happen.
Brava has been open for 12 years! so they must be doing a lot of things right, from everything I experienced I give this place a solid 4 stars. Check it! -
Review from Danelle W.
Calgary, AB
3/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food at Brava Bistro is delectable. If you're a poutine-lover, you have to try the Lobster Poutine. The creamy seafood butter sauce (also available in the gnocchi dish) is divine - while the plate looks small, don't be deceived. The sauce will fill you up. All in all, the food was fairly good, aside from the gnocchi being slightly too soft and the burned mushroom fritters on my friend's salad.
However, the service left a lot to be desired. I never managed to order a 2nd drink as the servers were in and out so quickly. There were numerous mistakes made re: orders for appetizers vs. meals, and when an extra Lobster Poutine was delivered by accident, and we were told it was on the house due to the mistake, it still appeared on our bill. Not to mention, wrong desserts were delivered and, toward the end of the night, flagging down a server to pay our bills was far too difficult.
I understand we had a table of about 22 people, but we were booked far in advance. If you are unsure whether you can wait on a table that large, please don't take the reservation.
Due to the extraordinary circumstances, and the fact that the food was delicious, I will probably be back to give Brava another chance.Listed in: Poutine places
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Review from Tiffany N.
Calgary, AB
3/13/2011
Dear Brava Bistro,
I had to wait an hour for my food and you managed to burn my salad. However, you gave Wendy two Lobster Poutines for the price of one, so I can't hate too much. Also, your drink prices are reasonable, your restaurant is pretty and the guy who got my coat was equally pretty. If I could rate the servers separately, I'd give them 4 stars, because even though I'm pretty sure they bungled all of our orders, they were apologetic and diplomatic. Plus, I ate the burned salad anyway (wasting food was a mortal sin in my house when I was growing up).
I'm on the fence about you.
Sincerely,
Tiffany
P.S. Bonus points for having moisturizer in the bathroom.Listed in: Yelp Events
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Review from Jennifer L.
Calgary, AB
4/10/2011
Surprisingly, I dislike this place...must be a first! After all the rave about the lobster poutine and the oohs and ahhs... I decided to give this place a try. My boyfriend asked me where I wanted to go to celebrate and after reading reviews I chose Brava Bistro.
We made reservations a few days prior but could only get in at a later time (8:45pm) No biggy cuz we had plans before that but we were going with empty stomaches that wanted to be filled up! Right when we arrived there was no host standing in the front so I had to walk into the dinning area to get noticed. When we finally got noticed we told her about our reservation and got sat in the middle of two obnoxiously loud tables. It took our waitress a while to greet us, and by the time she came we knew what we wanted.
First, we order drinks... Spence ordered a hard lemonade (which was good) and I just went with water. Then we ordered the lobster poutine to start.. it was meh, I expected it to be spectacular because all the reviews etc. It was warm, tasteless and watery.. seems like it sat under a heat lamp for a while cuz it was a mistake. For our main, I ordered the beef tenderloin and Spence got the crispy chicken. When my beef arrived I was wondering where the rest of it was? It was okay, a very small portion of mushrooms, onions, peas and even the beef was gone in a few bites! The crispy chicken was ok, could have made that at home..
All in all, this place is really nothing to rave about. We couldn't/didn't enjoy our dinner because the place was SO LOUD! We honestly seemed like the only normal people there. This place seems like it's for uptight crowds who think they're all hot shots. This place left us still hungry and we had wished we had gone down the street to buon giorno!! I will not be dining here again! Definitely not worth our money!! -
Review from Matthias S.
Calgary, AB
10/5/2010 ROTD 10/13/2010
My fiancee surprised me by taking me to this place. It doesn't look like much from the outside, so my expectations where kinda low. I was expecting patio food, or at best Joey Tomatoes style of cooking.
When we walked in we were greeted right away by one of their waiters, and barely waited until we were seated. She read the reviews before we went there and ordered the lobster poutine right away.
I was a bit apprehensive about it because I am not the biggest fan of poutine and mixing seafood in with it...i just wasn't convinced about it. After trying it though...it was quite delicious. The key to getting the most flavour out it was to mix the fries thoroughly with the sauce. Holy smokes it had this deep and rich flavour to it.
The waiter was quite helpful, I was a bit surprised to see the waiters though. I figured since it was downtown on 17th it would be your average college student trying to work their way through. But these waiters were seasoned veterans, these waiters didnt just give you the average spiel about which wine should go with the meal. Like white wine with chicken, red with meat and so on. Noooo these waiters, would recommend exact brands and their choices were really good.
A specific wine might bring out the flavour of the steak, or of the fish. And their wine recommendations do reflect that.
Our entrees arrived, I am still getting used to the smaller portions of higher end restaurants. But my stomach was not dismayed by the smaller portion, because I was stuffed at the end of the meal. -
Review from Nora J.
Toronto, ON
7/17/2011
Nice place, I dined here alone when travelling and felt quite welcome at the bar. Servers and bartenders were well versed in their wide selection of wines, and the menu, and were also very friendly.
