UNA Pizza + Wine

The service is above average. It really is but the Beltline pizza is something to be desired. My friends pizza was better but isn’t nearly as good as comparable pizza in the area on 17^th. The seating is ultra tight and the wait times are high almost always. It’s definitely good pizza but for the wait the alternatives are definitely better.

I did not expect to be eating some of the best pizza I’ve ever had in Calgary but Una Pizza delivers every time! If you are reading this review looking for a good pizza place to hit up tonight then stop your search right now as you’ve found it!
You should have already stopped reading this review by now and be out of the door.

There are so many positive reviews of Una that I will only briefly add to the chorus of Unilocalers that have enjoyed their meal. First of all — a Harry Potter audio book playing in the bathroom?! Seriously delightful. There was another book being read when I left, although I didn’t recognize the title it made going to the bathroom pretty fun. Since I did not see any reviews commenting on parking, I would recommend taking transit or walking. I’m not familiar with this area of Calgary, but the restaurant was on a busy street and there was no street parking out front. I expect that there are pay lots in the vicinity, but nothing adjacent to the restaurant. We went at 4:00 pm on a Saturday and were seated immediately, but there was a large line out the door by the time we left (6-​ish).
Our food here was as good as I expected! My group of three tried three different pizzas: the Tiki, which is their take on a Hawaiian, the four maggi (cheese), and the special of the day, which had honey mustard, arugula, and roasted chicken on it. All were fantastic, and their crust is really unique. It’s soft, kind of chewy and held up all the toppings well. I loved the super thin pineapple on my pizza, and my pineapple-​hating husband loved it too, to everyone’s surprise. Top notch casual dining, and a perfect choice for pre-​race carb loading.

I love the atmosphere here! The staff is extremely nice especially the bartenders. There is something really special about being seated at the bar. You get to watch them make their amazing Old Fashioned. Its a must see! The pizza is good especially with the Chili oil. The pizza isn’t the same without it. I would have to recommend the beltliner pizza or the sausage pizza. Both are very good!

Great place that I and a friend stumbled upon. Enjoyed two delicious appetizers: one was roasted asparagus with an egg, combined with a aioli mayonnaise. It was good. The second was roasted zucchini with pine nuts, melted parmesan cheese and dill– very tasty.
We also shared a vegetarian pizza of artichokes, feta etc– it was very nice but needed some extra spice so we added a bit of chilis. Crust so very crisp and thin, which is a nice change from my usual pizzas made at home.
Definitely enjoyed the meal, and the service was attentive without being obtrusive.

UNA’S pizza was really good! The service was great and the beer was very good. Only problem was the prices kinda pricey, but typical for the area. Will definitely go there again.

We were asked to leave the bar due to no fault of our own!
We put our name on the list and asked the hostess if we could sit at the bar until ready. Half a beer in, the manager «asked» (really told us) to drink our beer in the tiny cramped entrance of the restaurant as the bar was for people ordering pizza. REALLY? I explained the conversation I had with the hostess and the manager insisted we vacate the bar.
We left the restaurant, beers unfinished and astonished of such terrible treatment of patrons.
If you want a pizza in a hugely busy place with condescending staff, look no further and enjoy the offerings of this well below average establishment.
BTW the wine list is nothing special.

