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Rush Dining Room
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
207 9 Ave SWSte 100
Calgary, AB T2P 1K3
(403) 271-7874
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 11 pm
Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Rush Dining Room
Review Highlights
"The tasting menu was pricey but well worth it."
(in 4 reviews)
"It started with complimentary valet service."
(in 3 reviews)
"Had a tasty lobster bisque and rib eye."
(in 4 reviews)
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Damian P.
Calgary, AB
9/26/2011
Rush!! What to say about Rush! I have been there twice but my most recent visit was Saturday night. I went there on a date and it was pretty much perfect! It is the definition of what service should be like (and was like at one point in time..)
When we arrived, they had free valet service. I know this is only a weekend thing, but boy is it convenient. Parking downtown on a Saturday night is nearly impossible at times.
The hostess took us to our table and laid our napkins on our nap (Major brownie points there!!) She also took my jacket and gave me a purse hook for the table. More restaurants should get into this!
We skipped appies and went straight for the meal. I had a lobster pasta dish and it was delicious! It looks like nothing when you get it but it's so filling. My date got the pork chop. I'm not a big pork person because we had pork chops a lot when I was a kid but it was delicious. It was huge! Speaking of which, their prices are pretty fantastic considering they are in the heart of downtown. I was really impressed with that.
Our waiter was really knowledgeable about the menu and made some great recommendations. He wasn't too pushy and he wasn't distant either. He was perfect. For dessert I order Les pots de chocolats. One of them was a coffee one, the other a white chocolate green tea one and the last a grand marnier one. SOOOO delicious!!! I think i liked the white chocolate green tea one the best. The flavors work surprisingly well and they are a pairing you wouldn't usually put together.
I will be going there again, certainly sooner than later. I wasn't a fan of all the turquoise decor in the dining room and actually prefer the lounge, however it does suit the restaurant.
Recommended for sure!!! -
Review from Vishal M.
Calgary, AB
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Food: 5/5
Overall experience: 4/5
I was on a business trip to Calgary and decided to try Rush. They have a $75 tasting menu which is well worth the price. If you are a fan of tasting menus, I would highly recommend Rush. -
Review from Queenie M.
Calgary, AB
1/4/2012
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Overall experience: 3/5
(1- Terrible; 3- decent; 5- Fantastic)
BALLING! haha my first visit to Rush was for after dinner cocktails and dessert. After walking two blocks down Stephen Ave and coming back around, I decided to give Rush a try after hearing (mixed reviews). Most of all, the decor attracted me. It was a quiet Tuesday evening so we just walked in and grabbed a seat at the bar. Rush is very swank and oozed sophistication with big chandeliers, suede-like seats, a beautiful round bar, and a wine cellar that had me at awe that I almost walked into a pillar. Thank god no one saw me... I wasn't too fond of the colour scheme of dark hardwood floors and walls with the giant teal U-shaped couches in the restaurant area.
If you are a Scotch lover, they have a fine list of Scotches - at least a page worth; and some interesting cocktails. However, at about $12 a cocktail (2oz) I don't think it was worth it. Forgive me for getting the names wrong and ingredients but my friend had a Mystique cocktail (frangelico, baileys, grand marnier, espresso vodka), which tasted like a watered down coffee. I had the last cocktail on the menu.... I think it was called the Pomtini (prosecco, some kind of pomegranate liquor, cucumbers, and honey). Sounds a bit odd with the cucumber, but it is so refreshing, and fantastic if you plan on having a heavy meal. The flavors were well balanced and the taste of the cucumbers paired perfectly with the pomegranate so that it wasn't over powering.
Desserts are $10, which is pretty steep compared to some other places and was definitely not worth the money. I didn't find anything too unique (cheese, creme brulee, chocolate mousse, and apple pie dessert). I tried their Smores dessert, which is a deconstruction of the dessert which tasted nothing like the actual Smores treat. It comes with the tiniest portion of hazelnut icecream imaginable (like a tiny melon scoop) with a light dusting of candied-like graham crackers. The dessert itself is no more than the size of a deck of cards (which is a decent single portion). There was a thin layer of flourless chocolate cake, a heaping square of marshmallow (made up 90% of the dessert) that was toasted perfectly to give a nice campfire taste to it, and a thin wafer of crunchy caramel-like topping with hazelnut chocolate. Tasted like Skor the candy bar. It wasn't overly sweet, but the flavors were imbalanced and was hard to eat. Just not worth $10.
