Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro

I’ve had both lunch and dinner here a few times. Love the gnocchi and have had all of the pastas from the menu– deelish!!! Portions are not big or small. I shared the black pepper linguini and a hangar steak with a friend one night. Plus an appetizer. It was enough for us.
Service is great and the staff are knowledgable about the menu ingredients. It’s not a loud place so you can have a conversation at a comfortable volume w/​o sounding like you went to «da club» for the night!!! Overall atmosphere is a dark wood, relaxed, classy adult feel, without being pretentious. I like that a lot
This is a great place for date night, anniversaries and after work get togethers. Enjoy!!!

I usually have a tough time finding something I want to order at Divino. That’s my problem, not yours. I’m a picky eater. That being said, I had a great meal at Divino the other night. We ordered the frites as an appetizer and then I had pasta for dinner; my wife had the rib-​eye. Both were very good. The service was perfect. The wine list is a book so there’s lots to choose from at the higher end. Recommend.

My mom, sister and I went to dinner on a Saturday night at Divinio. We were celebrating a successful weekend of bridal shopping and this turned out to be the perfect place to celebrate.
Our waiter was very attentive and friendly. The food was spectacular. We started with the cheese board followed by mussels and fries (delicious) and then shared a tomato pasta entrée that was the perfect portion and might have been the best of all three dishes. We finished by sharing the hazelnut chocolate torte. All three of us loved our meal and total experience. We def will be back for more.

Has the chefs appetizer speciality for the night. Highly recommend trying whatever creation Dave makes, he truly knows what he is doing with bringing together flavours and making tender meat. We also had the butterscotch budino for dessert. Was amazing, not a big dessert person but this was delicious!

What I hope is a rare miss…
Went here last night for my wife’s birthday and had a less than average experience.
First off, the service from the staff was awesome! No issues there.
The starters were amazing. We had muscles and buffalo tartare and both were flavorful and presented very well.
The mains were just ‘ok’. I had a bone in rib steak and she had the duck. The beef was not AAA quality as there was much gristle but very flavorful. It was cooked well, just a bad piece of meat. The duck had a good sauce but lacked our usual expectation for quality of the duck meat.
While finishing our meal, the restaurant was filled with smoke from the kitchen cutting our stay short.
Anyway, we have had many great experiences here. Hoping this was just a rare miss as we like to come back.

Tempura beans! What a delicious idea.
I could have ate them all night.
The staff makes great wine suggestions and is very knowledgeable! Probably would have never found this place if I wasn’t stumbling around Stephen ave with some comrades! The $ 35.00 cheese plate blew my mind and the button on my pants. Great for a lovely sit down or a full blown high class dinner.
Yum. Cheese and wine.

We stopped in tonight for wine and cheese and had a great experience. We sat at the bar and the bartender took good care of us. We both enjoyed a nice glass of wine and shared 3 cheeses — a triple cream, a taleggio and a manchego… yummy! The space is really nice — I loved the exposed brick walls and the simple, but elegant décor.

Traveling from California. Perhaps one of the best meals ever here. Fresh Red Snapper over zucchini risotto. Also a fantastic creative martini along with cheese selection. Extensive wine list with some world class wines. Just really impressed. Outstanding.

Just popped in for wine and cheese on a sunny afternoon. Asked the staff for suggestion. Was really impressed with what I got: three cheeses and two half glasses of wine which paired perfectly. Really nice ambience, friendly and knowledgeable bar staff.

Every time I’m in Calgary on business, we take my customer here… it’s one of our favorites. Whether we find ourselves having apps and drinking wine, or indulging in their entrees, Divino’s never disappoints. We always have to start with the tempura green beans, and frites… oh so good. I had the BC salmon (some of the best I’ve ever enjoyed), and the rest of my party had the gnocchi, chicken, and the evening’s special-​carbonara. All were amazing. Wine was fabulous, a recommendation from our waiter when we asked for a northern Italian red. Only reason I did not give five stars is the waiter forgot about the dessert we ordered. But… We will always be back!