2-​stars. I can’t help but wonder why Una Pizza + Wine is always so busy… Oh yes, this is Calgary where most people don’t realize a $ 20 12-​inch pizza and $ 8 glass of «house» wine is highway robbery. Maybe on occasion I will spend $ 15 on some kale, panko, a boiled egg, deli meat and cheese because I’m a man and quite frankly I hate making salads :) However, paying ($ 15-​$ 21) for a dry, thin crust pizza that is lacking in flavour and ingredients is right above getting my scrotum waxed on my priorities list.
Una doesn’t take reservations. Why not you ask? Well because they don’t really need to. There are plenty of suckers walking along 17^th ave at all hours day and night, so there! I was coaxed into going here one day. There were two of us so we were seated in the only available non-​hour-​long-​wait space; the «chef’s counter» aka, in front of the sweltering hot oven. The air quality in the restaurant isn’t the best to start off with and sitting in front of the hot oven made it worse. However, we didn’t feel like waiting an hour (BTW we walked right in). The smell of baked dough is good at first but then you end up wanting to go outside after a few minutes to the carbon monoxide fest on 17^th ave for some fresh air. I’m a pineapple-​in-​my-​pizza kind of guy so I ordered the «tiki» ($ 17); my friend ordered the mushroom ($ 20). I ordered a glass of the house white ($ 8) as well. I’m not a wine connoisseur so I won’t comment on how good or bad it was. All I can say is that I couldn’t «tell the difference» so they could’ve been serving a $ 10 bottle of something or a $ 40 bottle of something and I wouldn’t be any of the wiser. I have a feeling it’s not the latter.
Our pizza came out in a short while (10−15min.). They have a fancy tray device where you can put one tray on top of another at the same table, a smart idea! The tiki pineapple was sliced paper thin so it became really dry and hard to taste. The sauce was mediocre and the crust was dry. The mushroom was only slightly better ($ 3 better perhaps?). It came out with arugula and supposedly tuffle oil; I couldn’t taste it. I only had 3 slices but I felt really bloated after eating there.
Ok, on to the good thing (singular):
Una’s service is great (4-​stars here, hence 2-​stars overall). Everyone is polite. The service staff and the host staff are amazing and they run the place like a well oiled machine.
Una is part of the BMeX group of restaurants (see my Native Tongues Taqueria review) and I’m starting to see a trend with them. They like to hire young, hip staff, design a visually stunning dining area and then deliver a mediocre product.
I’m not returning anytime soon.

I’m not going to lie when I say the first time I tried this place, I didn’t like it and I didn’t understand what the hype was about. It just goes to show that first impressions aren’t always everything!
First time I went here my boyfriend and I got the mushroom pizza to share and I believe we got some sort of seared steak as a starter. While they definitely don’t skimp on the toppings, I felt it was a little plain for me as I remember only being able to taste mushrooms and pizza crust. I definitely wasn’t blown away as I expected to be. Our steak was really undercooked, but we didn’t overly mind because it was delicious and reminded me more of beef tataki. Unfortunately both of us got sick that evening and we felt it was because of the steak. Also, I have a huge pet peeve of this filtered «Q» water and hate being charged for it ($ 2/​person). I personally cannot taste the difference so I would’ve asked for tap water if I knew I was going to be charged. My first experience wasn’t the best, I was disappointed cause I had high hopes so I didn’t bother to return.
One night I had a friend visiting from out of town and it was pretty late on a weekday night and the only thing I’ll give this place credit for is that late night hours all throughout the week. I was willing to give this place another go and we headed down there and because she was vegetarian, we had some limited options. In the end we decided on the 4-​maggi and the kale Caesar salad. Now THIS is the experience I believe was supposed to be the first. The 4-​maggi is unbelievably good! I was a little apprehensive of the honey being on top, but I cannot tell you how it complements the cheese SO well. Fair warning, if you’re the type of person that expects a dish to taste a specific way (ex. cheese pizza tasting like your standard American cheese pizza), I have a feeling it might taste a little strange for you (unless you have adventurous taste buds), but honestly don’t knock it till you try it.
I have to jump on the kale ceaser salad boat and add that it is really good! It’s a big salad so if you want room for pizza, I do recommend you share it with someone. And plus you don’t feel as bad eating pizza next because you’re eating kale like the adult you are.
The atmosphere is awesome and very lively, even if you go fairly late into the evening like I usually have. While I wouldn’t say it would be my first pick for a normal time dinner, I would say it’s definitely up there for a late night bite to eat on a weekday.

¹¹⁄₁₀ would recommend visiting, like right now. UNA is good enough to drop everything your doing in order to get there RIGHT NOW.
You will probably have to wait for a table, but it’s well worth the wait. The atmosphere is fun, funky, intimate, and sets the tone really well. They have a good selection of wine, and I love that they use high quality ingredients in all their dishes. The service is friendly and laid back, but never lazy.
Their pizzas are each very unique and I would recommend trying a few different ones, although it’s hard not to pick a favorite and get the same one over and over. If you’re looking to start with something that’s not in the pizza zone the Kale Caesar Salad is a must try.
I compare every single gourmet pizza place I visit to UNA, and I have yet to find one I love quite as much (despite hitting specialty pizza places in multiple different cities).