The service wasn't terrible but wasn't fantastic either. The bartender just took our order and ignored us the rest of the time. A little engagement doesn't hurt!
I can't say much about the rest of the restaurant/menu, but in terms of going for drinks it's really expensive, but heck... I guess you are going for the ambiance. I may come back if I decide to splurge (at least $30+ for a dinner main); saw a few items that teased me a bit. However, if you're looking to go on a budget I say skip this place! -
Review from Rick D.
Calgary, AB
2/10/2012
we went on a Wednesday night so it was really dead but the waitress barely came to the table or asked how the food was or if we needed anything. there were just five of us and she had the nerve to charge us 20% gratuity . the food was fantastic but the service was so shitty. such a shame.
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Review from John S.
Calgary, AB
2/5/2012
Excellent lunch. Have been there for dinner (was very impressed). 1st time for lunch and was equally as impressed.
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Review from Wendy P.
9/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow. Rush is swank! The service, the food, the decor... it's top-notch. The exterior of Rush is unassuming. The silver letters used against the white walls of the building are easy to miss if you're not looking for them. Guys, if you want to impress your ladies on a special night out, Rush would put you in very good favour IMO. I came in to check Rush out during Yelp Eats Week.
Inside, the resto is divided into the lounge at the front and the dining room at the back. Half round bench seats/booths make up tables for 2-4, while a long table at the back is accommodating for a larger group. If you really want the place to yourself, I noticed a private room just beyond the dining room.
If you aren't used to fine dining in Calgary, the service here is something else. The staff are so well coordinated, a team of two collected our plates on cue, while others refolded a dinner companion's napkin when he left the table for a moment, swiftly brought over another place setting when a friend joined us a bit into the meal and beyond checking in on our meal every now and again, did all of this without so much as interrupting conversation.
For dinner I ordered the goat cheese salad and the Miso Roasted Sablefish (squid ink fettuccini, truffle scented dashi, ginger, baby bok choy, shimiji). I need a word stronger than delectable and delicious combined to describe my dinner. Maybe divine? That doesn't quite conjure up the right image of just how flavourful my dish was. The Miso broth alone was incredible. And the sablefish seemed to just melt into my tongue the second I had my first bite.
By the end of the meal, we were so full there was no room for dessert (we also filled up on their complimentary buns. They have three different kinds that come out baked in this little trio for your table). There was a bit of a lag between our appys and our entrees, but I attribute that to our third party joining us a bit later in the meal. Rush ensured all of our entrees came out at the same time. My fish was hot and ready for me to eat!
Rush is not a spot I could afford to eat out at all that often. For a glass of wine, dinner and my salad, my part of the bill was about $65 including GST and tip. But man oh man, I'm still thinking about that sablefish.... if a dish leaves flavour traces in my memory, it was worth every penny. -
Review from jon h.
10/4/2010
Went Saturday Oct 2nd, 2010. Complimentary valet parking was a nice touch. Very nice restaruant, small bar area at front, and bigger restaruant area around back.
Had a tasty lobster bisque and rib eye! Waiter was very helpful and accomodating for us.
They did play some top 40ish music as background music, which I enjoyed.
Worth going to.
Nice fine dining restaurant.Listed in: Dinner date
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Review from Eugene H.
Calgary, AB
4/13/2010
I've only been to Rush at noon for business lunches. I have never been disappointed by the quality of the food or service. The restaurant is large, very modern and exquisitely designed. Just love the cellar and incredibly wide selection of excellent wine.
While the ambience upon entry appears pretentious, the friendly welcome and attentive service dispels any notion that the dining experience is going to deteriorate over time. I've enjoyed the innovative and fresh dishes and the ability of the staff to suitably romance the dishes when describing the specials and when the dishes are brought to one's table.
