EIGHT

Eight is easily one of the finest dining establishments I’ve experienced in Calgary. Every detail, from the exquisitely crafted dishes to the impeccable ambiance, speaks to culinary excellence. The service was truly on par with a Michelin-starred restaurant—attentive, knowledgeable, and effortlessly professional. Eight delivers an unforgettable dining experience that sets a new standard for Calgary’s food scene.

This is hands down one of the finest dining experiences in Calgary—even by global standards, it’s truly one of a kind. I’ve had the privilege of dining at Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, and this experience ranks among the very best. The “no-photos, no-videos” policy is a bold and refreshing approach in today’s digital age, making each meal memorable through taste and experience alone. It invites you to be fully present and savour every bite. A huge thank you to Chef Darren Maclean and his incredible team for creating something so extraordinary!

Hands down THE BEST culinary experience of my life! Thank you to all the talented staff. Witnessing the passion for what you do was absolutely incredible. I felt so attended to at every second of the night. I left with a huge smile on my face from the company, the atmosphere, the food, the drinks, and the laughs!

I was really disappointed in my visit to Eight. The experience itself was great, beautiful restaurant with friendly staff. It was the food that was not for me. It was clear a lot of time and effort was spent but I didn't enjoy any dish except for desert. I'm not a picky eater either but there was far too many raw fishy forward dishes. Non raw fish dishes utilized truffles, chilli, kimchi, seaweed, or other unpleasant flavors, and unpleasant flavors that repeated. I choked down some of the blander parts and was still starving when I left. In contrast my husband enjoyed his meal and felt over full. I wish I knew what I was signing up for or even seen past menus because I never would have wasted this much money. This was far more Asian flavored than anticipated and I think missed the mark on what I would consider canadian food. I did tell the staff that it wasn't for me, they were very nice about it and I felt awkward giving that feedback because I was definitely the only one with complaints. I guess the real feedback is more information on the food flavors before going would have prevented my disappointment.

I have been aware of, and have attempted to secure a reservation at Eight, for many years. Lo and behold, on a recent evening, I received notification of a single opening. What an absolutely incredible, informative, immersive, and delectable experience! (I simply can't refrain from loading on adjectives in this review). From the gracious welcome by Paul; to the distinctive mock and cocktails created by Randy in the 'parlour'; to the camaraderie among my fellow diners (thank you all--you know who you are); to the unobtrusive, mindful service of Sandrine; to the fabulously curated, engineered, and explained FIFTEEN course extravaganza prepared by Chefs Desmond ("savage"!) and Carla, among others, this four-hour night was unforgettable. It is difficult to pick out just one 'course' for mention as the entire eating/drinking experience is so coherent...but let me just say that there were immediate groans of pleasure over each of the five 'snacks', with a unanimous shout-out to the care and detail of the chawanmushi; a consensual "ohmygod" over the carrot gazpacho and the sablefish in green mala broth; and close to orgasmic responses to the buttery AAAAA wagyu and its exquisite accompaniments. A heartful thanks to all the staff at Eight. To have experienced such creativity and commitment to local, regional, national foods has been an honour and a pleasure. Long may you run.

we are not allowed to take photo to remain the mystery of the restaurant. The food is mixed and condimented in unexpected ways but expectingly good. We are able to taste multiple ingredients in one night. The setting is a dark secret room with 8-9 people on a counter so we can talk with each other. If I have to be nitpicking, I wish less spiciness, onions and garlics in the condiment cuz I personally like tasting the original flavor of the ingredients. Also I am hoping for more Michelin chefs to come to calgary.

Food was amazing and experience was great. Disappointed by the fact we read the reviews and it said Darren McLean was there and all the emails we got prior stated chef Darren and his team. Turns out he was not there and when that is something you were expecting and followed his culinary journey for a long time we were a little let down by this aspect seeing as we paid 1200$.

What an incredible experience! We were so lucky to be able to witness Darren in his house doing what he loves. There are a lot of murmurs about pricing being high but I believe it is worth every penny. Quality over quantity. Being able to sit there in a very small atmosphere allowed us to be able to learn about where the food was coming from and how it was made, the thoughts put into the dish etc. What an incredible opportunity to see a top chef do what he loves as he tries to redefines Canadian food.

