Whitehall - Calgary

I visited this restaurant last weekend for their Summer Feast dinner.

We went to celebrate our anniversary and opted for the tasting menu with wine pairings.

The moment we walked up and opened the door to Whitehall, we knew we had found a special place.

Cannot understand the reviews on this restaurant. Our experience there was very poor in every aspect; food, service and appalling concept execution. There appears to be multiple references to Michelin experience as a cornerstone of Whitehall. After traveling Europe for 30 years and many, many delightful evenings spent in Michelin restaurants from Bib ratings to all various Fork acknowledgments, all three Star levels throughout all of Italy, Spain, Belgium, UK, Portugal, Switzerland and more establishments in France than I could even begin to remember I can guarantee you that the experience we had at Whitehall would never have received a Michelin rating. Perhaps this establishment has started to slip, perhaps recent menu changes are just that bad, perhaps they were just never that good to begin with.They did not even earn my willingness to give it another try. Infrequent that I am that so completely dissatisfied with the entire experience. Plenty of other quality establishments in Calgary (very casual to more formal) that understand the basics of getting their kitchen and operating standards right.

Whitehall encouraged us to eat family style which we did. The portions of each dish did not allow for more than a small taste for each of the four of us. In fact when the halibut arrived we thought that we were being punked. All the dishes were mediocre at best with exception of the cheese soufflé which was very good. We were not provided with appropriate utensils to eat family style. Most of our meal was eaten from small side plates which were not changed between courses. The bread was served in a waxed paper bag which caught fire when set next to the candle. We love the pubs in Chelsea (where Gordon Ramsey got his start.) We went to this restaurant Hoping for a unique experience much like we have enjoyed from the progressive chefs in the new style English Pubs. What a disappointment. I am astounded by the reviews I have read. I can only think that we caught them on a down night and that the reviews were written before their "new menu" was introduced.