I had the crispy chicken, which came with some carrots and mashed potatoes. The serving was slightly small but it was quite good, a well made comfort food meal, which was what I was after that night. The sauce it was plated with was delicious, I sopped some up with bread when I was done.
For dessert I tried the gingerbread cake with vanilla ice cream. Really outstanding dessert, I would highly recommend it. It is the texture of a standard cake, dense but moist, with a delicious spiced gingerbread flavour, warm and with the perfect amount of sweetness. Try this dessert! -
Review from Erin F.
Calgary, AB
2/28/2011
Hands down one of the best in the city! A must try!
I find the menu changes so everytime I am there, its something new. I just love the decor and ambiance of the restaurant and the service is alway great! Service is steller.
The food is always good and the ingredients are fresh and most of all they always suggest a really good wine pairing :) -
Review from Kaeleigh E.
Calgary, AB
8/26/2010
I went here without reading any reviews, at the suggestion of the person who took me here.
It was fantastic!!!! Great food, beautiful interior, service was attentive but not overwhelming. It is a very classy place, and you would expect the prices to be a lot higher for the quality of food and for the atmosphere. The patio is set up with white lights and it's absolutely beautiful.
I ate the chicken dish (can't exactly remember what was in it) but it was great, not overdone at all which is rare with chicken it's easy to overcook.
Would definitely come back. -
Review from Katie C.
Calgary, AB
10/20/2009
Two words: Lobster. Poutine.
Five stars.
What's that? A vote for best restaurant in Calgary. They do know the way to my heart. The folks at Brava must have broken into my dreams and stolen all the best parts. Everything about this place is amazing: food, service, location, decor. The patio is gorgeous.
If lobster poutine isn't your thing, how about this: Lobster Gnocchi. Yum.Listed in: DEELISH!
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Review from Philippe G.
Calgary, AB
11/14/2010 3 Check-ins Here
I am inspired by the food and service here. A great experience for lunch, dinner or in between.
Dewey leads a great team and the menu's constant shifting keeps my palate excited. -
Review from Jeffrey L.
4/23/2010
Brava Bistro was highly recommended to us by the staff at the hotel we where staying at, which was only three blocks away.
Getting a reservation on a Thursday evening was tough so plan ahead, we wanted to get a reservation for 7:15pm but where only able to get in at 8:15pm. The wait was well worth it and dinner went from good, better and then best.
We started with the Mussels' which come with pomme frites on top. This was so tasty and we knew instantly we had made a great choice for dinner.
Our second course was the Lebanese Salad which was such a great new taste. I highly recommend it to anyone as you have never had a salad like this before.
Finally came our entree Artic Char in a Thai green curry. Fantastic taste and a great end to our meal.
My wife had a great Pinot Noir from Italy which was reasonable priced at $9.50 a glass. The wine select is long and expensive and wines by the glass where at a minimum.
Next time I am in Calgary I will visit again. -
Review from Erik F.
Calgary, AB
3/13/2010
Great French-inspired cuisine. The service and food was very good. Like other Yelpers have mentioned, the Lobster Poutine really stands out as the key appetizer. But the mussels and scallops were both great as well. I had arctic char with thai green curry/coconut milk/pas/cabbage/noodles/pea shoots. The fish was flavorful and tender and the portion size was large. I could barely finish it.
The address is convenient as well, right on 17th St. in the middle of many others restaurants. But Brava Bistro really stands out. There's really no reason I can think of why I wouldn't give this place 5 stars. Everything was good. But maybe nothing stood out to me as extraordinary. Still, you can't go wrong with anything you order. If you haven't been, go! -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
10/2/2009 6 photos
If you have not yet been to the Brava Bistro, I've got ONE question for you:
WHY?
As some of you know, I've been playing hostess in Calgary this week and my sister recommended that we go to Brava Bistro on 17th Ave. I was a little nervous because I'm really trying to show these people a good time, and let me just tell you; I think my guests LOVE Calgary BASED on their experience at Brava.
The hostess was great. We asked for a booth and despite the fact that they were packed, they accommodated our wishes. Our waitress was FANTASTIC. The ambiance was PERFECT. And the food was BY FAR some of the best food I have EVER had.
My friends ordered the Halibut, the curry Penne, and I got the chickpea salad. We also ordered wine and the watermelon & feta salad to start.
There's not ONE thing I didn't like about this place. It was like a feast for the senses. Eye candy like you wouldn't believe, the unmistakable sound of people enjoying good conversation, the orgasmic tastes of high-quality food, the exceptional feeling of a welcoming and comfortable environment and the most tantalizing smells around.
Brava Bistro is heaven on earth. Whether you're a total foodie or just someone who is looking for a good night out, I have NO DOUBT that you will appreciate all that is this Bistro.
It's official: Brava Bistro is my top stop on The Calgary Tour. -
Review from dinah g.
Calgary, AB
12/11/2009 5 photos
I have read rave reviews about BB and decided to go and see for myself last night. After all it is only about 10 blocks from my home and I don't mind driving if I know I can at least walk home if I do get stuck in the snow.