Eight is easily one of the finest dining establishments I’ve experienced in Calgary. Every detail, from the exquisitely crafted dishes to the impeccable ambiance, speaks to culinary excellence. The service was truly on par with a Michelin-starred restaurant—attentive, knowledgeable, and effortlessly professional. Eight delivers an unforgettable dining experience that sets a new standard for Calgary’s food scene.

This is hands down one of the finest dining experiences in Calgary—even by global standards, it’s truly one of a kind. I’ve had the privilege of dining at Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, and this experience ranks among the very best. The “no-photos, no-videos” policy is a bold and refreshing approach in today’s digital age, making each meal memorable through taste and experience alone. It invites you to be fully present and savour every bite. A huge thank you to Chef Darren Maclean and his incredible team for creating something so extraordinary!

Hands down THE BEST culinary experience of my life! Thank you to all the talented staff. Witnessing the passion for what you do was absolutely incredible. I felt so attended to at every second of the night. I left with a huge smile on my face from the company, the atmosphere, the food, the drinks, and the laughs!

I was really disappointed in my visit to Eight. The experience itself was great, beautiful restaurant with friendly staff. It was the food that was not for me. It was clear a lot of time and effort was spent but I didn't enjoy any dish except for desert. I'm not a picky eater either but there was far too many raw fishy forward dishes. Non raw fish dishes utilized truffles, chilli, kimchi, seaweed, or other unpleasant flavors, and unpleasant flavors that repeated. I choked down some of the blander parts and was still starving when I left. In contrast my husband enjoyed his meal and felt over full. I wish I knew what I was signing up for or even seen past menus because I never would have wasted this much money. This was far more Asian flavored than anticipated and I think missed the mark on what I would consider canadian food. I did tell the staff that it wasn't for me, they were very nice about it and I felt awkward giving that feedback because I was definitely the only one with complaints. I guess the real feedback is more information on the food flavors before going would have prevented my disappointment.

I have been aware of, and have attempted to secure a reservation at Eight, for many years. Lo and behold, on a recent evening, I received notification of a single opening. What an absolutely incredible, informative, immersive, and delectable experience! (I simply can't refrain from loading on adjectives in this review). From the gracious welcome by Paul; to the distinctive mock and cocktails created by Randy in the 'parlour'; to the camaraderie among my fellow diners (thank you all--you know who you are); to the unobtrusive, mindful service of Sandrine; to the fabulously curated, engineered, and explained FIFTEEN course extravaganza prepared by Chefs Desmond ("savage"!) and Carla, among others, this four-hour night was unforgettable. It is difficult to pick out just one 'course' for mention as the entire eating/drinking experience is so coherent...but let me just say that there were immediate groans of pleasure over each of the five 'snacks', with a unanimous shout-out to the care and detail of the chawanmushi; a consensual "ohmygod" over the carrot gazpacho and the sablefish in green mala broth; and close to orgasmic responses to the buttery AAAAA wagyu and its exquisite accompaniments. A heartful thanks to all the staff at Eight. To have experienced such creativity and commitment to local, regional, national foods has been an honour and a pleasure. Long may you run.

we are not allowed to take photo to remain the mystery of the restaurant. The food is mixed and condimented in unexpected ways but expectingly good. We are able to taste multiple ingredients in one night. The setting is a dark secret room with 8-9 people on a counter so we can talk with each other. If I have to be nitpicking, I wish less spiciness, onions and garlics in the condiment cuz I personally like tasting the original flavor of the ingredients. Also I am hoping for more Michelin chefs to come to calgary.

Food was amazing and experience was great. Disappointed by the fact we read the reviews and it said Darren McLean was there and all the emails we got prior stated chef Darren and his team. Turns out he was not there and when that is something you were expecting and followed his culinary journey for a long time we were a little let down by this aspect seeing as we paid 1200$.

What an incredible experience! We were so lucky to be able to witness Darren in his house doing what he loves. There are a lot of murmurs about pricing being high but I believe it is worth every penny. Quality over quantity. Being able to sit there in a very small atmosphere allowed us to be able to learn about where the food was coming from and how it was made, the thoughts put into the dish etc. What an incredible opportunity to see a top chef do what he loves as he tries to redefines Canadian food.