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Fiore Cantina Italiana
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 11 pm
Fri 11 am - 11:30 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11:30 pm
Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Fiore Cantina Italiana
Review Highlights
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"It's great pasta for really reasonable prices." In 15 reviews -
"...the portion size as well, not too big and not too small." In 4 reviews -
"...is red peppers, green peppers and bacon in tomato sauce." In 3 reviews
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Carrie P.
9/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I use to go to Fiore's quite a bit 10+ years ago, but I have gotten away from it, simply because 17th Avenue is not really my stomping grounds anymore. However, my dear friend Heather suggested we go there, so I was in like flint!
The restaurant looks a LOT different than the last time I was there. Definately renovations have happened since my last visit (one would hope so, since it had been so long!).
The wait staff were friendly and charismatic. When the took our order, I asked them what the spiciest thing was on their menu. They said that anything could be spicy, because the chef would simply add more spice to any dish.
I ordered the Fusilli Arriabiatta, which is red peppers, green peppers and bacon in tomato sauce. It was spicy, no question, but for my palate, they could have turned up the heat a few notches. The peppers were only slightly cooked (which I like!) so my dish didn't have a pile of mushy peppers on it. They were slightly crispy, and the pasta had lots of flavor. Since my dish had bacon, I passed on the grated cheese that came by, and the meal was yummy and savoury without all the extra cheese. The pasta was very tasty.
They had a pretty good wine list too. I tried their Lotus Cabernet Sauvignon (California) which did the trick for me!
What shocked me most, was how reasonably priced it was. I got a pasta dish and a glass of wine for $25. There's not very many places I go in this city where I can get an entre and wine for that price. -
Review from Janna L.
11/30/2011
We needed a place to have lunch, traveling on business in Calgary and was our first time on 17th Ave.
We saw the outside of the eatery, it was just opening up for the day at 11am and we saw the pasta Specials sign $8.99 a entree. I hate being the first one into a place but in we went and could sit wherever we wanted. We were greeted - service was OK throughout. Wine choice offered was good. Bathrooms spotless - had to throw that in there as this is important to me.
The food. I had spinach fettucine alfredo with crab (they promised it was not canned) , hubby had the gnocchi with meat sauce. Gnocchi = not good, not pillowy nor fresh tasting. The meat sauce was too sweet and I am not sure how he ate all of it. Guaranteed the food is all frozen from here. I thought my pasta was better than the gnocchi, 7 out of 10. We left satisfied but would love to try a higher end place next time. -
Review from Angelo T.
8/3/2011
We decided to visit Fiorre on a Saturday Night when we thought Calgary was all but deserted on a long weekend. Still it was a pleasant saturday night and everyone was out walking on 17th, Fiorre had great outside seating to accommodate people watching.
Now to the nitty gritty:
-I've been drinking Alexander Keiths consistently for the last few years and the two pints I had here had something off with it, I wonder if it was an old batch of beer.
-Their coconut chicken curry zuppa was really good, creamy and lightly salty
-Their carbonarra was...interesting. The pasta was done well and had the right creamy consistency. But the onions were undercooked, onions just don't have any taste at all but have that crunchyness raw onions would have. There were other ingredients but everytime I bit into the dish my mind would Seinfeld-obsess about the whole thing: Why are the onions undercooked? Did I say something bad? it must've been that cook with the unibrow? But how could he know I called him uni-brow...unless...NEWMAN!! -
Review from Queenie M.
Calgary, AB
8/24/2011
Food: 2.5/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Overall experience: 3/5
(1- Terrible; 3- decent; 5- Fantastic)
It's my second time here (first for dinner, second for lunch) and it's official, I'm never coming back here for pasta again! Located on 17th ave across from Western High School, Fiore is a modern Italian restaurant with over 20 different pastas to choose from, pizza, fish, veal, Italian soups and salads.
Fiore is a moderately sized restaurant with a clean slick look; a bar to the side and a small patio. Nothing too glamorous. My bf and I decided to sit on the patio for lunch which made me a little uneasy as the table tops looked worn down and littered with crusty bits. What made it worse was the tiny creepy crawlies on the table. A tablecloth would have made it more sanitary and refined. The service was only OK.
