Seven, Eight, Ten. What’s missing? An original name for a restaurant. Seven Restolounge is Calgary’s latest martini-infused, culinary hot spot. Numerically named for seven regions of the world producing cuisine du jour, the slightly forced concept will change with international food trends. Currently, the menu is focusing on Italy, Mexico, Canada, Greece, the Pacific Rim and the bayou. A little broad if you ask me.
Beyond the frou-frou categorization, the food at Seven is exceptional. The decor is lovely, too, in its own eclectic way. Entering the space on a frigid Monday, my friend and I took in the massive main level lounge adorned with banquettes of crocodile vinyl and white crushed velvet. A hodgepodge of contemporary light fixtures and circular wall cutouts emit colourful mood lighting.
Deciding to forgo the formalities of the upstairs dining room, we sat in the bustling lounge amongst a clientele as eclectic as the space. Settling in, we ordered drinks. I opted for Seven’s signature blueberry mojito ($8.25), while my friend had the red rain champagne cocktail ($8.25) mixed with red orange and cranberry fizz. Neither drink had much spark, so we moved on to the menu.
We started with the AAA beef tenderloin roll ($12), six pieces of carpaccio-wrapped balsamic thyme portabellas with crushed cashew goat cheese and spinach. Served with wasabi mayo and soy sauce, they were scrumptious.
Next up, we sampled the coquilles St. Jacques ($16). Following tradition, the scallops were charmingly served on the half-shell and rich in buttery, Parmesan splendour.
Sticking with the appetizer portion of the menu, we moved onto the niçoise salad ($19). Incorporating delicious sashimi-grade seared ahi tuna, the salad was comprised of cherry tomatoes, baby potatoes, green beans, boiled quails eggs, artichoke hearts and olives, served with lemon-herbed vinaigrette. This was not my favourite. The dressing served on the side was a great disservice to a salad normally bursting with flavour. There is something to be said for allowing ingredients to marinate.
For our last dish, we had the lamb fondue ($18), pan-seared lamb chops infused with rosemary and Dijon and served with a mustard Chardonnay mint fondue. The tender chops alongside the candle-warmed creamy fondue were fantastic.
We topped off our experience with a hat trick of sorts, the crème brûlée trio ($9), a sumptuous grouping of candied ginger, almond rocha and coconut tapioca — devilishly delectable.
Beyond a robust offering of appetizers, Seven has many entrées, from a vanilla bean sea bass to a wasabi soy salmon, not to mention the big Kahuna of steaks, a 24-ounce AAA bone-in ribeye ($49). Finally, a restaurant my dad might enjoy.
Catering to the business or jet set, Seven Restolounge offers professional service, solely in the form of attractive female servers (not that anyone’s taking notes). With ambient house music, eclectic, expensive design and two giant TVs in the bar, Seven Restolounge left me wondering if we really needed another Calgary cliché. Ho-hum.
Seven Restolounge is located at 603 8 Ave. S.W.; phone, 277-2727.
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