Il Sogno

We decided to splurge for our fourth wedding anniversary and go some where special, we were not disappointed. We both got the chef’s special. Its a little pricy for everyday but this was a special experience. We got 4 courses plus a pre-​appetizer and a pallet cleanser before the main. The chef’s menu changes every week but the week we went was freaking awesome. I’ve never had a more delicious salad in my life. Goat cheese mousse and a bunch of other things I can’t remember. But I would seriously pay the chef to come to my house and make me that salad. The rest was good too. But oh man that salad…

Il sogno is one of my favourite restaurants… i have been there several times over the last few years and have never been disappointed. I love the ever changing menu and the deserts are always wonderful! I find the service perfect. I have to say i have usually gone during lunchtime and it has always been quiet and intimate. A gem in an unusual spot!

All good things must come to an end…
We went to Il Sogno for the first time in April 2014, we had a wonderful evening, great service and a DJ was playing great music behind the bar. The server had great conversation and he was really attentive. We loved our evening.
We returned with friends twice since then, as per our recommendation. From a newbie server who made us feel uncomfortable (lack of experience) to a bad wine recommendation. Tonight we tried one more time and that is it for us. Food was okay at best, the lamb was chewy, the service was poor and we were definitely ignored. The server started as chatty but then he would avoid coming to our table. So much so that we wondered if we had offended him. This is not a dining experience that will keep us coming back. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant only if you don’t have high expectations. It’s a hit and miss.

It took me a few minutes to locate Il Sogno, nestled around small stores surrounded by other small stores. No malls, no big block retailers that I could see. Like any big city, parking was rationed to only a few stalls. The signs were initially hard to spot, but when I did, my hopes were immediately lifted. I felt I was about to walk into that Italian Restaurant in Big Night – an out of the way jewel which couldn’t be more valuable unless Kathleen Turner nestled it between her breasts. Comparing a restaurant to that masterpiece of a film Big Night has been done before, but here it may be more appropriate.
My entrance had a lot to be desired, unfortunately, as I had been without bathroom access for about four hours. I rushed in and diverted immediately to the facilities, stepping out moments later feeling like a deflated tire. I asked for the right person, dropped the right name, and was immediately directed to the right table, assumingly. I browsed through the menu until I locked phasers on the one option I always select if given the opportunity – a tasting menu, or in this case, the chef’s surprise menu. Four courses for $ 85, actually meaning six courses as it didn’t count pallet cleansing mid-​courses or the opening amuse bouche. For those that read my review of Home Tasting Room, you’ll remember I had previously enjoyed two glasses of wine this day, which would make it two glasses this decade.
Baby steps.
However, considering I was already spending close to a 100 $ on food, I decided to opt out a third… that was until the waiter walked up and just poured a complimentary glass almost to the rim. Just like that. Ummm… alrighty then. Three glasses in as many hours, who am I, Hugh Heffner?
The décor of Il Sogno was simple, nothing terribly outlandish. Red upholstery swathing black chairs over a stained wood floor under brilliant chandeliers hanging from a patterned burgundy roof which loomed high above. The aged building is considered somewhat of a landmark at over a century old, with Il Sogno a recent arrival.
Even though the surprise menu is meant to be a… well…surprise, the eventual courses which arrived were mostly offerings off the main menu. After a lime and melon amuse bouche and the requisite bread plate, I was treated to the duck liver parfait, with caramelized shallot and caraway purée, watercress salad and pickled fennel. The parfait had a crispy sugar coating like a crème brulee. The salad was amazing. The second course was ricotta gnocchi with sautéed mushrooms, watercress, and truffle essence, and it was divine if not terribly under-​proportioned. This was followed by the obligatory sherbet pallet cleanser before moving onto the beef tenderloin with pureed and sautéed vegetables. This was good albeit once again, under-​proportioned. Finally, the dessert concluded with pannacotta with almond brittle, which although sounding simple, was one of the best deserts I’ve ever tried. By the end, the big question beckoning to be asked was if it was worth it?
Here is where things get complicated. Because at least two of the dishes were on the regular À la carte, I know their total cost to be at $ 27.90. That means the sherbet, main, and dessert have to add up to an impressive $ 52. Assuming the main was $ 32.95 – which is honestly quite expensive for that dish, that leaves 20 $ for desert and the pallet cleanser… and no, I’m not counting the wine. Tasting menus are generally supposed to be good values. Yes, you pay more, but with that is an additional level of effort, dishes you’d not normally get or value in the portions you do get. Six courses for the price of five, for example, but here, about the only thing I got over ordering À la carte was an unnecessary glass of wine, a sherbet pallet cleanser, and a spoonful amuse bouche. I could have saved about $ 20 by my guess.
Despite value under-​performing, I can still say the experience was fulfilling. The service was admirable if a little stiff, the dishes I did get were all exemplary. In my initial live postings on Il Sogno, I complimented it as the White Goose of Calgary. In truth, although Il Sogno matches the PG bistro in quality of food and service, Il Sogno betters its competition with a spiffier interior while White Goose counters in a level of culinary passion rarely seen in modern restaurants. Il Sogno is a great place to visit, though my advice is stick to À la carte.
DECOR: 8.5
PLATING: 9.5
SERVICE: 8.5
FOOD: 9
VALUE: 6
OVERALL: 8.3 out of 10

