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Catch Restaurant and Oyster Bar
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
20 reviews for Catch Restaurant and Oyster Bar
20 reviews in English
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Review from Cindy Y.
Calgary, AB
5/17/2012
Went to catch for a leisurely lunch. The service was impeccable, professional and efficient. And the food was spectacular, beautiful presentation and the taste never lets you down here. A dozen oysters with a brilliant yellow mignonette that tasted like maybe mustard, pepper, and vinegar, plus a nice tangy sweet and sour one with shallots, both excellent.
albacore tuna salad was fresh with green beans and lovely olives, cherry tomatoes, potatoes and artichoke hearts. smoked salmon appetizer with fried capers was good too. hubby had the manitoba pickeral, a much underrated fish, and the brown butter with almonds made it ethereal.
even got a glimpse of chef kyle groves as it was end of shift. -
Review from Natasha K.
Calgary, AB
4/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
We sampled the Calgary Taste menu which was good, some dishes were hits, some not so much. I loved the atmosphere in here of being able to watch the kitchen. Made things interesting, however, the wait for the food seemed longer as I stared at the delicious orders coming out.
The food was good, the drinks were expensive, the food was expensive, and since I had the Calgary Taste menu, it was at a lower price for 4 or 5 courses, so I can't comment on whether or not the regular menu was worth the dime. I did not get the chance to have some oysters, which felt like a sin when I was there, but I promise to next time. The menu looked delicious, so returning is a must. -
Review from TJ Y.
Calgary, AB
3/27/2012
* This review is for the lower (i.e. oyster bar) segment of the restaurant.
Are you looking for...
Reasonable portions?
More bang for your buck?
Booths?
If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then this is the WRONG restaurant for you.
The décor is rustic - it possesses a charming depth, reminiscent of a cozy pub with modern accents. However, I feel that having a ratio of (4 tables w/ chairs : 1 booth) isn't always welcoming; certain customers prefer a comfortable booth, laden with plush seats and back support. Unfortunately, my party and I were assigned to a very awkward corner with decrepit chairs whose legs became ensnared on uneven floorboards.
But I digress.
Ah, the food - what to say? The majority of the appetizers were decadent, savoury and simply delicious; the fried clams/oysters/scallops were incredible - my palate was definitely singing afterward. The oysters were amazing, save for one whose inner sanctum was tainted by sand - but that's okay, no harm done.
The infamous experience of the evening were the crab cakes...or should I call them golf balls? They were roughly the same size, and quite possibly the same texture. The breading was atrocious; it was similar to grit. The meat was sinewy and very fishy (no pun intended). Upon inspecting the inside, I noticed that it was dungeness crab. Dungeness crab is typically very flaky and slightly sweet. However...! If it is of poor quality, dungeness crab can possess a stringy and slightly watery texture, and can have quite the potent fish taste. In my opinion, no self-respecting restaurant should use low quality crab in a cake. Please, obtain better quality dungeness crab or use a different species.
To summarize: three golf ball sized crab "cakes" for twenty dollars? Please don't insult us. I do not recommending buying the crab cakes; you'll save yourself twenty dollars and a plate of disappointment. In general, a lot of appetizers and entrees were small. Call it "nouvelle cuisine", if you wish. In my opinion, it is too small, overpriced and not worth what you paid for.
I had the miniature cupcakes for dessert. Four out of six isn't too bad. The two vanilla cupcakes tasted like they came straight from the grocery store; dry cake, dry stale icing...overall, very unpleasant. The remaining cupcakes were heavenly, though!
Are you poor? Experiencing a bit of financial duress? I hope you didn't pay over two hundred dollars to discover that you can barely afford what you've eaten! I have to admit - this restaurant is very expensive. The quality of the food (oysters and other notable dishes exempt), is certainly nothing to brag about. I gave this restaurant a chance several years ago. I went to the upstairs level and did not enjoy the food, either. Upstairs or downstairs, it doesn't seem like anyone can win a truly wonderful dining experience here. -
Review from Jennifer E.
Canmore, AB
4/3/2012
As I do in new cities I move to, I wanted to try out the top ten restaurants in Calgary...This was my second restaurant in the top ten, and I am blown away by everything here.
I tweeted about my excitement of going there with a friend, and when we sat down in the Oyster bar (in a booth) they came right over and offered the "tweeters" some Prosseco to start our dinner off. Well, happy girl, I LOVE sparkling...
We ordered some oysters (comes with a Mignonette, hot sauce, lemon or horseradish) soo you get to pick your poison. I would suggest skipping the east coast Oysters, the West Coast were WAY WAY better.
The scallop appetizer was something else we tried, and it was pretty good, came with some swiss chard salad (not sure the appropriate name but it was soo good)
For main courses, my friend ordered the Piri-Piri crusted Tuna, and it had a fantastic mix of veggies with it. Nice and meaty Tuna, but the meal was pretty light which I loved.
