This New Bistro and Wine Tasting Room Bring a Bit of French Soul to Calgary’s Wine Scene

Avitus Wine Bar has been serving up great wines in Marda Loop since early 2023, but the team was looking for another way to bring more of that French neighbourhood wine bar experience to Calgarians. So, it opened a new bistro, Brioche by Avitus, and accompanying event space, The Tasting Room.

A small and cozy restaurant in the basement of a South Calgary business complex, Brioche by Avitus is a way for owners Yann de la Chanonie, Tristan Caboche and Moussa Konate to expand on Avitus Wine Bar’s concept and offer an experience like you’d find in small French towns.

“We thought about taking the experience a little bit further,” says de la Chanoie. “At [Avitus Wine Bar] we only do cheese and charcuterie.” With Brioche, the trio have created a neighbourhood bistro offering the same wine-forward concept as Avitus but with sit-down dining and classic French fare.

On the menu, you’ll find classic bistro dishes — think boeuf bourguignon, egg mayonnaise and rillette de saumon. There are also a variety of sandwiches made with delicious toasted brioche and fillings like shrimp and lobster. The menus are not printed here, but rather written on blackboards to allow the talented kitchen team to change up the menu depending on what ingredients are available.

And of course, there is wine. While de la Chanoie says that around 70 per cent of the wine is French, the restaurant also showcases many great wines from around the world. There are also a few beers from local breweries.

Along with Brioche, the team has opened The Tasting Room above it. While Brioche is cozy and quaint, The Tasting Room is a wine bar with a more open and industrial space and a concept similar to what the team does with Avitus Wine Bar. The Tasting Room caters towards events and larger groups, and hosts weekly events like live music, DJs and winemakers dinners. It also has a small market with French products and a large wine stock. If they want, Brioche customers can purchase a bottle there and bring it downstairs to Brioche to enjoy with their meal.

“We have some wines that we have been collecting for three or four years up there,” says de la Chanoie. “We have some very high end vintages.”

Ultimately, Brioche by Avitus and The Tasting Room are great new neighbourhood spots that bring a bit of the soul of France to Calgary.

1512 29 Ave. S.W., @briochebyavitus.yyc, @thetastingroom.yyc

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