Borgo Trattoria

There is no shortage of Italian food in Calgary and Borgo Trattoria is one of the many excellent eats.
However it’s not a true trattoria (an Italian restaurant serving simple food) based on the menu prices and offerings.

kinda surprising with the amount of reviews, I just called this # and they’re out of business, says «number not assigned».
I like fine dining Italian restos!

A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE !!!
Any positive reviews of this place are a complete farce! Pardon my angry rant, but here it goes. Where should I begin? For starters the service was rude and slow. The food was terrible. The veal was over cooked, the risotto balls were under cooked. Everything was salty, greasy and way to rich! How could a qualified chef send that stuff out the door?
The prices in this place are ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS! there is NO reason for a place like this, to have those kind of prices. The portion sizes? Sharing dishes they call them? NOT EVEN CLOSE! At these prices a platter for four should not barely serve two! When four (rather petite) gals leave hungry, im sorry, but something is not right .
I HAVE TWO SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS PLACE:
1. The rather awkward little fella with the greasy hair, who kept coming to our table (whom we were later told is part owner and chef???, Giuseppe de Gennaro) should probably spend more time in the kitchen and less time in the dining room irritating the customers and clearly also the staff!
2. Along with those prices they should have a caption of the portion sizes. So, customers can see them and turn around and walk out the door instead of staying (like we did) and later leaving feeling RIPPED OFF!
This place deserves ZERO stars but I will generously give it one because the décor is beautiful. Having previously been in the food industry for twenty years I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE !!

I was Borgo’s biggest fan — lovely food, good atmosphere — and tonight took a friend out to Borgo for great food and catching up. She had never been and I insisted we had to go here. Unfortunately, my experience with the service was so disappointing — almost surreal — that I can’t justify going again.
It started well, our waiter was attentive. My friend ordered her meal but asked for no potatoes due to food issues. No problem said the waiter. However, when the meals arrived she had a side dish of potatoes. The gentleman who served our dishes was kinda like whatever and didn’t get our waiter when we requested. We waved someone over — the owner? elderly gentleman with a white moustache– and we explained the request for no potatoes.
His reply? «what do you mean? you have other dishes here? what do you want me to do about it?» And we asked if it could be substituted (as our waiter had said could be done) and he was like, «with what?» And we said, anything — any veggie or whatever was available that night or even nothing would’ve been fine– his reply? «I don’t understand you have plenty of other food» «we don’t have anything else.»
He seemed upset over the request but I couldn’t understand why. I said if substituting wasn’t an option then the waiter should have told us. However, the waiter indicated it was no problem when we ordered.
I think we were more in shock that he was telling her that essentially she had more than enough other food at the table to eat so why should the restaurant have to fix this. Furthermore, hard to believe there were no other veggies in the kitchen.
We saw him talk to our waiter and another person (not our waiter) eventually brought out a dish of broccoli — which was great and delicious.
We only saw our waiter once more in the 2 ¾ hours total we were at the restaurant. The older gentleman served us for the rest of the night and he was polite.
Unfortunately, our experience was already impacted with the earlier problem and the evening couldn’t make a comeback.
Unfortunately I will not be visiting Borgo again — the food is delicious as usual and I will miss your risotto balls but I just can’t justify spending money here after this experience tonight.

Well at least the food was good. The service was terrible. I use to eat here regularly and often brought people for dinner. Last time was a negative experience, very slow service (our drinks were empty and no offer for another, we were long since done our meal and our dirty plates sat on out table forever). The last straw was after our bill of $ 70 arrived. We paid with a $ 100 and the server asked if we wanted change. Now I dine out frequently and had worked in the restaurant industry myself-​just bring back the change and let the guests decide what to leave on the table. Well we asked for $ 10 back (so leaving $ 20 on a tab if $ 70). It took an infinite amount of time to return AND it was all in coins-I’m not talking loonies and toonies either, just small change. This was late in a Saturday… so how could they not possible have sufficient change? Very embarrassing and disappointing.

