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Teatro
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Mediterranean Italian, Mediterranean [Edit]
200 8th Ave SECalgary, AB T2G 0K7
(403) 290-1012
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
20 reviews for Teatro
20 reviews in English
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Review from Terrence L.
Calgary, AB
1/1/2012
In Montreal, there's a popular steak and seafood resto in the heart of beautiful Old Montreal called Gibby's. The food there is simply decadent, and while maybe not the best steak place around, it is rated by local Montrealers as the best restaurant to go to if SOMEONE else was paying the bill. This is my feelings about Teatro.
A year or so after Teatro's renovations, my companion and I went down there to celebrate her 40th birthday. I normally don't go to what would probably be perceived by most locals as an upscale resto, but it was a special occasion after all. It was probably one of the best choices I've made.
The place feels huge, with the classic roman pillars, large windows and immense space yet almost sparsely placed tables. It's not that there weren't huge numbers of tables. but more that there were far less tables that the space could hold, a deliberate choice that keeps the appearance and feeling of intimacy. Add some of the unusual furniture, such as these enormous fabric backed booth-like chairs, and it does have a pleasant cozy feel to the place. Add the open-faced kitchen where the diners could easily see their food being prepared, the incredibly huge copper ovens, and the light jazz playing in the background, you can see that there was a fair amount of thought put into the experience.
Now as for the wine lists and all, Teatro has routinely year after year won awards for their immence selection of wines. Please note, WINES not beers or anything else. They do want to keep the upscale image after all, though I didn't see a single bottle available under $90 at the least, with most in the $150+ range. Sooo, if you're there to drink, be prepared for the ticket shock. Still, as I said before, this is an upscale restaurant for the connaiseur, not the average joe blow down the street. Heck, both times I've been here, the first was for the first Downtown Dining festival, and this time around with the added support of a rare groupon event that Teatro participated in earlier this year.
You've been waiting for me to talk about the food, right? Yep, this is where the rating went to 4 and not 5 stars. My meal was simply outstanding, and in many ways, I think it may have honestly ruined beef for me for the rest of my life. This was the first time I ever had Alberta beef in the new sous-vide preparation style. Now, ever since I even heard of this practice from season 3 of Top Chef, I had always wanted to try it. Olives apparently does it from time to time, and I've never been lucky enough to hit a night when it serves beef or lamb this way. The absolutely fabulous Rouge does (review to follow in a day or two), and I admittedly found it's sous-vide treatment of Octopus to be incredibly unbelievably tender. But still, actual sous-vided meat had eluded me over the years until this night.
Now, first, for those not in the know, sous-vide, described by wikipedia, is "a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for a long time--72 hours is not unusual--at an accurately determined temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 60 °C or 140 °F. The intention is to cook the item evenly, not overcook the outside while still keeping the inside at the same 'doneness' and to keep the food juicier." Based on years of Top Chef seasons, I was simply facinated by the whole process, and the descriptions that meats prepared this way is simply undescribably incredible. Yep, definately.
My striploin had a texture very unlike that of a steak (except for the exterior which seemed to have been flash seared for colour and appearance), but instead much more like smoked salmon. It could almost be cut by my fork, but I was more than satisfied that I was able to cut it effortlessly with a butter knife. Add what was probably the richest most buttery mashed potatoes and an interesting sweet vegetable medley, and it was a simple, yet elegant dinner. As for how buttery? Well, it was more stick of butter than potatoes admittedly. While I admit it was incredibly rich and utterly delicious, I also had the taste of butter in my mouth the next morning as well.
The meal then progressed with a brilliant trio of Creme Brulees, being caramel, chocolate and mint tea flavours. Everything had a great flavour, texture ad so on, with a nice perfect hardness of the caramalized sugar on top that breaks just right with a solid tap with my spoon. If there was any complaint I would have had about this, it was simply that it may have sat for a little while too long after the torch, as I was a bit surprised to find the hard candied tops to be quite cold.
Overall, great atmosphere, wonderful food and absolutely astounding wine list, but it's a place I would go once in a blue moon. Why? Well, as my opening paragraph said about Gibby's, Teatro is EXACTLY that for most Calgarians. It's simply way too expensive for the average diner.. but I'll be back one day. -
Review from Linda C.