You need to make reservations online or on a voice mail before you come here; otherwise you do not actually get a human voice to book one for you. This was a little frustrating but luckily when we arrived they did have a couple of tables for two available for us, as the place was really jam packed tonight.
There was tons of festive energy, attractive and interesting people to see at this restaurant. Plus BB has nice, big floor to ceiling windows that look onto a blue lit Christmas tree and the pulse of 17th Ave outside.
Hostess was in fine form this evening, and our jackets were taken hospitality at the door for us. Our waitress this evening, Jenna was very funny, charming and accommodating as our server.
The menu is a lot more reasonable in price than I had expected. And I started off the evening with a very strong Mojito at $7.50 and ordered the lobster poutine for my friend and I as recommended by other yelpers.
I had heard rave reviews about this poutine, French fries, chunks of lobster, shellfish buttered sauce and mascarpone cheese. But tonight the butter was not melted properly and what I thought was a chunk of lobster was actually a spoon of butter. Not too thrilled about the poutine, there really weren't that many pieces of lobster and I expected a bit more for the $16, but we still had our entrees to look forward to.
My friend had the Lebanese chopped salad with pine nuts, parsley, mint and feta cheese and I had the shrimp pasta with olives and spinach and goat cheese. We liked both of our plates and we were just about to order desert when another client in the restaurant joined our table. He asked where the bathroom was and there was a huge sign above my friend's head that said "washrooms" so we both knew we were being fed a line.
He was entertaining for a short time but kind of overstayed his welcome when he started showing us some buttock clenching exercises. The waitress was a dear and practically saved us from our new guest, nonetheless the meal was if anything an entertaining one.
I enjoyed my meal at BB, the prices were reasonable, the service was excellent and the ambiance was interesting to say the least. -
Review from Lesel R.
Vancouver, BC
6/16/2010
Love, love Brava Bistro. Everytime I'm in Calgary, we stop in for dinner or lunch. The relaxed atmosphere encourages us to linger and enjoy a few great bottles of wine.
On our last visit, the mussels with aioli and pomme frites were amazing. The Fettucini with smoked bacon and peas was perfect. Wine recommendations by the server were spot on. -
Review from Rick A.
Ottawa, ON
2/6/2011
One of Calgary's best
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Review from Merry K.
10/21/2009 1 Check-in Here
There were 9 of us at Brava last night and we had such an excellent time! Everyone really enjoyed their food. I had the lobster poutine, the wedge salad and the baked chocolate pudding. The lobster poutine seemed a bit weird at the beginning b/c it's essentially fries with a buttery sauce with chunks of lobster and blobs of marscapone cheese. I guess I didn't read the description very well b/c I was expecting a creamier sauce. Then I tasted it and all thoughts of "weird" were gone. it was sooooooo gooooood! The fries were crispy and all the flavours melded together wonderfully. The wedge salad was great with lots of chunks of bleu cheese and bits of bacon. The baked chocolate pudding was sublime. it was a bit like a molten lava cake but with very dark chocolate. I also had one glass of wine. My bill came to $51 with tax but before tip.
The other highlight of the night was the service. Our waitress was awesome. She was witty and personable but non-obtrusive. She brought the bottle out for all glasses of wine & was very good about suggesting wines to people who couldn't decide.
The only hiccups with the evening was the reservations persons insistence that if we had 9 people (up from our "for sure" 8) that we could only be seated at 5:30 or 8:30 not 6:30 as per our reservation. I called back to cancel b/c we did indeed have 9 and that person said "Why would you cancel?" I explained that we were told deinitively that if we had 9 those were the only 2 times that worked and neither of those worked for our group. She put me on hold for a quick moment and came back to tell me that they could fit us in no problem. The other two were that the mussels appetizer my friend ordered was just "meh" and another friend was accidentally charged $45 for her glass of wine (this one was fixed quickly once she saw it). Our wonderful waitress even seperated our cheques for us before she brought the bills without us asking. We usually just figure it out but this made it much, much easier.
Overall it was a wonderful night and I will definitely be back!Listed in: Downtown Customer Lunch Spots
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Review from Homer S.
5/25/2010
The lobster poutine stole the show and overshadowed my main course. A nice place for a bite. I'd go back (after trying what else Calgary has to offer).
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Review from Devon B.
Calgary, AB
4/20/2010
For a bit of a higher-end meal, Brava is certainly a good option. The food was great and it is the first place in Calgary that had decent fish (I'm from the east coast). Everything seems to be made with quality in mind and the service was very professional yet friendly. The wine selection is nice and the general atmosphere of the place is classy but also comfortable.
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Review from Michael H.
Calgary, AB
3/24/2011
One of my favorite restaurants by far. Very classy yet laid back atmosphere, Dewey runs a great place. Everyone working there is crazy friendly and very knowledgable, you can tell they love their job. And the food........holy crap. My wife and I have been here several times over the past few years and will keep coming back. Lobster poutine is a must (looks small but you can share with someone else as it is extremely rich), the short rib is amazing (and almost even better the next day if you can't eat it all) and the creme brulee to finish off will be one of the best meals you will have. Can't comment on too much of their other food since we always seem to order the same thing since it is that good.