An uptown Italian restaurant with a focus on shareable dishes, and a great reputation. 4.5 stars though… really? People must be eating at a lot of bad Italian places if this is so far off the norm. I’d give them 3.5 stars based on quality to price ratio. That is to say, the quality is good, but the price more than commensurately so… so if you have lots of cash burning a hole in your pocket, I recommend it.
Here you will find an array of appetizers, a few pastas, and meat/​starch/​salad combos, but also daily specials such as (the night we were there) chicken leg and barley risotto. I can’t complain on the quality of the food, the meat was good and the greens popping with fresh citrus, and my wife was a fan of the barley risotto. BUT there is a portion problem: while the mains are billed as «shareable», and come in (stylish) serving dishes, are you really supposed to share one chicken leg? Is a chicken leg so expensive that you couldn’t throw in another one at ~$ 20/​plate? This is the kind of place where most people will have more than one course and/​or drinks with dinner (I must note that I thoroughly enjoyed my cocktail), so giving a little more value on the main would be appreciated.
As I said, this is the kind of place you can come with trendy friends and have multiple courses and/​or drinks (it is very easy to spend $ 50−60/person). The service is very professional, and the large room and patio of hard surfaces such as tiles and wood beams are broken up to just so to have a lively (loud) atmosphere without feeling like you’re in a cafeteria. The service and room combo therefore make Borgo also amenable to romantic yet unsleepy dinner dates. Despite this, there are enough non-​Americanized Italian restaurants in Calgary now that you don’t automatically get 4 stars just for being different. If you’re looking for a lively atmosphere and classy service, come here. If you’re looking for somewhere cozy, or a place to go regularly for affordable portions, this isn’t the best match.

Awesome food start to finish. Had their tasting menu. Each course was fantastic. First course was a 4 piece tasting that had shrimp, Arancini, a crostini, and a small tomato with mozzarella and balsamic. Second course was pasta. Great full flavor and a little bit of kick. Next course was Trout and green beans, and meatballs on polenta. Dinner finish with a wildberry pannacotta. About the only thing I wish they would do is take reservations at any time of the night. Service is first rate with no lack of staff.

Food coma!
Six of us had a two and a half hour dinner.
There were so many good dishes…
The risotto balls were decadent.
The meatballs were first rate.
The pasta was excellent.
The trout was outstanding.
You get the idea.
The servers were pros. They were knowledgable, efficient and kept it moving without being intrusive.
I would highly recommend Borgo.

Oh yeah, it’s always awesome when a joint lives up to its hype. Borgo delivered and it delivered hard. My only mistake was fasting from alcohol, otherwise my dinner would have been paired with a big bottle of red, and it would have been game over.
Visited with a few friends, and a couple of us went with the special fixed price meal. Outstanding apps, pasta and main. The venue also has a nice aura — I like how it’s not exactly on 17^th, but tucked in on 16^th. Other than the snow storm outside, I forgot that I was in Calgary.
The service was also excellent, as the waiter was knowledgeable, without seeming pretentious. The staff were smiling and in a good mood, which in my opinion is important for a joint like this.
Ultimately, this is a place I would go again and recommend to anyone else visiting the city. As good as it gets… for Calgary.

The patio was an urban oasis, it was sheltered by trees on the streets, and the adjacent park served to blocked out heavy on-​coming 17^th Ave traffic. Best brunch in the city! The Purgatorio was lovely — 2 baked eggs with tomato sauce, pancetta and grilled, buttery focaccia. The eggs were soft and yolky, sitting in a pool of zesty tomato sauce. The salad was super simple, but refreshing with its citrusy dressing and heavy dusting of cheese. The Strapazzati was also a winner– eggs scrambled with threads of zucchini. The eggs were soft and light, the taste was amazing. Can’t wait to return for dinner.

I’m biased as I LOVE Italian food. Seriously, who doesn’t love a saucy carb?
I have now been to Borgo twice and I was quite happy on both occasions. Last week I went with a couple best friends as we needed a night out to talk about wine, food, work, babies and boyfriends. You know-«random gossip fodder stuff». After putting our name on a waitlist for one hour (ouch) we then ran next door to cricketsville The Met for a bottle of wine.
Fast forward one hour…
We’ re seated ate one of the communal tables and I remember how much I like the open, loud, social atmosphere of this place. 100% not pretentious which is refreshing. Of course we are now starved and dying for more wine-​so we deal with ordering wine QUICKLY. We also then decide to order the chefs special where they basically take the guess work out of ordering (we were to hungry to agree on food) by bring three courses of their suggestions. Bring it on.
The appy course was their risotto balls, a shrimp thing and a crostini thing. I like how doing it this way they bring four of everything so there is no cat fighting. Well done on the attention to detail Borgo. The risotto balls were so delicious and creamy inside-​damn it, now I wish they brought eight of everything.
Step two: 99lbs of penne pasta on a massive plate (cue a mixture of face drops and excitement). Seriously, enough pasta to feed 8 people a meal. But remember, we’re drunk (another bottle has been ordered) and were hungry. The pasta was amazing. a tasty Bolognese sauce, peas, plentiful al dente penne. A wonderful second course.
Onto the finale: four servings of salmon cooked deliciously, fresh crispy green beans covered in something buttery and yummy, and the most amazing meatballs served in a bowl of polenta (outta control!!). Not gonna lie-​by this point were quite full and pleasantly plumped! Overall, a really awesome way to go when in a group and more interested in great chatting and not thinking about what to order. They did this tasting very well!
Service was really great, we were never rushed knowing how busy the place is, and the food (and wine choices) are pretty fantastic. I highly recommend. The price point is also quite «market friendly» for the great service and quality.
…I need to go back for just the risotto balls-​many of them.

