21 Best Restaurants in Banff National Park, Alberta

Ultraluxe decor and magnificent mountain views provide the interior and exterior backdrops for prix fixe, three- to eight-course dinners of regionally influenced French cuisine. The presentation is awe-inspiring, and the food is prepared à-la-minute, so entrées change frequently but have included British Columbia sablefish with tomato, watermelon, and onion; rabbit with nuts, wild berries, and foraged mushrooms; and cinnamon-smoked short ribs. The sommeliers offer two astute wine-pairing options, or you can make your own choices from the impressive list. Dining in this Eden is an experience to be savored. Plan to spend at least three hours.

One of the true epicurean experiences in the Canadian Rockies, the Post delivers daring, regionally inspired cuisine accompanied by excellent wines (it's one of only four restaurants in Canada to receive the Wine Spectator's Grand Award). A low, exposed-beam ceiling and a stone fireplace aglow in winter create an in-from-the-cold aura; white napery provides a touch of elegance; and a changing menu keeps things interesting, with dishes that might include Alaskan king crab drizzled with lemongrass-ginger butter, sautéed wild British Columbia halibut in lemongrass-thyme sauce, or Alberta beef tenderloin in bordelaise. With more than 26,000 bottles, the restaurant may well have Canada's best wine collection. For a unique experience with a group of six or more, inquire about the private cellar dining room.

Alberta is world-famous for its beef, and this restaurant is a great place to sample it, along with pork, lamb, and sustainable wild game and seafood. All steaks are hand-cut on-site and grilled on cherrywood, and everything, from the butter to the garnishes, is made in-house. Try the Brant Lake Wagyu beef tenderloin or share the dry-aged Tomahawk rib eye, which is carved tableside. Seafood choices include Arctic char, East Coast lobster, and scallops with zucchini puree and pork belly. There is one vegetarian option on the menu.

Offering everything from curry ramen and poke bowls to mushroom risotto and smoked bison flatbread, this small eclectic downtown tapas bar mixes Asian influences with local flavors. Both large and small plates are served in an intimate space with rough-hewn wooden tables, colorful artwork, and bare-bulb lighting. The drinks menu is equally varied, featuring wines, sakes, craft beers, and creative "blocktails."

Breakfast or lunch at this mountainside restaurant involves a ride up the sightseeing chairlift to a cool retro-style chalet. The food is delicious and unpretentious; brunch is served all day, the salads are meal-sized, and the nachos and the charcuterie board are great for sharing. Local craft beers, sodas, and Canadian wines are also on offer.

A small restaurant decorated with log beams and bathed in warm Santa Fe colors, Coyotes serves healthful Southwestern-style dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Scrambled eggs and salmon, stuffed French toast, and warm seven-grain cereal topped with fresh berries, pecans, and yogurt stand out among the breakfast offerings. Lunch and dinner favorites include the black-bean burrito, polenta with ratatouille, pan-roasted honey-glazed salmon, and several vegetarian selections.

Opened in 2021 by Chef Stephane Provost, Shoku Izakaya is Banff’s first Japanese pub. This friendly and fun izakaya-inspired restaurant serves small plates and snacks with an extensive selection of saki, Japanese-inspired cocktails, and beers. The space is decorated in dark colors with a wood beam ceiling, a long bar, well-spaced tables, and minimalistic Japanese art and adornments. The creative menu is made for sharing and includes a variety of skewers, sushi and maki rolls, sashimi, and other yummy snacks like sweet and spicy Korean fried chicken, steamed bao buns, pork-kimchee gyozas, and Tokyo fries with smoked bonito shavings. Maple miso crème brûlée and black sesame ice cream make uniquely delicious dessert choices.   

You can't beat the panoramic mountain views from this restaurant on the third floor of the Banff Gondola at 2281 meters (7,486 feet) above sea level. There are floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides and the cuisine is just as elevated as the scenery with a regularly changing menu that features local ingredients like Alberta beef, British Columbia salmon, and prairie-grown vegetables complimented by local craft beers, craft spirits, and Canadian wines. There are vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian menu choices as well as a children's menu. You can also purchase packages that include the Banff Gondola ride and dinner. Reservations are recommended; request a window seat if you can!

Not only is the "Rocky Mountain comfort food" served here made with organic local ingredients, but there's also an emphasis on slow cooking, with everything—down to the ketchup and mustard for the bison burgers—prepared from scratch. The contemporary decor, with hardwood floors and vaulted ceilings, focuses attention on the open kitchen, where the chefs prepare signature dishes such as bison onion soup and braised bison short ribs with roasted potatoes. Wild British Columbia steelhead trout, poached halibut, and Alberta lamb also grace the menu.

This casual little restaurant serves all-day breakfast, sandwiches, snacks, baked goods, house-made donuts, salads and picnic lunches to go. It's a great place to stop for a hot dog, French fries, poutine, ice cream, house-made ice pops or house-made marshmallows for ultra special camping s'mores. They also offer a wide variety of beverages including coffee, tea, kombucha, craft sodas, craft beer and wine. 

This brewery restaurant is designed to feel like you're in the middle of a forest---complete with a 25-foot pine tree, wood features, plants, leaves, and a retractable rooftop patio. The menu is casual and includes a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, and mains that all pair nicely with a flight of craft beer made on site. Pizza, stone-baked in a wood-fired oven to provide the perfect amount of crispiness, is one of the specialties; the sourdough pizza crust takes 72 hours to make using a reverse ice water fermentation process. The smash burger, made with Benchmark ground chuck, is one of the better burgers in town. For a more substantial meal, try the slow-roasted beef rib. The "million-dollar onion"---a roasted onion section baked in herb cream sauce and then broiled with cheesy bread crumbs---goes well with almost anything and only costs C$5.

A corner location and floor-to-ceiling windows make this a great spot to catch spectacular mountain sunsets while enjoying carefully crafted dishes. The menu changes twice yearly but might include Alberta bison strip loin with crispy kale and a charred shallot and Merlot glaze, Spanish paprika–crusted British Columbia halibut, or grilled Alberta beef tenderloin with truffle mac and cheese rissolé (small croquette). Gluten-free and vegan choices are clearly marked on the menu. The ample wine list showcases the output of top Canadian producers.

Local work crews, mountain guides, and park wardens love this small café for a hot breakfast, lunch, or early dinner (until 6). Baked goods, made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, and salads are the specialties, and the coffee is excellent. This is a good place to pick up a meal to go if you're driving north on the Icefields Parkway. There are only a few seats along the window and a few chairs outside.

For something fun and a little different, try this restaurant's three-course Château Experience, consisting of a mushroom-and-shallot cheese fondue to start, an eight-ounce beef tenderloin with farm vegetables and whipped potatoes for the main course, and chocolate fondue with banana bread and fresh fruit for dessert. If fondue isn't for you, other classic Swiss, German, and Alpine dishes are served à la carte. The comprehensive wine list roams the globe but favors vintages from Canada and California.

At breakfast, enjoy a regular coffee or espresso, hot chocolate, or tea from the local Banff Tea Company with your breakfast panini, toast, or house-made granola. Lunchtime soups, sandwiches and salads are often innovative; consider trying the buddha bowls with fresh veggies, falafel, quinoa and tangy tahini lemon dressing. Kale salad with fresh apples and toasted nuts is a typical vegan offering.