Came here for a company Christmas party where the Opera room was reserved for us. You enter the room from the side door on 1st street outside the building. It was a square room with high ceilings and GIGANTIC light fixtures, had a fireplace beside the bar area, private bathrooms to the back, and they even check your coats. It was the perfect space for the 50 person Christmas party, I'm not sure their max capacity. The bartenders and the waiters where very nice, great service. We started out with h'ordeuvres (lobster bite on a spoon, mushroom tart, prosciutto & parmigiana on crustini. We had a set menu (salad, chicken / beef tenderloin/ vegetarian plus a gingerbread chocolate cake dessert). I thought the food was a 3* for taste, people did grumble about the small portion size. The presentation of the dishes lacked creativity and wow factor. Very minimal display and not in a good way. The Caesar salad was hilariously small I do have to say. It came with 3 pieces of romaine lettuce and a slice of bacon on top (haha look at pic). Despite this, I will be back to try their regular menu in their regular dining room.
The feel is not really a 'modern' type restaurant feel but more of the old school 'fancy' type feel. -
Review from Matt R.
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
After I visited with Occupy Calgary to fill them in on happenings in Oakland (Ha! You guys protest in sub-freezing weather despite already having health care and progressive government!) I stepped into Teatro, despite the 1% vibe offered by the menu and the presentation of the front of the restaurant. However, as I was traveling solo, I went straight to Occupying a barstool. The staff was friendly and casual, in the right way, and I was soon talking friendly politics with the bartenders and a regular customer.
The staff guided me through the menu, and I went overboard.
The bison tartare was just insanely good. It was the Canadian grandson of the battuta di manzo from Milan, but with the deeper and gamier bison flavor, plus a serious heap of spices, like black pepper, infusing into the raw meat. The egg dressing mixed in perfectly. The caesar salad had a brilliant spread of pork-belly chunks, fried and rendered to crispness, releasing flavor into a partly deconstructed dressing. But damn, the seafood cannelloni was pure decadent heaven. A filling of lobster and other seafood (and lots of it) stuffed the pasta tube, which was then buried in a lobster-tomato bisque, cheese, and grilled/sauteed scallops and shrimp. Expensive, hugely rich, and extremely satisfying.
The wine selection was great, and the staff was helpful with the pairings. I love how every wine bar in Calgary has Montefalco Rosso.
I'd like to try this place for a formal dinner, which I suspect would be a very different experience. Perhaps the next visit to Calgary. -
Review from Sean D.
10/31/2011
I've been here twice, both with large groups. The staff is great at servicing a large group well and making everyone feel like they're in a luxury restaurant. It probably helps that they are in a luxury restaurant, but still great service.
Food was very good. What you would expect from a place with a strong reputation like this. If you ask a concierge where to go, good chance they will point you here.
I'd definitely go again, and also be interested in trying it with a small group. -
Review from Joey N.
Calgary, AB
4/26/2011
Disappointing.
Here's my experience with Teatro:
When we walked in the door: the decor was very nice. Main seating area was half empty, yet they seated us at the corner of the restaurant. We ended up asking to change our table to the main dining area.
Pre-appetizer on the house: a tiny bite sized (1cm x 1cm) bruchetta sample, one per person. If you are so stingy about a free sample, I'd rather not have it. If you want people to actually taste it, at least give me 1/4 of a normal bread size.
Bread: Nothing special. And I like it with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, not olive oil with salt. Just personal preference.
Appetizer: Tomato tart. Nicely done, pretty small for $18 though. Tasted pretty good, but the vinegar on the plate stood out more than the tart itself.
Main: Ragotoni (Rabbit meat + pasta): WAY TOO SALTY. I couldn't eat it. Pasta was a little undercooked for my taste. My fiance ended up having most of it. Aside from that, rabbit tasted just like pork, the sausage was ok.
Second Main: Lamb leg: Sauce was pretty good, overall very heavily tasted. There were 2 lamb steaks and one lamb sausage; one of the steaks they threw in a big chunk of pure lamb fat with the meat (not the nicely fat veins in the meat, but a 1 inch fat layer), I wouldn't suggest anyone to eat that unless you want to clog arteries. Might as well throw in a bone on my plate. (Speaking of bones, I did find a bone in the pasta)
Dessert: Hazelnut tart with banana ice cream: Sounds good right? Hazelnut and banana is pretty much the fail safe combo. WRONG!! Just how can you mess that up?! The ice cream ended up masking everything else on the plate, the pastry has no taste, the sugar paste in the tart was very chewy. If I could eat them separately, I'd leave out the sugar paste and the tart, and keep the banana ice cream with hazelnuts.
