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Exploring Calgary’s Mission District – 4th St SW

Crowded restaurant with string lights and a neon sign, people dining and socializing.

Calgary’s Mission District, originally a Francophone village called Rouleauville, was a Roman Catholic Mission established by Fathers Lacombe and Leduc. Today, it’s a bustling inner-city community with historic buildings, parks, and cafes full of European flair.  We have so many favourite food businesses here,  we thought it would be fun to share a few in case you need some inspiration to get out and explore this part of the city.

 

Let’s start at South Block Barbecue and Brewing Co + Blue Rock Swim Club at 2437 4th St. S.W.  South Block is one of 6 restaurants in Calgary owned by Block Hospitality. They feature North Carolina-style BBQ cooked slow and low over coals and then treated with tantalizing vinegar-based sauces. A large space,  it can hold up to 450 people, there’s a full brewery in the basement as well as a speakeasy called Blue Rock Swim Club. Also, this venue features live music every weekend. We love master brewer Ryan Placktis beers and they go perfectly with the barbecued “Burnt Ends” and fries.

 

Leave that North Carolina BBQ and pop next door (2435 4th St SW) and you’ll find yourself at what feels like a Parisian cafe at La Boulangerie. 15 years in business, owners Shosh and Navrot still know most of their customers by name. Their Bostocks and Kouign-Amman pastries have garnered mentions in Calgary’s Top 25 Foods. 

 

If heavenly pastries aren’t your thing, tuck into a hearty breakfast at OEB at 2207 4 St SW. OEB is short for Over Easy Breakfast. Classically-trained chef Mauro Martina opened his first OEB in a tiny, 1,000 square foot space on Edmonton Trail in 2009. Now there are over 20 spread across Canada and the U.S. Martina used his fine dining background to create sensational breakfast poutines and eggs benedicts plus perogies with duck confit with incredible farm fresh ingredients. The decor is as fresh as the food and after you order, the food will be on your table within 10 minutes. Our favourite here is the “Soul in a Bowl.”

 

Phil and Sebastian at 2207 4th St. SW is no ordinary coffee shop. The owners not only buy from coffee farms through the Americas and Africa, they also invest in those farms. Then, they bring the fermented beans to Calgary, green and frozen. They remain that way until they are roasted fresh at their East Village HQ in small batches and sold. Leave it to two U of C engineering graduates to perfect all the elements from coffee growing to roasting and serving. And if you are hungry here, try their own Hoopla Donuts with a Pour Over Coffee as we did on a recent visit. 

 

Across the street at 2206 4th St. SW, is Peasant Cheese, our favourite place to stock up on handmade, artisanal cheese, charcuterie and breads. They not only sell these but have a daily sandwich and soup as well. It’s a great spot to stock up for a picnic or night of Netflix. Don’t leave without trying our favourite cheese, le 1608 or some Smoked Bison. 

 

Slipping down the block, at 2224 4th St SW is one of our favourite lunch or fine dining Italian dinner spots, Mercato Mission. Owned by the same family for over 50 years, it was originally an Italian market until the business moved to this location in 2005. Now a premiere steakhouse and primo Italian restaurant, if you are lucky you might even spot a celebrity and our Calgary Flames NHL hockey players. We love Mamma Cathy’s Arancini and washing them down with a little something from the all-Italian wine list.

 

Speaking of wine, Vin Room at 2310 4th St SW is renowned for their wine. They believe that taste in wine is as diverse as the people trying the wine. So, they offer 80 wines by the 1-ounce sample. Their food pairs perfectly.  The tapas small plates are just made for eating while you sip. We love the Surf and Turf which is a Braised Beef Cheek and Piri Piri Prawn on the ultimate comfort food; polenta. In the summer, bring your pooch to their pooch-friendly patio. They have a special treat for them! And, if you are leaving from the International Terminal at YYC, check out their airport location. 

 

This is just a small sample of the offerings in Calgary’s Mission District. We also love:

  • Fleur de Sel
  • Little Italia
  • Shokunin
  • Aida’s Kitchen
  • Carino
  • Bin 905
  • Yann Haute Patisserie
  • Rajdoot
  • Park by Sidewalk Citizen

 

Finding food on 4th St SW? It’s Mission Possible!  Alberta Food Tours offers private tours of Mission and several other of Calgary’s incredible food districts. Reach out to us at [email protected] to set up a tour for your group of 10 or more. 

 

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