Rouge

Honestly, even though I’ve eaten at Rouge before and enjoyed it, I was more than a little disappointed with my experience on Mother’s Day. While I understand that a 2:00 pm seating is late for a Brunch, we had morning engagements and needed to book a later time. It’s a set menu, and if seating someone at 2:00 pm is too late for a three-​course meal, then don’t seat people so late. We did not dally with making our choices, it was just how long the meal took.
Everything started off alright, but soon after we were seated I noticed that the staff seemed to be getting restless. We were seated right by the bar area, and the staff kept coming over to check in with whoever was tending the bar to ask who was being cut next, when it was their turn, what table they were waiting for so that they could cash out and go home. Numerous times there was a gathering of several employees chatting loudly right behind our table. There were also several occasions where they complained loudly about the manager on duty for seating people in places that didn’t make sense to the staff. Then they began to tidy around us, moving the tables and chairs around us. I’ve been in the private room at Rouge before, which is where they were tidying, so I know that there are doors that close. It would have been nice if they had closed it so we didn’t have to watch the staff sweeping and moving all the tables to go home.
Throughout the meal, the frequency with which our waiter came to the table decreased. He seemed really impatient with us every single time he came back to the table. I understand that it was a special occasion and that the staff just wanted to go home, but we chose to celebrate Mother’s Day at Rouge, ended up with a large bill — which I knew we would because it’s a set menu, but when you plan to spend $ 50 a person plus drinks plus gratuity, you expect a certain type of dining experience. I do not feel that we received that experience at Rouge on Mother’s Day.

This restaurant is tasty and decadent! We ate dinner there and everything from the bread to the flourless brownie bite that came with our bill was divine! I really enjoyed the amuse bouche courses that they added for free to cleanse our palate. We arrived and were about to be seated, when I saw a table in the window that I liked more than the one we were first shown. So they made up the table in the window for us, no worries and while we waited a few minutes, they gave us some champagne to start off our food experience. It truly is an experience for your taste buds! I had the salted root vegetable salad and loved it! I would have added a bit of goat cheese crumbles to it, but it was fresh, tasty and well plated. Then I had the pork loin with smoked pork shoulder. The pork shoulder was nicely smoked and unbelievable in flavour. It came on a sweet potato purée, which was too much for me. A smaller portion of the sweet potato would’ve sufficed as the meal ended up sinking into it and each item was covered. The pork loin was under cooked for my liking, it was rare and I’ve never had rare pork before and wasn’t a fan of the taste. Because the portion of shoulder was enough, I didn’t feel the need to complain. My fiancée had the duck terrine, which was also delicious and the duck breast main. Duck breast was cooked to perfection and came with some perogies that I could have easily eaten many more! Our hosts and waiters were fantastic and made the evening very enjoyable. Thanks Rouge!

Rouge, heard it is rated #1 in Calgary? Its situated in the most Haunted House «Dean House» in Calgary, Wow!
. I would rated the foods 3.5 to 4 at the most. Its great foods but not the Wow feeling! The best for the night would goes to the Lamb dish with local sustainable farm. The lamb meat was really tender, juicy & has a bit of east indian spice kick to it when chewing in the mouth. Ambient was good but not really romantic setting, service was great! Recommend to try if you are curious. The bill was $ 252/​person CAD with Chef’s choice selections $ 100/​person and alcohol of course. It was a great night out!

I honestly believe that my experience at Rouge was not worth the money. $ 215 per person and 3 out of 5 courses were nothing but disappointment. The combination of ingredients didn’t work and food was rather bland. I was given Canadian wine on two occasions and a glass of cider! Only two wines were French and not that impressive either. I had this impression that they tried to get rid off some food and that’s why it was put on chef’s menu.
Will I ever be back? doubt it. There are better restaurants in Calgary

Absolutely perfect. Impeccable service, amazing food, and knowledgeable staff. The best restaurant in Calgary hands down.

Two stars for service, three stars for food. Had the chef tasting menu. Food was good but a little too salty on most dishes (eg carrot soup, tuna tartare). Foie gras was very good. Main entrée was BBQ’d quail with broccoli — would’ve expected something more elaborate and expensive for a $ 115/​pp tasting menu. Disappointed with the cheese and dessert (last two courses). Overall, not a lot of unique flavour pairings, uniqueness and elaboration in the dishes to justify such an expensive price tag and a spot in Canada’s top 100 restaurants.
Ambiance was nice — nice backyard patio. You can walk around their large backyard and look at their vegetable garden (don’t set expectations high… just a regular backyard garden).
Here’s my biggest complaint: There was a wedding happening at the same time on the second floor of the restaurant and it felt like service to regular customers was sacrificed. Given the restaurant was aware that a wedding was taking place, adequate staff and resources should have been prepared. We were there for two hours and only got to the main entrée by the two hour mark. 1.5 hours into the dinner we asked our server Ryan to speed up the courses. We were waiting a very long time (20 – 25 mins) between courses. He apologized and explained that the wedding was affecting their service speed. We said we had a hard cut off at 8pm as we had a show to catch. We expected they would do everything to meet the request. We asked to have the rest of the courses packed to go. Even with this request we were kept there until 8:20pm. The restaurant didnt do us any favours on the bill.
I am disappointed with the service level and quality of food. Not worth a $ 300 bill for two. Not worth being on Canada’s top 100 restaurants. Wouldnt recommend doing the tasting menu.