Service: Nothing spectacular. Not too bad. One thing I absolute hate: When I (or my fiance) said thank you, I expected a "You are welcome". Don't ignore me because I said thank you every time he refilled my water or took our empty plates. Is that so much work to say 3 words??
Washrooms: They are located downstairs. The staircase is pretty much for one person at a time. I can't imagine how people with disability would go down those stairs.
One more thing: As we were done our meal (before dessert), the server came by, without saying a word, stuck his left hand to his back, did something that looked like either he was scratching his ass or un-doing a wedgie for about 5 seconds, then took out a ruler looking thing to clean up the crumbs on the table. That was pretty cool except it took him 5 full seconds to search for that thing from his butt.
I don't recommend this place. I'm going for 2 more times ONLY BECAUSE I have vouchers that I've already paid for. This restaurant is banned from my list after that.
I will try the calamari next time coz it looked pretty good and there are some good reviews about it, definitely will try other dishes! -
Review from Adrian B.
Calgary, AB
8/17/2011
This was the second time that we experienced Teatro and it will be the last. The problem with this restaurant is consistency. First, we triggered the sommelier and we asked to split a glass of wine to pair with our starters. Instead of bringing us each a taste, he pours us a glass each (and charged us). My wife and I ordered 2 courses each and the first course were a good start. The oysters on the half shelf were amazing and the panzanella salad was beautiful. Wonderful textures, flavors and presentations. The mains were a disaster, I ordered the Seared Giant Scallop with grilled chorizo, soft polenta, arugula pesto, caponata crostini. The presentation was an absolute disaster (polenta looked like smeared baby food) and the only thing that saved the dish was that the flavors worked well together. My wife ordered the seafood special, which was seared Halibut over asparagus and curried beet compote. The halibut was overcooked, and the waitress neglected to inform my wife that the compote was very, very spicy. The night was capped by a $14 tiramisu, which was good but not 14 bucks good.
There will be no return, there will be no 3rd chance for Teatro or its staff. I'd like Gordon Ramsay to pay these guys a visit and get the cobwebs shaken out of this institution. For the prices they are demanding, there is no room for the mistakes they seem to make again and again.
Also, having a waitress wearing a shirt that is two sizes too small looks absolutely unprofessional. I mean, seriously....this is indicative of fine dining in Calgary? C'mon. -
Review from Roger B.
Richmond, BC
2/17/2011
This is the No.1 place I recommend to anyone heading to Calgary. Beautiful decor and location but not so pretentious that you feel out of place in casual dress. Italian food at it's best for sure! The staff must be hand picked from the best of the best. They have a great way of being out of the way but on top of everything.
Bison Short Rib Ravioli parsley purée, forest mushroom, pecorino, truffle oil. Is to die for.
Black Linguine grilled monkfish, plum tomato, broccolini, lobster oil.
Just two examples of menu items you can look forward to. -
Review from Dan D.
3/25/2011
What goes better with a trip to "the Theatre" than a stop beforehand at Teatro?
This upscale riff on Italian fare provides its audience with a series of stages worth applauding.
Everything is very well prepared and full of complex flavour.
It is in the end, however, the service that deserves a standing ovation. From the front of house to table service, every move is choreographed in such a way that your every need is thought of and taken care with swift accuracy.
This is by far one of the most well-managed restaurants I have ever been to.
The interior of the restaurant is elegant.
High ceilings, pillars with decorative capitals, a massive copper range hood; from the moment you walk in, there is an air of breathability and class.
It is unfortunate that some of adornments (such as tea-lights from Ikea on the table and child-like stars on the glass) slightly cheapen the place. Other than that, it is very well decorated.
Some of the dishes (like the Vine Ripened Tomato Tart) I am certain will beckon me back to Teatro once again. But great food does not often come without great price, so sadly, it cannot be TOO often. -
Review from David N.
Calgary, AB
11/19/2010
Fantastic! The best high end dining in Calgary. I've tried pretty much everywhere in the city, and these guys are the best. Every time I try another fine dining place my gf and I always think 'why didn't we just go to Teatro instead?'.
The building itself is fantastic and the high back booths are perfect for dates.
The service is always impeccable. Everything is absolutely top notch.
