Bright Renfrew Suite Guidebook

Rachel
Bright Renfrew Suite Guidebook

Food scene

Another fantastic brunch restaurant, but also fabulous for lunch or dinner. Make a reservation!! There's usually a line-up. It's about a 10-15 minute meander down the hill from our house.
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Blue Star Diner
809 1 Ave NE
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Another fantastic brunch restaurant, but also fabulous for lunch or dinner. Make a reservation!! There's usually a line-up. It's about a 10-15 minute meander down the hill from our house.
THE friendliest shwarma locale in town! It's a very unassuming place, next to a tire shop, but the food is delicious. Have a fun chat and feed yourself well.
Calgary Shawarma
855 8 Ave SW
THE friendliest shwarma locale in town! It's a very unassuming place, next to a tire shop, but the food is delicious. Have a fun chat and feed yourself well.
It's our favourite date night or meet up with friends locale. Fabulous cocktails, microbrewery beers and spirits, and yummy food too. Fun, funky, lovely patio - heated! But not sheltered from the rain. Oh yeah, and there's a barbershop too.
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Cannibale Barbershop & Cocktails
813 1 Ave NE
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It's our favourite date night or meet up with friends locale. Fabulous cocktails, microbrewery beers and spirits, and yummy food too. Fun, funky, lovely patio - heated! But not sheltered from the rain. Oh yeah, and there's a barbershop too.
Best burgers! If you like them with extra sauce, and thinner buns. Great onion rings. Huge selection of milkshakes too. And, old school arcade games and memorabilia on the walls to keep your eyes entertained while you wait for your food, or your kids entertained while you eat your food.
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Boogie's Burgers
908 Edmonton Trail
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Best burgers! If you like them with extra sauce, and thinner buns. Great onion rings. Huge selection of milkshakes too. And, old school arcade games and memorabilia on the walls to keep your eyes entertained while you wait for your food, or your kids entertained while you eat your food.
The BEST ramen in town, hands down, well, ok, in the inner city/north end. We haven't had a need to go any further! Go early, there are lineups every day. If you can't wait, check out their "corner store" for Chili Goma kits to go and bring it back home to eat.
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Shiki Menya
824 1 Ave NE
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The BEST ramen in town, hands down, well, ok, in the inner city/north end. We haven't had a need to go any further! Go early, there are lineups every day. If you can't wait, check out their "corner store" for Chili Goma kits to go and bring it back home to eat.

Sightseeing

Great place for kids, three separate playgrounds as well as a large dinosaur area, alongside all the indoor & outdoor animal areas. The butterfly gardens are a haven during our dry winters.
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I-Calgary Zoo
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Great place for kids, three separate playgrounds as well as a large dinosaur area, alongside all the indoor & outdoor animal areas. The butterfly gardens are a haven during our dry winters.
Great indoor and outdoor children's areas!! We aren't fans of the non-kid areas, mostly about oil industry, and the entry fee is pretty steep.
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TELUS Spark
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Great indoor and outdoor children's areas!! We aren't fans of the non-kid areas, mostly about oil industry, and the entry fee is pretty steep.
Fantastic museum, with a dash of art gallery too! The gift shop is decent. The entrance is on 8 Ave S aka Stephen Avenue - a pedestrian street (open to vehicles in the evenings) downtown.
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Igumbi leGlenbow
130 9 Ave SE
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Fantastic museum, with a dash of art gallery too! The gift shop is decent. The entrance is on 8 Ave S aka Stephen Avenue - a pedestrian street (open to vehicles in the evenings) downtown.
Beyond the colonial European settler "heritage" activities and buildings, there are no extra fees for the rides: train, paddlewheel boat on Glenbow Reservoir or any of the amusement rides. It's a lovely place to spend a warm sunny day.
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Heritage park
Heritage Park
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Beyond the colonial European settler "heritage" activities and buildings, there are no extra fees for the rides: train, paddlewheel boat on Glenbow Reservoir or any of the amusement rides. It's a lovely place to spend a warm sunny day.
This is one of our favourite places to go beyond our neighbourhood any time of the year. It's only a 20 minute walk away. There's a lagoon for wading, a hill for sledding or rolling on, paths for meandering, the Bow River for hucking rocks at, a bakery & coffee shop nearby, and even bathrooms near the parking lot in the middle of the island. And much much more. The east half of the island is the Calgary Zoo.
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St. Patrick's Island
1300 Zoo Rd NE
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This is one of our favourite places to go beyond our neighbourhood any time of the year. It's only a 20 minute walk away. There's a lagoon for wading, a hill for sledding or rolling on, paths for meandering, the Bow River for hucking rocks at, a bakery & coffee shop nearby, and even bathrooms near the parking lot in the middle of the island. And much much more. The east half of the island is the Calgary Zoo.
This is the main downtown park. All of the main music and cultural festivals are held here. There is a playground, a fantastic restaurant (River Cafe), public washrooms, nature walk, skating on the lagoon, and it's adjacent to the River Walk area, with the iconic red Peace bridge to the west.
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Prince's Island Park
698 Eau Claire Ave SW
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This is the main downtown park. All of the main music and cultural festivals are held here. There is a playground, a fantastic restaurant (River Cafe), public washrooms, nature walk, skating on the lagoon, and it's adjacent to the River Walk area, with the iconic red Peace bridge to the west.

