Restaurant Review: Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro

While I was pregnant people were always wondering whether I missed wine since I was such a oenophile before I became pregnant. Funny enough the answer was no. I didn’t miss wine. The reason is because my sense of smell was exponentially heightened which made wine much more potent and sadly…very unpleasant. However, that was then and this is now. Ever since giving birth I have been craving wine, maybe it’s my body trying to catch up with all the months of lack of consumption. So when I was meeting up with a friend and she suggested that we go to Divino’s a classic wine and cheese bistro in town, I was couldn’t be more excited to visit a long time favorite.

Atmosphere: Elegant interior which makes full use of the heritage building decor on Stephen Ave in which it is situated. Be sure to make resos as its typically quite busy here.

Price Range: $10s - $30+

Food & Wine: Divino’s is a tried and true classic in Calgary and I was happy to visit again. Since it’s been a while. I was pretty excited when I saw Foie Gras Ravioli on the menu. What could be better than foie? When it’s stuffed in to pasta! Topped with a lovely mushroom jus, it was extremely decadent. When you cut in to the ravioli the foie just oozes out and I couldn’t wait to taste it. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and will continue to order it every time I see it on the menu.

Another great dish is the Buffalo Tartare made with buffalo tenderloin, saltspring island chevre, black pepper vinaigrette and served with housemade chips. Beef tartare tends to be the norm in most restaurants in town, so it was refreshing to see a buffalo tartare especially since it was made with buffalo raised in the CRMR ranch. With just the right amount of tartness from the vinaigrette and the crunch from the chips it was a nice contrast to the creamy foie ravioli.

For my main I ordered the Rougie Duck Breast accompanied by gingered bok choy, potato confit and topped with roasted duck jus. The duck itself was cooked to a perfect medium well and nicely seasoned. I liked the added sweetness from the jus. I don’t think you can ever really go wrong with perfectly cooked duck with the skin rendered just so.

I couldn’t go to a restaurant that specializes in wine and not imbibe! Especially since I was already craving a glass or two (or more) of wine. I decided to try the 2011 Cantina Terre del Barolo from Piedmont Italy. You really can’t go wrong with a nebbiolo. It was bold, full bodied and smooth. A deep red wine with notes of coffee and caramel. It’s perfect with big bold dishes like the ones we had that night.

My Pick: Foie Gras Ravioli

Overall: As suspected, Divino did not disappoint. The food, atmosphere and wine were all top notch. It was a great place to reintroduce my senses back to wine. You can’t go wrong here it’s the perfect place to unwind whether for happy hour (which is great there) or for dinner!

Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro
113 8 Ave SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 410-5555
Website: divinobistro.com