As always, memorable experience. Food is outstanding, no matter what you pick from their menu. Service, fantastic!!
Russell
We had an excellent dining experience. The service was exceptional and the food was terrific. The half chicken schnitzel was awesome. We will definitely come back again.
Steph
Had the best time at pigeonhole! Best brunch and best service from Charlotte! Thank you for your warm hospitality! The soufflé pancakes are incredible! Will definitely be back asap 🫶
Tracey
We started with the warmed olives. Delicious! My partner had the glazed pork belly and I, the pickerel. Both were very well seasoned and tasted fresh and light. We finished with the grapefruitcello. Mmmm
Kathryn
Went to celebrate a birthday and had a really wonderful experience. Great food, service, drinks, and atmosphere! I recommend the absinthe tower for something fun and interactive.
Vano
I was very pleased with the team treating me like an old friend, feeling comfortable and welcomed in the space. Great people doing great drinks and food.
Douglas
The moment we walked in the door we were taken care of. From the host to our server, the experience was wonderful. The food is absolutely delicious. One of the best steak tartare in the city. We had the warm maple cake for dessert and was flooded with memories from my childhood and mums home cooking. Very nostalgic. Looking forward to returning soon.
LeanneRae Wierzba
My caveat is that I am somewhere between a 3 and 4 rating on food and 4 and 5 rating on atmosphere. In terms of atmosphere, I went with the higher rating, as I really appreciate how comprehensively this restaurant not only manages but embraces both the spirit and the limitations of the space it occupies. With the food, it's because I truly believe that it would be so easy for Pigeonhole to up its game and go from an "I have questions" status to impeccable.
I have been to Pigeonhole twice now (having recently relocated back to my hometown after 20 years away, with occasional family visits, so I'm aware of but not deeply entrenched in the Calgary food scene). I really appreciate what the restaurant brings to Calgary but also find it a little hard to place, in terms of its identity and focus. In some ways, it feels like a welcoming, slightly alternative space with amazing service that begs to be a second home for a specific local clientele. In this regard, it really misses the mark on pricing, as it is too expensive for that.
On another level, you can see the attention to detail that has gone into the branding, the decor, the atmosphere and the wonderful service (which is truly top notch and amongst the best I've experienced anywhere; attentive enough to be considered fine dining, but with that refreshingly casual quality that dominates the current food space). So, in that regard, it seems like it could be aiming to position itself as a niche, contemporary fine dining establishment, like the type of place you see transforming all sorts of cultural and food capitals, such as New York, London and Paris, with smaller venues, smaller menus and a really specific approach to food. Which is where I get a bit lost, as the food somewhat lacks that level of refinement in ways that it seems to me would be quite easy to remedy, some of which of course depends on the restaurant's financial situation, talent bank and ability to source ingredients.
The AB tomato & cucumber salad, for instance, lacked some of the effects of what you expect of a quality vinaigrette (even though it had one, somehow it wasn't well-integrated, and perhaps it is something as simple as drizzling it across the plate rather than pooling it on the outskirts, and making it more standout with a good oil or acid note) and mostly it really could have really used the addition of a fresh herb like mint (or at least some more parsley than the two little micro-slivers I saw on our plate) to add more dimension. The sourdough croutons were texturally off-putting against the other ingredients; they might have benefitted from a more loosely, bubbly structured bread, like that you find in a classic panzanella. They were so darkened with oil on the exterior and hardened throughout, they would have definitely paired better with cured meats meats and pickled vegetables on a charcuterie board than with a beautifully delicate soft cheese in a salad. It was still a good dish, but could have easily been a lot better.
I know that this is super nit-picky, but I just want to provide the most helpful feedback I can. Because I can't understand why the kitchen in a place that clearly strives so hard decided: "good enough" on some of the basics. It's disorienting.
Like another reviewer, I'm also a little perplexed by the addition of shredded cheese to the charred cabbage small plate, as I'm not sure it adds anything other than calories to the dish. If cheese is essential by the chef's estimation, is it really the best choice of cheeses? Could you shift some of the costs of covering this dish with somewhat unnecessary cheese to improving another dish with addition of herbs?
Ultimately, both times I've visited this restaurant, I've left feeling a little perplexed by some of the culinary choices. The menu feels unfocused, and at these prices it should feel compelling and purposeful. Perhaps the head
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
PG Park
First of all, the staff were very friendly and kind, and my wife and I really enjoyed the food.