I ordered the King Crab and Snow Crab combo, and we shared both our meals...Takes forever to eat crab, but it was worth the effort, that's for sure.
Dessert we had some Sancerre, with their individual apple pie...DO NOT order it for one person, it's WAY too big :)
Everything blew me away...... :)
I want to go back and try everything else! -
Review from B B.
Calgary, AB
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm gunna put it out there...
I came for the oysters. And the oyster bar guy was quite knowledgable and flirtatious. The oysters were fresh, as described, and left me wanting more, despite the price tag. I can't wait to have a main.
(I went before a concert and found it easy to drop $70 on a dozen oysters and two glasses of wine... but the oysters rocked.) -
Review from Stacey W.
Calgary, AB
1/29/2012
Celebrated a Champagne Birthday at Catch and let them know during the reservation booking. They let the Birthday man choose which table he would like (sat near the kitchen so we could watch the action - highly recommended!) and were taken care of supremely for the rest of the night. The staff was engaging and able to meet all our requests. This is THE spot you want to go if you are celebrating or for a romantic date. Couldn't have asked for anything better - we left feeling like a million bucks and the prices are such that we didn't feel like we had spent that and still be treated like royalty!
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Review from Queenie M.
Calgary, AB
1/4/2012
Food: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Overall experience: 4/5
(1- Terrible; 3- decent; 5- Fantastic)
I recently went to Catch (AFTER RENOVATIONS) and boy does it look different from what I remembered. Catch is now separate from the hotel and has an updated, modern decor. For some of you who don't know, Catch is comprised of their Oyster Bar which is now on the main floor for a more casual dining experience; and a Fine Dining restaurant portion upstairs.
My friend and I decided to have dinner at their Oyster Bar which had a relaxed, modern feel to it with navy blue and warm hues of brown all around. There are booths all along the left side when you walk in, and a lovely open kitchen. There is also a little area close to the front where you can sit and watch them shuck your oysters.
Our server was patient, which I appreciated because I can be so indecisive. She was friendly and asked us if we had any questions on the menu. After comparing menus with the Fine Dining restaurant upstairs, the Oyster Bar may be more feasible (around $25+ for a main) - with a choice of oysters, mussels, seafood soups and salads, pasta, shrimp, risotto, and daily specials. They have more expensive items such as 1.25 lbs Atlantic lobster, King crab, and steak. Beers at $8 a pint, and wine by the glass at $10+.
First up, we ordered their House Made West Coast Dungeness Crab Cakes with a chili aioli ($20). It came with three, no bigger than a ping pong sized crab cakes that had a crispy exterior. They were over-seasoned and the texture was off-putting since it was chewy and tough to eat. On the bright side there was a decent amount of crab and very little filler. The chili aioli had a light pleasant, lemony taste to it.
We went on a Tuesday and had their daily special of $2 tempura prawns which was a pretty good deal. The prawn was fairly large - but was thickly coated in batter (kind of a mix of tempura and something else) and rolled around in deep fried noodles or something. It looked like a fried hairy prawn. Despite that, it was seasoned well, super crunchy, not oily, and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. It came with the chili aoili.
I couldn't leave here without trying their oysters and at $3.50/each, $18 (half a dozen) and $36 (dozen) I was expecting a mouth orgasm. Alas, like most oysters in Calgary, I was disappointed. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. They came with freshly grated horse radish, a thin chipotle cocktail sauce of some sort, and another vinegar-like sauce. I would have preferred just a lemon and tabasco, but the sauce enhanced the flavors of the oysters in a way. We had a dozen of various East and West oysters. I personally didn't enjoy the East Coast oysters as much, which had a salty, grimy, fishy after taste to them that I didn't enjoy. I like my oysters with a smoother finish.
For my main dish I ordered their oven baked line caught Alaskan Sable Fish ($23) that came with the Chef's daily selection of sides. I think this is an amazing deal compared to what you would get at a chain restaurant in terms of quality. Today it came with a butternut squash puree, barley, and bok choi. When it came out, the presentation was exquisite! Picture perfect. The fish had a really strong miso paste on top which was terrible and took away from the natural taste of the fish. Other than that, the rest of the dish was divine. The fish was cooked perfectly - super moist, flaked easily with a fork, and melted like butter in my mouth. Their butternut squash puree was my second favourite thing on the dish. Had a bright orange colour, and the texture was silky, rich, and creamy. Overall, the dish is fantastic and I highly suggest you get this fish. Either that, or cod is another fantastic choice for a white fish. Skip the salmon!