Pricy yes! But this is equivalent to a comparable modern European or International New World Restaurant. I would have no hesitation recommending this Restaurant to seasoned international business travellers. -
Review from C T.
Calgary, AB
2/21/2010
Love Rush! The restaurant decor is very modern and the table for 2 we got was actually a U-shaped booth with 2 cushions on the booth chair. Really fancy! Also, the maitre d asked if I wanted a purse-holder to hang up my purse! How neat!
The food is very good, service is impeccable. The waiter came by and took our drink orders. I didn't fancy anything to drink except water and did you know that this restaurant has its own filtered water and you can have it normal or carbonated!?! Serious.
I ordered the Crab Bisque for a starter and this was a very delicate soup in a large deep white bowl. In the centre was a garnish of finely julienned pieces of apple. There were pieces of crab in the soup. I wanted to slurp every little bit of soup.
For my entree, I ordered the Braised Short Rib. It came with mash potatoes and snap peas. I asked if I could substitute the potatoes with more vege and it was substituted for a combo of finely chopped snap peas and slightly wilted watercress. As the waiter told me, "the short rib is excellent!" and I agree wholeheartedly. It was a 3' x 3" x 1 1/2" piece of braised short rib with the vege garnish on the top. The short rib was so soft that you could cut the meat with a fork. Absolutely melts in my mouth! My guest ordered the Steak Sandwich and Frites - he had a 3" x 3" x 1/2" of steak on a piece of bread (can't remember the type) and a little metal bucket of fries. Ketchup was served in a little bowl. Pepper and salt also came in little bowls with spoons.
Dessert time - we both ordered the Apple - apple finely sliced and tossed with brown sugar and restacked to form the shape of an apple. It sat on a little pastry to hold it all together. What was the best part was the little jug of brandy caramel sauce! The waiter poured a generous portion over each apple dessert, luxuriously covering each apple portion. It was quite simple yet so delicious.
All in all, I can see why Rush won an award recently in enRoute magazine. It is THAT good! -
Review from Scott B.
Vancouver, BC
5/17/2009
Rush was a great experience from the get-go. When we arrived, the FREE valet service took our car, then we were quickly greeted by staff at the door. The staff then took us on a short tour of the restaurant, including the bar/lounge space, the two private dining rooms (which can be separate or joined to seat up to 28 people); the private chef table in the back next to the kitchen (which can be booked) and the amazing glass encased 3500+ bottle wine cellar with private cellars for investors.
A nice touch is the in-house created sparkling water, served in tall bottles. The food options were well balanced for both meat eaters and vegetarians. You can choose from a tasting menu with or without wine parings or from a selection of starters, middle and main courses.
Things began with an amuse-bouche and cocktails. Then onto our dinners which were fantastic. The service was amazing throughout with multiple staff serving the table and timing all arrivals and departures with grace. The dessets, coffee and tea were a great way to wind down the evening.
It's not a cheap night out, but you certainly get what you pay for. -
Review from Willman L.
Calgary, AB
11/20/2009
Only place in Calgary so far that compares to the Boulud, Bourdain, Samuelsson, Ramsay and Batali's of the world. Service is what sets it apart from the other places. Set your napkin down, go to the bathroom, come back and it's neatly folded back waiting for you on the table.
Food is also of very high standard, some of it is local and seasonal which is a plus. The best part of all this, it's great value for the money. Without wine it'll be difficult to spend over $100/person here. -
Review from Marianne H.
Calgary, AB
3/21/2009
Rush is truly an experience for the senses. The menu is as beautiful as the decor (so is the wine list).
If you're feeling adventurous, put yourself in the hands of their Chef, Sommelier and wait staff by choosing the tasting menu with wine pairings. The portions are perfect, ensuring you can make it to the end of the meal without needing "buffet pants".
Beware the faint-of-heart or spendthrift...this experience will run you $95 for the tasting menu and an additional $65 for the wine pairings before taxes and gratuity. If you want a taste of their superb cuisine without the investment, dining a la carte is also available. My recommendation is to save up and do the full experience - it is worth every penny. -
Review from Peggy S.