I could make a meal just of the bread. Of course then I would miss out on the amazing entres! And I highly recommend the Tasting of Creme Brulees. Amazing! -
Review from Sabahat N.
Calgary, AB
5/19/2011 ROTD 11/11/2011
Went there last night because I had the Dealfind voucher - and WOW!
From the minute you walk in the place, you will be AWED by the interior of the restaurant! I thought I'd walked into a fancy restaurant in Europe! SO beautiful and grand!! Soaring high ceilings, ornate pillars, beautiful open kitchen. We were greeted promptly, and the hostess took my jacket (another gesture that I love).
We were led to a table right along a glass door that was closed shut that day, but other times I think it leads to a patio. We looked at the patio and it looked so cute! Seriously, I almost forgot I was in Calgary.
The waiter was a funny and charming Eastern European man, and he offered us 2 tiny pieces of salmon bruschetta. I enjoyed the little samplers very much. (Whoever is complaining that it is too tiny - seriously? You get cute little samplers as a gesture of goodwill, and you complain, instead of being appreciative? Get over yourselves.) With my waiter and the sommelier's help we chose a wine. We then ordered a feast - appetizers, main meals and dessert. We were expecting tiny portions, as this looked like a very upscale place, but were pleasantly surprised.
Our appetizer - bison tartare - was a perfect size. It was EASILY big enough for two, and my bf and I are hefty eaters. It was delicious too. Then came the main meal. My lobster cannelloni was HEAVENLY. I took one bite and couldn't believe how good it was. I am usually not a fan of pasta at all, but I gave it a shot anyway because this was an Italian restaurant. And I am SO happy I did! I was blown away! Also, the portion sizes were HUGE! I ate half my dish and was already pretty full. My bf's Duck Magret with green polenta was also divine. So tasty, so well flavoured, and such a good portion too! We tasted each other's dishes and loved both! We wiped our plates clean and were STUFFED. Once again, trust me, we both have pretttyy big appetites, so believe me when I say they have good portions. We still ordered dessert because well - I had to taste it. We had the Tasting of Creme Brulees - 3 small ramekins of chocolate, vanilla and orange creme brulee. Omg - Decadent. I tried a bit of all 3, but was so stuffed I couldnt try any more. My bf finished the rest.
We were so incredibly pleased with everything! When we were paying, we felt a bit awkward taking out our voucher at such a great restaurant, but the waiter just took it without making us feel uncomfortable at ALL! We paid the difference on the bill and left feeling extremely satisfied and pleased!
True this is a pricey place, but you have to treat yourselves once in a while. And when you do treat yourself pr a special someone on a big occasion, Teatro should be at the forefront of your consideration.
The food is top notch, the service even better, and the atmosphere is the best I have had the pleasure of experiencing in Calgary up until now.Listed in: So swanky and fabulous, even…
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Review from Kevin M.
9/2/2011
It was raining so we had to sit inside, otherwise it looked like they had a great seating area outdoors. The waitstaff was helpful in selecting menu items but for this type of place the service was a bit slow and the Wine Director was slow to retrieve bottles from the cellar. The food was tasty but the portions were small. I ordered the duck, and it was a unique take, but I would have expected larger portions. I ordered a scotch after dinner and for the price the pour was only 1 oz, not typical even for ordering it neat. The apps. were well prepared and the menu selection was great. I would go back to try their menu items again.
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Review from jon h.
7/28/2010
Try the calamari!
Great food, nice atmosphere - Would have gave it 5 stars if we got to sit in the rounded huge tables, but you should probably ask to reserve them as they are popular.
Great stephen ave location, close to theatre calgary.Listed in: Dinner date
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Review from Yunn A.
7/4/2010
Haven't been here in a while, however over the many years I dined here, I've always had a fantastic experience.
At first when you walk in, it seems a bit cold, but once you are whisked away by the hostess, the servers make you feel right at home.
The lobster lasagna was my favorite, however that may have changed in the last while. I always enjoyed the various menu items. This place is one of the original great modern yet classical (I know that's an oxymoron) restaurant that has lasted so many years before Calgary became as 'metropolitan' with it's dining as it is now. -
Review from Erin W.
Calgary, AB
6/8/2011
The food was amazing to say the least. The promptness of the serving staff was great. I didn't have to go to the bar once to get a drink, it was like bottomless Caesars and wine were sitting in front of me all night. I can't comment too much on what the prices are like because it was a wedding and everything was paid for. As for having a wedding here, it would be awesome for small intimate functions like the one we were at.