I am used to Korean raw beef, but this was my first time eating beef tartare (French food). Surprisingly, it was delicious! Very tender and flavorful!
My wife has never eaten raw beef before, but she took a sample bite. She was so surprised by the taste that she ate the whole half of it.
The cabbage was so well cooked, tender and moist. The mayonnaise and cheese went really well with the cabbage.
The mushroom croquettes (6 pcs) are also special. After eating croquettes at a Spanish tapas restaurant, I became a huge fan of croquettes and these mushroom croquettes are also as great as ones in Spain.
Quite a lovely experience. The ambiance was fantastic and music choices were really quite good. The food admittedly was definitely disappointing for the cost. The drinks, however, were really really good. Washroom experience was also subpar and chilly. Brilliant and super sweet service though, from everyone :)
Had a wonderful solo dinner here when travelling for work and enjoyed every dish and cocktail that I tried. I had the mushroom croquettes, the beef tartar, and the seafood ceviche - all were light, fresh, and tasty. The service staff here were fun and seemed to really enjoy their jobs. They were very helpful with all of my questions and I could feel that they wanted to make sure that I had the best dining experience possible.
The tables are relatively closer together than other restaurants but I met a wonderful couple who sat next to me and enjoyed casual conversation with them all night so this worked in my favour. Definitely recommend coming here if you're in the area or if you're a fellow solo traveler.. you might just make some new friends!
Came in for some dinner with a friend. Ordered the seafood platter and it was absolutely incredible! The smoked muscles were a real surprise and so delicious. That and the crab were my favourite, but everything was delicious. We also got multiple cocktails and they all had a fun and unique aspect to them. Sarah was our server and she was fantastic! She made our experience so wonderful, giving us detailed recommendations and explanations of each dish and answered any questions we had. Overall fabulous experience and will be coming in again. Thank you Sarah!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jennay Oliver
I can’t say enough good things about this place. The food, staff and atmosphere. 5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
S G
Amazing food, service and wine.
Dietary restrictions: Provided celiac options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amanda Hasan
Went to 17th Ave location last night. We saw the online menu before going. When we got there it was a different menu. Online one was from 2 menus ago. Needs to be updated.
All in all, food was excellent, staff were great. Lovely location. Certainly would go again.
As always, memorable experience. Food is outstanding, no matter what you pick from their menu. Service, fantastic!!
We had an excellent dining experience. The service was exceptional and the food was terrific. The half chicken schnitzel was awesome. We will definitely come back again.
Had the best time at pigeonhole! Best brunch and best service from Charlotte! Thank you for your warm hospitality! The soufflé pancakes are incredible! Will definitely be back asap 🫶
We started with the warmed olives. Delicious! My partner had the glazed pork belly and I, the pickerel. Both were very well seasoned and tasted fresh and light. We finished with the grapefruitcello. Mmmm
Went to celebrate a birthday and had a really wonderful experience. Great food, service, drinks, and atmosphere! I recommend the absinthe tower for something fun and interactive.
I was very pleased with the team treating me like an old friend, feeling comfortable and welcomed in the space. Great people doing great drinks and food.
The moment we walked in the door we were taken care of. From the host to our server, the experience was wonderful. The food is absolutely delicious. One of the best steak tartare in the city. We had the warm maple cake for dessert and was flooded with memories from my childhood and mums home cooking. Very nostalgic. Looking forward to returning soon.
My caveat is that I am somewhere between a 3 and 4 rating on food and 4 and 5 rating on atmosphere. In terms of atmosphere, I went with the higher rating, as I really appreciate how comprehensively this restaurant not only manages but embraces both the spirit and the limitations of the space it occupies. With the food, it's because I truly believe that it would be so easy for Pigeonhole to up its game and go from an "I have questions" status to impeccable.
I have been to Pigeonhole twice now (having recently relocated back to my hometown after 20 years away, with occasional family visits, so I'm aware of but not deeply entrenched in the Calgary food scene). I really appreciate what the restaurant brings to Calgary but also find it a little hard to place, in terms of its identity and focus. In some ways, it feels like a welcoming, slightly alternative space with amazing service that begs to be a second home for a specific local clientele. In this regard, it really misses the mark on pricing, as it is too expensive for that.
