Places to eat in Banff

Okay, so we didnt have dinner here while in Banff but we can rate the place on everything but the food.

Its a gorgeous looking old irish pub. The atmosphere is what you would expect from a place like this. Everyone is friendly and we can say that the food LOOKED great.

The main reason to go is the beer selection. They have a huge list of beers to choose from. A lot of them we had never heard of. We sampled a lot of them. And by sample we mean pints. You can actually have free small samples before you buy which is a really nice touch.

The website only shows a few beers but we are certain they have heaps and heaps.

The "Alpine Lights" dinner atop Sulphur Mountain is well worth the cost. You can take the gondola up, walk around the viewpoints, then have an excellent dinner in the restaurant on top of Sulphur Mountain. Great prime rib, side dishes and salad. All for $47 Cdn. Half of that cost is the gondola ride up and down the mountain. You need to pay for drinks and dessert but we LOVED the view from up there. Just like on the postcards. Can sign up on-line or by phone.

Favorite Dish: Prime Rib - juicy, tender.

We always stopped for coffee at Wild Flour when we were in town. Great coffee, wonderful brownies, healthy sandwiches. Service is not very fast but, as they say on a sign near the register, "We are worth it." Didn't have chance to try any of their homemade breads but they looked good too.

Art work is eclectic. Would definiteColy go there again.

Favorite Dish: Coffees, brownies, sandwiches

The Lodge of 10 Peaks is where the Lake Louise Gondola is located.

You can either buy just a Gondola ticket ....or.....

a 'RIDE & DINE' which is what we bought.

It included the gondola and the buffet lunch at the Lodge, and we thought it was good value, and we couldn't complain about the food either, nice!

BUFFET LUNCH IS .........
Daily - Main Level of the Lodge of Ten Peaks
11:30 am - 2:30 pm

WHAT YOU GET AT THE BUFFET..................
2 Soups, 4 Assorted Salads, Vegetable Platter, Relish Platter, 5 Hot Dishes, 1 Meat,
1 Fish, 1 Chicken, Mashed Potato, Vegetarian Option, Fruit & Assorted Squares
Coffee, tea, iced tea or lemonade.............

All other beverages additional

PRICES FOR RIDE & DINE....... Lunch .. Adult $32.25
Child(6-15) $18.50.................5 and under.... $3.95

• 5% GST additional

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We came across The Bison when wandering around Banff on a Sunday morning looking for somewhere to have breakfast. There was a big queue at Melissa's and everywhere was busy. The Bison was fairly busy but they managed to get us a table. The service was very friendly but it did take a while for the food to appear which could be a problem if you were in more of a hurry than we were. A varied brunch menu is available between 10 and 4 on a Saturday & Sunday. Everything sampled was good including, egg & bacon, omelette but my french toast was a work of art ( see picture ) and tasted delicious.

Lots of info and pics are on their website.

Definitely worth a visit.

Favorite Dish: Tricky Dicky rating 7.5 / 10.

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We'd been to the Elk a couple of times to have drinks at night and decided to stop in on a Saturday afternoon for a late lunch. The reason we decided to go for lunch there was because we were there the previous night for drinks and everyone's food looked so good! The restaurant is huge with high ceilings and, much like most restaurants in Banff, wood. Wood floors, wood beams, etc. Lots of pictures of old Banff on the walls, the town, the mountains, skiing. None of this is done in a cheesy way, it's comfortable, and even though it's a big place, cozy. There is a big fireplace and TVs throughout that are generally on sports. Our waitress was pleasant and efficient.

The menu has a lot more to offer than your standard pub food. It is a well put together menu with a good variety for everyone. Salads,
burgers, pizza, steaks, but all done in a creative, delicious way. There are several Albertan choices using elk or bison. I couldn't decide between the Rocky Mountain Elk Burger ($14 CDN) and the Salmon Pomegranate Greens ($14 CDN). My husband got the Grilled Lamb Naan ($13), I got the burger and we shared the salad. Our main dishes came with a choice of two sides, which I thought was nice. We both got the sweet potato fries and a different soup (chicken tortellini and roasted garlic tomato). I was actually blown away by how good every single thing we got was. Everything was perfect.

Banff is full of overpriced restaurants with small portions, and the Elk and Oarsman is exactly the opposite. Good portions sizes, not too big but just enough to satisfy, and reasonably priced. You must go here while in Banff.

Bruno's is one of my favorite places in Banff and home to the best breakfast in town. Named after local legend, photographer and mountaineer Bruno Engler, the cozy restaurant/pub features photos of Bruno and his work on the dark walls. Bruno's is one of the few places in Banff that doesn't feel like it's trying to appeal to tourists, but is rather it's own laid back self. There always seems to be a good mix of locals and tourists. The atmosphere is comfortable with wooden walls, a fireplace, bar and a pool table. It is open from 7am - 2am, but I have only ever been here during the day. Breakfast is served until 5pm and offers omelettes, bagels, French toast, bacon, sausages and more. I quite enjoy the Sunrise bagel, which is a bagel topped with an egg, bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato. The only thing Bruno's is missing for breakfast is pancakes! They have a nice, creative selection of hamburgers, pizza and pub food. As the evening rolls on Bruno's becomes more of a bar, but I have yet to go there at night. No matter what time of day, I strongly suggest paying Bruno's a visit while you're in Banff.

They also have a computer with internet access for $1 for 10 minutes, $2 for 20 minutes.

The restaurant is wide open, with a high ceiling, and is spacious even though the physical size of it isn't huge. It is a very warm atmosphere and oozes elegance, although it does preserve the Rockies flavor.

Favorite Dish: I had the prime rib and it was one of the best that I have ever eaten, not to mention that the French onion soup was outstanding! My wife enjoyed her meal as well (she had chicken).