We went to Fiore that day for their pasta lunch special where their regular pastas were on sale for $8.99 (everyday until 4pm). Normally it would cost around $12-$15. Each meal starts off with complimentary bread rolls and butter. I ordered their Linguini Vegetariano (fresh vegetables and Linguini sauteed with olive oil, basil, chilies and garlic) and my bf ordered their Fusilli Arriabiatta (red peppers, green peppers and bacon in tomato sauce).
The presentation of the pasta was 'sad'. It was like looking at a pile of limp noodles smack in the middle of an over sized plate. The portion size was decent but the quality and flavour of the pasta was terrible. Both pastas were bland and not spicy even though the menu stated that it was 'SPICY!'. My bf's dish tasted like chef boyardee and preferred my pasta with canned sauce. Mine was like a greasy Asian stir-fry with no hints of basil or chilies.
All in all, skip this place! You're better off being most satisfied going to Boston Pizza for their Pasta Tuesdays. -
Review from Dustin H.
7/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Just got back from my first experience here. A friend and I were heading down 17th looking for a place to grab lunch, and literally walked into the first place we saw that she hadn't been yet. All told, I was unimpressed.
Sure, when the bill came I was pleased it was so small and our server (while really nothing overtly impressive) was friendly. However, I have a few gripes about the place...
1. When sitting on the patio, there's almost no buffer to keep you from being harassed for spare change from the sidewalk (which happened to us and at least one other table that I noticed)
2. A little too much "suggestive selling" - I don't know how many people are easily convinced into order special blend martinis at 12:30, but it seemed a bit tacky to press the issue at that time of day... and literally grabbing the menu and flipping the page to where the pasta special was to point out where it said "8.99" (despite the fact it was the biggest, boldest type on the page) was unnecessary.
(Side note: on the topic of specials... how "special" is a "bucket" of 4 beers for $20? A five dollar beer doesn't exactly strike me as anything worthy of it's own ad on the chalk board.)
3. I'm a pizza fanatic. Anywhere I go that has pizza, chances are good that's what I'm going to get, and Fiore's was NOT good. Of the 3 toppings I ordered, one was so scarse I'm still not entirely sure if there was even any there,and even if there was the other two were in pieces so big it over-powered it, there was almost no sauce (and what there was was flavorless) and the cheese was too stong. Basically it felt like biting into somewhat crunchy chunks of mozza covered pineapple.... and since I'm griping about pizza I need to air one of my biggest frustrations about this place;
WHO THE HELL MAKES PIZZA AND (even on their 'build your own' part of the menu) DOESN'T OFFER PEPPERONI? As a true pizza fan I was shocked and a little bit offended. Pepperoni is a pizza staple that should never be ignored.
I didn't even finish half of my pizza cause I had lost all interest, and had the rest boxed up to give to one of the areas many homeless (I figure, great or not, a free meal is a free meal) and I likely won't be coming back. -
Review from Chelsea K.
Calgary, AB
11/21/2010
Fiore's is basically an upscale Chianti's, and by "upscale" I mean the lights are a little dimmer.
The food is decent, and not overly expensive. The service is always slow and hurried, I'm guessing because the restaurant is usually packed.
This seems to be the standard "second date" place. Personally, I'd recommend somewhere a little more original. Unless your date is new to Calgary, chances are they've been wined and dined here before, and you're just setting yourself up for comparison with the last date. (In case you're wondering, the default "first date" place in Calgary is Higher Ground or Beano.)
Overall, not a terrible restaurant. But downtown Calgary has so many great restaurants these days, I'm pretty bored with cheap and uninventive Italian. -
Review from Sergey S.
2/18/2011
Surprisingly cute place! Just a tad bit on the cheapish side, and that's a pity as there is absolutely no reason for that... I am not talking about the prices here, but rather about the overall experience.