We had the chef’s tasting menu and I have to say it was one of the best dining experiences I have had. The flavours, texture… it was just perfect. They include a lot of organic, locally grown items in the menu and even grow some of them in their beautiful garden, which you can tour as you enjoy of a glass of wine.
The only reason I don’t give 5 stars in my review was the service. Although our waitress was very nice, she had no idea what kind of wines she was serving and even had trouble explaining the dishes. In any regular restaurant this would not had been an issue but with such beautiful food, it was a shame we didn’t get to learn more about the pairings and what they were going for with each choice.

4.5 Rouge, Rouge, Rouge. A gem of an establishment in a quaint, hipster part of Calgary.
Rouge is the place I take important clients, special dates, and close friends. I find that the dinners are better than the lunches and that the chef’s tasting is the best way to receive the full Rouge experience.
The physical structure of Rouge is quite unique to Calgary. A heritage home in Inglewood has been converted in to a restaurant, much like L’Hermitage in Vancouver. Thus, the restaurant is segregated in to rooms, accompanying no more than a handful of tables in each room.
What’s also neat about Rouge is that they’ve got their own garden from which they harvest a variety of organic food. It’ll appear in the oil to dip your bread in, as a side accompanying beautiful local meats, etc.
The service has ranged from superb to average. But I do not fault Rouge for «average» service as I know the establishment gives opportunities to bushy-​tailed, bright-​eyed younger folk who are still new to the industry.
I’m looking forward to my next dinner here!

I had an incredible experience at Rouge no wonder making a reservation is recommended to be made days or weeks ahead. They were very accommodating about our last minute call of late arrival despite seeing after how most of their tables taken.
Anyway, our server Ryan knows was great and knows very well of the menu. We decided to have the Chef’s Tasting 6-​course Menu. Ryan has communicated my date’s food allergies to the chef, who is very creative and was able to modify some of the courses with the restriction taken into account.
Also, I’ve asked for their caesar/​vodka as I’ve heard they make a really good one. Unfortunately they have taken this off their cocktail menu for more than a year but the staff were able to have their bartender come at our table. She explained that they can make me this cocktail similar from what they used to serve (though it wont have the olive infused vodka as originally) which turned out so good!
They make so many ingredients on their menu that are home-​grown or homemade like their olives, organic vegetables, butter, pesto sauce, spreads. The cheese we were served with was apparently Canada’s #1 Gouda and sure did taste the best. I cannot put into words how to describe every amazing meal they had prepared for us. Red Tuna, Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait, Egg Yolk Raviolis to start were remarkable and so is our main which was the Rabit Leg Crepinette. They then surprise you with a dessert you’ve never prolly had anywhere else we had their Maple Pecan Butter Tart, Spiced Plum Sorbet and Lemon– Vanilla Panna Cotta. Magnifique!
Everything was well excuted. The place is very romantic and vintage. So worth what youre paying for. All the staff were exceptional. I dont know how else to describe my experience here, other’s will definitely have to see and experience it for themselves.

We went to Rouge for my husband’s birthday and it was a good experience.
The restaurant is located at Inglewood in an old house, divided into a few rooms, which gives a warm and cozy feeling.
The service was perfect, our waiter was professional and attentive.
We had foie gras, which was good. The entrees (duck and cod) were amazing. For dessert, we had the pana cota, very tasteful, and the flourless chocolate torte which was just all right (this is my only disappointment).
We have been offered a beef tartar for an amuse bouche which was excellent, as well as and macaroons (beets & hazelnut) with a surprising taste and delicious taste.
The bread is excellent too…
I would go back for special occasion.

Amazing experience!
French styled cuisine that is prepared with all the details in mind. Good quality and flavours are perfection!
The restaurant is situated in Inglewood in an older house. The charm and ambiance are nice.
Service was great as was the recommendation for wine with our meal.
Great experience overall.

I was here in April to celebrate a new job with my boyfriend.
We did the chefs special with the premium wine pairings and it was seriously amazing.
Expensive for sure but well, well worth it. Five stars.
The service was great as well which makes it all the better. It’s always nice when you have the service and quality matching the price.

Great service, great wine, good food. We went for my bday which was maybe why the bill was over $ 500 for two people. We just did the chefs pairing which was just good, the beef tartar was the highlight without question. A couple of the wines were terrible but we ordered a bottle to have at the table just in case the wine they paired was brutal.
The food was good, not great as I mentioned. Will we be back… yes, but, I will order off the menu.

