Essence Restaurant - Calgary

The food at this hotel restaurant is pretty good overall. I tried the crab cake benedict and found it to be tasty, though not the best in town. The atmosphere is decent, with a classy 60s style and a simple yet clean design. However, the high price is the main reason I am giving this restaurant 3 stars instead of 4. It cost $60 for two people to have breakfast, including $5 per person for coffee that seemed to be a Starbucks blend. While Essence is a convenient choice for guests staying at the Westin who don't mind spending a bit extra, I would not recommend it for locals or travelers with time to explore other downtown restaurants.

We had our official team lunch at this restaurant. It is brighter and quieter than some other downtown restaurants in the area. Although the service was a bit slow, the food was fresh and delicious.

I do not recommend you spend your hard earned money at this restaurant. Food is not good and service is lacking. There were four of us for breakfast, we ordered off the menu and everyone was very disappointed with their food. The prices are way too high for the quality of food they serve. For a high end hotel we expected much more. Starbucks would've been a better decision.

Had lunch in this hidden gem. Wonderful menu, soup sandwich or protein specials. I had the cod, French fries, salad w/champagne dressing, and 2 delightful chocolate chip cookies to finish off the meal. Cod was great

We only stayed at the Westin overnight so we had just one breakfast at Essence on a Friday morning. Prices of ala carte tend to push you towards the buffet, but after seeing nothing special there and no omelette station, we ordered off the menu. We had enough to feel full and the cost was the same as the buffet, without us overeating. At least we had fresh eggs and quite a lot of bacon. Our server was quite nice and attentive.