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Eight

Calgary

An intimate exploration of Canada’s culinary soul

A secretive setting: Hidden away behind a discreet door in the lobby of the Alt Hotel East Village, Eight is scintillatingly speakeasy-like in its exclusivity. If you didn't have a reservation, you'd never guess it was here. And more's the pity; helmed by Darren MacLean, one of the country's most influential culinary figures, this tiny restaurant offers a chef's table experience like no other. Cooking, storytelling and impeccable service come together in one theatrical performance, designed – as the name suggests – for just eight lucky people.

Redefining Canadian cuisine: From their front-row seats to the open kitchen, guests are guided through a bumper tasting menu of around 20 (or more) small courses – each crafted with hyper-seasonal, local ingredients and designed to bring Canada's cultural heritage and the diversity of its regional terroirs to life. It's as thought-provoking as it is delicious; diners can talk to the chef as he prepares each dish, gaining insight into ingredients, sourcing and technique. To heighten the aura of secrecy, photographs are strictly forbidden.

And the food? Menus are fluid and change extremely frequently to showcase ingredients at their fresh and flavoursome best. However, some past highlights include: spring pea purée with geoduck sashimi, tangy buttermilk foam and black garlic; veal sweetbreads with kohlrabi kimchi; har gow–style dumplings filled with Nova Scotia lobster; and a chocolate tart infused with roasted mushrooms and smoked whipped cream.

I want in. If you want to be among the privileged few, be prepared to plan well in advance. Eight offers only a handful of seatings each week and, with reservations released quarterly and snapped up almost instantly, securing a table is basically a competitive sport.

Grab a nightcap: The evening ends at bar afterEight, which is inspired by Japanese Satoyama (the stretch of land between the mountains and the sea). After dessert, guests go for one last nightcap and enjoy petit fours in the luxurious and equally intimate space. There's a vaulted gold ceiling and bar made from 'old-growth' trees, so guests finish their night in opulence and style.

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