This is easily one of my favourite restaurants in Calgary!
We have been there twice now and both times had a fabulous meal. It is an historic house situated on its own plot of land, with its own garden. The restaurant is still divided into the original rooms, which can be closed off for special events and meetings. These separate rooms also help to keep the restaurant quieter. Such a great ambiance. The only downside to this historic house is they aren’t allowed to add AC, so we’ve been told summer time can get quite warm.
The staff is always warm and inviting. They go the extra mile for you. I’m not one to enjoy wine or beer, but the last time we were there the waiter introduced me to both a wine and beer that I would actually order. The experience here wouldn’t be the same without these fantastic people!
The food is incredible. I highly recommend that you splurge on the chef’s tasting menu. I have had my palate challenged and delighted with the meals here. Items that I have never liked in the past, prepared at Rouge, have left me wanting more. I have a red meat intolerance and must eat all red meat well done. At Rouge, I learnt what a properly cooked well done piece of meat is all about. My steak was juicy, flavourful and nowhere near the shoe-​leather I’d experienced nearly everywhere else. It is a true skill to perfectly cook a steak well-​done. Now I know a properly well-​done steak is amazing! I have tried so many new foods here and they have all been fabulous!
This is the perfect place for a date!
Be prepared though, this much awesomeness does come with a higher price tag, but it is well worth it!

Went for Hubby’s birthday and had a wonderful experience.
We had the Cold Smoked Elk Carpaccio, Pickled Blueberries, First Pressed Canola & Foie Gras Parfait, Apple Bourbon Gelée, Compressed Apple to start. Excellent choices! I’m not a pâté fan but the Foie Gras was fabulous.
For dinner, Hubby had the Seared Halibut, White Bean and Chorizo Ragout, Clams, Blistered Cherry Tomato Sauce Vierge and I had the Birch Smoked Duck Breast, Steel Cut Oat and Mushroom Risotto, Braised Red Cabbage, Natural Duck Jus. Absolutely delicious!
And we ended with Brie Cheesecake, Poppy Seed Honey, Raspberry Fluid Gel — yeah, not so much. I love Brie and I love cheesecake but together, not so fabulous. Just not my taste I guess.
All in all, a great experience I would definitely repeat.

We had a fantastic experience dining at Rouge last Saturday night. It was the first time for my fiancé and I, so we requested the best table available and decided to splurge on the Food & Wine pairing. So glad we did!
Our waitress was friendly and attentive from the get go. She seated us at a beautiful table in front of the window upstairs, and I loved feeling a little spooked due to the ghost stories and sightings here. The trips to the bathroom were interesting, as that’s where most sightings have occurred! The atmosphere is very mellow, in fact we were among the first to arrive for their dinner service and the silence was eerie — it did get busier throughout the night but overall I appreciated the lack of noise.
We were given ample time to peruse the menu, and decided to order cocktails to start. I trusted her to bring me something delicious, and she did not disappoint! From what I can remember, it was a martini of vodka, elderflower, and fruit juices. Very refreshing and delicious! Josh had a stout which he really enjoyed.
Once we were through with the cocktails we started with our first course. Normally I would take photos of each but I was way too excited to dive in! The amuse bouche was a beef tartare, which scared Josh a little, but he ended up loving it — it was delicious. Throughout the evening we dined on foie gras, duck, rabbit, beef tenderloin, and more. By the end of it (as per usual with wine pairings), I was a little drunk, but we devoured every bite and savoured all of the delicious flavours. It was Josh’s first pairing, and we loved how the flavours of the food were complimented so well by the different kinds of wine. At the end, our server gave us a sheet listing everything we had, which was great.
I really liked that our server engaged us (without the annoying small talk you usually get) but still managed to give us privacy and ample time between courses to let our food settle. We didn’t feel rushed at all, in fact we were there for over 3 hours! It was such a lovely treat to have that time to spend together, and super romantic. One of my favourite dates we’ve had — in fact, over a week later we’re still talking about it — and salivating over the beef tenderloin course (SO GOOD!).
In closing, the service and food here is incredible, not to mention the charm and character of this historic building. It’s definitely not cheap, but you get what you pay for. I wouldn’t hesitate to return here for a special occasion!

Excellent service, food and atmosphere. Will be back again and again!

Excellent service… Probably one of the best I have had in Calgary… In addition the food was very very good, and the wine was great… Even when is not the best French restaurant I have been… I have to say is very good… I didn’t like the parking lot of the restaurant, and the ambience is not very fancy, neither the location…

What a great dining experience. Enjoyed it from the moment I walked in though the tour afterwards. Appetizers, tartare with mushrooms and eggs yolk, elk with chimichira sauce and pork loin with raspberry polenta, Dang. The bread was hot and had oil and raspberry vinagarette. Afterwards, a tour of the home.

A very delicious meal for sure — I had the pheasant and really enjoyed it. The Nanaimo bar was also very good.
I’ve always wanted to try foie gras so decided to give it a go — too rich for me, but I did like the chicken liver pâté.
The service was excellent — attentive, very polished, everything is presented with an explanation. The only thing I wish is that the atmosphere was slightly more intimate — I felt very much out in the open with how the tables were arranged (we were seated in a room upstairs), and that we did not have much privacy with our conversation.
I would come back for a special occassion, but may be a little bit too spendy for frequent visits! It is definitely a place where you would want to dress up a bit more — the «older» crowd was generally dressed appropriately (ie. no jeans). The younger generation, myself included, were in jeans — and I personally felt underdressed and a bit out of place.