Belgo Brasserie 501

Bar, Eatery

501 8 Ave SW
Calgary, Alberta, T2P 1G1
Canada

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.32
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
5
pDev:
4.86%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of wordemupg
Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)

4/5  rDev -7.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5
I've been here a couple of times for a quick pint and they had a decent selection of Belgians (for Calgary) and several randoms. The beer list was decent but be prepared to bust the bank. I was there recently for the Co-op beer dinner with Erdinger and it was quite nice. The beers were average but the food was world class, 4 courses with hanger steak as the main. What the hell is hanger steak you ask? well its a cut of meat from the diaphragm of a steer and was often called the butchers cut because that's the meat they took home with them. Well lets just say it was tender and tasty and even impressed my stuck up food snob 4 years in Australian culinary school never liked a Canadian meal in her life girlfriend. So at the end of the day this is a special occasion place for me when it comes to a meal, but for a pint of decant beer a quick stop may be in order.
Mar 25, 2011
Photo of rdrummer
Reviewed by rdrummer from New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3 | food: 5
This was my first visit to Calgary, in fact the first time I've set foot in Alberta. I read the reviews of the Brasserie before I left home so it was the first stop on my list. I had a great time here on St. John de Baptiste day. It was a louder than my wife and mother appreciate but I thought it was fun.

I hardly know how to rate the place because in Philadelphia we have so many superb Begian bar/restaurants. I didn't want to downgrade a Calgary restaurant compared to a Philadelphia location so I tried to empty my mind, which becomes surprising more easy with each passing year.

First, I loved the look and feel of the place. It was modern, casual, great beer paraphenalia. There were multiple levels, and we were seated on the second level overlooking the bar area. I was surprised that all the beers I drank came not only with the proper glassware but the proper coaster as well. The beer was great and served at the proper temperature, both draft and bottle.

I had a problem with the selection. The beer list, short but of good quality, mixed draft and bottle indiscriminately, never mentioning what beers were on tap. In addition, the Trappist beers on the list, Chimay and Orval, had not been in stock for two years or more. I wondered why a new list could not be printed in that time. After spending two weeks in Alberta, I realized that the selection is probably better than any other place but I can't get over the problems I felt while trying to order.

The food and the service were both exceptional. A very friendly waitress with a great knowledge of the beer and the food. We had a number of different appetizers and entrees, and there was not a loser in the bunch. I especially loved the porkloin with boar bacon served with a chorizo and navey bean cassoulet and pear chutney was worth the trip, alone. We enjoyed the pea soup and the charcuterie, which had several pates, a venizon salami, and chicken with all of the fixings including flat bread.

As noted in other reviews, it is not cheap to eat or drink here, but compared to other cities, the bill seemed comparable. Of course, I was on vacation, and not worried too much about the cost.

I thought the Brasserie was definitely worth a visit if you are anywhere near Calgary.
Jul 13, 2007
Photo of Cwrw
Reviewed by Cwrw from Canada (AB)

4.43/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I had been meaning to get down to this place a long time ago, and I finally made it a couple of weeks ago. Glad I did. This is located right off Stephen Avenue at the east side of Penny Lane Mall. An extremely large restaurant, Belgo is. Upon entering one can see that there are two levels: the bar is on the right with all the Belgian glassware behind it, and elegant looking stairs lead up to a cavernous upstairs. There are some comfortable lounge chairs in one area, and a small outdoor area with tables. The decor is fantastic, very ritzy. Dark woods and a lovely ceiling. I went upsairs just to look and Belgo's size astonished me: seating for probably 100 people upstairs alone. A very comfortable restaurant, very attractive.

There are about 10-12 taps at the bar with the good stuff: De Koninck, Leffe, Erdinger, BelleVue Kriek, and the usual Belgians such as Stella and Hoegaarden. A couple domestics too. The bottled selection is more rewarding, though expensive. La Chouffe, La Fin Du Monde, Orval, Chimay Blue, Affligem, and some others. Every beer was served in proper, clean glassware. The waitresses are courteous and prompt. Service was good. I did not try the food although the menu looked very good. The only con about this place is, as others before me have mentioned, the price. Chimay Blue and Orval are $15. Some of the others were $12. The draught beers are cheaper obviously. Definitely the best selection for Belgians in Calgary.

Not a place I would visit regularly due to price, but well worth a visit once in a while. I quite liked it.
Aug 15, 2006
Photo of atigerlife
Reviewed by atigerlife from Hawaii

4.3/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I was in Calgary for a meeting and made sure I checked out this place. I was there for lunch. Very conveniently located.

It is obviously upscale. Very nice. Very high ceiling with very nice decor. Quite impressive looking. About 10 seats at the bar and plenty of tables. Quite a large place. 2 floors. Lots of wood.

Service was very good and attentive. All beer was served in the appropriate glassware and with matching coaster. A very nice touch. Unfortunately, my beer was served much too cold.

The beer selection is very good. They have a separate beer menu with +/- 25 beers to choose from. Around 10 on tap. Some of their selection includes: Affligem, Hoegarden, Karameliet, Chimay, Stella, Konkanee, Becks, Orval, La Chouffe, Endinger, Maudite, Kwak, Fruli, Belle-vue Kriek.

I wasn't that hungry, so I only had the french onion soup. Served in a fancy way. It was good, but too salty for my taste buds.

Overall, a very nice place and defnitely worth trying.
Jun 03, 2006
Photo of stangelj
Reviewed by stangelj from Czech Republic

4.63/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Belgo is a new restaurant in downtown Calgary serving Belgian and French cuisine. It's definitely an upscale restaurant and pricey, but we don't have many (any) nice places in Calgary that also server great beer. Their beer menu has about 22 different, mainly Belgian style beers on it. We decided to try it out for a nice Valentine's dinner on the Saturday before Valentine's Day. The food was excellent with most entrees in around the $30 range. The atmosphere was great with lots of dark wood and modern furnishings. Most of the people working there including our waiter had French accents which adds a bit of authenticity to the place. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful with the menu and beer choices.

But, onto the beer! Prices ranged from a reasonable $6 for a De Koninck or Belle-Vue Kriek to a fairly unreasonable $12 for an Orval or Chimay Bleue. Everything else was in between. I had a Maudite for $6.75 and my wife had a Kwak for $8. Both were poured pretty close to the proper temperature and in the proper branded glassware (the Kwak in the great Kwak Coachman's glass with a wooden holder). The waiter mentioned a recent newspaper review where they were called out for serving the beer too cold, and they were trying to serve it at the proper temperature.

Other beers on the list included Blanch de Chamblay, Delerium Tremens, La Chouffe ($15 for a 750 ml bottle), Fruli, Leffe Blonde, Triple Karmeliet, Affligem Blonde, La Fin Du Monde, as well as a few premium lagers and other fair. All in all the best selection of beers that suite my tastes in Calgary. They were also very open to suggestions for other beers to carry that are available in Alberta, we suggested St. Bernardus Abt 12. The waiter checked on that one though and said they would like to carry it, but won't until they can get the proper glassware for it.

All in all it was a great evening and we will definitely come back for special occasions. I'll also go there for lunch from time to time as I work in the downtown area.
Feb 18, 2006
Belgo Brasserie 501 in Calgary, AB, Canada
Place rating: 4.32 out of 5 with 5 ratings