Primal

My boyfriend and I visited Primal after hearing many great things, and overall it was a wonderful experience. We started with the Fried Bread, Bison Carpaccio, and Bone Marrow. The Fried Bread was served hot and fresh, and the Bison Carpaccio was excellent with a bright, fresh salad. The Bone Marrow portion was very generous—half was rich and buttery, but the other half unfortunately had a strange smell and aftertaste. For mains (which I forgot to take a picture of), I ordered the Carbonara. It was tasty, though a little runny and not as cheesy as I had hoped, but still enjoyable. My boyfriend had the Bison steak, which he loved. The portion size was good, and the vegetables on the side were exceptionally well cooked and seasoned. Dessert was the highlight of the night. As a tiramisu lover, I can honestly say, it is the best I’ve had in Saskatoon in a long time—rich, traditional, creamy, and full of flavor. We also tried the Butterscotch Budino, which was incredible: sweet, toasty, and perfectly balanced with sea salt. Service was excellent throughout. The staff checked in often, and even small touches like cleaning crumbs between courses made the experience feel thoughtful and professional. We’ll definitely return—especially for the Tiramisu and Butterscotch Budino, and to try more of their appetizers!

We’ve been coming here for years, but we were kind of disappointed with our last visit. Seems like the quality has gone downhill for their pasta. The spaghetti carbonara was really mushy and kind of tasteless. The ravioli was pretty nice although the ravioli version from the previous year was quite a bit better. For $35, I was expecting something of much better quality if they charge those prices per dish. Also, when the waiter told us that they could bring some bread out for us, that bread is not complimentary, it’s $10. You will get better value for your meal at the Olive Garden or Boston pizza. It’s the same quality, but half the price. We probably won’t be returning in the future.

Absolutely amazing from start to finish. Very attentive staff, delicious food, fun drinks. A gem. The bone marrow appetizer was rich, and full of so much flavour. Horseradish on the side was a nice touch. A well crafted dish. I’m craving it right now. A random pop in turned into a great experience. Shot of sherry through the bone was a lot of fun. I’ll be back and recommend to others for sure.

The food is incredible, the atmosphere is inviting, the music set the tone for the evening perfectly and the overall experience was both relaxing, enjoyable, and delicious! I had the carbonara as well as fry bread for the main course, the beetroot salad for a starter and the spruce-tip lemonade and by far one of the best meals I’ve had to date. Excellent quality, portion size and aesthetic, and will absolutely be returning. While on the pricier side for some (myself included) it is worth every penny!

We were up from Regina for telemiracle, Primal was recommended to us. The entire experience was perfect. Easy reservation, great confirmation call, we were seated quickly, and, most importantly, the food and service was stellar (thank you Aaron). We did the tasting menu with wine pairings and were very happy with all of it. Beet salad, endive salad, beef tartare, bone marrow, bolognese, goat cheese rigatoni (very goat cheesy-a must try if you love goat cheese), primal cut, chicken and polenta, butterscotch dessert & tiramisu. We will be back

The food is exceptional. We did the 5 course tasting menu, wonderful. Love that everyone has so many choices. Love the use of local ingredients. The service was very good. The atmosphere was the most disappointing, very very loud. The music is loud and a club vibe, making it hard to converse. It also makes you want to eat faster and get out, as opposed to savouring every bite

Wow wow wow. We’ve ordered the date night special to go twice now, and both times have been totally blown away. What an unbelievable value for $85 (a salad, fry bread, two pastas and a dessert) The ravioli is outstanding, as was the bolognese and truffle goat cheese pasta. The pavlova is delicious and the perfect light tart treat after all the saucy carbs. But the real star has been the pizza. Holy moly. The pepperoni was just unreal - like I still can’t comprehend how the most basic pizza can just be so crazy good. We added a tiramisu as well, very tasty but not quite the above & beyond that everything else has been. Can’t recommend enough.

First time here and wow—we were blown away! Had no idea what to order, but Sam’s recommendations were spot on. Delicious food, great atmosphere, and the BEST service. Sam, you made our night unforgettable. We’re definitely coming back! 👏🍽️✨ You're awesome, Sam! Keep slayin' ♡

One of my favorite places to go.. I always recommend this to some of my customers if they're in from out of town.. Oysters on a 1/2 shell, so good... And the Pasta is fresh and delicious.. Great service always.. Good choices of wine. It's dark And kind of sexy. Great place for a date.

I was excited to take my son there for his 16th birthday, but it was not a good meal or service. I ordered the beef, fried potato, parsnip purée, mushrooms, Diane sauce but could not eat it. The cut of beef was so tough the steak knife couldn't cut through it. When I mentioned it to the server they apologized and said they would return to the table shortly. We waited for over 30 min and nobody returned. We then decided to go and the only thing Primal did, was not charge for the meal I could not eat. There are far better restaurants in the city, I would not recommend Primal.

