Escoba Bistro & Wine Bar

Escoba is wonderful. The food is tasty, always cooked well, and the portions are ample. Be warned that the starter soups are huge! They currently have a wine on sale for half price (bottle or glass) every night while oil prices are low.

As usual, we had a awesome experience at Escoba! We stopped in for dinner on Friday night before the Theater with some friends. Service was excellent, food was top shelf. Three of our guests were first time visitors to the restaurant and everyone said it was their new destination downtown. Huge compliments on the mushroom soup and the tenderloin. Can’t beat the half price feature wine either. It was a petit sirah if I recall and was supremely cheerful.

Amazing food and amazing service! We went as a group of 8 for our work dinner. They made sure that each one of us got exactly what we wanted. The beef tenderloin was delicious and definitely a favorite among my coworkers! We had dessert and tea after while we chatted and they made sure to check on us if we needed anything. A great place to bring a big group and guaranteed you’d all leave happy and full.

Power Hour Pleasure
Escoba has been in existence for over 20 years. It is one of my favorite restaurants for lunch in downtown Calgary. The food, service and ambiance are absolutely excellent.
The word «Escoba» means «broom» in Spanish and I’m not sure how it applies to the restaurant but I can tell you one thing for sure… if you plan on eating there for lunch you need to make a reservation. The place goes from empty to full in about 10 minutes between 12 noon and 12:15pm. The hostess greets you with military (but friendly) precision asking if you have a reservation and what time. Then one of the staff shows you immediately to your table.
I have never had a bad meal and the Mushroom Soup is one of the best I have tasted anywhere. Pair that with a mixed greens salad and a perfectly grilled piece of 3 oz or 6oz salmon and you have an awesome lunch. The menu has a wide variety of full dishes and tapas including delicious pastas.
The service is quick and friendly (thanks Savannah for doing an awesome job!) and the interior is warm and comfortable. You simply can’t go wrong at Escoba, unless of course you forget to make a reservation. Even with the official declaration of a recession in Calgary, this place is still full.

We tried this for dinner last night. While waiting for our dining companions the staff were attentive and fun. Once we’d decide on drinks (half carafe of red for each couple suggested as an instead of full bottle) nice option more than a glass for the one not driving! Appetizers were ordered and there was a good selection and sharing options. Dietary restrictions were considered and even confirmed by the chef, thanks brad! The mains were plentiful without being excessive. The apple wild berry crumble was a hit as were the truffles and port. I’d definitely recommend and go there again. One note watch seat four in the corner table there’s a hole in the floor and the chair legs fits in nicely.

The service was excellent! I went there with a reservation for 6, but wound up with 7 people, and they were immediately accommodating. They gave us food recommendations that allowed us to try a variety of dishes. The food was so rich and flavourful. They made a mistake on one of my friends’ orders, and gave her a free soup while she waited for the fix, plus a free dessert afterward. Truly top-​quality restaurant service. :)

Took some friends to Escoba last night. The food was fantastic and enjoyed by all. If you looking for a restaurant that has great food and excellent service, you will want to keep Escoba on your list.
Reid

I booked Escoba for a bridal shower solely based on pictures so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect however the manager: Laurel O’Leary and her staff made the bridal shower an event to remember. During the booking process, Laurel O’Leary was very accommodating. She was very quick to respond to my inquiries and she was also kept me informed about all costs associated with planning the event at her establishment so there were no surprises on the day of the event. I was very impressed by this classy restaurant. The ambience was very warm and cozy. The staff was warm and welcoming. During the decoration process, the staff made the bridal team feel comfortable and offered their assistance anyway they could. The assisted us with putting up balloons, setting up a disco ball, putting pictures of the bride up on screen and so many other things. They were very patient with us and accomodated all our impromptu requests like accommodating additional guests that we weren’t expecting. The food was absolutely amazing. The private space we occupied remained private. The waiters were very patient during the ordering and payment process. Overall, I must say that I was very impressed with Laurel & her team. I will definitely be back to this venue for the next party I plan. Thanks again Laurel! You definitely contributed to making the bride’s day special. I hope to see you soon.

Upon walking into Escoba’s eclectic and well designed space, your expectations are high. Upon perusing the menu, you’ll notice a wine list that has premium prices with food that is very reasonable.
I choose a Spanish red I was familiar with and the waitress insisted we try the «sampler» starter. I didn’t like half the choices on the starter which sounded like a chain with meatballs, calamari, etc, She kept insisting it was excellent and pushing it. Ignoring her pseudo hipster academic tone, I inquired about the pakoras and she said they were excellent. In fact they ended up with a the best thing we had.
We ordered a pizza and pasta and both were average. Honestly they tasted like the typical Sysco supplied prefab menu items. I’d take clients here in the future as the noise level was low and I could hear all conversation, which has become a luxury as of late.
My only other complaint was about the training of the waitstaff;
1. Don’t ask your customer what they’re doing the rest of the night, it’s none of your f — ing business when I’m paying close to $ 100 plate.
2. Don’t serve pasta with a spoon unless the customer asks for one. It’s tacky and uncouth. The spoon was under the pasta and I had to eat around it to prevent making a huge mess… Awkward!
In summary, Escoba is an average eclectic resto in an every growing field of competitors. I found it very unoriginal for the prices paid.

