Dinner for two: Blink vs Divino

[Khalil.e]

Dinner for two on a Friday evening, which would you choose - Blink or Divino?

Food - ?
Ambiance - ?
Service - ?
Value - ?


All and any supporting information is appreciated with your choice!

Cheers :D

p.s - I did read A790's review of Blink, thought it was great - but still unsure about portion sizes...

[A790]

Have never been to Divino, but I get the impression it's more of a wine/cheese bar than a full-featured restaurant. Blink is a good spot, I recommend it- especially if you can grab a window table.

[dannie]

I am the opposite of A790. I have only been to DiVino but not to Blink. I really enjoy DiVino. The food, the atmosphere and the service has always been superb.

[FallenAngel]

If you go to Divino, before you even look at the menu, order some of the Tempura Haricot Vert (Green Beans) to share while you decide what to eat.

Although the food there is great and service is excellent, those Green Beans were the most memorable part of the last dinner I had there.

[JWL]

I really enjoyed every meal that I had at Divino, both for lunch and dinner. I second the Tempura Haricot Vert - very tasty. Also their cheese selection is pretty good, that is if you love cheese as much as I do. Asides from the starters, the mains are a decent portion and are reasonably priced. Service is pretty attentive and the decor/atmosphere is really nice.

It's one of my favourite restaurants in Calgary.

[Khalil.e]

Thanks for the input guys.

I ended up going to Blink last night (b-day dinner). I have been to Divino's once before (not for dinner per say), so I thought I would try something new.

Fortunately or not, there was also a ZR meet at Blink last night, so a)parking was hell within a five block radius and/but b)it was a very lively place to be for the evening.

Very nice scene, the decor is quite nice and the crowd seems to be slightly older/more established.
I had the Three Cheese Half Moon followed by Albacore Tuna - both dishes were fantastic, and yes, I did leave satisfied with the portion size. My date had Salad of Asian Pear for firsts, and the Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken for her meal - she too was very satisfied with the portion size and had nothing but praise for taste.

Service left something to be desired, we were waiting ~50 minutes for our main dish - luckily we had a lot to chat about so the time went somewhat quickly.

Overall I would definitely recommend Blink for a dinner out.

Cheers :D