Fiore (Flower) is all about pasta, I don't think there is a reason to order anything else there. Plates are abundant, tasty and served with a very friendly attitude. You can visit them solo, with your better half, parents, kids, whatever...
That's not an authentic Italian place, but good in its own way. Lots of space - even when it is relatively packed, you can still drop in and they'll find a table for you. Good location, literally in the middle of the downtown.
I've been to Fiore numerous times, and won't hesitate to drop in again, passing by the 17th. Not that exciting, but quite recommendable. -
Review from Sheena C.
Calgary, AB
11/19/2010
I have gone to Fiore's on many occasions. It's great for going on a date, the vibe is totally romantic and what says romance more than some delicious Italian food? I've also gone with the girls for a nice dinner out before heading off to party.
The service is decent, I wouldn't say they're exceptional, but they're polite! The food, the wine and the ambiance are what really keep bringing me back.
They're reasonably priced, and the portions will have you leaving satisfied!
I will continue going to this place for a nice, inexpensive place to eat pasta.Listed in: My Top 10 Places to Eat
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Review from Elizabeth N.
Calgary, AB
9/10/2010 ROTD 3/17/2011
It's great pasta for really reasonable prices. If you're doing a huge shopping trip on 17th ave, it's right in the middle so it's a good place for a break or you can just sit there on the patio for a while and people watch. The food is great, and they have awesome specials on certain days that make your wallet happy.
Pssst- guys it's a great place to take your lady out to a "fancy" dinner that seems really nice, but really it's super reasonable and won't leave you broke. Unless the two of you order a lot of alcohol, you won't ever have a bill over 40 dollars. -
Review from Carmen C.
7/23/2011
Service was ok, but food was horrible. Nice patio, great for people watching on 17th ave, but I say you go for drinks, NOT food.
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Review from Linda C.
10/27/2010
Calgary has really 'grown up' and this place needs to do some changing. Don't let the location fool you! Where this place may have been a 'a date place' 5 years ago, it now just seems like a casual place to grab some grub after too much walking on 17th! Location is great, it was a hot day last week and we sat on the patio which is always nice to do on a sunny day in Calgary.
I'm not a fan of pasta in general, but when I eat pasta, I only like the hand made kind and it has to be cooked perfectly. Pasta - though seems easy - is most often screwed up, hence, I ordered the calamari salad. The calamari salad was ok. It was to me a bit of an Asian/Italian fusion salad. The Asian part to me was the bell peppers and pepper flakes but I liked the calamari. All in all, A-ok 3 *. I appreciated the portion size as well, not too big and not too small. I just hate it when I order an entree size salad and can only finish 1/2 of it... cuz really? who wants left over soggy salad - so then it's wasted, but the portion of the salad here was just right for my appetite. -
Review from Jason K.
10/25/2010
PROS
- nice location
- decent service
- unpretentious ambiance
CONS
- terrible food (very mangia-cake).
- my test of a good italian restaurant is their spaghetti and meatballs. when it's done right, you will feel like a little italian grandma made them with love, experience, and magic. fiore did not fit the bill for this. at all.
NOTE TO SELF
- do not go to places with an 8.99 pasta special. -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
4/2/2010 2 photos
I just got back from meeting someone over at Fiore Cantina Italiana on 17th. I wanted to update y'all on my thoughts of this place and since I've got an hour or so before I'm heading out elsewhere (gotta fill that Yelp review quota ;) ), now's as good a time as any.
Things I loved:
- They offer parking (behind the restaurant there are spaces reserved for their patrons)
- Very nice atmosphere
- Great location
- Excellent service
- Excellent food
- Reasonable pricing
Like Lindsay K., I don't have anything bad to say about this place.
As for the guy half way down the block, you know, the one that was projectile vomiting all over the sidewalk, well, that's another story. -
Review from dinah g.
Calgary, AB
10/29/2009
Fiore on 17th avenue is highly recommended by this yelper. I have been in many times and have enjoyed all visits. The first was with a friend and we just wanted to have deserts and a coffee and watch the local color pass by. Service was kind, friendly and we sat there all afternoon enjoying the sun. It was great!
