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Culina
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
9914 89 Ave NWEdmonton, AB T6E 2S5
(780) 437-5588
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 5 pm - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
23 reviews for Culina
Review Highlights
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"Be sure to make reservations for brunch." In 5 reviews -
"...Egg Panini and the Baked French Toast, both of which looked..." In 1 review -
"...the Our Famous Bacon & Eggs, which isn't the traditional..." In 3 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from Brittany K.
Edmonton, AB
5/8/2012
My friend Sarah had the fantastic idea to go for brunch at Culina. I made reservations, as per Yelper recommendations, which were also a fantastic idea. We watched as several couples and larger groups were turned away and given a long wait time, all the while sipping on our delightful French press.
Our server was very good, and had a quirkiness to her that was just right for the area. I ordered the cornbread with a fruit salad, and Sarah did a tofu scramble (I think? I just remember that she ordered an egg-something but subbed in tofu).
I thought the food took a little longer to arrive than it should have. When Sarah's arrived, it was eggs, not tofu, so they had to re-do hers. In the meantime, they brought her a free fruit salad, which was quite nice of them.
Even though the food took a while, it was fantastically delicious. Cornbread is one of my all-time favesies and it didn't disappoint. The saskatoon jam was the cherry on top of the whole meal, too.
A fun brunch out, even with a couple of hiccups. I love the selection of non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu (I should have ordered one!), the coffee was good, brunch was tasty, and service pretty decent. I wish the menu were a bit bigger but the quality of the food makes up for it. Great vibe in the place and I'll definitely be back. -
Review from Sarah W.
4/11/2012
I went for an early dinner at Culina before my spouse went out of town on a work trip, and I liked the small atmosphere, interesting art and elegant simplicity of the restaurant. The server was very nice, efficient and not pushy - which I really like in these sorts of upscale restaurants.
The food was good - very good! I had the beef with some sort of magical chocolate gravy on it (sounds weird, I know, but it changed my world), and it was cooked perfectly. My only problem with this restaurant is that it is quite expensive and the menu is quite limited - it is not a menu that could easily appeal to the masses, unfortunately. I like that the ingredients are sourced locally and I like that they are going for quality over quantity - but it does make it hard for Culina to "that" restaurant that you want to go back to time after time after time.
With that being said, I think I would definitely go back to Culina, but I would have to be choosy about who my dining partner is (picky eaters or vegetarians are not good candidates) and I will have to save my pennies so I can try an appetizer and a dessert along my entree next time ;) -
Review from Lea A.
Went here for my sister's birthday party and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the food and appreciated the cosy, shabby-chic atmosphere.
We went for dinner and I ordered their lamb special and it was cooked to perfection. A beautiful medium rare throughout, and some creamy stuff underneath. I actually don't remember if it was potato or some other root veg, but it was great!
My hubby had the pork from their regular entree menu -- while the taste was great, the execution just fell a wee short -- pork could have been a little less dry.
Service was steady and no real faults.
What makes it fall short of 5 stars is essentially how slow the food got out. I didn't really notice too too much, since we were a big party and chatting up a storm and so when the food came it didn't feel like we waited a long length of time, but we did notice it took a while.
Culina I think would be best for a date night than maybe a large party due to the size of the venue and the intimate feel of the atmosphere, but I'm definitely going to go back.Listed in: Drop A Pretty Penny
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Review from Ashley M.
Edmonton, AB
3/4/2012
A friend recommended Culina for a date night. So off I went, dragging along my sweet heart.
When we entered the restaurant we were surprised to have to walk through a curtain in order to get into the restaurant. It's a very small restaurant with interesting art and dark lighting. The restaurant was empty. Not another diner at 6:00 p.m. though it did get a bit busier when we left, around 8:00.
Each table was decorated with white paper bags with a fake candle inside. It created a nice mood with the flickering glow.