Delicious! Fun and polite staff! ¹⁰⁄₁₀! We will be back :)

Portions are tiny, and quality just isn’t there for the prices that they charge. Great service though.

The food was not bad, but not good either — very mediocre. Even with a groupon discount it was not worth it. It was not a good value. I expect something more impressive at that price point.

My wife and I went for an early December (2012) mid-​week lunch to relax, and it was a treat for both of us. The Christmas décor was up, and we spent an unhurried three hours savouring small plates (lamb meatballs, calamari) and large plates (Cornish game hen, Confit duck leg) paired with a Gruen Riesling. We shared a dessert (black fig crème brûlée). Everything was delicious!

Il Sogno is a beautiful room and has exceptional service. Unfortunately, our food was a miss. It’s not that it wasn’t good but compared to other Italian restaurants in Calgary, it is lackluster. Especially when you consider the super high price tag.

We had a ladies night at Il Sogno! Did you come? If you didnt, you missed out!
We sat at the bar and had the pleasure of being served by Mark. He was one of the most awesome bartenders I’ve met in a while. He was cool, kept conversation flowing, and looked like Jude Law. What?! YES. GO TO IL SOGNO. MEET JUDE LAW.
But the (second) best thing about Mark, was his cocktail making capabilities. Holy shebang, this man had skills! He asked us what we wanted. Being a bunch of ladies, we were indecisive and said «ah I dont know, something sweet I guess, but not too sweet.» or «Fruity. But not too fruity.» or «Sparkling is good. I guess. Oh I dont know.» And Mark took our ambiguities, crinkled his brows, grabbed some bottles, put on a magic show and presented us all with cocktails we were all delighted with.
Are you surprised we ended up referring to him as Magic Mark by the end of the night?
We tried some food as well. Zucchini fritters reminded me of the corn fritters from Chicken On the Way. But a fancier version. But our intuitive cocktails, served to us by our very own Magic Mark. were the main attractions of the night, not gonna lie.
I’ll be back for dinner. The restaurant looked fancy, and I need a bit of fancy in my life every now and then.
Review #21 of Unilocal’s 30 Day Challenge 2012

Review #9 of Unilocal’s 30 Day Challenge 2012
Ladies… so you want yourself a ladies night? Book in at the bar at Il Sogno and let Mark tease and pleasure your palate with his cocktail wiles. Whether it’s something that tickles your fancy from the menu or you’ve got something different in mind, if you sit down and tell him you’d like something with bourbon in it, you’ll likely to have your way (with the drink). When ordering from the menu, get the cocktail with cucumber in it.
Start your evening off earlier and you’ll enjoy a little happy hour as well. Not that any hour at the bar at Il Sogno is anything less than happy. If you’d like a little more than just HP snacks, might I suggest the risotto? The night I was in it was a butternut squash risotto. Soooo delicious.
There were plenty of folks coming in for dinner… groups and dates alike. But somehow, I don’t think they had nearly as much fun as we did.

