Banff has a surprisingly strong restaurant scene for a mountain town of 8,000 people. Years of international tourism have raised the standard considerably — you can eat extremely well here without needing to drive to Calgary. The main strip is Banff Avenue, with most of the best options concentrated within walking distance of each other.
Special Occasion and Fine Dining
The Maple Leaf on Banff Avenue is the go-to for upscale Canadian cuisine — bison, elk, salmon, and Alberta beef in a warm mountain-lodge dining room with an excellent wine list. Reservations essential on weekends.
Bison Restaurant does a similar elevated take on Canadian comfort — locally sourced ingredients, thoughtful preparation, warm atmosphere that manages to feel genuinely mountain-cozy without being kitschy.
Grotto Bar & Patio at the Fairmont Banff Springs — even if you’re not staying at the hotel, the Fairmont’s dining options are worth knowing about. The scale and setting of having dinner in a 19th-century castle against the Rockies is genuinely hard to replicate anywhere else.
The Grizzly House: Banff’s Most Iconic Restaurant
The Grizzly House on Banff Avenue has been operating since 1967 and remains one of the most distinctive dining experiences in the Canadian Rockies — a fondue restaurant with dark wood, animal trophies, game meats, and an atmosphere that’s thoroughly, unapologetically Banff. It’s touristy in the best possible way: expensive but worth it once. [See the full Grizzly House listing →]
Casual and Reliable
Bear Street Tavern on Bear Street is where locals go when they don’t want to spend $200 on dinner — wood-fired pizza, a rotating selection of local craft beers, a lively atmosphere. Best casual lunch or dinner option in town for the price.
Eddie Burger + Bar consistently earns its reputation as the best burger in Banff — straightforward, well-executed, reasonably priced. Worth a stop for lunch after a morning hike.
Tooloulou’s does Cajun food in Banff, which sounds improbable but works well — po-boys, jambalaya, gumbo. A good casual dinner for something different from the mountain protein focus of most Banff menus.
Coffee Before a Hike
Whitebark Café on Cave Avenue is consistently ranked among the best coffee in Banff — a small, well-regarded café with excellent pastries, good for fuelling up before Johnston Canyon or the Gondola hike.
Jump Start Coffee near the Banff gondola base is the other good option for a quick, high-quality espresso before an early morning departure.
After Hiking
Banff Ave Brewing Co. is the most convenient après-hike beer stop — a proper craft brewery on Banff Avenue with a good selection of Alberta-brewed ales and lagers, outdoor seating when weather permits, and pub food that absorbs the hiking calorie debt.
The Elk & Oarsman pub downstairs on Banff Avenue is another reliable post-hike option — less brewery-focused than Banff Ave Brewing, more of a traditional pub with solid food.
Practical Tips
Banff restaurants fill up fast in peak season (July and August) — book anything in the special occasion or fine dining category well in advance. Bear Street Tavern and Eddie Burger operate walk-in, but expect waits on busy evenings. Many Banff restaurants close their kitchens earlier than you might expect — if you’re planning a late dinner after a full hiking day, check closing times before committing to a longer drive back to Canmore.
Planning your Banff trip? Read our [Complete Banff Guide →] and see [The Grizzly House listing →]