I wish this place were here in Vancouver cause I would come here often. Actually, maybe it’s best that it isn’t here.. This was delicious thin crust pizzas in a funky little restaurant. All three pizzas I shared with my friends were awesomely delicious. I’ve heard about this place for a little while now, and finally got a chance to taste it for myself, and I can say, don’t put this place off for too long. It’s that good.

Very busy environment! Go early! On a weekday got there for 5:4pm and got the last available table, after that it was long line ups.
Ordered the prosciutto pizza. Pizza wise it was pretty good, thin crust but crust wasn’t crispy but more on the chewy side. Nice flavor but for personal taste the combination of prosciutto and provolone piccante made it on the salty side. But that was my personal taste.

UNA Pizza + Wine is notorious for having crazy long lineups as it’s one of those no reservation type of restaurants. They’ve been packed every single time that I’ve visited except for during our most recent one! Forget about waiting 1 – 2 hours on Friday or Saturday evening unless you enjoy that type of thing. You could always mosey over to another spot on 17^th Ave or else check out their sister restaurant, Ox and Angela.
Inspired by California pizza joints, UNA focuses on doing one thing well. Pizzas. Does it live up to all the amazing pizza spots in California? Pizzaria Delfina was the first thing to jump into my mind after reading about their Cali influences. That place is legit. If you’re ever in San Fran, check them out.
The art lining the walls is funky and fresh with a bunch of cool people-​cheese inspired sketches. The place itself is long and narrow with tables packed tightly together. You could say it’s cramped but that’s part of it’s charm/​hipster factor. They also have a little patio on the outside that’s perfect for people watching in the summer time.
So random but hilarious at the same time — they have a Harry Potter audiobook playing in the washrooms to sooth you over. Lumos! I like how they are open every day until 1am! Nothing like some quality late night eats.
Menu is pretty concise — «not» pizza, appetizers, salads and pizza! If you don’t want to wait in line, I’d suggest checking their Twitter feed before you head over.
— Kale caesar salad ($ 15.00) — boiled egg, toasted panko, crisp prosciutto and pecorino romano. As my sis can’t eat gluten nor egg, we got the boiled egg on the side and without the toasted panko. Perfect for me as I’m not the biggest fan unless that egg is in ramen! I feel their egg would be much better if it was runny over being boiled. Blah. Sans egg, this is still one of my sister’s favourite salads — she orders it every single she comes here. The kale had a nice crunchy element to it and I like how the caesar dressing isn’t too creamy but tastes light and healthy. Would I order it myself? Debatable.
— Mealshare feature pizza ($ 20.00) with gluten free pizza crust ($ 3.00) — San marzano tomato sauce, roasted eggplant, burrata cheese, fresh fennel, fresh prosciutto. You know I’m down for anything with eggplant in it so we obviously had to order the feature pizza. The pizza here is thin crust and it has a nice crunchy bite to each slice. The toppings were interesting (never had fennel on pizza before) but there wasn’t any bursts of flavour for my taste buds. Good, just not great like Cali pizza spots. I’ve had their mushroom pizza ($ 17.00) on a previous visit and felt the same way.
UNA is a solid place to grab some high (er) end pizza. It’s pretty impressive that the kitchen can do everything gluten free as this is pretty hard to find in most restaurants. If you want good food and to be part of the trendy hipster scene, this is definitely your spot. My advice is come early or late (aka. during off-​times), or better yet, head over on Sunday afternoon like we did for no line.

It has been awhile since I have been to Una. I was craving their Ceasar salad today. Despite the fact that one could eat here fairly economically — there are a lot of temptations! The pizzas are good but what haunts me is their Kale Ceasar salad. If you are not normally a salad person then this will change your mind —? It is big and easily a meal in itself — pure magic — the right amount of tang in the dressing, prosciutto, panko crumbs, cheese and a beautiful egg (not too hard); a beautiful balance of texture a flavour. But… Oh! How can one not order their wings? Their wings are not wings, they are thighs and so delicious!!! The flavour, the spice, the tang, the cheese dip — wow! There are lots of great temptations are Una, but these are my faves. I am long over due for a visit. They are too busy during peak times so go off peak times and avoid the long wait.