Another time I went with a friend and she ordered curry pasta and I had a calamari. Both dishes were abundant and delicious and better still was the bill at the end of the night. Shockingly inexpensive. I believe it is Sunday , Monday and Tuesday that some pasta dishes are 8.99 all day and all night. Check Fiore out. -
Review from David H.
Calgary, AB
12/1/2010
3.5 Stars. Comfortable Place. Good Food. OK Service. Nice Location. This is a nice place to meet friends and have some fun. Management offers an 8.99 pasta deal Sunday through Tuesday inclusive. The food can range from very mediocre to very good depending on what you order. The Ciao Bella was very good. The manicotti was almost a write off, came out rather fast and likely microwaved. The greeter was friendly and efficient. The waiter clearly over paced the dining experience and, unknowingly, became a source of entertainment for the evening as he hovered and dashed around the entire restaurant into the night. Those looking for fun, fiore would be a good spot. Serious food lovers, please try Il Giardino Ristorante Italiano, it is not far and the menu is seriously delicious.
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Review from Lindsay K.
Halifax, NS
10/17/2009 1 photo
Every time I was on 17th I would pass Fiore and say to my boyfriend, "we should go in there sometime." After a hundred or so times of saying that we finally went in. I don't think I could really say anything bad about Fiore Cantina. I had a pleasant enough experience there one afternoon for my boyfriend's birthday lunch.
It wasn't very busy in the afternoon, so it was quiet and intimate. It's been my past experience that when a place is busy your waiter seems to pay too much attention to you due to boredom, but this wasn't even the case at Fiore. The waiter gave us our space, but came back exactly when needed.
We both shared our meals, so we got to enjoy two dishes each. Both we delicious in their own way. The marinara sauce we had wasn't too overpowering and the pizza was crispy, but still soft and warm. It's a pretty good amount of food and we were pleased when we left.
Next time I'm on 17th and in the mood for a nice lunch or dinner, I'm going to stop saying I should go in and just do it! I like Fiore Cantina just fine! -
Review from Lindy H.
Calgary, AB
3/5/2012
We went there on Tuesday for the $8.99 special! Actually to me, $8.99 is not a special, because we've been going there on and off for years and they've slowly 'crept' the 'special' price up! I can remember not long ago, the 'special price pasta price was $5.95 and that's when they first started to have the specials! We have the gnocchi and I agree with a review on here that said that gnocchi should be served 'four cheese' or with 'pesto', not tomato sauce! Now getting to the bad part! We've had 'not bad' waitresses over the years but this time, we got this shall we say 'really chubby' waitress named Veronica! It had snowed that Sunday - February 26th and they had made no effort to get someone out there to shovel the walks (even though it wasn't busy at all that night as the Oscars were on!) so I mentioned to Veronica that she should perhaps pass it on to the Manager about the walks (I'm a senior, by the way, and could have slipped) and she just kind of 'grunted'! After that the service was horrible and she bearly paid any attention to us (I went with my daughter and perhaps she had sized us up as being non tippers) but of course, she went over to a nearby table with two gals and a guy and was putting on the 'Act' as she was probably thinking - 'higher tip' here! Oh and of course, we're non drinkers, so they were drinking up a storm to make her happy (in dollar signs!) We were served the warm buns and my daughter grabbed one of the buns and I hadn't got one yet, and then we asked if they could give us whole wheat buns and they said they were out of them! She then took the one remaining white bun away (without asking first) and just replaced that with two buns or perhaps just added another one to it! Anyway, turned out one of us was shorted one bun and the other got two! They had a chinese gal going around serving the buns and water, but after that we were short water and neither the waitress or water/bun server asked again if we wanted a refill, so we finally had to track them down! The food was mediocre as usual and the 'average' portion is served on too big a plate! When the food was served, she asked which plate went to who and we said we were sharing and it didn't matter, so to put it 'wherever, but it didn't 'twig' that perhaps we might need an extra plate to share the food, so again, had to ask! She gave us two smaller plates and instead of medium plates, which would have made it easier! She then came around with the 'dessert' menu and just threw it down on the table, without politely asking how the meal was or if we even WANTED dessert and of course was gone before we could even inquire if we HAD been interested. The meal came to $18.88 so we left $18.90, leaving her with a 2 cent tip which she deserved! We made the mistake of not handing her the money and bill, and just left disgruntled and went out to our parked car on the street, and to our surprise, she came out yelling that we had shorted her 25 cents! She could have claimed we shorted her a lot more so we learned our lesson and next restaurant (not that one!) we will go up to the cash register and talk to them about the bill! Between my daughter and I we had counted the monies 4 times and there was no way she was shorted! She was just mad she didn't get a tip! Are you kidding me? Tip for what service? We called the Manager, Charlotte, the next morning and she called us back late that afternoon, but we didn't even bother talking to her! I had remembered being there several years ago and had trouble with the quality of the food and remembered dealing with that Manager and she had been defensive and rude about the food or waiter, whatever it was, so I didn't bother calling back! I'm afraid we won't be returning!
