The Continental Restaurant YYC

A must go to Restaurant. Just amazing food and ambiance!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

First time visit last night. We had a great experience!

Food was 10/10! Service was 10/10! Did I mention the food was amazing?
The table side Ceaser and flaming cocktail was a very nice touch! I can’t wait to go back. Highly recommended!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The chefs choice 5 course with wine paring was exceptional, even if you did not love the food it was impossible not to appreciate the flavours, the plaiting and thought that went into each dish. I personally loved every dish and will be back every time I’m in Calgary. What an awesome culinary experience.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Lobster Bisk

The food was hit and miss with good appetizer and bad main. I was not planning to rate this restaurant, however, the owner kept sending my phone threatening texts. The lone star is due to this behavior, otherwise the food we experience was a 2 to 2.5

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 2

Dear owner,
This review is solely our experience and does not meant to discourage or encourage people to go to this restaurant.
I do not own a restaurant and will not benefit a penny from any review whatsoever.

The note that I left below was based on a deleted owner's note.

*** Just a note added after the restaurant response. I think they mixed up different people here. On reservation, we called 5 minutes before our reservation and informed them we will be late by 5 minutes as a courtesy. When we arrived they mentioned they need the table by 6:50 which gives us a plenty of time to dine. I only meant this is not welcoming when you warn people on their time even though it is far far away.
Google review was never a social media opportunity as you cannot monetize it. To confirm I do not have any social media activity that results in a cent of revenue.
For the record, we paid the bill in full with 18% tip since the host (apparently the restaurant owner) was very polite and attending. We let them know about the issue after the payment. we did not ask for free food.
***

I adjust my review to make sure this does not result in discouraging people to attend the business in future as our experience can be an isolated one.
...
We usually do fine dining a couple of times a year especially for our anniversary. Tonight we tried the Continental based on other people reviews. Unfortunately the experience was not the best.

To start we reserved our table for 5 PM. Upon we arrived with 5 mins delay, our host told us you have to leave before 10 to 7 as they have other reservations. Fair enough but not the best welcome.

We didn't go for their 5/7 courses and did an a la carte order.

The scallops were cooked to perfection 5/5 with nice sear and translucent core.
The drinks were pretty good as well. 4 to 5
The salad was fine but nothing extraordinary 3/5.
The duck was somewhat overcooked, dry, and they could not get rid of the poultry after taste 2/5.
The rack of lamb was burned to charcoal on the fat side. The carbon taste creeped to all components of the dish and after 2 hours of having it, I still have the carbon taste in my mouth.
The salt was too pronounced as well, so high that it could make it way through the carbon taste 0/5.

We told the host and showed them the carbon (changed from the first host) about it and they said they will let the kitchen know. The first host came with the bill and when we told them about the issue they had no idea and said we should let him know beforehand so they can change it. Fair enough, however, that charcoal should not make its way to the plate in the first place. We generally don't like to ruin our anniversary with arguing on food.
Unfortunately the picture is not from the burnt fat side.
All dishes were served with the same mash and veg.
I may not visit again. Judging from the bad and good reviews, It can be a large swing between hit and miss, but appears to have more good reviews so up to people to decide.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 3