Totally a fan!
I went there for brunch with some fellow Unilocalers. I generally actually am not a big fan of brunch or breakfast unless it’s dimsum because I am pretty sure I make most breakfast dishes better and for a lot less money than most breakfast places around town, and usually find the hype around them is just one of those trendy fads that will hopefully pass soon.
Which is why I love this place so much! It’s not a trendy breakfast place, but has the relaxed Sunday morning breakfast atmosphere. When we went, there were no lines, no crazy hipsters hungover and waiting in a massive line for something that’s totally not worth it, just elegant morning dining.
Great interior, open space with lots of room between tables. Well dressed waiters, open kitchen, and relaxing but upscale atmosphere. Lots of awesome breakfast options, not just «bacon & eggs».
I tried the broiled, thin slices of beef sirloin (no temp), scrambled truffle eggs & crispy speck prosciutto as well as tagliatelle with peas and meat sauce. That’s my type of breakfast! I loved the truffle eggs, and the pasta was to die for. Nice selection of teas and obviously great coffee & coffee variations. The food was presented masterfully and watching menu items go by to other tables will definitely get your appetite going.
I felt a bit like the service was a tad cold, I know it’s kind of an upscale restaurant and that somewhat comes with the territory, but that was my only complaint. I didn’t feel they were super-​accommodating towards everyone at our table, when I’m sure it wouldn’t have been that hard to try. I’ve been a waitress before and know what’s available in the kitchen, and the number one priority should always be to make your guests welcome and taken care of, and at the time we went it was definitely not too busy that that should have been hard. Not everyone can eat gluten, not everyone can eat dairy, or meat, or seafood, and breakfast is not one of those meals that it should be hard to accommodate any of those issues.
I would definitely go back there and am looking forward to trying dinner here!

I don’t really speak that much Italian, but I’m pretty sure Borgo is Italian for «happy stomach». Language lessons aside, a happy stomach = happy Heather. And, let’s face it, the Calgary dining scene is filled with too many mediocre players so it’s refreshing when a restaurant gets it.
The hostess at the front appears less than competent at managing a line-​up and actually getting the right people seated. Luckily, her manager seemed aware of this and swooped in frequently to actually manage things and move people to tables.
Our server was a pro. He did an excellent job, was very attentive, but I don’t love the obvious sell or the assumption that (as the woman) I wasn’t equally a part of the decision making process (or paying for that matter).
Food — I’m a huge fan of sharing and here’s what we shared.
Risotto balls — fantastic, rich, and decadent.
Crostini with smoked chicken, apples, and pecan/​maple jam — every element on this dish was perfectly executed and they all balance each other so well.
Sauteed mushrooms — earthy, just do it.
Beer tartare — highly recommended by our server, but my least fave appy
Meatballs w/​polenta — we shared a main and this was only ok. I didn’t love the texture of the polenta, and I prefer the meatballs at Una, but the tomato sauce was amazing and lead me to believe that they have a bunch of Italian grandma’s in the back toiling away at the stove.
Wine list is excellent.
Don’t waste your money on mediocre food or service people. Hit up Borgo and make your own stomach happy.

