From Rome to Calgary: Why This New Italian Restaurant Is Already a Contender for Best Restaurant in Calgary

28-04-2026

There is a particular kind of magic that happens when a chef decides to stop compromising. You can taste it in the first bite of a hand-rolled pasta. You can feel it in the warmth of a dining room that treats you like family rather than a reservation number. And you can certainly see it in the confident, unhurried way that Top fine dining Restaurants carry themselves—like they have been here all along, even when they are brand new.

La Torino, Calgary’s most exciting new restaurant in Calgary, embodies that magic from the moment you walk through its doors. Nestled in the heart of our city, this gem does not announce itself with flashy gimmicks or overblown concepts. Instead, it invites you in with something far more rare: sincerity. The kind that comes from chefs and servers who genuinely love what they do.

Breaking Down the Menu: Where to Start

Let me save you some indecision. When you first visit La Torino—and trust me, you will want to visit more than once—start with the antipasti. These are not afterthoughts or filler courses. They are tiny, glorious declarations of intent. Think creamy burdana drizzled with aged balsamic, or thin slices of cured meat that melt on your tongue like edible poetry. Each plate is designed to be shared, though you will be tempted to hoard every last bite for yourself.

Then comes the decision that separates casual diners from true connoisseurs: pizza or pasta? The answer, happily, is both. La Torino has quickly gained a reputation as the best pizza and pasta restaurant in the city, and that reputation is well earned. Their pizzas emerge from the oven with a crust that crackles, bubbles, and yields in all the right places. The sauce is bright and garlic-kissed without overpowering the toppings. And the pasta? Handmade daily, rolled with the kind of care that takes years to master.

What Puts La Torino Among the Top 5 Italian Restaurants in Calgary

Calgary has no shortage of Italian eateries. We have the red-sauce joints of our childhoods, the trendy modern spots with deconstructed classics, and the reliable chains that serve consistency if not inspiration. But being counted among the Top 5 Italian restaurants in Calgary requires something more. It requires soul.

La Torino has soul in spades. You hear it in the live jazz that drifts through the dining room on special event nights. You taste it in the wine—carefully selected bottles from their enviable Italian Wine Collection, each one chosen to complement rather than compete with the food. And you see it in the faces of the staff, who light up when describing a dish or recommending a pour from the list of best wines near me for your particular palate.

For the Love of Italian Wine

Speaking of wine, let us take a moment to appreciate what La Torino has built behind that bar. Their Italian Wine Collection is not an afterthought or a tacked-on list of popular labels. It is a living, breathing testament to Italy’s diverse wine regions. From the bold, tannic power of a Barolo to the crisp, seaside minerality of a Vermentino, there is a bottle here for every course and every mood.

When you search for the best wine near me, you are really searching for an experience—a glass that elevates your meal from satisfying to unforgettable. La Torino understands this. Their staff can guide you through the collection with the ease of sommeliers twice their age, offering tasting notes and pairing suggestions that never feel pretentious. Ask for a red to accompany their hearty meat ragu, and they will point you toward something structured and age-worthy. Want a white for their seafood antipasti? They have a Falanghina that will change how you think about Italian whites.