It was my first week in Calgary last week. I have temporarily left my Toronto life to work out here for 4 months, and this was my first dining out experience.
Oxtail gnocchi with butternut squash? YES! It was everything I wished for and more. My friend and I walked in here after feeling unwelcome at the restaurant next door (Blink) because we did not have reservations. Divino took us in! We didn’t try the cheese or the wine. I know I know. It’s a wine and cheese bistro! But based on the quality of the food and the atmosphere (not our server… she didn’t even crack a smile the entire time we were there), I will definitely be back for the wine and the cheese.
Hooray to my first dinner in Calgary! ‘Twas a success.

We didn’t know where to go for dinner and drinks Friday night so our hotel recommended this place — I’m sure glad they did! It was around 6:30pm and we were able to walk right into an intimate table at the back. The place is dimly lit with many small tables — perfect for a romantic little date night too!
Their wine list goes on forever! Our server was amazing answering all of our questions on tastes and flavours of both reds and whites.
They have a cheese menu to build your own cheese board so that was really fun. Again, our server’s knowledge of all the cheeses and which ones paired nicely was fantastic. The cheese came with fresh baked bread which had a hint of cinnamon with it. Was so good, though didn’t pair with one of our cheeses at all, so I didn’t feel like that cheese had a fair shot against the others. You can also purchase the cheese you had tried for home!
I had the hazelnut crusted halibut for my entrée and it came with pea and mushroom risotto. Amazing. The halibut was cooked perfectly and the flavours of the risotto were delish!
If I were to come down to Calgary again I would for sure come back here for both dinner or just wine and cheese :)

I learned about the interesting history of Divino during a Calgary Ghost Tour, so when a gf suggested having a group dinner there I figured «Why not?»
The four of us arrived during peak dining time on a weeknight, and it was pretty packed so I took that as a good sign. We were seated near the open concept kitchen and got to see (and smell!) all the delicious creations whiz past us as we pondered on the menu.
In the mood for wine (what a perfect place to be!), our waiter brought over their house sommelier who was not only knowledgeable but super helpful and friendly! He helped us settle on the Kruger Rumpf Riesling (FYI — a must try!)
We got the Tempura Haricot vert to share (seriously, could have just ordered a few of these for my meal), my entrée was the rougie duck breast (served with gingered spaghetti squash, potato confit and raspberry jus) while the other girls got the lamb sirloin, seafood spaghettini and lobster ravioli.
At first glance, you think the portions are small but once you start devouring your food, the richness takes over and you realize the portions are just right. My duck was succulent and the ginger and raspberry were perfect accents. All of you know my reservations about lamb, but I snuck a bite and was glad I did! The mint and red current jus did wonders on the lamb!
Too full for dessert, I did ask to look at the cheese menu (what a huge variety!) so I know what to look forward to the next time I’m here — and trust me, I will be back!

Great first experience. We had the privilege of being served by Brett. He was very suave and knowledgeable. He ensured that neither our water nor wine glass was ever empty. He was kind enough to let us stick around even after we had settled the bill. In fact, he stopped by to make sure we were still doing okay once he was off-​shift.
I didn’t order any food, but the wine was superb. I look forward to going back for a nice wine & meal pairing.
Less one star because the bathrooms were a little unsavory in the cleanliness department.
Thanks for keeping our glasses full, Brett!

Divino feels classy but not entirely pretentious. It’s one of the great places to dine downtown prior to heading to a show, which is exactly what I did for the first time with some friends last month.
I had the Chicken Cobb Salad and it was surprisingly flavorful and delicious. I loved the dressing and it was plenty of food. For once I didn’t feel ripped off by the price of salad. Our table shared the chef’s selection of 5 cheeses and I don’t care what anyone says, but this will always be too expensive. One of the cheeses tasted like broccoli. I definitely enjoyed the wine.
I don’t have an issue with walking, but the distance to the restroom is slightly unfortunate. And the stall doors are a little weird. It’s so far removed from the restaurant that it feels like a separate entity.
I think Divino is a great place for a dinner date. The lighting is perfectly dim.