Water was poured into our glasses and left on the table in an old wine bottle (that was my date's favorite part). I started with their persian platter. It was spectacular! The portion was quite large so I suggest you order it to share. It has fresh flatbread with the most delicious hummus I've ever tasted. There were also olives, artichoke hearts, and yogurt cheese. I would come back to Culina just to have this dish again. Looking back, I wish I had ordered this as my main.
Instead, I ordered the duck breast for dinner. Recently, I tried duck in Montreal and it was so good I've decided to try it at different locations. Sadly, Culina could not compare to the culinary delight that was Holder of Montreal. Culina's duck is flavorful and the more I ate of it, the more I enjoyed it. The skin was slightly crispy and buttery, and the local fresh potatoes were a great addition. I think the texture of the duck is what threw me off.
Overall, I thought the food was alright but the main courses overpriced and the restaurant a bit pretentious. If I happen to go back, it will only be for appetizers.
-Ashley Marie -
Review from Rachel F.
9/18/2011
I've only been to Culina for brunch, and each time I have been, the food has been really good, and the service has been spotty.
Today, my party ordered the eggs on toast, eggs benny w/ smoked salmon, and huevos rancheros, along with sides of grilled corn bread and fresh fruit. The eggs on toast was a rich, creamy dish with mushrooms and sweet potato bread toast. This was probably my favorite dish, even though it's not the one I ordered. I had the huevos rancheros, which was surprisingly spicy (for Canada). I liked the blend of flavors of the beans, salsa, and avocados. I only had one bite of the eggs benny, but it was quite nice though the potatoes it came with were a bit bland. Both sides were yummy, and the saskatoon berry butter served with the corn bread was spectacular.
Every time I have been to Culina, the place has been packed, and the servers have been running ragged. This has meant that the service has not been ideal. Once, my coffee refill never came (I was still charged for it, though the charge was quickly removed), and today, the two eggs on toast came out a full ten minutes before the other entrees, which was really annoying, since the fellas waited until the women got our entrees, which meant their dishes got cold. Our server did apologize, but it revealed poor planning on behalf of the kitchen.
I'll likely be back because the food really is good.
Be sure to make reservations for brunch. They do fill up. -
Review from Laleh H.
Edmonton, AB
Great location, good service. I have been there for brunch twice and liked it both times. I liked their house-made bacon and food presentation. Make sure you go there hungry as the portions are quite sizable!
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Review from Mila J.
Edmonton, AB
3/7/2012
This is our favourite place for brunch on saturday mornings! The favorites include maple sage sausage with panko crusted brie and the eggs in mushroom cream. Their "bacon" which is roasted, pulled pork is incredible! They always have a great special, which I have tried on occasion and always loved. For dinner, our standby favorite is the steak with chocolate and blue cheese sauce over dirty mashed potatoes. It is absolutely devine and the ultimate indulgence!!! We don't do dessert often because we are just too full but one time we had some banana fritters with a caramel sauce which was heavenly!
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Review from Melanie L.
Edmonton, AB
3/7/2011
Their brunch menu is my favourite and the four out of five rating I'm giving Cuina Millcreek is for brunch; their dinner menu is a three for me.
I love the seasonal changes to the menus because of the variance in availability of local ingredients. Not only does the menu stay interesting; the dishes themselves taste good because of the freshness of ingredients. Having said that, the brunch menu is my favourite because the flavour pairings are generally more balanced. But I'm also biased because breakfast/brunch is my favourite meal of the day.
You really can't go wrong with any of the brunch items but my personal favourites are the bacon and mushroom & egg fritatta, eggs benedict (classic and cooked to perfection) and tofu scramble.
The atmosphere is modern but cozy and the service is generally pretty good. If not friendly, certainly attentive.
I've been eating at this location for the last four-five years and have yet to have an even mediocre experience. -
Review from Bee R.
Edmonton, AB
12/20/2011
My first experience here was a birthday dinner with my sisters and a few friends and it was fantastic. Probably 5 years ago? Since then I'd been for lunch and brunch probably 6 times and each time it was great. Recently went back for a quickly decided dinner as we were coming home from work and too lazy to cook, so we stopped in. Meh.
