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If you are in downtown Cowtown, you can throw a horseshoe and hit a resto-lounge, martini bar, or Irish pub – I’m looking at you, Stephen Ave! These are all great places to eat and drink, but if you’re in the mood for a classic Calgarian beer-to-breakfast voyage, I suggest you choose your own adventure with any combination of the following:
Tucked in off of 1st Street and 13th Ave, the Hop is a staple. Inside this cozy converted house, you will find a great list of craft brews, delicious home-made pizza, and booths crammed with Calgarians of all creeds: rowdy hockey fans, underage, fake ID enthusiasts, impeccably bearded 20somethings and more. This is my number one go-to when friends and I need one spot to camp out for a drink and catch up chat. Be sure to stop by during the holidays for the twinkly Christmas lights and in the summer for the dreamy second-floor balcony.
Having grown up in Calgary to blossom into an angsty young adult, I scathed the corporate, suburban, and seemingly cultureless surface of the city. Broken City was one of the first places I realized Calgary was more than that. I recommend you try it out if you need a good drink, a good band and a good time.
Awesome Kitchen lands squarely between the Drum and Monkey (another watering hole notorious for Dub at the Pub) and the Hop. I have two life changing words for you: donair pizza.
An ideal morning-after breakfast spot, the Belmont is a Marda Loop neighbourhood favourite. Struck by a devastating fire in 2013, the diner has temporarily shut its doors. Keep your eyes peeled for its resurrection – the Calgary Sandwich and bottomless hashbrowns will convert you in no time.
Peter's is a family-owned drive through that has thrived in NE Calgary since it was founded by Gus Pieters in 1964. When you have a soul-crushing hang over, like a true gentleman, Peter’s will rescue you with a greasy burger and an Oreo milkshake. Swoon!