This place has everytging figured out. Whether for lunch or dinner the food and service is amazing.
They understand the downtown lunch crowd (aka I NEED to be out of here in under an hour) and the prices are completely reasonable given the quality of food.
Despite the exterior (hello Verns) it is gorgeous and ambient inside. Perfect for a lunch date or reservation to impress your clients.
Highly highly recommend.

One of the best Steaks I have had in Calgary has been in Escoba. This beautiful place on 8 Ave where the servers and the chef clearly know what they are doing!
Definitely going back!

Great atmosphere, food and service. I ordered the smoked duck breast with pulled pork hash and my coworker ordered the seafood paella. Delicious and great portions. I also loved that they were playing a lot of Radiohead.

It was a quiet evening. The service was prompt and pleasant.
We shared the charcuterie plate and seafood paella. Both were good especially the duck on the charcuterie plate. There was lots of seafood on the paella and the broth was tasty.
Husband had cookies and cream dessert which was essentially a lava cake with ice cream with a crispy crust. It was good, served at the perfect time.

We visited Escoba on a recommendation from a friend. We truly enjoyed the casual ambiance and the request for a nice seat by window was met :)
The menu has a lot of variety and upon everyone’s Unilocal recommendation of the spring rolls — we had to have them! So we started with those and the charcuterie platter. Our appetizers were tasty and enjoyable.
For dinner we ordered the seared ahi tuna and the duck two ways. Entrees were just ok. Nothing that was memorable for us. Tasty but nothing crazy!
I would have been happier enjoying more appetizers so thus we will be back to do just that!
They do have an extensive wine list but wasn’t in the mood for a glass but if you are a wine lover, they have a great menu!

This would have been a 5 star review if the service had been as stellar as the delicious food and beautiful, modern, clean space of the restaurant.
I liked the location too as we found parking on the street without issue on a Sat night.
This was the first choice of restaurant for the birthday boy and I was also anxious to try it out. We like any place with Spanish Flair and the menu read well on line. Escoba is listed on line as Mediterranean Comfort Food but I found many of the ingredients to be more Spanish. The word Escoba is also Spanish meaning, «Broom».
I would have to recommend the Ahi tuna Carpacchio and Prawn Ceviche.
Really fresh, great quality ingredients. We also ordered the Seafood Paella which was a big hit and the Red pepper pasta. Both were perfectly cooked, seasoned and presented very nicely. The shrimp in the dishes were of star quality — fresh tasting and not overcooked.
For dessert, we shared the Tiramisu with raspberry sauce on the side. It was quite good but hubby said it does not hold a candle to Famoso’s Tiramisu. He ended his meal with a cappuccino which was small but otherwise tasty.
The server at times would be disconnected — forgetful, inattentive, spoiled a small birthday surprise at the table but she seemed to be a nice girl so perhaps it was an off night. She also should know not to carry the pepper grinder under her armpit. (Health Code Violation) We also saw some delicious looking bread on a table next to us with oil and vinegar and asked if we could try some too and the answer was no, they do not usually do that. Odd. I guess maybe that is just for regulars? Kind of uncool.
I had requested a nice table for this occasion and we were seated next to where all the coats of guests were hung which meant people were inches from us quite often, coming and going. Not great for privacy.
The only other thing would be the music — it was. different, had a strange beat. I would have loved instead some Spanish guitar music in the background or similar.
Nothing special is done for birthdays here other than candles placed in the dessert that you will pay for but that was fine.
TIP — As of May 1, 2014, this restaurant is not taking Open Table resos — they will only be accepting them on their own website. (
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A worthy meal experience but expect without drinks to shell out over $ 100 for 2 people.

Went there this Saturday for dinner with a bunch of friends, absolutely loved it! Great atmosphere, we felt very comfortable hanging out, and enjoying our wine during/​after dinner. One of the girls with us is celiac, and our waitress, Niki, was great at letting her know what was gluten free, and what they could make gluten free for her. The service, and management there is phenomenal. My friend wasn’t completely satisfied with her duck, (she didn’t know the differences between how they were cooked) they were more than accommodating for her. I’ve never really been to a place that actually listens to the customer, and rectifies the situation that easily.
The food was amazing, we had a bit of everything, steak, salmon, and duck. All of it was prepared perfectly, and the plating was nice. I would definitely go back again.