November Challenge — ⁹⁄₃₀
When Sabz told me she wanted to rekindle Femme Fatale Fridays, I was like, «well why did it ever stop?! Let’s go to Il Sogno, because, because… FIVE DOLLAR WINE FRIDAY.»
So off we were to Il Sogno, and their Friday Happy Hour (it’s really not called Five Dollar Wine Friday, by the way, it’s Casual Friday). I had never been to Il Sogno, even though I lived up the hill from it for quite a while. From the moment I walked in and was happily greeted by staff, the bar and zOMG LINDA, I wondered, «why have I never been here before? This place is great!»
«Tiffany, TIFFANY, Tiffy-​pop, hehehehehe, you should ask MAGIC MARK to make you one of his Intuitive Cocktails. He’s really good!»
Well, with an introduction like that, how can I say no? Mark, the adorable and savvy bartender, asked me what I liked and didn’t like, which; let’s be real here, I don’t really have the most discerning palate when it comes to liquor. I just know that I like it. I like fruity drinks where I can’t taste the alcohol. I like fruity drinks that taste a lot like alcohol. I like scotch neat, scotch on the rocks and even though my jeans hate me later, I like beer. I like wine of all kinds. Tequila? Hells, yes. I really, really, really enjoy rum. Probably the only thing I don’t like is cheap alcohol (cheap alcohol = monumental hangover), so pretty much anything Mark was going to sling my way was something I was going to knock back with pleasure.
«Here’s a drink with syrup on the bottom, so it’ll change with every sip.»
«I like it.»
«Here’s something I’m trying out. It has carrot juice.»
«I like it.»
«Here, try this, it has burnt orange peel.»
«I like it.»
«Here, this is called a ‘Fucco.’»
«Heheheh. I like it.»
«Here, try this, it has pineapple juice.»
«I like it.»
«Here, try this, you definitely will not like it.»
«I like it.»
Between Interactive Cocktails, nommy zucchini fritters, meeting Mark and making new friends at the bar, how can I not love Il Sogno? Must come back and try them out for dinner, but FYI, the super happy fun times are happening at the bar.
(P.S. Do not order the fish special when Sabz and I are there. Oy, vey.)

It hurts to give such a lovely restaurant only a 3 star review considering all the fivers below.
The location; as other reviewers mentioned, its not in the best location, no views, a dingy empty lot in front and lots of traffic.
The main dining space is very small but it is very quaint. I wasn’t a fan of the orangey-​red curtains, but loved the antique floors and ceiling. I would say there were only maybe 15 small tables. I think there is a room for private functions further in but didn’t probe.
Our waiter was fine, but the other guy was swooning over these first timers going over specials and what have you, we were not informed of any specials and found the food came out really slow considering there were 4 tables including us.
Price points: this place is not for the cheapskate. Unless you are going to order a pasta its going to run you a pretty penny. The salads run for about $ 15 and a protein main will run you about $ 30, then there are the market prices for various seafood that will exceed that. You would expect these price points for a downtown location.
Pretentious, yes. I hate to say it, but if I am paying upwards of $ 15 for a salad, it better have organic ingredients and aged balsamic… one of the waiters was overly eager to share all the details of how the chef only uses local this or organic that, well for a $ 100 meal I would expect only the best!
I ordered the beef tenderloin with lentils and rapini. The tenderloin was absolutely wonderful, what I hated was the smokey ketchupy sauce the chef made out of «organic cherry tomatoes» that they plopped on top, it was really too much for such a lovely piece of meat. I loved the bitterness of the rapini and was not a big fan of the «beluga» lentils. Lentils are lentils man, don’t beluga me… this isn’t my first rodeo… I had lentils the night before at home and mine were superb. These were a bit on the bland side and not cooked to my preference, but passable. I would have preferred something not so gritty or starchy with the tenderloin.
Didn’t have booze or desert, and dropped a c-​note.
3.5 stars for the perfect tenderloin and delicious bread with exquisite whipped butter.