The menu hasn't changed in basically 5 years. There was one interesting vegetarian item I'd tried before which was amazing, and it was changed a bit and didn't have the same love put into it that it did before. (I'm not vegetarian btw)
We ordered the spicy chickpeas (kind of a grazing tapas munchies to have with drinks) plus an entree to split and a couple soups.
Our drinks arrived, then our soups and immediately entrees..... We asked about the chickpeas which we wanted to lazily enjoy while having a cocktail or two and the server said "oh did you want those first???". Gee they're to be enjoyed with cocktails so what do you think? We could tell he simply forgot and panicked and tried to cover. Not really cool.
I think my earlier sentiment sums up Culina nowadays. They just don't put love into it anymore. It all seems rehearsed and overplayed and overserved and now they're just putting out the food like robots. They don't seem to care about their baby anymore. That's too bad - that was their thing. -
Review from Tess R.
2/12/2011
I've been here half a dozen times now and think of it as one of my go-to places. The menu includes some interesting options, but I don't always think the results are amazing.
I had the vegetarian special last time, which featured paneer. I love paneer and there wasn't very much of it in the dish. The main ingredients were more of a samosa without the pastry plus some beet pickles with nice seasonings to give everything a bit of heat. For lighter vegetarian fare, I highly recommend the quinoa salad - very generous and tasty dish.
The rib special didn't impress and the rice featured a good strong cheese (gorgonzola?), but might have been better if prepared to be a bit more starchy to complement the BBQ ribs. A couple people in our group had the steak with blue cheese & chocolate. I know it sounds peculiar, but this combination works well in the hands of a chef that knows what they are doing. The meat was cooked to perfection and the dirty mashed potatoes were fantastic.
The beer list included some local options, including Amber's chocolate stout. We ordered several. My favorite is still Phillip's chocolate porter, but it isn't available in Alberta :0(
The bill came with fennel in a candy coating - like goodies candy in miniature with a little fibre to boot. Yummy if you like black licorice wrapped in a pretty candy coating.
This was not a cheap meal after sharing a couple starters and a few rounds of the stout plus the entrees, but it was a pleasant place to spend an evening with friends.
If reserving online - there may be tables available at times you can't book a reservation. This has happened to us twice and I wonder if they aren't losing business because people think they won't get in. IF there is no room when you get there head next door to Bibo for a glass or two and consider their tapas options.
Service is very pleasant and the menu full of tempting choices, I'd give more stars if the dishes were more consistently enjoyable and the reservation system wasn't so weird. -
Review from Yunn A.
7/5/2010
I love Brad Lazarenko's cooking. When he left Sugar Bowl, I immediately noticed because the Espresso Creme Brulee wasn't nearly as good: that was when the staff told me he had opened Culina's. I have been to Culina's over a dozen times and love it every time. Down to earth, real food, and unique for Edmonton. I wish they had air conditioning in the summer though because that little place gets REALLY FREAKING HOT.
The service was a bit up and down over the times I've been there, but the food kept me going back. -
Review from Leanne S.
7/17/2010 1 Check-in Here
I went to Culina (Millcreek) location with a few friends. We had scheduled the reservation a month in advance. The day of the dinner I a couple friends decided they wanted to join us. I really didn't think it'd be a big deal to get a table for 5 but when I called to ask for a larger table I was told the restaurant was completely booked. :(
We arrived at the restaurant and noticed several open tables. I figured the restaurant would fill up later but after being there for an hour and the tables still weren't full I began to wonder why they couldn't accommodate our previous request?
The food and wine were great - all very fresh. The atmosphere was super cute and had a chic feel to it. The service was good accept for the fact our waiter forgot the appetizer ordered. We figured we would get comped on our desert but no such luck.
All in all a relatively good experience at Culina! -
Review from Jack G.
Edmonton, AB
12/17/2009
I had brunch here and the food was really good.
The brunch menu is really cool. They put a twist on all the classics. The sausages were some of the best I've had. I really liked their drink choices. They had some choices here that I haven't seen anywhere, like black cherry.
