Here's a closer look at Calgary's newest eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms and other spaces available for events this summer. The new and renovated Calgary venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fundraisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, team-building activities, conferences, meetings and more.
A note regarding COVID-19: Some of the venues listed here may not yet be available for hosting events due to COVID-19, or they may be operating at a lower capacity. As venues begin to slowly reopen across North America, we encourage event organizers to contact the venues to verify current capacity restrictions.
Rosemary
Located in the main shopping district of Mission, Rosemary is a Mediterranean restaurant that opened in September. The casual fine dining restaurant features cuisine influenced by the regions of Spain, Turkey and Morocco, with dishes such as the braised lamb shank with rosemary and the Mediterranean mezze platter. Besides food, the restaurant offers an extensive list of cocktails and wines alongside weekly features and happy hour selections. The 1,500-square-foot space includes a combination of lounge, table and bar seating with a total capacity of 30; an additional patio space can accommodate 20. Rosemary is available for buyouts, events and small-scale weddings. Prices vary based on needs and production.
Photo: Courtesy of Rosemary
Fairmont Banff Springs
In February, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel opened its 360° Dome, a new private outdoor dining area. Located on the hotel’s Upper Garden Terrace, the rustic-themed Dome is surrounded by panoramic views of the Canadian Rockies and furnished with a round table of six, two lounge chairs and a coffee table. The 300-square-foot venue is available year-round for private bookings and offers three dining experiences. Guests can book a family-style brunch ($125 per person), a wine and charcuterie experience in the afternoon ($125 per person) or a five-course dinner that features dishes like the Brant Lake wagyu beef carpaccio and the long bone bison short rib ($200 per person).
Photo: Courtesy of Fairmont Banff Springs
The Westley Hotel
Part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection Hotels, The Westley Hotel is a full-service boutique hotel that opened in June in Calgary’s downtown financial district. Designed by FRANK Architecture, the five-story hotel combines vintage and modern looks. It incorporates aspects of the building’s 70s heritage with accents of velvet, fringe and brass, while featuring contemporary art including pieces by local artists Maya Gohill and Tanya Klimp. The hotel has 88 guest rooms and 16 suites, as well as a restaurant, a 24-hour fitness center and two meeting spaces. The restaurant, Fonda Fora, is located on the ground floor and offers authentic Mexican cuisine. The meeting spaces include a 750-square-foot space that can accommodate 48 people and is equipped with advanced audiovisual technologies and an 85-square-foot private meeting room for six.
Photo: Courtesy of the Westley Hotel
The Inn on Officers' Garden
Originally the Officers’ Mess at Currie Barracks, The Inn on Officers' Garden was fully restored and reopened in October. The restoration kept several main aspects of the historic architecture, including the floors, ceilings, fireplaces and majority of the windows. The multifaceted facility now includes 12 boutique suites, a QEII hospitality suite, five dining areas and an event hall, making it suitable for weddings, corporate events, reunions or weekend getaways. Among the several gathering spaces, the Event Hall is the largest, featuring a banquet space that can seat 90 and accommodate 120 reception style. The Officers’ Pub has a full bar and can accommodate 70 seated and 90 standing. The Vino Chat is a private dining room with 24 seats. The Snake Pit and Living Room includes four big screen TVs, a pool table and a shuffleboard, and it can accommodate 30 seated and 50 reception style. And finally, the Mark McCullough Memorial Conservatory and Patio is a glass atrium overlooking gardens and outdoor space.
Photo: Courtesy of the Inn
Jin Bar
Located in Bridgeland’s de Wall Block, Jin Bar is a new eatery from well-known chef Jinhee Lee that opened in November. Known for her time as executive chef at Foreign Concept and her stint on Top Chef Canada, Lee created a menu inspired by her Korean heritage and centered around fried chicken and pizza. To ensure juicy, tender meat, Lee marinates her Jin Bar Fried Chicken for 12 hours before serving it to customers. As for the pizza, she gets creative with Korean-inspired toppings, such as beef bulgogi and buldak. The interior of the restaurant is minimalistic, with the purpose of highlighting the rustic nature of the original heritage building. Besides the main dining area that seats 52, the venue also has a hidden downstairs private function room as well as a patio space in the works.
Photo: Courtesy of Jin Bar