Heard alot of hype about this place for many years. Not sure it quite lived up to it. Quite a bit pricier then I was led to believe (about $ 100 each for a 1^st, second and dessert with wine) The décor was nice and the service was good too but the menu seemed kinda hit and miss. My duck confit macaroni was awesome but 2 outta 5 people at our table didn’t like their food (porkchops and risotto) and they both happened to be chefs. I thought that maybe they were just picky but after I tried both dishes I had to agree that it was nowhere near the quality it should be for the price. I would come back again if they had some sort of special but thats about it.

Il Sogno is a Ferrari dealership inside an old railway shack, surrounded by trailer parks.
Kitchen work is impeccable, and food is an example of a all but perfect American-​Italian style. As usually happens, masterpiece portion size is barely enough not to feel hungry afterwards, but that’s a common thing.
Service is excellent, a bit on a snobbish side. Understanding that Il Sogno is a $$$ restaurant, $$$$ wannabe, I can absolutely understand that. Though trying to be exquisite while sitting in a rattish corner of the old building with hopelessly dated «interior design» may look a bit comical.
But the building condition is not what drops «The Dream» from rightful four to mediocre three stars. Environment does the trick. There is a cluster of rehabs just across the bridge, and all sorts of dirty bums are constantly wondering the area. There was shattered glass from cars break-​in in a parking lot, in front of Il Sogno.
I doubt that anyone who can afford the price will get there by bus, but leaving a car on a tiny parking (or when filled up, on a nearby street) is just risky. Walking around after having a beautiful meal is simply not an option.
Get the same people and move them into a decent building, in a reasonably safe and civilized area, and Il Sogno would really be a dream to discover. But not right now.

I had the privilege to have dinner at Il Sogno tonight. I started with the Italian sausage and white bean soup. It had a tasty, spicy kick to it. Big pieces of sausage, a lot of white beans and a broth to boot.
My entrée was the braised bison short rib. WOW. I tapped it with my fork and the meat was almost coming apart. It was a «Melt in your mouth» moment. Absolutely delicious and perfectly put together with ox tail ravioli, mushrooms, a light broth, and shallots.
For dessert, I decided to avoid the sweet and have one of the staples of Italy: Cheese. It’s called the cheese tasting. I had fresh made buffalo milk mozzarella as well as piave with bread. It was accompanied by toasted almonds, poached pear and raisin purée. Delicious.
The service was friendly and attentive, and the décor was classy, well laid out and not overbearing .
I highly recommend this restaurant for anybody that appreciates real Italian food.

This is one restaurant you will not be disappointed in when thinking fine dining. Perhaps a little jaded since I know the owner, but the experience is never a disappointment when I’m looking for a great night or business lunch. The food, the staff and the ambience, leaves you wanting to come back again

I went for lunch last week with a client to Il Sogno. This establishment has been one of my favourites for a long time as the quality of the food and wine list is impeccable as is the service and ambiance.
The menu selection is small but there are choices to suit every appetite at this Italian restaurant. Portions are small so I would recommend an appetizer to accompany any entrée.
The restaurant is centrally located in Bridgeland with good parking. Whether you are looking for a romantic dinner or a place to entertain clients, you cant go wrong choosing Il Sogno.

Il Sogno it truly is one of my favorite places for fine dining. Tucked away in Bridgeland with no big signs, it’s easy to drive pass this wonderful eatery.
I went with my BF for a fancy romantic dinner before starting a 5 day cleanse :(
So this dinner was no holds bar!
They were running the BIG TASTE menu while we were there but I wanted to try items on the regular menu. The BIG TASTE menu was a really good deal for $ 35.
They have a wonderful wine selection and chose a resonably priced red at around $ 45.
After perusing the delicious menu my BF ordered the primi lamb meatballs, secondi gnocci and main lamb shank.
I had the primi calamari, secondi seasonal risotto (roasted carrot! yum!) and main beef cheeks. Everything was prepared perfectly, the calamari was tender and not over done.
Dessert was gelato, 3 different flavours, I was told by the waiter that they actually have up to 7 flavours on hand. We were so full afterward but so very content!
The atmosphere is perfect for small groups or intimate dates :)
Low light, white linens and best if all was the service!
The wait staff were excellent and knowledgeable in the food and wine and attentive, they were always filling my wine glass!
Overall, this was by far one of the best dining experience in Calgary!!!