Jojo Bistro Parisien, Calgary

This restaurant has not made a successful transition from 17th Avenue Bistro to chic suburban eatery! The close, dingy, old, cramped charm is gone, replaced by the rather sterile "ambience" of a box in a strip plaza fronting a condo complex. Some of the decor from the original location could not mask the loss. The rather noisy gaggle of 'ladies' beside our table did not add to the evening. The endless sniping at absent 'friends', the endless comparison of money and possessions and the endless attempts to let the others know how well they were fixed financially was not helped by their insincere apologies for making so much noise as we were leaving. We selected a Pouilly Fume as the wine and it was acceptable, if a little too cold. My meal began well with a rather excellent Calamari dish in a tomato sauce while my companion's salad with pancetta and goat cheese was a bit of a disaster. The ingredients did not combine well and the pancetta was far too 'raw' and salty. My cassoulet was 'pedestrian' at best. The beans were cooked but the chorizo, the chops and the confit of duck did not meld with the dish but rather stood alone as if they were intruders. The whole thing was luke warm. Mu companion's rack of veal was tough and uninspired! My standard yardstick, Creme Brule, was mediocre at best and my companion's profiteroles were tough and chewy. The cafe au lait was weak, insipid and tepid. The tab however, $180 with tip, was right up there with the best of them. This was a case of the anticipation being far greater than the realization and certainly not befitting a landmark birthday dinner. We will not be giving this location a second chance and I will be taking my companion out for a make-up dinner somewhere much superior to this disaster.

We had dinner this weekend at Jojo's. We have never been there and were expecting something good if not excellent. The disappointment was terrible though. The food was low average at the best. We tried the mussel soup - very salty; couldn't taste anything but the salt. Tried also some seabass tartar - nothing special. The main courses were the worst: veal - very raw, uncooked, vegetables with no taste; the tenderloin was rare (blue rare) although we asked for medium. When we asked to have the steak cooked more, it got brought to us on a small plate with no sauce. Desserts: we tried the profiteroles, you can buy them at Costco... The service was not what we expected either. The place is small and gets very noisy. Overall, I do not think that I dined at a worse restaurant in Calgary or the surroundings. I will never go back to this place and advise everybody to go somewhere else for a good meal. For the price, you would have a way better experience at Le Villa, La Chaumiere, Fleur de Sel, Bistro Provence in Okotoks, Treo in Canmore, Murietta's or pretty much any other upscale restaurant in Calgary.

After a short drive from our residence we were most pleased with the food and service at this restaurant (which was a week ago) and now we're trying to get another reservation before Christmas. One must consider the nature of the operation and I think the chef does a remarkable job of bring Paris to Calgary. Please try it for yourself.

I have to say that you must be joking when you call the food at JoJo's anything above low average!!! I, too, live in Garrison Woods - and love walking to restaurants. I don't mind paying BUT for GOOD food. I keep trying (Marda) JoJo's (17th Avenue used to be quite good) and after each attempt I say "that's it, no more unless they make changes". But then, because it is a lovely walk, I give in. The last visit - and I mean my last - was the 1st week of October. My friends "frites" bore no resemblance to parisienne frites and her steak was TOUGH!! Please, could we have a really good restaurant in Marda Loop!!!

I and two friends dined at Jojo's. The food was the best we had during their visit. They made a special request to return to Jojo's when visiting the following year.

We moved out of the downtown core into Garrison Woods and were afraid we would miss funky little boutique eateries, so for us Jojo's was an oasis of wonderful food and escapism barely 4 blocks from our home. It IS like eating in Europe, with discreet, well-trained staff, cozy tables and eclectic poster art covering the walls. The food is to die for: the most perfect coq-au-vin I have ever tasted, scrumptious steak-et-frites, and a craving-inducing cassolet. Skip the salad course - it is not THAT inspired - and focus on a sumptuous main and dessert (creme brulee, of course!) All in all a wonderful dining experience in Marda Loop.