9/25/2011
Recently dined at Rush during a visit to Calgary. For Fairmont guests, very convenient - just across the street! The restaurant is beautiful, and dining room is very comfortable. Service was very good, and food was delicious. Both the food and atmosphere are memorable!
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Review from Jessica P.
Calgary, AB
9/26/2010 ROTD 12/10/2010
I had a wonderful experience at Rush! The food and service were excellent and I really loved the decor and overall feel of the restaurant. Rush also gets bonus points for being proactive about food allergies and being able to accommodate my gluten-intolerant husband. It's always nice when he can choose from almost anything on the menu instead of being restricted to one or two entrees!
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Review from spaniel l.
Calgary, AB
11/18/2009
To be precise I would give it 3.5 stars
The restaurant is stylish.
Honestly, the food was OK. In comparison to restaurants of similar caliber, it just scores above average for me. The food, presentation and service, all felt 'young' - still needs some maturing to do.
The wine list is EXTENSIVE but not ALL of them are great.
-Foie gras casserole - I was looking forward to this... unfortunately the pickled blueberries with the foie gras was not my forte. I would have preferred it without the blueberries.
-Driview lamb was okay.
Can't even remember what I had for dessert. Some sort of cake and ice cream... It was sweet. -
Review from Ryan A.
Calgary, AB
2/1/2011
I really wish I was able to write a good review as those before me. Unfortunately the server was anti-social and awkward. The scotch poured was barely an ounce. The salad was lettuce and oil - seriously! The salmon was half raw, the pasta like mush soup and the lobster like second day leftovers. I have eaten almost everywhere in Calgary and have had great meals and OK meals but never anything this horrible. I thought the film crew for Kitchen Nightmares was going to burst through the back door at any moment. RUSH off to a better place.
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Review from Jason K.
10/25/2010
a few notes from my visit a couple of nights back
- a little on the pricey side, but not over the top for the food, ambiance, and decor
- beautifiul restaurant decor (very shi-shi, but nice)
- the bar side had a live lounge-ish band playing
- our server was a little pre-occupied, and we had to ask for things like bread, why our wine was taking so long to come out, dessert menu... he did try and buy his tip back by offering a couple of bags of housemade granola.
- food was great:
* 5 out of 6 oysters tasted beautifully (it came with types of sauces for flavour, but i'm a straight lemon and horse radish guy). the 6th was a little off.
* lobster bisque was tasty as heck.
* beef tenderloin was magic. one of the best pieces of beef i've had in my short time in calgary
* halibut was cooked perfectly - flakey, yet firm and juicy.
- i'd go back. -
Review from Stephanie H.
Vancouver, BC
12/5/2010
You walk in the high ceilings and lush ambiance only add to your hunger. Order the truffles (but not overly!) marine diver scallops and pork belly. Not only were the scallops cooked perfectly and the taste so fresh it's only $13! Next up, the lobster chunk papardelle noodles tossed on a lemongrass sauce. So good. Did I mention they also have Rosemary and olive oil frites?....okay. Your turn!
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Review from Rick A.
Ottawa, ON
2/6/2011
For me, never quite lives up to billing and price
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Review from Ian L.
Calgary, AB
8/23/2010
The food was really good. The service was mostly great.
However, god forbid you go to this restaurant with a large group of people, be the first to leave, and ask the waiter to see what your portion of the bill is. The waiter made a point to tell me that they don't normally split the bill and he seemed shocked that I'd even ask. I guess he wanted me to pay the 700 dollar tab for everyone?! I thought this was unrealistic and it was an unfortunate way to finish off a wonderful evening. I doubt I will ever go there again. -
Review from Danger D.
Calgary, AB
3/15/2010
I'm not sure I've seen anything quite like Rush in Calgary. Think high French service... surprisingly 'Big' space... contemporary decore and food. The tasting menu was pricey but well worth it.... I don't cry often at dinner but I came close with the Ravioli stuffed with Pollenta (who knew you could even do that??). Did I mention it was expensive? With a flight of wine and several (sensational) courses it came close to $150/person but it's hard to feel too upset with the full package. Personally I've never been a fan of the BIG restaurant (in Calgary, think Teatro) or BIG service (in Calgary, think La Chaumiere) but it works for Rush. It's not the place you'd go to all the time (and if an astroid was hurtling towards Calgary and you could only save one restaurant I'd be more inclined to save River Cafe) but for particular events there is clearly a space for Rush.