Recommended dishes: Scallop Crudo

Came on a Saturday and it was busy. Very accommodating, great drinks with attention to detail and great atmosphere. Love the John Wick theme - wait til you see what they can do with a pencil! 10/10 would recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This was kind of a strange dining experience. We decided to do the 7 course chefs tasting menu for our anniversary and it was....fine, overall. There was one standout dish on the tasting menu - the sablefish - but mostly everything else was interesting in theory but the execution was just off. The soup and salad were incredibly over salted. The tartar was brown on the edges and frozen in the middle. The foie gras came on a bone-dry piece of toast. The dessert seemed like a bit of an afterthought. Most of the menu was entirely forgettable. Not terrible, but, for the price, I expected more. Where things got a bit weird though was the service and the atmosphere of the restaurant overall. Our first waiter didn't seem to know much about wine, which is strange for a place that touts its wine pairings. For instance, when I asked "should I get the Cab Sauv or the Malbec" he said, "I like red". The bartender/occasional waiter/guy who seemed to run the whole place was knowledgeable and was clearly invested in this place, and we appreciated him, but we went long stretches without seeing anyone at all and the pacing of the menu was really bizarre. The website warns of a 2 hour dining experience but we were there for about 3.5 hours and had the first three courses come out fairly quickly, and then nothing for about 40 minutes, and no one stopped by to see how we were doing. And finally the decor. The bar area has these giant TVs, which were all on, so we were bathed in the light of a football game and some generic looping aerial drone shots of an unnamed European village turned up to maximum brightness. And can someone please explain to me why there are two armchairs in the ladies' bathroom stall next to the toilet? Who is sitting in there with me? How do you clean them? Why is there so much space in that one stall and no space anywhere else? Anyway, it was just not a great night, but I will give credit in that I will remember this anniversary forever as I think about those chairs every day for the rest of my life.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

Great! A must in Calgary!!!
Absolutely worth trying :)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Hubby and I drove from YEG to celebrate an early anniversary. I had googled fine dining Calgary (typically our go to for fine dining is Teatro they were closed for a private event) - The Continental YYC showed up and the menu of the restaurant tugged at my heartstrings.

What's even better the had bananas foster on the menu which is my favourite dessert.

We walked in and was greeted by Pierce who was kind accommodating and very knowledgeable. He encouraged us to do the seven course tasting menu. We sat at this corner table facing the window and I immediately felt like I was in Europe.

What an amazing experience! The food was delicious and the plating was simple yet elegant. My taste buds were in heaven. Every detail of this restaurant was well thought out and chosen with a purpose.

Chef Eric made the experience very personal and shared with us his story of how the Continental YYC started. A lot of restaurants do not take the time to get to know you - this was a first for us!

Our deepest appreciation to Pierce, Chef Eric and Chef Dawn for an unforgettable experience - we definitely will be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Dining here was a true delight! The atmosphere was cozy, the service was top-notch ; thank you Eric, and the food was exceptional. Every dish was beautifully prepared, full of flavor, and made with fresh ingredients. The scallops is a must-try! Don't miss out on their amazing drink selections I recommend their margarita! 10/10

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

What a find!! Cosy French restaurant with great music, fantastic service and truly excellent food. We enjoyed our anniversary dinner here and had the chef’s tasting menu with the wine pairing. We enjoyed a modern feast! First a PEI oyster as an amuse-bouche, then a lovely beet and bocconcini salad, rich vichyssoise, fantastic beef tartare, and duck breast were some of the tasty courses. We will definitely return to this fine restaurant with friends.

Dietary restrictions: They mentioned they can easily accommodate our friend who is celiac.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Amuse Bouche, Arctic Char, Beat Salad, Raspberry Sorbet, Duck Breast

If you are looking for a restaurant that will make your evening special, Continental YYC is perfect. The ambiance, food and service are impeccable ... every time you go. They make any event something to remember. Excellent!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Took my wife there for our anniversary. I gotta say we were blown away. The chef's tasting menu was perfect. This gotta be my favourite restaurant. Near the end we had a nice chat with the owners. 10 ⭐

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We have been to YYC Continental several times before and we have always enjoyed the experience. This visit was to celebrate my wife's birthday. Although it was an incredibly busy Tuesday evening Eric & Dawn pulled out all the stops to make this visit truly memorable. Thanks guys! A la prochaine!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Banana Foster, Cheesecake, Scallop Crudo, Beef Wellingtons, Lobster Bisk

We were walking in the neighborhood when we decided to stop here for a glass of wine. Ended up ordering their 5 course meal with wine Pairing.. everything from service to food was such a treat. Thanks for the nice evening.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5