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Travel to the Canadian Rockies

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Moon Handbooks
Canadian Rockies
4th Edition

About this Guidebook
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Summary and reviews
Chapter and map list
About the author

Highlights of the
Canadian Rockies
Introduction
Slide show
Geology
Wildlife
Hiking
Golfing
Accommodation

Tips for Travel to Canada
Getting to Canada
Getting around Canada
Where to Stay
Visas and Officialdom
The Seasons
Information and Services
Money

Banff Dining

The printed version of Moon Handbooks Canadian Rockies includes dining options to suit all tastes and budgets throughout the region. This page—highlighting Banff restaurants specializing in Canadian cuisine—is just a taste of what you can expect in the guidebook itself.

STEAK

Alberta beef is mostly raised on ranchland not far from the park and features prominently on menus throughout town. Finely marbled AAA beef is used in most restaurants, and is unequalled in its tender, juicy qualities.

Even though Bumper's (603 Banff Avenue, 403/762-2622) is away from the center of Banff, it’s worth leaving the shopping strip and heading out to this popular steak house. Large cuts of Alberta beef, an informal atmosphere, efficient service, and great prices keep people coming back. Favorite choices are the slabs of Roast Prime Rib of Beef, in four sized cuts and cooked to order. Prices range from $18 for the Ladies cut to $29 for the Man Mountain cut, which includes unlimited trips to a small salad bar. Upstairs is the Loft Lounge, a good place to wait for a table or relax afterwards with an inexpensive drink. It's open 4:30-10 p.m.

Banff’s most fashionable steak house is Saltlik (221 Bear Street, 403/762-2467). It’s big and bold and the perfect choice for serious carnivores with cash to spare. The concrete and steel split-level interior is complemented with modish wood furnishings. Facing the street, glass doors fold back to a terrace for warm-weather dining. The specialty is AAA Alberta beef, finished with grain feeding to enhance the flavor, then flash-seared at 650°C (1,200°F) to seal in the juices, and served with a side platter of seasonal vegetables. Entrees are priced comparable to a city steak house ($18-35), but the cost creeps up as you add side dishes. Open daily from 11 a.m.

CASUALLY CANADIAN

Of the many Banff drinking holes that offer predictable pub-style menus, Wild Bill's (201 Banff Avenue, 403/762-0333) is a standout. Named for one of Banff’s most famed mountain men, the décor is suitably Western, with a menu to match. The Nachos Grande ($9.50) with a side of guacamole ($3) is perfect to share. Later in the day, steaks and spit-roasted chicken are traditional favorites ($15-30). Wild Bill’s is open daily from 11 a.m. until well after midnight, but plan on dining before 9 p.m.

A town favorite that has faithfully served locals for many years is Melissa's, 218 Lynx Street, 403/762-5511, housed in a log building that dates from 1928 (the original Homestead Inn). Lunch and dinner are casual affairs--choose from a wide variety of generously sized burgers, freshly prepared salads, and mouthwatering Alberta beef. Melissa's also features an outside patio and rustic bar with well-priced drinks. Open daily 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Bruno's Café & Grill (304 Caribou Street, 403/762-8115), named for Bruno Engler, renowned photographer, ski instructor, and mountain man, is a cozy little café with a great "mountain" ambience and comfortable couches. It's open daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

Classically Canadian
Occupying the prime position on one of Banff’s busiest corners is Maple Leaf Grille (137 Banff Avenue, 403/760-7680). Take in the dramatic Canadian-themed décor--exposed river stone, polished log work, a two-story interior waterfall, and moose heads—then decide which section takes your fancy. The cooking uses modern styles with an abundance of Canadian game and produce. The lunch menu has beer-battered halibut and chips, along with lots of lighter salads and stir-fries ($9-15). Some of Canada’s finest ingredients appear on the dinner menu: pan-seared arctic char cooked in an apple and wild sage butter and the apple-crusted pork tenderloin are standouts. Treat yourself to a glass of Canadian ice wine to accompany dessert. The Maple Leaf is open 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

The Buffalo Mountain Lodge Restaurant, at a lodge of the same name on Tunnel Mountain Road (403/762-2400), offers the perfect setting for a moderate splurge. It features a distinctive interior of hand-hewn cedar beams and Old World elegance—complete with stone fireplace and a chandelier made entirely from elk antlers—along with large windows that frame the surrounding forest. The featured cuisine is referred to as “Rocky Mountain,” reflecting an abundance of Canadian game and seafood combined with native berries and fruits. The least expensive way to dine on this uniquely Canadian fare is by visiting at lunch and ordering the Rocky Mountain Game Platter, costing $20 for two people. Dinner entrees range $24-33, and include fare like elk sirloin that’s given an exotic touch with accompanying quince compote. The restaurant is open daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY

A hotel restaurant with an excellent reputation is The Pines, out of sight in the Rundlestone Lodge (537 Banff Avenue, 403/760-6690). The setting is contemporary and unexceptional except for local artwork, but the menu shines and the service is excellent. Share a plate of mussels, steamed open with apple cider ($8) to start, then move on to honey-glazed salmon served on wild rice ($24) or one of many other varied mains highlighted by Canadian roots and low-fat cooking. The Pines is open daily for breakfast and for dinner from 5:30 p.m.

Banff's original bistro-style restaurant, which opened in the early 1990s, is Coyote's (206 Caribou Street, 403/762-3963). Meals are prepared in full view of diners, and the menu emphasizes fresh, health-conscious cooking, with just a hint of Southwestern-style. To start, it’s hard to go past the sweet potato and corn chowder ($6), then chose from mains as varied as a simple Mediterranean-influenced pasta and a flank steak marinated in Cajun spices and topped with a generous dab of corn and tomato salsa. Entrées range $13-24.50. Coyote's is open daily 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

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