Eat your heart out on 17th Avenue SW, one of Calgary’s most vibrant streets. In fact, it’s so jam-packed with great places to go, we split it into two parts. First up is 14th Street SW to 6th Street SW.
1. Simply Irie Caribbean Cuisine
Open until 3 am on weekends, Simply Irie is the perfect place to cure your Caribbean cravings. You can’t go wrong with their jerk chicken or one of the roti selections, and the goat curry and oxtail get rave reviews as well.
1431 17 Ave. SW, simplyirie.ca
2. Tropical Latin Street Food
If you haven’t already stalked their Instagram (@tropicalyyc) what are you waiting for? With great happy hour specials every day of the week, there’s no reason not to stop by for an arepa, some chicharron bites or a patacon. May as well also have a jar of their famous Sangria while you’re there!
1424 17 Ave. SW, tropicalon17.com
3. Universe Restaurant
In a group and can’t agree on what everyone is hungry for? Go to Universe — their giant menu should be able to satisfy everyone. All-day breakfast? Check! Snails with garlic mushrooms? Of course! Souvlaki pita? Yep! Pizza? 21 different flavours to choose from! Half rack of ribs? Yep! Steak and eggs? Linguini marinara? (I could go on, but I won’t.)
1415 17 Ave. SW, universerestaurant.ca
4. Rustic Sourdough Bakery & Deli
Whether you’re looking for fresh bakery items, a sandwich from the deli, or some specialty grocery items, you’ll be pleased with the selection at Rustic Sourdough Bakery. The Chicken Hummus Melt is pretty much the perfect sandwich!
1305 17 Ave. SW, rusticsourdoughbakery.com
5. Cibo Calgary
By now everyone knows about Cibo’s awesome $5 Pizza Happy Hour (Monday to Saturday from 3 pm to 5 pm), but they’ve also got an amazing lunch board, as well as other daily specials on top of the Pizza Happy Hour! Great place to spend a Sunday afternoon!
1012 17 Ave. SW, cibocalgary.com
6. Heaven Artisan Cuisine
Gluten-free Venezuelan fare, known for their Arepas and empanadas. Their cocktail list is great too!
119, 1013 17 Ave SW, heavengf.com
7. Made by Marcus
You’re doing it wrong if you manage to walk down 17th Avenue SW without stopping at Made By Marcus. With handcrafted flavours ranging from classic (Tahitian vanilla bean) to a little off the wall (sweet Taber corn blackberry), there is something for everyone at this little ice cream shop. And the waffle cone is killer.
1013 17 Ave. SW, madebymarcus.ca
8. The Coup
This vegetarian paradise is so good that even your meatiest meat-eater friends won’t complain! More than just a place to eat and leave, there are often DJs on the weekends (plus an amazing cocktail list) making it a great place to hang out, catch up and kick back.
924 17 Ave. SW, thecoup.ca
9. Ollia Macarons & Tea
If eating Ollia’s delicious macarons isn’t enough for you, sign up for their Macaron 101 class where you’ll learn about the history of these tasty treats, plus some tips and tricks to mastering your own. They also offer tea blending workshops and macaron pairing events. Plus, they’re one of the only retailers around that stocks famed Russian tea brand, Kusmi Teas.
810 16 Ave. SW, byollia.ca
10. Analog Coffee
Everyone loves a good coffee shop, and Analog is one of the best! The outdoor patio tables and chairs are usually bustling with people (even when it’s not the nicest of days) sipping, chatting, lap-topping, etc. If you’re looking to sit and relax, or just grab and go, Analog has got you covered.
740 17 Ave. SW, analogcoffee.ca
11. Clive Burger
Custard shake, anyone? Sure, the burgers and fries at Clive Burger are delicious, but the custard shake is to die for. If you’re eating in, add a shot of booze to your shake to give it an extra kick!
736 17 Ave. SW, cliveburger.com
12. MARKET
Looking for a good meat and cheese board? MARKET chooses the best cured meats and artisan cheeses and adds locally made pickled vegetables, garlic loaf and house-made condiments to create one of the best boards in the city, never mind just 17th Avenue SW.
718 17th Avenue SW, marketcalgary.ca
Check out our illustrated guide to Inglewood here.
By Twyla Yacyshyn; illustration by Sumin Choi
