Calgary’s Newest Hotel Has a Rooftop Restaurant and a Streetside Café

Calgary’s newest hotel isn’t just a place for visitors to rest their heads for the night — it also brings two new dining options to the city.

Element Calgary Downtown is a former office space that has now been converted into a hotel with the help of the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program. While that already makes it a noteworthy addition to Calgary’s downtown scene, the hotel’s two new dining options are also drawing attention (and for good reason).

On the hotel’s street level, Wander Coffee & Cocktails offers coffee and tea drinks, smoothies and a mix of breakfast and all-day fare like a breakfast sandwich, a beet root hummus bowl, marinated flank steak ciabatta and more. There’s plenty of seating inside as well as a patio that wraps around the front and side of the café.

For something a bit more elevated (literally), guests and locals can head up to the hotel’s 12th floor to dine at Bow & Bend, a rooftop restaurant with a patio that overlooks the Bow River, downtown Calgary and beyond. But if you can’t snag a seat on the patio, don’t be dismayed. The restaurant’s interior is a sophisticated and bright space that boasts some great views of its own, as well as unique touches like an eye-catching ceiling design.

Wherever you end up sitting, you can expect a well-rounded menu with a focus on local ingredients. There are shared plates of blackened shrimp and grits or whipped ricotta with sourdough, house-made pastas like the truffle rigatoni and elk bolognese, and hearty mains ranging from red wine braised Alberta beef to a seafood and chorizo risotto.

The cocktail menu also beckons with creations like the Bow + Basil Rita and Summer in the Apiary, as well as the not-too-sweet Blushing Arnold Palmer mocktail.

No matter what you choose, it’s hard to beat the combination of delicious eats, fun cocktails and great views.

833 4 Ave. S.W., bowandbendrooftop.com; marriott.com

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