Overall, Catch's Oyster Bar (not sure of their Fine Dining menu) is a hit! The mood is perfect for a date or dinner with friends, and the food is pretty good. Yes... It is pricey, but the quality of the fish and the preparation and care that goes into the dish makes up for it. Sure there were some lows in my meal (like the crab cakes) but Catch Oyster Bar is definitely worth a visit! -
Review from Adam S.
6/24/2011
As far as seafood in Alberta goes, Catch is among the best (if not the best). The oyster bar on the main floor has an "upscale casual" feel to it. It's relaxed, but still feels like you're in a somewhat fancy place.
The wine menu is extensive and the beer selection is decent.
The selection of fresh oysters is what really makes this place. The oysters taste almost as fresh as they would if you were actually on the east or west coast: no lemon or lime is necessary. Of course, just because it's not necessary doesn't mean it's not provided. Citrus, horseradish, a Saskatoon (I think) vinegrette and a thin chipotle sauce (more like a jus) are your options for "enhancing" the flavour of your oysters. The chipotle sauce is especially excellent with the west coast oysters.
The food, beyond the oysters, is also excellent. I had the marlin with curried quinoa and it was outstanding. Certainly, it was the best fish I'd tasted in a long time. I think the only time I've had fish that was better prepared was at a small restaurant in Dawson City, YT whose name I can't recall.
The prices at Catch aren't exactly cheap -- seafood is rarely cheap in Alberta -- but the quality of the food makes the prices more than worth it.
I don't get down to Calgary very often, but Catch is now added to my list of "must visits" when I am in the city. -
Review from Karen F.
Calgary, AB
2/7/2011
After reading the rest of the reviews I wonder if we went to the same place!!?
I finally got the opportunity to have dinner at Catch and had high hopes for a wonderful meal of seafood - instead I got lack lustre service and an even more disappointing culinary experience. Things did not get off to a great start, although they do have a great wine list, ordering a cocktail before dinner proved to be quite challenging: no crantini, no Bellini, and no Lemonhart and no Stella! We finally found 4 cocktails that would work & ordered, even after all that we still had to send back one of the cocktails!
We did have lots of time to ponder the menu as we waited for our server, and waited...and waited the cocktails were done, the bread was finished off and we were eager to order our starters and our main course but the waiter was no where to be found.
Once our meals arrived we "dived" in but the food experience was underwhelming to say the least - the lobster risotto was more paste like than creamy and lacked flavour, it was topped with half a lobster (slightly chewy) and served without a hint of a vegetable, definitely not worth the price..$49.00 The tuna was under cooked to the point that the fish wasn't just pink in the middle but still cold to the touch when it arrived, our friends fared slightly better, finding their dishes adequate but by no means at the level they had expect given the $$ and the reputation of this establishment.
All in all a big disappointment won't be back and won't recommend to anyone. -
Review from Cornelius V.
Calgary, AB
6/2/2010
I'm happy that Calgary has some restaurants that have a kitchen that puts effort into what it prepares. Front of house, however, left a lot do desire. While Calgary is a rip off when it comes to low-end meals, we get VERY good value for high end restaurants like this. For dinner, my partner and I had jalapeno+bacon stuffed oysters as an appetizer (AMAZING) to start. My partner got a very fresh pasta and I got a loaded tuna sandwich. The quality was stellar. We didn't get anything to drink, and our meal cost $55 + tip. In Toronto, this would cost double, despite being 4 hours closer to the East coast than us.
The servers are indeed pretty detached, mediocre, and lazy. While ours was nice and obviously meant well, she was pretty rude as a result of what seems to be non-existent training and or experience. She was hard to find, but when she did come around, she would swiftly take ambiguously finished plates from us swiftly without asking. My friend wanted her pasta packed, but our conversation distracted her from asking. Our server was also not very helpful in settling our debate about the difference between Crab and Lobster, stating "actually, you know what? I do not know the difference between the two." Are you fucking kidding me? A server at Calgary's premier seafood restaurant does not know the difference between their two most prestigious (and expensive) dishes? I just changed my rating from 4 to 3 stars.
EXCEPTIONAL food, but my god, I need to move to a city that has cheap labor. -
Review from Kait K.
Calgary, AB
11/3/2010
I haven't been to Catch in ages and pretty much the only time I would go was for the Oyster & Champagne special they had running for awhile. I went their for a lunch meeting this week and was looking forward to checking out their lunch menu.
We tried and shared 4 different appetizers and were pleasantly surprised with all of them. We had scallops, prawns, squid, and octopus. Absolutely fresh and delicious. The highlight was definitely the octopus which I had no idea could be so savoury and fresh. The wine we had was also great. Our server was very attentive but not annoying. She refilled waters and coffees at just right the moment.
All in all, it was a great lunch for a seafood lover. -
Review from jon h.
7/28/2010
Fresh seafood, only been in the lounge area, but worth going!
Try the tower of lesser power and you will be impressed.