I only give 5 Stars on the occasion I am exceptionally impressed with something. Not to say I am not impressed in a 4 star review… but well you know sometimes there is a difference.
So I discovered UNA because my wife found it and brought me there for my birthday dinner on Sunday. She also knows I have a special SPECIAL love for gourmet pizza, Italian tomatoes, red wine, and high quality sourced ingredients.
And, what did we get? GOURMET FRICKEN AWESOME PIZZA. The first words that left my mouth after the first bite was: «Wow, that was something special.»
It’s not just the food that add up to a 5 Star review — it was the service, the knowledge about the menu items, and the incredible knowledge about the ingredients and where they came from.
Overall, it was a personable experience and we both felt very comfortable like we were «part of the family» as it were. Great staff, great culinary skills, and impressive ingredients go well together.
We highly recommend it.
Thanks UNA! We will be seeing you again.
Sincerely,
Shane

I moved away from Calgary 3 years ago now but every time I come back for a visit, a mushroom pizza from Una is a must! I’ve tried mushroom/​fungi pizzas from various restaurants in Edmonton and Calgary and hands down, Una’s is the best! They put a good amount of toppings on the pizza and the arugula, truffle oil and mushroom pairing is so addictive and amazing. I have even had my sister bring Una to Edmonton for me. Their kale Caesar salad and peanut chocolate dessert is also delicious.
I would say the only downside to Una is that the venue is quite small and they are almost always busy — meaning no reservations and usually a wait between 30mins to over an hour but they let you have wine while you wait so that’s a plus.

Yuuuuuuuuum! Came here with my parents for a quick lunch and boy, was it good! It was 1pm on a weekday and it was understandably not as busy as you would expect from the reviews. I agree it’s a very chill environment for a lunch date or just catching up with friends.
In terms of food, we ordered the mushroom pizza to share. The featured pizza was beef bolognese I believe. We didn’t try it simply because I’m vegetarian. Will definitely come back to try the 4-​maggi pizza and the kale salad that everyone is raving about!

The pizza is so tasty and their salads are great! My son even loves their pizzas. I really love the unique drinks they offer here as well. Service is great. Atmosphere is great. Love UNA!

My first stop when I arrived in Calgary and honestly I loved it !
The kale Caesar was fabulous and the 4-​maggi pizza w pecorino cheese and truffle oil and honey (I know doesn’t sound great but so was) was one of the best pizzas ever!
Light and crispy tasty crust too!
I will be back!

Ok, I am in love with Calgarys food culture. Edmonton is not too far behind and this is what they need!
Casual Italian, awesome pizza, responsibly done. And wicked wine list.
We got there just before 615, so only had to wait 15 mins in a weekday. It’s always jammed so try to come early! No worries we had some wine in line! Great spot to look at the menu and learn about the place. They actually have their urban beekeepers Liscence as well, so I was into trying their honey! They have a bee farm by Airdrie and do tours for kids as well.
So started with the amuse bouche. One bite for $ 2 it was a bacon wrapped date with a walnut inside. So simple and just spectacular! Do it!
Next did the Kale Caesar salad that was recommended. Great salad and huge.
They’ve got lots of gluten free stuff there as well so its great if you need GF! The pizza crust was awesome.
We went with the prosciutto and arugula and drizzled their fresh honey on it. Was to die for. For wine we wnt with the house wine which at the time was a Californian merlot. Was quite nice. The rest of the list can get pricy, so be aware of your wines.
They also did some nice GF desserts. I went with the chocolate peanut butter torte. It was nice and light. Great to share.
For sure coming back here. Would be fun with a group on the way out for a night.
Service was a bit rushed but they were very attentive. I think there is a balance between being busy and not rushing you too much. And he did that well. Wasn’t pushing but there a lot and moving things along. We hadots to talk about so this restaurant might not be the one for a quiet romantic long talk night.
It was SUPER LOUD, which adds to its atmosphere, but if you want a quiet night, pick a different spot. One of my new GoTos on 17^th ave!