I’m on the fence about Borgo. The service is pleasant enough. The décor is lovely. I’ve been here twice, and was with lovely company both times.
But I can’t eat here. I can drink here and munch away on a bread basket, but I can’t have a sit down breakfast; brunch; lunch or dinner. When I asked if they could just make one of the menu items without cheese, the server argued with me the way my Texan diehard-​carnivore-​meat-​until-​I-​die-​with-​a-​steak-​knife-​in-​my-​cold-​dead-​hands Grandma argues with me about how a certain item is «integral» to it being breakfast. Seriously? You can’t just… make it without cheese? Without the buffalo mozzarella, it’s «no longer breakfast?»
You have that entire giant open kitchen, that I can see from where I’m sitting, and no one in there is creative enough to think outside of the menu guidelines? And I’m not asking you to hand-​grind some chickpeas and steep some burdock root in a cheese cloth. I just wanted it sans mozzarella, and apparently, in Borgo this is an outrageous and inconceivable request.
So, yeah, as much as I want to like it because of the fun times I’ve had here; showing up hungry was a bad idea. Having to argue with a server about being vegan; like it was something I can just decide not to be right there in order to ~*preserve the integrity of CHEESY BREAKFAST*~ in front of my friends that were enjoying themselves, made me feel awkward and uncomfortable and a little sad.

This place is excellent… Beautiful place and incredible food… I went there with a group of friends and we ordered 6 appetizers to share… All of them were incredible delicious… As a main course I had the veal and it was AWESOME… In addition, the service was great… The waitress was very friendly, and The manager went personally to our table, and recommended us a great wine! and for the quality of food and the excellent service, I think the prices were very reasonable. This is a place that doesn’t deserve less than 5 stars… I recommend it 100%!!!

Another 5-​star addition to the Calgary food scene. What an amazing place!
My boyfriend and I recently went to Borgo one fine Saturday evening. When we got there, there was no lineup, but sure enough, there were no empty tables. We were offered bar seats, which we accepted. Borgo is a bustling bistro-​style restaurant. Super high ceilings, lots of light streaming in. Very very cool atmosphere.
While perusing the menu, we kind of went hog-​wild and ordered almost everything. In fact, our server, a nice Greek man even went so far as to say «maybe you should just have 2 appetizers instead of three…» We decided to listen to him and not stuff our faces. Upon our request, he also recommended a bottle of wine for us, which we must say, was perfect. A hint of smoke, and very easy sipping — it was exactly what I had in mind.
All the waiters seemed to be European, and VERY well-​trained, which added a touch of cool.
So, for appetizers we had the risotto balls and the sauteed wild mushrooms. AMAZING. The mushroom appetizer was earthy, flavourful, creamy and had the most aromatic sauce. I wiped my bowl clean. The risotto balls were also great. What a fantastic start to the meal. My tastebuds had already started celebrating.
For the main course, we had the ‘Veal Dish for Two’. It was HUGE. The MASSIVE plate consisted of a thin but large piece of veal steak, a heaping portion of fries, and a heaping portion of salad. The fries were good, and the salad was phenomenal. It was a simple salad with lettuce, tomatoes, etc, but the dressing was delicious. Perhaps a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a secret blend of herbs. In fact, I joked that if I could discover how to make this salad dressing on my own, that’s all I would eat everyday. While I was indulging in the salad, my boyfriend grabbed the lemon and squeezed it all over the steak before I could say «NO I HATE LEMON ON MY MEAT!» I sat miserably looking at my steak, but decided to eat it anyway, and it wasn’t half bad. But in a mere moment, another member of the staff (we assumed the manager) came up to ask whether the lemon is a real problem. We assured them that no, the veal was still tasty. Five minutes later our Greek waiter also came over to explain that the veal was served with lemon because it was the summer. I was very pleased with how attentive they were with my observations, even though I had not even mentioned it to them!
Our lovely Greek server came by and marvelled at how we cleaned the plate. He looked very surprised at us being able to stomach this much food. And then we decided to ask for the dessert menu. Our waiter seemed even more surprised but more than happy to get it for us. We glanced at the menu… so many delicious choices. and knew what we wanted right away. «Let me guess. you want the sampler tray, am I right?» He had caught on to our indomitable stomach capacities. We laughed, but yes, that is exactly what we wanted.
The dessert came, and it was a sight to behold. 4 gorgeous mini-​desserts on a beautiful platter. We dug in, and all my senses collectively set off the grand finale fireworks. This was the PERFECT ending to a PHENOMENAL meal.
Borgo was perfection. We had an overwhelmingly great time and left extremely pleased customers. On the way back home we laughed about how we bet our endearing Greek waiter’s only regret was misjudging our appetites and not letting us order the 3^rd appetizer!

