Centini Restaurant & Lounge

Centini has been the venue for the famous Calgary Change Management Think Tank luncheons. A great atmosphere for great discussions.

Centini dinner choices included crab and avocado appetizer salad, a half portion of spaghetti with oil and garlic, and a Lobster Chef Salad. All good choices. The service was excellent, the restaurant atmosphere is nice and great for a night out. It is neither inexpensive, or overpriced. My experience was made very pleasant by my server Danny who went out of his way to accommodate some menu modifications for me.

We walked in off the street, with out a reservation on a saturday night, we were given a seat with a view of the kitchen, and of the wait staff, it was all open and very impressive. The food was amazing, the wait staff was like a well oiled machine. And the Chef/​owner was friendly and very animated, we ended up sitting there for 2 hours longer than we expected. I highly recommend Centini to anyone looking for amazing food and a great atmosphere, everything we tried was great, and the wait staff was happy to bring by samples of appetizers, i will be back, and i will be taking my friends to show off this great little gem.

I went there for a private party, and I have to say it was very good… The wine was great, and the food delicious… Nothing to complain… The service was also ok. I would definitely like to go back there to try other things on the menu…

I am still dreaming about the gnocchi I had for lunch last week… warm, chewy, tasty.

I have a lot of dietary restrictions and at most restaurants I am limited to plain chicken or salmon and steamed vegetables. Had chef Fabio found out about my concerns and prepared me my own special dinner which was one of the best I’ve ever had. He personally followed up with me to ensure I enjoyed my meal. I have a lot of business functions that I need to book venues for and Centini is now my number one place. They actually care about their guests which is nice to see.

If I could rate zero stars on this, I would.
The service we received was absolutely disgusting, so much so in fact that we didn’t make it past the bottle of sparkling water we ordered when we first sat down.
It started with the server asking us what we wanted to drink, quite rudely with no introduction or even letting us know that he was going to be our server. We had to ask him if he was serving us, if there was anything he wanted to share with us about the restaurant or specials because it was our first time there. When we asked him about wine his first response was how much we wanted to spend. At that point, we walked out.
This place is extremely overpriced and pretentious. Looking at the wait and kitchen staff, they all looked miserable, there was none of the busy kitchen vibe you should get from an open kitchen. For a place that’s supposed to be high end and romantic, the seating is very uncomfortable with way too much space between you and its extremely bright lighting which is inappropriate for what the atmosphere is supposed to be like.
Don’t go, you will be disappointed and this place should be out of business.

I have went here with my coworkers and it was absolutely fantastic! Delicious food, great service, clean and very cozy: P

This was not a good experience. The food was ok but not at the level I would expect for the prices they charge. Some of the items that we ordered were not as stated in the menu. However, the real problem was the service.
First the waiter scoffed at our selection of wine, «I guess it’s okay if you like a blend.» Even though the bottle wasn’t a blend. Next the server brought the wrong item for the first course and it took about 30 minutes for them to bring the correct item. Two of the main courses didn’t have what was listed in the menu. It’s odd to think they would serve a $ 40 seafood and dumpling dish without the dumplings. The waiter’s response was they weren’t serving dumplings tonight and asked if he could bring some lobster instead; two tiny claws.
Lastly he used some very underhanded «up selling» on us. He knew it was a birthday dinner. «I understand its a special occasion tonight, can I bring you a dessert?» I politely declined as I don’t like sweets. The server further insisted «But the chef has made something very special, it’s like a chocolate cake but a bit different. I really think you’ll like it.» It seemed to me he was saying, it’s your birthday let us give you a slice of cake. We got two pieces of what looked like chocolate jello pie, with zero plate presentation and were charged $ 24 for it.
Centini is over priced and nothing special. But if you like spending big bucks just because you can. Then maybe this is the place for you.

We were greeted by the maitre d, I looked at him and said «Hey, don’t I know you». It turns out he was an old acquaintance that I had met several years ago. I first met Gustavo (That’s his name), at the Latin Corner. It was a nice little restaurant that was located on 4^th st. S.W. Him and his wife operated this place until they decided to expand and open a larger place on the 8^th avenue stroll. (sorry, I cant recall the name).
Anyways, we were seated at our table and were still awaiting another couple to arrive.
The food is well presented, and the flavors of each entrée were spot on.
The décor is nice, and I believe they have at least two private dining areas for larger groups or office parties.
I ordered the scallops as a starter, they practically melted in your mouth. I also had the featured fish, which was red snapper tonight. The fish was delectable.
This restaurant, is a nice place to go if you’re planning on going to ATP afterwards. The ATP is located ½ a block away.
It’s a nice place to take someone for a special occasion, or a date night.
The prices although are a little on the high side. I will post a link to the restaurants website.
My overall impressions of Centini, its a nice place to go once in a while for a nice dinner. I do want to add, that on this particular night it was very busy, so if you want a quiet romantic dinner I would say ask to sit away from the main dining area.

went on sat prior to the theater — amazing. the meal was fantastic but it was the service that knocked it out of the park. will be back. was it expensive? yep — but great for a special occasion or just as a little treat every now and then.

