The Highwood

Name: The Highwood
Address: 1301 16 Ave NW, Calgary, AB T2M 0L4, Canada, M, Canada

4.6/5 ★ based on 8 reviews

Contact The Highwood

Address :	1301 16 Ave NW, Calgary, AB T2M 0L4, Canada
Phone :	📞 +88
Website :	http://www.sait.ca/hospitality
Categories :	Restaurant ,
City :	M
Description :	Upscale culinary-school restaurant serving à la carte lunch & 5-course dinners prepared by students.

1301 16 Ave NW, Calgary, AB T2M 0L4, Canada

Best Restaurant in Canada

G	Gurpal Singh on Google ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ We went to The Highwood thinking it would be as great as our first time there but sadly it wasn't. The staff are amazing and the students working there are awesome. However the main problem is how overpriced the menu is and what you get for it. We ordered the filet mignon and we were very disappointed with it. The portion size was extremally tiny and this is the same problem for basically all their main courses. Our bill was unbelievable as we felt that our money was not well spent here. In fact when we left we were still hungry and even had to stop at McDonalds just to feel full because our portion sizes were so small. Don't get me wrong the staff here are not the problem , they're amazing. However with the overpricing of the menu and what your get, it's safe to say that we won't be coming back again.
J	Jeff Marsh on Google ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Okay honestly the Highwood is just not what it used to be pre-pandemic. Yes the whole environment is about culinary students learning their craft. But in the past there was such a high degree of supervision that even though the students were learning on the fly the service was still exquisite. Having been here now once for each of lunch and dinner since Highwood reopened in 2022 I have to say that the service is pathetic and I'm not sure that the students are actually learning good practices as opposed to coping on the job given that there seems to be minimal supervision and no guidance provided. The change to a commonplace à la carte individually priced menu is also not particularly welcome as there's now even less to distinguish the Highwood experience from that of any other restaurant. Hopefully as it spins back up the Highwood will reclaim the greatness it once had but set your expectations accordingly should you choose to visit in the next little while
E	E Chan on Google ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Parking was free after 6pm and there were lots of available spots close by (thats good when outside was -35!). When you walk in it does not feel like a school. The restaurant had giant pillars that made me feel like i was on a cruise ship. Some corners of the room were very dark and there was no table lighting. We knew this place was for students to gain real life experience but the server that we had seemed shockingly inexperienced to the point that was quite entertaining. We sat at the table for 15 minutes waiting for the rest of our party and didnt get a menu to peruse. The waiter would ask a question and when answered in the positive would have to leave then come back to do the task. If youre looking for good service for the price or have low patience this might not be for you. That being said, our server was polite and you could tell he was trying his best. The food was good (slighty under salted for my taste) but portion sizes were reasonable. The desserts were a perfect ending as they were exceptional (sorry no pic cuz they were so good). A little bit on the pricey side being $50 per person and does not have a kids menu. An extra main was $20. Overall I left full and satisfied.
S	Sean 'DJ' Vaditron on Google ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The whole experience was not so good, and we definitely won't go back. The bread was from last week's class... Hard and chewy. Appetizers were OK. The soup (the one in the cappuccino cup) and salad were fantastic. The main dishes were great. My steak was cooked perfectly, but I just did not like the big chunk of deep fried hash brown with my steak cause it made my steak extra heavy. The deserts were beautiful but tasted terrible. I could not even finish one third of mine and I tried! Very bad way to finish the meal to be honest. The server never asked us how things were, and the two times that I mentioned something, nothing changed. At the end they almost charged us for another table by mistake. I caught it only because I always check my bill and felt like it was a lot higher. So, two stars because four out of seven (bread, dessert, service, and the value) were fail for us. I understand they are students, but when I pay over $110 for two, I start to expect high quality and good service.
K	Kaley MacKenzie on Google ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ We had a very nice evening served by polite and attentive servers. We enjoyed the pork belly bao to start, salmon entree and lamb chop entree. Meals were prepared to perfection as I asked for my fish to be well done. The lamb had balanced flavors and tender. Finished with the chocolate cherry tart. We can't recommend the highwood enough. Please remember these are students learning and practicing their trade.
S	Savoury Delights on Google ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Great establishment to introduce older kids to their first fine dining experience without feeling as if you're the breaking the bank!??
C	CHN Hoan on Google ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ We finally got a chance to check this place out (open after covid restrictions were lifted). The overall experience was decent. Food quality was amazing!
D	Dorcas Ng-Tsang on Google ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Awesome dining experience and our server was super attentive. The food tasted amazing and was plated beautifully. The desserts were not too sweet, just perfect!