DINING
52 avenueJANUARY.18
BY Gwendolyn RichardsPrivate
Dining
Rooms
Hosting a dinner party
at home brings with it all
the stress of cooking and
cleaning. Dining out in a
private room, however,
eliminates that while still
offering the intimate vibe
of a dinner party at home.
From a semi-secret library
to an opulent marble-
bedecked space with
sky-high ceilings, these
private dining rooms in
local restaurants can host
everything from a small
shindig to a big bash.
Blink Restaurant
and Bar
Intimacy is on the menu at this
private dining room tucked
away next to the kitchen at this
downtown restaurant. Seating
only 10 around a large table,
the room also features glass
doors that give you a sense of
the energy in the rest of the
establishment, while keeping
you in a world of your own.
The exposed brick wall re-
flects the building’s history, but
the menu focuses on contempo-
rary, fine-dining Canadian dish-
es that mirror the season. Owner
Leslie Echino’s knowledge of and
passion for wine also means you
can order an incredible bottle to
celebrate the season.
111 8 Ave. S.W., 403-263-5330,
blinkcalgary.ca, @blinkrestaurantBonterra
It’s truly Italian to gather every-
one around a big table for a feast,
and what better place to come
together than a wine room?
Set off from the main Bonterra
dining room by a short set of
stairs, the Wine Room provides
enough space for 30 people to
enjoy a hearty meal of every-
thing from pasta to pannacotta.
You can select your dishes
from an extensive menu, or
leave the decisions in the hands
of head chef Benjamin Mills
who will create four multi-plate
courses and have them served
up family-style.
1016 8 St. S.W., 403-262-8480,
bonterra.ca, @bonterracalgaryDeane House
The library at Deane House
— named for Fort Calgary’s
Captain Richard Deane, who
had the house built when his
wife refused to sleep in the
Fort Calgary barracks — is a
room that echoes with history.
The walls of this private dining
room are lined with long book-
cases filled with antique books,
while maps and other artifacts
make you feel as if you’re in a
room trapped by time (and the
small Scotch bar tucked into
one corner is really something
all good libraries should have).
For private dinners of 12 to
24 people, the refined dishes of
executive chef Jamie Harling are
laid down on the two slabs of
California Redwood that serve
as tables, though the room also
works as a space for cocktail
parties of up to 50 guests.
With views out to the river
and the passing trains on the
tracks nearby, it’s easy for time
to fall away.
806 9 Ave. S.E., 403-264-0595,
deanehouse.com, @deanehouseyyc