My cousin, Brad Horen, used to be one of the head chefs here - he is one of the best in Canada. -
Review from YK F.
6/27/2010
Go straight for the goods, skip the happy hour gimmicks.
This place got my attention because of the happy hour special. $2 for an oyster plus $5 for a beer is really a deal so I walked in.
The special deal wasn't too special because the oysters are below par.
Try the boiled lobster for to and it will absolutely blow you away. $65 could be a little bit pricey, but for the sweetness of a fresh nova scotia lobster with marinated potatoe plus clams and tasty seaweed, you will find the experience worth it. -
Review from Starsia E.
Calgary, AB
4/10/2011
Make a reservation to eat upstairs. The food is pretty amazing but small portions for those not used to it. The service is personable and knowledgeable but the food comes slowly. It takes time to make high class meals. So if you need your meals in a hurry than save catch for a night when you have time to enjoy your meal as it comes. Downstairs is an oyster bar. They have an extensive list of oysters from the east and west coast and they have a larger list of oysters than what's on menu they give you. To see more oyster species ask for the ones not listed. Keep in mind Catch is very expensive and is probably a once a year visit. Also if you eat downstairs you won't like catch much. I find the food on the menu downstairs bland and sometimes not good especially for the price. The only way to eat at catch is to go to the upstairs restaurant.
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Review from Joe L.
Calgary, AB
Well being in a landlocked city, our selection of quality seafood restaurants are rather limited.
Before we begin, there are actually two parts to Catch. One being the Oyster bar on the main floor (which I am reviewing) and the other being the more formal dining room upstairs. I haven't been upstairs in quite a while so I don't think it will be fair for me to review until I visit again.
The ambience in the oyster bar is very casual mimicking the dock side restaurants one would discover at costal cities around North America with nautical and maritime decorations surrounding an open kitchen. There's a mix of booths, pub and normal tables, and bar seating available with a couple of televisions strategically placed around the bar area. The restaurant is attached to the Hyatt hotel so you will find a fair number of travellers on a given night.
Service wise, the staff is fantastic in many ways being attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Don't have much to add about that.
Food - this is the important part isn't it? Fan of oysters will find a selection of 6-10 types from both the east and west coast though I personally prefer the eastern variety. If you are unsure what to order, speak to your server and they will guide you through the difference and make suggestions. Oysters are served shucked on an iced fill platter accompanied by a trio of sauces (names escape my mind at this moment but I will find out).
Beside oysters, Catch reels in some of the best tasting seafood in Calgary using simple yet complimentary flavours. You will find anything from Digby scallops, Mahi Mahi, BC Salmon, Sword Fish, to a beer battered Fish & Chips all prepared in the open kitchen.
Other Comments:
Wine selection is on par but somewhat on the pricey side for a comparable bottle at other restaurants.
Dessert menu changes frequently and is recommended!
Look for updates as I tend to visit Catch regularly. -
Review from Kevin F.
Calgary, AB
2/6/2011
The last time I was at catch, it was really good... But last night was really bad. The service was slow, the food was adequate tasting and not to the level of my expectations... walked out feeling disappointed and still a bit hungry... not cool after dropping $400 on a meal.
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Review from Rachel G.
6/10/2011
If this is Calgary's best, the others must be dismal. Although sporting an impressive and reasonably priced wine list, the food misses the mark. The salmon ravioli appetizer was innovative and well done, the highlight of the evening. The carppaccio was bland and uninspired. The catch of the day, monkfish tasted metallic and was grossly over salted an opinion shared by all the guests. The sable fish was undercooked and served luke warm. The desserts present no threat to Sara Lee, the chocolate caramel cake being dry and lacking any hint of caramel. The cheesecake rivalled that served at the cheesecake factory. The service compensated for the poor showing of the menu items and the ambiance was good.
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Review from Jerry C.
Calgary, AB
11/10/2010
Expect high prices and little food, make sure you have some money left over to grab a pizza later to fill you up. Service is alright, ambience is ok nothing to brag about. I've order a seafood platter for myself and gf but was disappointed with how little food it had there. oysters, mussel, clams were very small. The tray had 90% ice 10% food. Nothing to rave about.
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Review from Barb Z.
6/29/2010
Thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant. Tried a new grain, Quinoa, and found it quite tasty. The savory halibut was served with a smoked tomato salad, which had a most unique and enjoyable flavor. We topped it all off with a S'mores Bread Pudding for dessert. And while it didn't taste like either smores or bread pudding to me, it was, nonetheless, delicious.
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Review from Spencer C.
Calgary, AB
3/27/2010
As good as it gets with respect to preparation and execution. Something left to be desired with the dining room atmosphere at lunch time... generic round table white tablecloth. That said, food is excellent and I'm sure by evening the atmosphere livens up. I will have to enjoy a dinner here before I can give it a perfect rating but they are on the right track.
