Beverage-savvy staff at the lounge treat everyone with friendliness, whether the person is a cashier on a lunch break or a rock star on a world tour, ordering lager or vintage Scotch. Some people only remember the lounge inside the Hotel Mac during summer, when the enormous patio opens to present a picturesque cityscape. But year-round, it is a classy yet casual respite with enough space for all types of clientele. –O.M.
10065 100 St., 866-540-4468,fairmont.com/macdonald
If there is one server who’s immediately recognized around town, it has to be Milan Svajgr (also a partner in the “Bistro”). There’s something about the way he and fellow staff recommend a good beer with dinner that makes you feel like a regular, even if you’re sitting at those aged tables for the first time. Second to the food, they’re why the Czech/Continental restaurant didn’t miss a beat when it reopened two years after a fire gutted the original location in 2009.-S.S.
10117 101 St., 780-424-4218, bistropraha.com
Even when this family restaurant transforms into to a revelous Latino dance club on Friday and Saturday nights, the service is spot on. Servers bring authentic Latin food and tasty margaritas quickly to the tables – and they’re very accommodating, especially towards families with small children, which few restaurants these days can say. –O.M.
13062 50 St., 780-479-7400