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Review from Janice C.
7/29/2010
I found Rush online and absolutely glad that we went. The ambience is perfect and service was superb. Let's not forget about food, I had the lobster & coconut bisque and halibut for entree. They were amazingly good! I highly recommend anyone who wants to have a fine dining experience in Calgary to check this place out!
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Review from Judith K.
Calgary, AB
3/28/2010
The food was good and decor was great. A little put off by the swarming wait staff and unfriendly service. Waited a half hour for a beverage other than water. They still need a little more maturing to figure out the optimum staff quantity and how not to make it feel like a shark tank.
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Review from Laura K.
Calgary, AB
5/18/2011
Went with my husband for a dinner and had the chef tasting with the wine pairings. Delicious to say the least. The sommelier that was there was amazing and she just is a lovely person. Service was great ... all around great experience.
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Review from Will C.
Calgary, AB
3/1/2010
My wife took me to Rush for my b-day dinner.
She had been raving about it since she went there for lunch with her work a couple months ago.
Let's just say it was everything that she had hyped it up to be.
It started with complimentary valet service. Of course you feel obligated to tip the guy when you leave but a tip wasn't required.
I will start with a brief description of the restaurant and then go into the food.
The interior design was sexy. Dark colors, cool atmosphere and killer music with a live DJ spinning. Not sure if they have it every weekend but they had a DJ spinning some funky hip hop instrumental beats. Let's just say the music was definitely younger and hipper than the majority of the crowd in there. But overall the place did not feel like you're your typical stuck up, pretentious restaurant in the high end price range.
Now on to the food which was fabulous.
They started us with an amuse-bouche which was some thinly chopped chorizo and prawns served with a lentil sauce.
We were then brought two kinds of bread both made in house. The bread was tasty and the service and presentation were wonderful.
We considered ordering the chef's tasting menu which looked interesting but we decided to order several dishes on the regular menu instead.
We each ordered appies so that we could share. My wife had the risotto carbonara and I ordered the foie gras casserole. Both were excellent. The risotto was nice and creamy. If you are a fan of carbonara you will enjoy this appetizer. I usually don't order foie gras but since it was my b-day I thought I'd indulge. The foie gras was prepared very nicely and it went surprisingly well with the blueberries in the dish.
My wife's main course was spring creek beef duo which consisted of nice piece of braised short rib topped with a hen egg and a sliced flat iron steak served with a side of Maitake mushrooms. I thought the flat iron steak was a perfectly cooked medium rare and the sauce that it was served with was superb.
My main course was Maitake mushrooms on a bed of mashed potatoes served with edamame. It was tasty but in hindsight I should have ordered a more substantial entrée.
We also ordered a side of rosemary and pecorino fries, which were some very tasty fries. Albeit they better have been for $7 for a side of fries. This is a high end restaurant so be prepared to drop some dough. Our bill for the meal was about $180 including tip for 2 people which I think is reasonable for a high end restaurant but we did not order any drinks. I would say this was good value for money when compared to other high end restaurant in town such as Capo or Teatro.
I can't forget about the dessert which was a fine ending to a first class meal. Their dessert is structured according to flavors. So you can order a vanilla or apple or chocolate or blueberry or banana dessert. We ordered the apple and banana desserts. The apple was basically a small apple pastry served with a scoop of gelato. I think they call it gelato because it sounds nicer than ice cream. But it was a very good apple pie with ice cream even if it did cost $10. I thought the apple was better than the banana. The banana dessert was three different preparations of the theme. It was a very interesting concept. Similar to what you would see on one of those fancy cooking show.
The service was top notch. Everyone was very attentive but not over bearing and still friendly which is tough to do in high end restaurants. Sometimes the servers think they need to be a little pretentious which I disagree with but that is another rant. The only negative was that one waiter seemed a bit weird in a socially inept kind of way but his service was still very good.
I would thoroughly recommend Rush to anyone who wants to enjoy a fine meal in a fine establishment.