I have been meaning to try Divino for AGES and finally got around to it last weekend for date night. I was actually quite worried because it was snowing heavily and I know the area can be super tricky for parking. Luckily we got a spot right on 8^th, but plan for extra time as we were still about 5 minutes late for our reservation.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were surprised at the size — it looks so small from the outside! The atmosphere was very warm, cozy, and intimate. Perfect date night spot! We were taken to our table at the back, which was unfortunately right under a cool air vent. Our server came around to take our drink order and ultimately, I was disappointed with her — I’m usually pretty upbeat and I like to engage the server in some banter, but she was very abrupt. I don’t think she smiled once, and on more than one occasion, she walked away before we were even finished ordering or asking a question.
We started with a selection of cheeses, which were all very nice. However, I don’t understand why they only give you like, 2 crackers, for 3 slabs of cheese. I had the Onion Soup for an appetizer — which was more cheese than soup — and Josh had the Buffalo Tartare, which was simply to die for. The Saltspring Island Chevre went SO perfectly with the meat, it was quite possibly the best tartare I’ve ever tasted! Our mains were absolutely delicious, but I would go back for the tartare alone.
Overall, the experience was really nice and the food was really good, but our service was so unremarkable that it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. It was very pricey, so I’m not sure I’d return for a full dinner — maybe just a glass of wine and some tartare!

I’ve been to Divino a few times before (always on someone’s expense account) and it’s always been decent but never something amazing. A date took me here last week after we couldn’t get in at Murrietta’s at 7pm on a Wednesday. Apparently hump day is a real thing as everywhere was busy and couples seemed to be staying warm by drinking lots of booze and cuddling up.
Anyways, we wandered in, were seated right away, and were soon greeted by the real star of the date — our server Phil. Seriously, I don’t think I brought my «A» game of dating that night, but Phil brought his «A» game of serving. If there was an Olympics of serving, Phil would sweep the podium.
What makes him so good you ask? He was awesome about reading the table, could tell that we didn’t look at the menu for a while, was happy to answer questions, and provided recommendations on wine and food. Oh, and we found out later, he was at the tail end of working a double — that’s right, Phil was this awesome at the end of his workday.
I know what you’re thinking…“Yeah, clearly you have a mini crush on Phil, but how was the food?”
Well, I went with Phil’s reco and tried the lamb with parsnip purée, brussel sprouts, and potatoes. I definitely didn’t need to eat the whole plate but it was just so damn tasty and I didn’t want to disappoint Phil. My date had the salmon and he seemed pretty happy with it, but it was no lamb. I asked Phil to recommend some wine and he brought me a couple of options to sample so that I could pick the one I liked best. My date actually really liked one of the options so he ordered that as well.
Bottom line — It was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time — the food and service were exceptional, and the company was pretty great too. I got a kiss at the end of the night but I was thinking about Phil the whole time… hehe :)

Fantastic food! Great service!
We ate too much. It was so well worth it and the high price tag too!
Will go back again and again since we always leave happy and full :)

I enjoyed this place, came for lunch and ordered the peppered linguine but was mildly disappointed, lacked flavor to me and just tasted plain. The bread basket was impressive though and my dessert that consisted of a raspberry tart and cappuccino was quite delicious and fresh.
I love the location so ill be back to try something else! The service was great too.

Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro, part of Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts (CRMR) family of companies, originally opened in 1984 as a quaint 30 seat restaurant, located in downtown Calgary’ Grain Exchange building. Divino has since relocated to the historic Calgary Wine and Spirits building on Stephen Avenue. I have wanted to come here every since I stayed at CRMR’s Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff way back in 1994.
I got my chance a few weeks ago as part of yet another Team Dinner within a very long business trip that found me in Calgary and North of Fort McMurray. Like every thing else fine dining-​wise in Calgary, it was spendy, even considering the expense account. At the same time, I loved the energy, the nice seating we had in back, the good service, fun, tasty, and well presented food, and featuring one of the better wine lists that I had seen in Calgary.
Regarding the Wine, I was the designated selector for our Group, because they figured that since I live in Northern California, I know just enough to be dangerous when a wine list is put in front of me. However, whether it’s because of the taxes, the pretense, or the distance to the vineyards, a decent bottle of wine is too damn expense in these parts. And what’s with the relatively slim selection of good Canadian wines on these wine lists?
Anyway, until next time and maybe at the Emerald Lake Lodge with Gayle…