If you’re in search of “foody”, “cosy”, “established” or “vibey”, then a detour into the southwest neighbourhood of Mission should be on your to-do list. Located within easy walking distance from Calgary’s downtown and 17th Avenue, Mission has food, fun and finery packed into a compact corner of the city.

Originating as Notre Dame de la Paix, the area later became known as Village of Rouleauville, a mission district created to attempt to maintain a strong French speaking Catholic community in 1899.  But by 1907 the area was overwhelmingly English and was annexed by the City of Calgary.

Today, this inner city neighbourhood, nestled between 17th Ave South, the Elbow River and 4th Street SW, is a trendy dining destination. Some of our favourites – and those receiving Google 4+ star ratings – are listed below and can all be found along 4th Street SW heading south between 17th and 26th Avenue (unless otherwise indicated by an * ):

• JINYA Ramen Bar: Ramen restaurant | 🍴|💰💰
• Hana Sushi: Sushi restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Buttermilk Fine Waffles: restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Seed N Salt: Restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Shokunin Izakaya: Japanese restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Zaman Middle Eastern Cuisine: Restaurant |🍴
• FOO Asian Street Food: Asian restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Fleur de Sel Brasserie: * French restaurant |🍴
• Blaze Pizza: Pizza restaurant|🍴|💰
• Marlow Floralworks: Florist |💐
• Ducky’s Pub & Restaurant: Karaoke bar|🍻|🍴|💰💰
• Masters Gallery Ltd: Art gallery | 🎨
• AÑEJO Restaurant: Mexican restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Original Joe’s Restaurant & Bar: Restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Café du Centre: Cafe |🍴
• OEB Breakfast Co.: Breakfast restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters: Coffee shop |☕️|💰💰
• Carino Riserva: Japanese-Italian restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Aida’s Bistro: Lebanese restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Purple Perk: Cafe |🍴
• Mercato: Italian restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria: Pizza restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• Yann Haute Patisserie: * Pastry |🍴|💰💰
• Vin Room Mission: Wine bar|🍷🍴|💰💰💰
• Joyce on 4th: Irish pub |🍻|🍴|💰💰
• Earls Kitchen + Bar: restaurant |🍴|💰💰
• La Boulangerie Bakery Cafe: bakery |🍴|💰💰
• WURST: German restaurant |🍻|🍴|💰💰
• Rajdoot Restaurant: Indian restaurant|🍴|💰💰
• “Realidoscope“: public art at Mission Cliff Bungalow Promenade (Elbow Drive and 25th Ave S.W.) | 🔭

A small detour off the main streets will showcase a variety of neighbourhood homes, ranging from quaint vintage to modern renovated. Nearby Lindsay Park along the Elbow River is a delightful location to kick back and enjoy the summer sun and sounds. Public play areas, pathways, interpretive information boards, decks overlooking the river, benches to relax, and expansive grassed and treed areas offer a variety of ways to enjoy this outdoor space.

Getting there

You can navigate to the neighbourhood of Mission here.

The neighbourhood is accessible by public transit (bus), private vehicle, taxi, bicycle or on foot.

• For public transit access, you can plan your visit using the City of Calgary transit website;
• If you are arriving in your own vehicle, paid street parking is available on 4th Street. Restricted parking may also be available on the side streets. Consult local signage or calgaryparking.com for more options.
• If you are arriving by bicycle, consult the City of Calgary’s bicycle pathway maps here. Bike racks are available at numerous locations along 4th Street. For security reasons, remember to bring your own bicycle lock.

From this convenient location, visitors to Calgary can enjoy some of our other popular and unique exploration recommendations such as:

• Wall art and graffiti discovery detour;
• Public outdoor sculpture and favourite ice cream locations;
• Five fabulous cycle circuit routes associated with some cool coffee stops departing from the East Village;
• If you’re strapped for time, consider our “Must-See Calgary” two-hour and half-day exploration options.

Find out more about what’s happening in this neighbourhood at Avenue Calgary.