The town of Banff has an almost endless variety of eating options. As locals we have compiled a list of our favorite spots. We like these places because they have great food and offer a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. We’ll also mention that we eat a mostly vegetarian diet and we can find several options on their menus. If you’re looking to get a taste of Canadian cuisine see our post Food And Drinks To Try During Your Canadian Rocky Mountain Visit.
Pad Thai Restaurant
This is a great place to sit and have lunch or do take out. Pad Thai is a small restaurant tucked away in the lower level of the Clock Tower Mall on Banff Avenue. We enjoy the green curry. They serve red curry too, either one comes with chicken, beef or tofu. We also enjoy their spring rolls and salad rolls with peanut dipping sauce. They have many other authentic Thai dishes, all at a reasonable price.
Banff Ave. Brewing Company
The Banff Ave. Brewing Company has good food, on site brewed beer and a great atmosphere. It’s no surprise it’s a favorite locals hangout. In the warmer months it’s great to sit on the balcony to take in the views and watch the action down below on Banff Avenue.
They have creative appetizers and entrees as well as the usual pub fare of burgers, nachos and chicken wings. We enjoy the fish and chips. If you’re just looking for a bit of a snack with your drink, try their warm buttered soft pretzel with black pilsner cheese fondue and beer mustard. It gets very busy on weekends, holidays and during the tourist filled summer months.
Waldhaus Restaurant And Pub
If you’re looking for a special or romantic evening out the Waldhaus Restaurant at the Banff Springs Hotel specializes in authentic Swiss fondues in a cozy setting. Reservations are recommend. For a more casual atmosphere there’s the Waldhaus Pub & Biergarten located below the restaurant and situated on the edge of the Bow River and the picturesque golf course.
Maple Leaf Grille And Lounge
The Maple Leaf Grill has a great atmosphere with warm mountain ambience. The feature a lot of Canadian cuisine. One of our favourites is their signature dish of maple, dijon B.C. salmon. They have Alberta beef as well as a number of game dishes and seafood towers. Wines are available from all over the world to pair with your meal or if you want to get really Canadian try a glass of maple whiskey!
St. James Gate
The St. Jame’s Gate is another great watering hole. It’s a fun place with good pub style food and lively entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. The menu includes some Irish fare, battered fish and chips, steak sandwiches, roast beef dinner, burgers, soups, salads and a wide variety of beers on tap.
Nourish Bistro
The Nourish Bistro is a vegetarian restaurant that gets it right! As vegetarians we will be the first ones to say that a lot of veggie restaurants we have tried are, well….. bad. I don’t know why, but many of these types of places don’t have good food. Nourish is a gourmet vegetarian experience with incredibly flavorful and innovative and healthy food. Meal options include vegan, wheat and gluten free as well as completely raw dishes. Their drink menu features craft cocktails using high quality local and organic ingredients.
Banff Springs Hotel Weekend Brunch
The legendary weekend brunch at the Banff Springs is not cheap, but if you consider that it will be most of the food you’ll consume for the day it’s not so bad. We’ve left here so stuffed that we didn’t need to eat again until later that evening and only a light snack at that. We don’t have to say too much more we’ll just let you drool over some of the dessert selections.
The variety of breakfast and lunch items offered are just as endless. The photo below is just a small section of the buffet.
The Bison
The Bison is of course the place you want to go if you want to try….well you guess it Bison. However, they have a creative farm to table style menu with many other options including some vegetarian. Their beet salad is a delicious appetizer. The menu changes with the season to give you the best of what is locally available. The incredible mountain views are able to be enjoyed from every seat indoors and from their summer patio. The staff really seem to go out of there way to give exceptional service, especially if you are celebrating a special occasion. Be sure to them know!
The Juniper Bistro
The Juniper Bistro has been a locals favourite for brunch for years. It’s a great place to get away from the crowds of Banff. The restaurant and patio offer some of the most incredible views in Banff. Their handcrafted menu is small, but that’s to keep it focused on regional sourced producers.
Farm And Fire
Farm and Fire offers a casual dining experience, which makes it the perfect spot to relax after exploring Banff. They have pizza, flat bread and other menu options that are roasted to perfection in their open fire Forno oven. Some of the creative items on the menu include fig and brie pizza. Kids will have fun eating the bubble waffles served with fruit and maple syrup. The patio offers incredible mountain views.
Three Bears Brewery
The Three Bears Brewery has some great tasting beers, but it also serves excellent food. They have options like pizza, cheesy waffle fries and burgers, but the food is far from typical pub fare. Other dishes on the menu include an Ahi tuna melt, Huli Huli chicken, beef tenderloin and Thai green curry.
The brewery itself is stunning with a trendy but warm ambience created by all the beautiful woodwork and the greenery used in the interior. The upstairs has as roof that opens in the summer as well as a second floor patio and another one on the ground level with picnic benches.
Gillian @OneGiantStep
Some good new places to try. We always seem to get pulled into the Banff Ave Brewing Company – their beer is some of the best we’ve tasted from Alberta and we love their food. It’s going to be hard to try new places!
Audrey
It’s hard to sway when you find a place you really like, but sometimes it’s just what you are craving and need. Jack loves the beer at the Banff Ave Brewing as well. P.S. Check around there used to be some $2 off your first pint coupons on the Banff tourism maps or in those tourist booklets you see around town.
Ted Winder
Your site is very helpful for those of us who enjoy visiting Banff but don’t live in the area and know the ins-and-outs. Thanks for keeping it up to date!!
Audrey
Thank you, glad you found our site helpful.
Russ & Joanne Burns
We’re coming in for a week on June 8th and being met by our adult son and his girlfriend from Southern California. I am a big craft brew chaser and the son tends tap in a 40 tap brewpub in Ocean Beach outside of San Diego. Needless to say Banff Brewing is already etched in the libation segment of our trip plans while there. Looks like some really great places to hit for food and drinks around town! Thanks for the input provided by your site!!
Audrey
You’ll definitely enjoy some of the local beer at the Banff Brewing company. Another local brewing company is the Grizzly Paw in Canmore, they have some tasty beers with interesting wildlife names and collector beer mugs you can buy as souviners. Enjoy your time in the Rocky Mountains!
Jeff
I need help finding a place in town to hang out for a few hours. We have a large group (close to 50) coming (Ride for a Reason) in early June, (arriving late around 9pm). I need to find a place open late where we could all have seating and food. We are just staying 1 night in the YWCA on Spray Ave. Is there anything like that nearby? Any help would be appreciated …. thank you.
Audrey
At 9pm or later I think you will be limited to pub style restaurants for food and only so many places are going to be able to accept 50 people. The first place that comes to mind is one that we mentioned in the article, the Banff Ave. Brewing Company. They state on their website that you can contact them for a large group reservation. They might be the best bet.
Shelley
HI! I am looking for a allergy friendly restaurant for my two girls. any suggestions?? One has a gluten allergy and the other is highly allergic to Soy that has been modified in any way and nuts/peanuts. Any suggestions?
Audrey
I’m not sure in Banff, but Communitea Cafe in Canmore specializes in gluten free and vegetarian options. The food is great and the menu is very creative. Better for lunch or late afternoon meal though, they close at 5 or 6pm depending on the time of year.