My wife and I stopped in here as we were waiting for the doors at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra to open. We figured we would try a few appetizers before we went to the show.
All we had was the Antipasto Platter. I’m sure there are nice things on the menu but my $ 48 dud of an appetizer platter will deter me from ever trying them. It was just not good. I felt the server was pretentious and his service bordered on rude. As someone who eats lunch downtown 5 days a week I cant believe this place survives. There are so many great options within walking distance, take a pass on this place!!!

This past weekend I attended my Company Christmas Party at Centini. We’ve gone there for the past 3 years for our Christmas Parties. I have always been impressed with everything about this Restaurant (except maybe their choice in artwork, but that’s a personal opinion!).
We were in a private party room, which had such a nice atmosphere, very relaxed and quiet from the main dining area. The servers were on top of everything (as per usual), your wine, your appetizers, your cutlery, your meal. They were polite, friendly and professional.
My main course was the Penne Romanoff which was absolutely delicious. My Fiancé had the Chilean Sea Bass, which he loved, and I tasted and it was also perfectly delicious (although, for him the serving was quite small, but he’s a big eater).
I have never had to pay a bill here as our company foots the bill every year, but I can imagine this place is quite expensive. If I could afford to eat here often, I would!

Great food and great ambiance

This past Saturday I hosted my spouse’s 40^th birthday dinner for 20 people at Centini. Let me start by stating that the initial contact was very swift and professional when I was looking for a venue to host the party. The issue in Calgary is that most decent places want a full blown Contract and humongous deposit to book anything greater than eight people. I first met Krystal (Event Co-​ordinator) and viewed the possible private dining rooms (there are two) and spoke of the commercial arrangements. Wow, no Contract or deposit — just my word which seemed to be acceptable. So far so good.
The next step was meeting with Krystal to review the food options — again, I had options here NOT a set menu of beef or chicken like most other downtown Calgary establishments. We settled on a menu which was priced out and I was good to go. Centini has an in-​house pastry Chef who made a birthday cake as per a list of likes and dislikes of my spouse.
The evening arrived as did all the invited guests who started with hor derves and prosecco which everyone oohed and awed about. We then entered the private Puccini dining room and sat at a large square table and began the food journey which were appetizer, main and dessert courses.
The server was very attentive and professional in his duties with other serving reinforcement when the mains were being served that ensured a good hot meal.
Our experience at Centini was good in regards to the service, food and wine selection. The price point is higher than a majority of downtown restaurants but the ability to customize the experience and provide payment at the conclusion were pluses!
If you need a venue for an ‘event’ I would suggest Centini and Krystal.

Talk about ritzy! If I had to give ritzy a definition, I could sum it up with one word; Centini. This was by far the fanciest restaurant I’ve ever been too. It was so posh that I actually felt uncomfortable eating dinner in the place.
The restaurant had a nice ambiance though. I would say that it definitely lives up to the expectations of a high-​class restaurant. The lighting is dim, the music is soft and jazz-​like, and the decorations are expensive and classy. It really doesn’t disappoint as an extremely swanky place to enjoy a meal.
Luckily enough, I went here for a work function, so I was dressed pretty formally and wasn’t paying for the meal. I couldn’t believe it when I looked at the prices listed on the menu; I was honestly left wide-​eyed for quite some time. Since I was lucky, and wasn’t paying, I could really appreciate the place as a fancy, up-​scale restaurant. I took full advantage of the wine selection, had a pretty high-​quality steak with a pasta side, and a fancy fruity desert.
The meal was delicious, so I wasn’t as appalled by the prices, but I still think they overcharge people. I don’t think I’ll be going back to this restaurant until I win the lottery… or marry into money!

The food was ok but nothing great or that memorable. The decore was nice, but not a place that I would ever consider bringing a client back for a lunch.
Where does anyone find the justification to charge $ 11.00 for a bottle of Pellegrino, I’m not sure, but apparently Centini restaurant feels that is the associated cost of selling the bottle.
I took a client to LUNCH and the bill came to over $ 100 inclusive of a 15% tip. There was no alchohol involved, but 2 main dishes, 2 deserts, a coffee, and a bottle of Pellegrino.
Looking around at lunch it was pretty baren in there in regards to the amount of people. When I left, it was quite apparent that there was no reason for me to come back again, so I probabaly won’t.
Again, not a bad place, and the food was acceptable (only acceptable), but I wouldn’t return there again unless their prices reflected the kind of experience that I had. I would accept a $ 50 lunch bill, but $ 100 for a mediocre meal… not again.