Culina's was pretty busy so making reservations might be a good option but I would definitely go again. -
Review from Dan T.
Calgary, AB
8/16/2009 2 photos
I had Sunday brunch at Culina Mill Creek and I was very impressed with the food. The portion sizes were big and the brunch was simply amazing.
I had the Our Famous Bacon & Eggs, which isn't the traditional version but a unique twist on that tired classic. It featured pulled pork, a potato hash, a mushroom frittata and toast. While the pulled pork was amazing, I wasn't too keen on the mushroom sauce-covered frittata. I thought it tasted more like mushroom soup to me and detracted from the frittata itself.
My friends had the Fried Egg Panini and the Baked French Toast, both of which looked incredible. We shared the Grilled Cornbread with blueberry butter and, I've got to say, after the pulled pork that was my favourite.
I would definitely go there again. It was quite busy, so a reservation is recommended. -
Review from Michael C.
Edmonton, AB
12/17/2011
First time here with the girlfriend. You walk through a red velvety curtain to get inside which to me made the small resto feel a little more exclusive. It really is quite small inside, we made reservations almost a week ago, and we saw walk-ins get turned away that evening. The hostess and waitress was very nice. Other than taking a little bit long to get our order taken, her service was excellent. The food was also very good. I honestly have never had risotto as great as it was here! The prawns appetizer was also very good and the waitress was nice enough to offer us extra bread for that. I liked how they had cold water on each table in a plain wine bottle, so that we were never out of water, which to me is important! Because of the small size of the restaurant, it was not overly loud inside, and it was cozy enough to enjoy an evening with someone without having to yell at them in a very noisy resto. Overall very good, I would definitely go back. I put 4 out of 5 starts instead of 5 as it wasn't perfect, but is anyone really? I'd give 4.5 stars if I could. I recommend this place, but make reservations!
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Review from Patricia M.
Edmonton, AB
5/8/2010
I went to Culina for my birthday awhile back and honestly there is nothing that makes this place stand out. The food was lack luster, the service was generic, and the decor was not innovative.
I've definitely eaten at better places. -
Review from Francesca K.
Edmonton, AB
4/13/2010
I've only ever been here for dinner and it has always been a great experience.
This place is very down to earth and the food is healthy. I sat far in the back in a little booth with my family and each and every one of us enjoyed our meals. You can tell that a lot of care is put into the food and it is not just slapped together.
The service here is really good too. The woman who served our family table was really sweet and answered all my grandma's "odd" questions.
I wil be back here again for brunch after reading the reviews! I didn't even know they had brunch! -
Review from Kaylee L.
3/23/2011
The walls were the first thing that got my attention here. They have this sort of flowerly detail and are adorned with beautiful art peices. After we got seated, the server asked us what we would like to drink and brought our reisling and chardonnay within 2 minutes. He was very attentive, and knew all the questions we had to ask about the menu (I love how they incorporate other local businesses into their menu, it's refreshing!), and even suggested meals based on the wines we had chosen. All four of us were satisfied with our meals. They were not only beautifully displayed, but also very enjoyable to savour each bite. The dessert, by the way, was enough to split between all of us, and it was just as delicious and a very good finish to a great night out :)
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Review from shawnna p.
Edmonton, AB
8/4/2011
I wanted to take my out of town guest to "Bibo's" for a glass of happy hour wine. I did not know that they close for an hour to get ready for their evening crowd. Soooo, we went next door to Culina. We sat at the small-ish bar and ordered a glass of Malbec. It was starting to fill up in there for dinner, but our server said it was O.K. just to have drinks. We found it relaxing and very pleasant. You don't have to ask for a glass of water, it just magically appears. I've been here twice before for lunch. Quite honestly, it was because it's close to my house. After seeing the gorgeous dishes being paraded around, I will return because I want some interesting, food with seasonal ingredients. I think the prices are fare when you compare it to some place like "Accent". We were treated very well by the staff. There is lots of parking behind the building, but I noticed most patrons were on foot.