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Review from Eugene H.
Calgary, AB
4/24/2010
Teatro is a grand and impressive restaurant in a true European Style. At first glance, it may look like a pretentious place. But I do not get the feeling that it is. It's in an old historic bank building downtown, with high ceilings, majestic classical columns, and a gracious ambience designed for fine evening dining, with dinner jackets, port and cigars. (Pity we cannot indulge in these aromatic smoking pleasures any more!)
I cannot help but relive my colonial past when I enter this restaurant. The service is always superb. The servers know their stuff and know how to romance the menu. They also know how to correctly serve a bottle or glass of wine!
The quality of food and service is consistently exceptional and impeccable. They have an impressive and expensive wine list. While I've been there for lunch, and after work drinks, it's really the kind of place that you want to visit at night for a special anniversary dinner or with special friends.
Well Worth a Visit. I'm tempted to give them an extra star for the wonderful space they are in....it's simply fabulous. But there may be some local Cow Boys who may feel intimated by the white tablecloths and white napkin service... -
Review from spaniel l.
Calgary, AB
3/14/2009
Had lunch here.
Our server was amazing and thank you, thank you thank you, for the purse stool! haha
As for the meal, Rustiche alla Pomodoro and the Lobster Ravioli was delicious.
Lamb dish was a little disappointing-a little too dry on the outside.
I have to admit that their wine list was pretty impressive and also expensive. But do not despair, they had a great list (decent wines) for those who just wanted a glass to accompany their meal - I personally don't like to order a bottle for lunch and be drunk for the rest of the day.
I had a glass of one of their 2004 Bordeaux wines, from Haut-Medoc (I can't remember which Chateau it was from) and it was fantastic.
In general, their pasta dishes were impressive. I will definately go back to try the rest of their pasta and antipasti dishes (here I come Beef Tartare).
Teatro is definately not a diner, so expect to see a lot of business crowd and couples on their fancy dates. -
Review from Jason G.
Calgary, AB
4/8/2010
Now, everyone else seems to rave about Teatro, and I'm going to go against the flow. I feel it's my duty to stand up for all the people out there that don't get off on overtly classy, "fancy for the sake of being fancy" restaurants. I enjoy good tasting food no matter what the setting - be it uber-chic or a total dive - but I felt Teatro just didn't deliver the tasty goods that the upscale décor promised.
The setting of Teatro makes you feel like you're dining at Buckingham Palace with the queen - white linens and four-course place settings with multiple wine glasses for pairing with dishes - at lunch? Are there really that many people out there that require this level of class during their noonhour? I am obviously not part of this elite.
But alas, I did find myself dining at Teatro for lunch on one occasion. Calamari Frito was ordered for the table by my dining acquaintance, and to be fair, it was pretty good. The dipping sauce was a tasty housemade grape tomato ketchup (they've changed the menu and the accompanying sauce is a spicy mayo), but I do prefer it when places use only calamari rings and not the baby squid - I hate the idea of eating the poor little things whole. For my main, I selected Lobster ravioli. I expected that to be plural for the $25 pricetag, but when it arrived there was one lonely pasta square on my plate, sitting on a "shazaam" of roasted red pepper coulis. The lobster inside was very fresh, but they did nothing with it, and why hide it inside a pocket of bland pasta with no sauce? - I scraped up every bit of that coulis underneath but it wasn't near enough. I just didn't get it. I'm sure the chef has a vision, we just didn't see eye to eye. -
Review from Farzana R.
Calgary, AB
4/24/2011
Horrible service for a fine dining restaurant. The wait staff, Mike had no personality or consistency. He didn't even complete a quality check. He told us that he was sending over the sommelier, instead sent over the bartender. He didn't clean our table between courses, or provide us with something to clean our palates. The sad part was is that he seemed to be providing the other patrons with a higher level of service. Overall, the food and the service aren't worth the money. The actual building is beautiful...Very disappointed!!
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Review from Adam G.
Calgary, AB
3/7/2009
A little pretentious, but they have great food and excellent service.
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Review from David H.
Calgary, AB
11/8/2009
A - List. Recommended. Superb food. Excellent service. The creme brulee is a knock out. Great place to go after Jack Singer or theatre. You will either love the ambiance or wish for something cozier. Expen$$$$$ive.
