If you’re craving a small-town feel in the big city, Bridgeland is the neighbourhood for you. This small, walkable community, just northeast of Calgary’s downtown, is a great place to park your bike, e-scooter, or car and explore on foot.
Along the neighbourhood’s main street, 1st Avenue Northeast, you’ll find locally owned restaurants with mouth-watering dishes, outdoor attractions for the whole family, and local shops that carry items you can’t find anywhere else.
We’re a total sucker for restaurants that source their food right here in Alberta. Not only do you get to support people who live within the Bridgeland community, but you also get to experience our unique city flavour.
Bluestar Diner
One of our hands-down favourite spots is IKUSA Izakaya & Tokyo Market. Their sushi and yakitori are to die for. If you’re more of an Italian fan, check out La Brezza Ristorante for a fine-dining feel or La Dolce Vita (LDV) for wood-fired pizza. Or go where the round-the-block lineups are at Shiki Menya for ramen, but hurry they only serve so many bowls a day.
UNA Pizza + Wine has a fresh location in the General Block building with a menu that includes everything from a classic margherita pizza to a pizza honouring the neighbourhood with house-made bacon, fennel sausage, smoked mozzarella, and maple syrup. It’s right next door to Village Ice Cream (more on that later) and a Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters if you need a fresh cup of coffee or an order of Hoopla Donuts.
Is pizza and Italian what you’re looking for? Bridgeland is home from great restaurants like Roma’s Pizzeria, Canadian Pizza Unlimited, and The Stromboli Inn, along with Villa Firenze, LDV Pizza Bar and Peppino Gourmet Foods. Or you can find more international cuisine with Joyce’s Caribbean Foods and Sushi Bar Zipang.
Shiki Menya
Exploring the ice cream shops in Bridgeland is a great way to tour the neighbourhood with four locally owned shops to choose from. Start with Made by Marcus, a neighbourhood favourite that serves up delicious, small-batch ice cream in flavours that change seasonally. Noto Gelato is a family run business that makes authentic Italian gelato, with flavours like black cherry, cappuccino caramel, and pistachio. You might think Lukes Drug Mart is an unlikely place to get your ice cream fix. This family run business has become a neighbourhood landmark since opening in 1951, offering everything from groceries, coffee, vinyl records, and the most delicious soft serve ice cream you’ve ever had. The Bridgeland location of Village Ice Cream has quickly become a neighbourhood meeting spot with classic flavours like toasted coconut, salted caramel, and melted chocolate, along with fun seasonal flavours. Owner Billy Friley had just returned from a South American motorcycle trip when his grandmother served him a fresh pint of huckleberry ice cream when he decided to start his own shop.
Made by Marcus
Made by Marcus
Bridgeland Distillery
To really get in with the locals, take a tour around these not-so-secret spots. Top of the list is the Bridgeland Market (because most of our day is planned around food). This neighbourhood grocer has all the fixings for a mid-afternoon charcuterie board crafted from locally sourced ingredients.
Next up is Lukes Drug Mart where you can find a perfect, and obscure, souvenir. Their shelves are lined with run-of-the-mill drugstore products but also an impressive vinyl collection, small houseplants, and unique apothecary finds. As a bonus, if you’re feeling like all this shopping is making you need a little caffeine boost, their baristas can whip you something up while you shop.
If that cup of coffee wasn’t enough, drop into Bike and Brew for another cup but more importantly to check out their bikes and accessories.
Lastly, we can’t forget the furriest family member on your souvenir list. Bring Fido back something special from Doodle Dogs. They carry their own in-house brand as well as other Alberta-made brands like Dog Dog Goose.
Bridgeland Market
Bike and Brew
Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo
Bridgeland is more than walkable–it’s where you actually want to go for a walk. There are plenty of trails that take you through the city streets and down along the Bow River. In the summer, you’re likely to spot rafts floating down the Bow, anglers casting for their next trout catch, and even some river surfers a little further west. In the winter, you’ll see families tobogganing down snow-covered hills or strapping on their blades for a skate on the outdoor skating rink.
As if this list of things to do in Bridgeland isn’t enough, you should come and see it for yourself. When you’re in Calgary, come to say “hi.” We can’t wait to meet you.
Bridgeland in Calgary