Borgo… finally we meet for a meal! You’ve been on my list forever and ever, okay, well forever since you opened anyway. A Friday lunch turned out to be the magical moment of our first meeting.
I loved that my fave server from days gone by at District was our server yesterday. I doubt very highly he’d remember this girl, but you’ll recognize him by his most amazingly white teeth and lovely smile with an equally lovely mannerism to match. He was super attentive, knowledgeably… Borgo, you’re lucky to have him on your side :).
We popped in for a late lunch (the lunch menu isn’t available after 2pm), and snuck in our order crostini (Vine-​ripened tomatoes, whipped buffalo mozzarella, balsamic reduction) to start followed by an order of gnocchi (Ricotta dumplings, basil, tomato passata, fior di latte) and chicken (Roasted 6oz breast, sage, lemon, speck prosciutto, sautéed broccoli). Oh, and what’s a Friday afternoon with cocktails and wine?
They also had this cool little lunch box special thing on that you could try three things on the menu for a fixed price (I want to say it was $ 18? But don’t quote me on that… there’s been much wine and beer since yesterday at lunch at today, my memory’s a little fuzzy on that one).
I love the interior at Borgo. It’s nice and open and modern with super tall ceilings, great seating in the front and down the sides of the room, it felt clean and lovely, it wasn’t too noisy, and I bet when the weather is warm enough sitting at the front with those windows wide open is going to be a choice spot.
Borgo’s also open at 830 Tuesday-​Friday for morning coffee (served until 1130… right before they kick off their lunch menu). It makes me want to get all prettied up one morning, grab a book and go sip some delicious Italian coffee something and take a mini-​vacation for an hour or two!

I dig this place because it reminds me of the hustle n bustle & chaos of a jewish deli in NYC. You can go by yourself and sit at the centre bar with a coffee reading the news, but its even better with a group ordering a lot of sharing plates and lounging around. It is laid back, modern and unpretentious (in my opinion). The risotto balls are incredible. Portions don’t look that big, but sharing 4 – 5 appys & a few pastas between 4 people, you actually leave pretty satisfied.
A few of the dishes came out really salty, which was unfortunate. But there is a wide selection on the menu, that I will want to return in the future and try other things.

A trendy location with a new take on an old idea… That is the first thought that hit me as I walked through the door. Truthfully, I was cautiously optimist about the new establishment, and that was entirely needless! The short version is: the staff is great, the food is excellent, and the ambiance is reasonable. Go there, at least once.
As for the long version? Read on!
The restaurant has a lovely open feel as soon as you walk through the doors, it feels massive without being overbearing. Seated right at the front near the café style doors/​windows is the place to be, you can watch the people walking on the street if you enjoy people watching or if you want a little less ambiance. Our server greeted us very promptly, introduced himself and was extremely friendly; be sure to see if Gaston is working when you go in, you will not be disappointed!
The food? Well, the food was delicious… mostly, I would almost order more appetizers than entrees next time though, I found the portions to be a little more NY and little less Calgary, and for some reason, that appealed to me (perhaps because I do not like when I get served enough to feed two of me). Gaston was quick to suggest alternatives that might be more suited, or expanded explanations when I was unsure exactly what I wanted to order. As for what was not perfect? The lamb chops, there was just, something about them that was not exactly right, perhaps it was that they were not as moist as I had hoped? I am not sure what it was, they were close, but not perfect,
Other than that? It is certainly worth a visit, and it is guaranteed to be a great experience.

Borgo is a dining place on 17^th that has a surprising casual atmosphere. Enter the restaurant and you find a more traditional dining room vibe at the front. Walk just a bit further and you are greeted by the white brick/​tile décor. It kind of reminds me of a kitchen.
For drinks we had the spritz and Pinot Nero. Spritz ($ 8) was sweet and refreshing. Pinot Nero ($ 9) was very balanced.
For starters we had the Beef Carpaccio ($ 8) and Breschetta ($ 2/​piece). The Carpaccio was interesting. It had Grana cheese and the crystalline texture of the cheese made the carp crunchy, nice surprise. The app had a sweetness to it, possibly from the bread crumbs sprinkled on it. It was different from any carp mix I have had before. The Breschetta was excellent. My date commented on the fact that the tomatoes and a little dollop of mozzarella pack so much flavour. Best part of the meal!
For the main course we shared a Fettucine Porcini mushroom cream ($ 18) and the Lambchops ($ 15). Both dishes were very good. Not the best lambchops I’ve ever had, but it was good. It finished with Lemon Sorbet and though I ordered one scoop ($ 2) the waiter gave me 3 ($ 5). I was a little miffed by this, but decided not to make a big deal of it. However, it was kind of annoying.
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