A rare 5 star. What a fantastic restaurant. Two of us came for a late supper and wow. Absolutely fantastic . Ordered two dishes to share; a rigatoni, goat cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, greens with truffle oil and a spaghetti carbonara, pancetta, pecorino, pepper with a slow egg. We had this with the house made fried bread. The pasta was made inhouse from Saskatchewan ancient grains and melted in your mouth. It was some of the best pasta I have ever had. Our server was amazing and everything was just a wonderful experience. Highly recommend.

I love this place!! The food is so yummy and comforting. It feels like home but with better food and wine :)

Decent Italian wine selection. We had mushroom truffle risotto and eggplant parmigiana with white from Puglia. Staff can talk about wine. The risotto was full of flavour and generous truffle flakes. Eggplant was lightly breaded and rich flavour but not too heavy. Such a pleasant place for great dining.

My fondness for Primal has grown through the years. Their food is very good and is made with local ingredients. The specials are usually very interests. I like the dark ambiance. We often go here for special date nights.

This is an excellent spot for that meal you want to make a real treat. Located in the up-and-coming Riversdale area, this restaurant is nestled in a rather unassuming and ugly looking brick building. Walking in, however, the mood transforms into a classy boho vibe, with dark and moody lighting, wall mounted wine displays, and stools sporting faux-fur seats. The menu is compact, and the food is quality, crafted from local produce. For starters, we had the bison carpaccio, which was a marvelous earthy blend of grated parmesan, succulent meat, and lightly crisped artichoke. We made a point to include all the components in each and every bite. I went on to enjoy the tagliatelle with pork and beef-heart bolognaise, a rich meaty sauce coating perfectly cooked wide noodles. I was recommended the Tenuta del Portale Basilicata Starsa red, which matched wonderfully with my main as well as the appetizer. I also really enjoyed my partner's choice of the truffle spaghetti: A simple yet stunningly delicious combination of buttery pasta coated with truffle oil and thinly sliced truffle. The price of this place is not trivial, and with drinks will run you at around $50-60 a person. Definitely 100% worth it for the high quality of food. And what a pleasure to have this dining option in Saskatoon! I'm sure this place will be our top pick for special occasions many more times in the future.

This is a wonderful restaurant but not tonight. The hangar steak was tough and the side of kale was was just too chewy! The pork was dry and awful. It was only edible because I had BBQ sauce in my fridge. Sadly our meal this time was a total waste of money. I'm sure it will be better next time.

Primal is possibly one of my favourite restaurants ever. I die for their homemade pasta. I love that they keep their menu small and seasonal. They also update their menu regularly and offering different specials each time. I like the price point of the food, not too expensive, but high enough to maintain the quality of their food (and ingredients) and the labour that goes into it. Service here has always been great. Very attentive and friendly staff do make a difference in a dining experience. The two pastas I've had here have been their take on Mac and cheese and their carbonara. The Mac and cheese was so divine. Perfect cheese sauce and the fresh noodles made it to die for. I'm just slightly mad that my portion wasn't larger because I inhaled it. The first time I came here I ordered the carbonara which was also delicious. Splitting that egg on top made me feel like an Iron Chef America judge. My only complaint was it was lacking pepper (for my tastes). But the second time I came back my boyfriend ordered the carbonara and it was perfectly peppered so I'm not going to hold that against them. One frustrating thing is how they close for random staff breaks. (But I totally understand this because I love watching the Food Network and know how stressful having a restaurant can be). Because pasta-loving me doesn't always check the website before I head down here and am ultimately heart broken when they are closed. I would eat here every single day of the week if I could! You have my heart Primal.

Great price point, perfect for dates, groups of four or more as they have a long community bar style table. No reservations policy however not a problem getting a table. Make sure you sample the cocktail specials, wine and starters. Also end with the chocolate truffle for a small taste of sweetness to end your meal. Or share the potato donut complete with a shot of espresso and vanilla ice cream. Everything on the menu is great. The Saskatchewan flair makes the atmosphere feel like home.

Excellent food and service. A perfectly paced meal. Nice atmosphere and conducive to conversation. We will definitely return.

Went out for a Birthday Dinner. Did the four course tasting menu with a nice bottle of Merlot. Food and service were both excellent - highly recommend!!

What a treat! Beautiful decor, quality food, and friendly service. The rigatoni with truffle oil, arugula, and sundried tomatoes was perfect. The tiramisu was airy and fluffy, and it was a giant portion. Delicious aperol spritz. No complaints at all, this was probably one of the best meals I've had in Saskatoon. Wish I went sooner!

The spaghetti was amazing the special salad was small, 1/2 a tomato and a couple of chunks of green pepper with cheese, but the service was not to the caliber you would expect at restaurant with this price point. I didn't have liquor so my sever did the bare minimum as compared to the guest sitting beside me who ordered drinks including a bread roll that they raved about.

Primal is a great restaurant with amazing atmosphere and exceptional service. My favourite dish is the tagliatelle Bolognese but there are many great entrees to choose from and their specials are always phenomenal. The house red wine is always a good match but there are some great wines on the list including a lovely Chianti.

Pasta is on point. Flavours are excellent. Portions can be a little small, but not tiny. Price is appropriate.