The restaurant business is highly competitive. Trends change quickly.
One day, your restaurant is the next best thing to sliced bread, and the next day, you are as appreciated as an alarm clock on a weekend.
But since the beginning of the pandemic we have seen many Alberta restaurants reinvent themselves beyond trends and offer wonderful tasting healthy food options.
And now the rewards for their hard work are now being recognized.
In honour of the desire for healthier eating, OpenTable announced its inaugural Top 100 Healthy Bites in Canada for 2024 list.
The online restaurant reservation company’s list showcases the best restaurants in the country specializing in healthy dining options.
And seven Alberta restaurants made the cut!
Alberta’s Top Seven
The OpenTable list was carefully curated and is based on an extensive analysis of over 1.1 million diner reviews on OpenTable.
The key factors needed to make the list included the proportion of reviews that emphasize ‘healthy’ dining, overall diner ratings, and the frequency of five-star reviews.
Highlighting a diverse range of culinary styles, from vegan and plant-based eateries to seafood-centric and farm-to-table experiences, this list celebrates the creativity and variety of healthy dining options in Alberta and across Canada.
If you’ve made healthy eating part of your 2024 resolutions and want to move beyond burgers and fries, then check out these great home-grown dining options.
Calgary
Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant
The Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant, situated at the end of Bow Bottom Trail SE in the picturesque Fish Creek Provincial Park, is renowned as one of the finest dining establishments in Calgary.
Housed in the beautifully restored Ranche House, this restaurant stands as a magnificent historical landmark.
It offers an upscale Canadian menu featuring an array of sophisticated dishes, including bison, elk, and seafood, which are contemporary interpretations of Alberta’s regional cuisine.
Esteemed for its exceptional ambiance, the Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant is perfect for any occasion, blending historical charm with modern culinary excellence.
It has earned significant recognition, including a place among OpenTable’s top 100 restaurants in Canada.
Additionally, its old-fashioned veranda has been voted as one of the best outdoor dining experiences in the country.
Broken Plate Greek Restaurant
Calgary’s Broken Plate Greek Restaurant, nestled in the vibrant Willow Park area, has been a cornerstone of the local culinary scene for 20 years.
Originating from a humble family affair, the restaurant has its roots in cherished recipes handed down from Yaya, the Greek word for grandmother.
Over the years, Broken Plate has evolved, mirroring the transformation seen in the Greek culinary landscape itself. This evolution reflects a blend of contemporary innovation and a deep reverence for the warm culture and traditions of Greece.
The restaurant has dedicated itself to fostering intimate relationships with its guests, creating an atmosphere that’s both welcoming and rich in heritage.
Broken Plate consistently ranks on lists of top restaurants in Calgary.
River Cafe
The River Cafe in Calgary offers an extraordinary dining experience set in the enchanting environment of Prince’s Island Park, surrounded by the serene beauty of the Bow River and lush trees.
This remarkable setting is matched by the restaurant’s deep commitment to environmental stewardship and its dedication to using exclusively Canadian and local ingredients.
Ingredients like grains and canola oil from Highwood Crossing, as well as pork and beef from Black Diamond Land & Cattle, are a testament to this commitment.
The rustic décor of the dining room, with its exposed wood, stone, and brick, along with vintage sports equipment, evokes the ambiance of local fishing lodges and mountain resorts.
This atmosphere is contrasted by the modern backdrop of Calgary’s business centre skyscrapers visible across the Bow River.
Chef Scott MacKenzie leads the culinary journey with fast-evolving menus that seamlessly blend rural flavours and urban finesse. The menus are characterized by seasonal offerings, reflecting the quality of ingredients sourced from local farmers, purveyors, and coastal fishermen.
River Cafe was listed at number 22 on Canada’s Top 100 restaurants for 2023.
Ten Foot Henry
TenFoot Henry describes itself as “an all-day neighbourhood eatery that boasts bold new North American cuisine and vegetable-anchored dishes. Ten Foot Henry bridges the gap between what you should be eating and what you really want to eat.”
Located in Calgary’s Beltline, near downtown, the restaurant has also been included in OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants in Canada.
Banff
Sky Bistro
The Sky Bistro, perched atop Sulphur Mountain in Banff, offers a unique dining experience that blends culinary delight with awe-inspiring natural beauty.
At an altitude of over 2,200 meters above sea level, it is only accessible via the Banff Gondola, ensuring an adventurous start to the dining experience.
Guests are treated to breathtaking views of six Rocky Mountain ranges, providing a dramatic backdrop to their meal.
The bistro’s menu is a tribute to Canadian cuisine, featuring a diverse range of ingredients sourced from the country’s ocean coasts and the prairies.
The Sky Bistro stands out not just for its food but for offering a mountain-top dining experience that is both exhilarating and serene, allowing guests to savour both the food and the panoramic vistas at the same time.
Jasper
Raven Bistro
The Raven Bistro in downtown Jasper offers “Mediterranean fusion fare with local flair that blends fresh ingredients to create memorable, quality dishes served in an intimate environment.”
The Raven has long been a favourite with locals and tourists alike.
No stranger to awards, the bistro was included in OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants in Canada.
Heartland Cafe
Heartland Cafe, situated in a historic church constructed in 1902, is no slouch regarding awards.
Besides this most recent recognition by OpenTable, the cafe was also included in OpenTable‘s list of the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in Canada for the years 2022 and 2023.
And Heartland Cafe is no fly-by-night operation. The cafe has been around for 23 years. It is a favourite destination for diners in Okotoks, serving “traditional, healthy, flavorful recipes derived from whole food cooking, created with high-quality ingredients without additives or preservatives.”
The next time you are out and about and looking for a restaurant outing that combines a fantastic experience with healthy and tasty food, head over to one of these great Alberta restaurants!