Walking Tour East

Wonderful community urban park with lots of meandering trails and great views.
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St. Patrick's Island
1300 Zoo Rd NE
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Wonderful community urban park with lots of meandering trails and great views.
Great views!
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Tom Campbell's Hill Natural Park
25 St Georges Dr NE
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Great views!
Rachel's favourite lunch food (and Walter's favourite place for a coissant).
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Sidewalk Citizen Bakery
618 Confluence Way SE
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Rachel's favourite lunch food (and Walter's favourite place for a coissant).
Great coffee, lovely ambiance, close to Sidewalk Citizen and the river pathway.
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Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters - Simmons Building Cafe
618 Confluence Way SE
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Great coffee, lovely ambiance, close to Sidewalk Citizen and the river pathway.
2022: rent e-bikes $100/day, regular bikes $70/day (check website for current pricing)
Bow Cycle E-Bikes
632 Confluence Way Southeast
2022: rent e-bikes $100/day, regular bikes $70/day (check website for current pricing)

Barley Belt

Interesting drinks (not just beer) & yummy food
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High Line Brewing
1318 9 Ave SE
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Interesting drinks (not just beer) & yummy food
Lovely ambiance, good beer & cider, you can bring in your own food, and even your own wine!
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Ol' Beautiful Brewing Co.
1103 12 Street SE
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Lovely ambiance, good beer & cider, you can bring in your own food, and even your own wine!
Some of our favourite beers are crafted here
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The Dandy Brewing Company And Tasting Room
2003 11 St SE
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Some of our favourite beers are crafted here
Some of our favourite beers are crafted here too!
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Eighty-Eight Brewing Co.
2600 Portland St SE
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Some of our favourite beers are crafted here too!

Beltline

Old local hangout with a fun, low key atmosphere
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The Ship & Anchor
534 17 Ave SW
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Old local hangout with a fun, low key atmosphere
Amazing, fun & outrageous women's clothing designed in Calgary, and affordable!
Kate Hewko
908 17 Avenue Southwest
Amazing, fun & outrageous women's clothing designed in Calgary, and affordable!
Fun gift shop
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Steeling Home
1010 17 Ave SW
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Fun gift shop

Tigerstedt

Tigerstedt Market Gift Shop
918 Centre St N
Fun vintage clothing shop
Le Freak
104 8 Avenue Northeast
Fun vintage clothing shop
Well maintained, high end consignment store (men's and women's)
Urban Thrift
906 Centre St N
Well maintained, high end consignment store (men's and women's)
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Po-ke
908A Centre St N
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Two Pillars Brewery
910 Centre St NE
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Sought and Found Coffee Roasters
916 Centre St N
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Lovely little gift shop filled with wee items, many from Japan, vintage clothing & items in the basement, and several nooks for artists of all ages to sell their creations. It's a neighbourhood favourite!
Tigerstedt Market Gift Shop
918 Centre St N
Lovely little gift shop filled with wee items, many from Japan, vintage clothing & items in the basement, and several nooks for artists of all ages to sell their creations. It's a neighbourhood favourite!
Besties Floral Cafe
920 Centre Street Northeast
Authentic! Food upstairs and down. Eat in, on the patio or take it to go. Always fresh & delicious.
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Tokyo Street Market
922 Centre St NE
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Authentic! Food upstairs and down. Eat in, on the patio or take it to go. Always fresh & delicious.