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Review from Steven E.
Calgary, AB
11/9/2009 1 Check-in Here
Great deal from Sun-Tues. $8.99 pasta.
Nice decor and atmosphere, friendly service, although a little slow.
Will be back again -
Review from Katie C.
Calgary, AB
11/13/2009
I love it when restaurants go along with my weird food whims. I recently went to a very renovated Fiore for lunch, and man oh man was I ever craving some delicious Gnocchi! They did have gnocchi, but it was in a weird tomato sauce. For me, gnocchi must come with pesto or cheese sauce or NOTHING. Authentic Italian, Schamathentic Italian. The waiter was totally cool switching out the tomato sauce for four cheese. It was delicious! It filled my craving! My friend has made them do it for her since! Apparently I AM always right, at least here. And I have adored Fiore ever since. I also like the new reno, as it went from Olive Garden to contemporary lounge. It feels more comfortable, and a little more classy.
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Review from Trish L.
Calgary, AB
6/3/2009
I went to Fiore's for brunch recently. Walking in, I didn't have high hopes for this place as I've been there in the past many years ago and always had mediocre pasta experiences. However, to my surprise they actually did a decent job for brunch. I ordered the raisin french toast and it came with crumbled blue cheese and maple syrup. The combination of flavours turned out to be quite tasty to my amazement. The service was decent. I'd definitely give it a try again for brunch.
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Review from Joel B.
Calgary, AB
7/28/2010
A well appointed little restaurant with great service, that unfortunately serves very mediocre food. Everything tastes obviously microwaved and bland. The food is inexpensive, but you get what you pay for. If they ever hire a real chef this could be one of the best restaurants on 17th.
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Review from Julianna C.
Calgary, AB
7/31/2009
Not too bad. Somehow expected more from a place on 17th avenue.
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Review from Chris S.
Calgary, AB
9/21/2009
Not bad... This place is pretty good. Prices are reasonable and you get what you paid for. I called the restaurant and told them I was looking for something a small step above the Olive Garden and that is exactly what I got. It is nice to sit outside and watch the people go by. Casar Salad was very good.
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Review from Shannon N.
Vancouver, BC
7/13/2009
Fiore was an Italian restaurant that I would definitely go back again when I am back in Calgary. The atmosphere was pleasant, not too bright and not dark at all. We had gone there fairly late at night, and they did not hesitate to seat us quickly. The wait staff was friendly, and suggestive when we had questions.
I had the linguine con cozze. The mussels were cooked well, not overdone and rubbery like several other places I have been too. The sauce was good as well, not too salty like most other places. The tiramisu was probably the most enjoyable part of my meal. It was light and creamy.
My water glass was constantly filled, and my tummy was full of yummy food. Definitely will go back -
Review from Yasmina S.
Calgary, AB
3/24/2010
Me and my friends like to go to Fiore and sit on the patio in the summer. The food is ok, not the best. I thought the pasta was mediocre, but you get what you pay for and the prices are not too bad.
Its nice to go and sit on the patio on a nice day and enjoy a decent lunch.