Absolutely fantastic restaurant in downtown Calgary! I come here frequently for lunch with clients and colleagues, and everyone has walked back to work happy. Who doesn’t love a lunch that starts with a wine sample?!?
I almost always have the Escoba salad with prawns — one day I will venture out and come for dinner! Last week, I also had the seafood chowder — it was perfect! Lovely on a cold winter day!

Super! I attended a company Christmas function here. The place was dedicated to us. But I believe on an ordinary day it would be the same. The appetizers, entrees and desserts were delicious and nicely presented. The service was impeccable, really superior. Your wine glass was never empty no matter which room you were in. For a large crowd ordering went smoothly, tables were served completely before moving on, so table etiquette could be maintained. Coat checks went smoothly. It was really impressive give the large crowd filled restaurant.
Kudos to the staff and management. a job well done made for an enjoyable evening. I would definitely recommend this place for a company function or a quiet couple’s meal.
Oh and when it is cold outside, there is a nice heated parking garage across the road, Centennial Parking.

It has been a few years since I have been here… the first time was a private party with appetizers only which didn’t really give me a complete feel for the place. It was well done but not the regular experience intended.
However I recently checked out Escoba for lunch. Impressed! The service was fantastically attentive despite the place being absolutely packed. And as another reviewer mentioned, even when it is busy, you still feel like you have your own cozy personal space.
I like just about everything but I was dining with a fish eating vegetarian (whatever they are called) so she did the ordering. We opted to try 4 appetizers (Risotto balls, crab cakes, prawns and butternut squash ravioli) and split a roasted vegetable salad. Because our table was small, they put three of the appetizers on one plate — nice to see they could adjust presentation for table size. The food came in three waves which was nice too. The crab cakes and risotto balls were my favorite but everything was truly delicious. The roasted vegetable salad was huge and had a lot of great, well thought out flavours and ingredients.
There are a lot of other (meaty) things I’d love to try so I’ll be coming back. I love that I can make a reservation online (note to restaurants: if you aren’t allowing that yet at your place, you are doing it wrong). My only issue with my first visit was how I did need to wait in a bit of a traffic jam at the door while people ahead were seated… it was a bit confusing) and also at the peak of lunch it was so loud it was hard to hear my friend talk… we were yelling. Something I’d expect at a pub, not a quaint restaurant. But it could be that given the time of year, people were perhaps a but more «festive spirit» hence the noise.

Escoba is one of my favorite restaurants in Calgary. The food is unbelievable, but really, I think what keeps me coming back moreso is the ambience.
When you walk in, it is rustic with lots of stone and tile. The back wall in the dining room also has its unique flair with the wall made out of wine corks. Nice touch! The lighting is slightly dim and the restaurant always smells amazing. Even though it may be jam packed in there (which it usually is over a lunch hour), for some reason, I don’t feel crowded in there at all. The tables are spaced in a way that you are not in each other’s space. I have always felt relaxed and unrushed, despite the hustle and bustle of a popular lunch place.
I have been to Escoba for dinner a few times, but the majority of my visits have been over a lunch hour, since it is located very close to my office. I went to Escoba with 8 colleagues on Friday and we had yet an unbelievable meal.
Some of my favorites on their menu are the Poached Pear Salad. I am stealing the verbiage off the menu to make sure I don’t leave anything out. It comes with: Poached pears, golden beets, pickled red onions, manchego cheese with rhum vinaigrette & crispy Prosciutto. Yep, it tastes as good as it sounds! You can also for $ 7 have a protein added. Today, I had the lemon prawns, which were delicious. They weren’t chinsy either. I got about 8 large prawns with my salad.
The soup of the day today was Beef Barley Soup, and it was flavorful and thick — almost like a stew. Since the soup was heartier than I expected, the soup and salad actually stuffed me, to the point where I had to say «no» to dessert.
Our group also tried four of the appetizers, which included: their award-​winning springrolls (Oven baked, feta, toasted almonds, spinach with sweet chili aioli sauce), as well as crab cakes (Rock crab, sweet roasted corn, house made guacamole & chipolté aioli), beef carpaccio (fresh bread sticks, sundried tomato pesto, tapenade, arugula with balsamic drizzle) and stuffed pimento peppers (eggplant caviar, feta cheese, kalamata tapenade over basil oil). All appetizers tasted even better than they sound. Everything was fresh, delicious and rich with flavor.
If you are on the west side of downtown, Escoba is a gem. It is a little on the pricer side, but absolutely worth it if you are looking to treat yourself.
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