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Review from Jenn C.
5/3/2011
Love coming to this place (when I can afford to eat here!). Came on a recent Friday night - had made reservations via OpenTable at 8:15, but they weren't ready for us yet. We went over to their sister wine bar, Bibo, which was about 10 metres away - a lovely narrow and tiny wine bar where the bartender simply asked what kind of wine we liked, and went and poured us each a half glass of exactly the kind of wine we liked. We didn't get seated until 9pm, which was fine because we weren't in any kind of a rush, and we Montrealers like to eat late anyway! The waiter was good but on the slow side; again, didn't matter as we weren't in a rush (also, he was dealing with a party of about 14 people at the table behind us). We split a bunch of appetizers - thai chili mussels, grilled flatbread wedges with melted cheddar and goat cheese, and the soup of the day, five-spice duck broth with crispy pork belly. The soup was the winner of the night. A flavourful broth (I just love five-spice) with delicious onctuous pork belly slices (sadly, not too many pieces). The mussels were also delicious - it came with some awesome garlic bread to dip in the sauce. The cheese and bread was also very good - very rich, and the garlic toasts were completely different from the garlic bread that came with the mussels. I can't remember what everyone else ordered as a main, but my friend and I both ordered the daily special, which was a (probably half) rack of lamb and a lamb steak. It came with adorned with a few sprigs of fresh dill, lots of little baby potatoes and possibly some other veggies (sorry, can't remember). The lamb steak was overcooked for my liking, but I think it was the cut, and perhaps that it had just been stewed for too long. The rack of lamb was FANTASTIC!! Cooked to a perfect medium-rare (I love that they didn't even ask us how we wanted it cooked), the meat was just melt-in-your-mouth goodness. The accompanying sauce was perfect (a little bit like au jus) - cutting the little potatoes in half and swirling it around the sauce was awesome. Didn't really like any of the offerings on the dessert list; in any case, was quite full when we left. For 4 main courses, 3 appetizers, a bottle of sparkling water, a bottle of wine, and 4 other alcoholic drinks, tip and tax, it came to about $65 per person. Not wholly unreasonable, but totally out of my student's budget, but still totally worth it!
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Review from Harriet v.
SHERWOOD PARK, AB
10/2/2010
Pleasant pleasant pleasant! I enjoyed the quirkiness of the place as much as the food! Very friendly staff, reasonable price. Certainly worth four stars!
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Review from Allan T.
Edmonton, AB
5/7/2010
Delicious, local, and one of a kind.
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Review from Michelle T.
Edmonton, AB
5/24/2010
I have been here twice now, and after the second time I most certainly will not be back and I would not recommend this place to any foodie who enjoys their food, or any individual who enjoys being treated as a valued patron.
My first experience over a year ago was pleasant, with pretty good food (an egg scramble) and I was pleased with the service. It was with these high expectactions that I returned to Culina only to leave bewildered as to what had happened.
As a single diner I was sent to the bar while more than half the tables were empty and were never filled during my entire meal. It didn't bother me too much to sit at the bar. My tofu, quinoa scrambled hash, which took an extremely long time to arrive, was tasteless and looked like it had been scraped from the frying pan with a few errant spinach leaves tossed on top that were neither raw nor properly wilted. To add insult to injury, my waitress never came ask me if I was done, when it was clear that I was, I had to ask for the bill several times, and while I was sitting in front of her, she took the card machine to several other tables first and then rolled her eyes when she came back to me and sighed "here I am". One would think I had demanded for my bill when in fact I, very apologetically, asked with pleases and thank-you's if I could get my bill, even after the second time. There was no thank-you's when I was done and I left feeling like second-class citizen.
As a foodie who has eaten at places from street food stands, to Michelin-starred restaurants, this might have been service I expected from a busy cafeteria, although the food would have been better. I can safely say that this was the worst meal I have ever had and I caution anyone from going to this establishment. I am saddened that it has degraded in such a manner, and hope that the owners take time to rectify these issues.