On another level, you can see the attention to detail that has gone into the branding, the decor, the atmosphere and the wonderful service (which is truly top notch and amongst the best I've experienced anywhere; attentive enough to be considered fine dining, but with that refreshingly casual quality that dominates the current food space). So, in that regard, it seems like it could be aiming to position itself as a niche, contemporary fine dining establishment, like the type of place you see transforming all sorts of cultural and food capitals, such as New York, London and Paris, with smaller venues, smaller menus and a really specific approach to food. Which is where I get a bit lost, as the food somewhat lacks that level of refinement in ways that it seems to me would be quite easy to remedy, some of which of course depends on the restaurant's financial situation, talent bank and ability to source ingredients.
The AB tomato & cucumber salad, for instance, lacked some of the effects of what you expect of a quality vinaigrette (even though it had one, somehow it wasn't well-integrated, and perhaps it is something as simple as drizzling it across the plate rather than pooling it on the outskirts, and making it more standout with a good oil or acid note) and mostly it really could have really used the addition of a fresh herb like mint (or at least some more parsley than the two little micro-slivers I saw on our plate) to add more dimension. The sourdough croutons were texturally off-putting against the other ingredients; they might have benefitted from a more loosely, bubbly structured bread, like that you find in a classic panzanella. They were so darkened with oil on the exterior and hardened throughout, they would have definitely paired better with cured meats meats and pickled vegetables on a charcuterie board than with a beautifully delicate soft cheese in a salad. It was still a good dish, but could have easily been a lot better.
I know that this is super nit-picky, but I just want to provide the most helpful feedback I can. Because I can't understand why the kitchen in a place that clearly strives so hard decided: "good enough" on some of the basics. It's disorienting.
Like another reviewer, I'm also a little perplexed by the addition of shredded cheese to the charred cabbage small plate, as I'm not sure it adds anything other than calories to the dish. If cheese is essential by the chef's estimation, is it really the best choice of cheeses? Could you shift some of the costs of covering this dish with somewhat unnecessary cheese to improving another dish with addition of herbs?
Ultimately, both times I've visited this restaurant, I've left feeling a little perplexed by some of the culinary choices. The menu feels unfocused, and at these prices it should feel compelling and purposeful. Perhaps the head
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
First of all, the staff were very friendly and kind, and my wife and I really enjoyed the food.
I am used to Korean raw beef, but this was my first time eating beef tartare (French food). Surprisingly, it was delicious! Very tender and flavorful!
My wife has never eaten raw beef before, but she took a sample bite. She was so surprised by the taste that she ate the whole half of it.
The cabbage was so well cooked, tender and moist. The mayonnaise and cheese went really well with the cabbage.
The mushroom croquettes (6 pcs) are also special. After eating croquettes at a Spanish tapas restaurant, I became a huge fan of croquettes and these mushroom croquettes are also as great as ones in Spain.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Tartar, Mushroom Croquettes, Charred Cabbage Salad
Quite a lovely experience. The ambiance was fantastic and music choices were really quite good. The food admittedly was definitely disappointing for the cost. The drinks, however, were really really good. Washroom experience was also subpar and chilly. Brilliant and super sweet service though, from everyone :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Had a wonderful solo dinner here when travelling for work and enjoyed every dish and cocktail that I tried. I had the mushroom croquettes, the beef tartar, and the seafood ceviche - all were light, fresh, and tasty. The service staff here were fun and seemed to really enjoy their jobs. They were very helpful with all of my questions and I could feel that they wanted to make sure that I had the best dining experience possible.
The tables are relatively closer together than other restaurants but I met a wonderful couple who sat next to me and enjoyed casual conversation with them all night so this worked in my favour. Definitely recommend coming here if you're in the area or if you're a fellow solo traveler.. you might just make some new friends!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scallops, Wagyu Beef Tartare, Mushroom Croquettes
Came in for some dinner with a friend. Ordered the seafood platter and it was absolutely incredible! The smoked muscles were a real surprise and so delicious. That and the crab were my favourite, but everything was delicious. We also got multiple cocktails and they all had a fun and unique aspect to them. Sarah was our server and she was fantastic! She made our experience so wonderful, giving us detailed recommendations and explanations of each dish and answered any questions we had. Overall fabulous experience and will be coming in again. Thank you Sarah!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I can’t say enough good things about this place. The food, staff and atmosphere. 5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food, service and wine.
Dietary restrictions: Provided celiac options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went to 17th Ave location last night. We saw the online menu before going. When we got there it was a different menu. Online one was from 2 menus ago. Needs to be updated.
All in all, food was excellent, staff were great. Lovely location. Certainly would go again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
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