Downtown Banff - Lodging & Food You'll Love
Downtown Banff was the perfect home base. At first, I wondered if staying in the town of Banff was worth the high lodging prices. But now, I am completely convinced that staying in downtown Banff adds so much because one of my favorite parts of the trip was waking up and having coffee looking over the town as it woke up.
If the lodging prices of between $300 – $500/night is something you can splurge on then I definitely recommend doing so in downtown Banff.
Our Pick for Lodging: Brewster Mountain Lodge – Downtown Banff
Brewster Mountain Lodge was one of my favorite places I’ve ever stayed! Overall Brewster’s Mountain Lodge had a nice atmosphere and gave off earthy & mountain cabin vibes. Additionally, each day there were an assortment of complimentary cookies at the front desk, usually peanut butter and oatmeal raisin as well as lemon or orange water near the elevator. Sometimes it’s the simple things that are the foam on top :).
As for the drawbacks, the included breakfast was just okay. They had coffee, oatmeal, patty sausages, bagels, and toast. But, the fruit was hit or miss depending on the day, and there were no scrambled eggs, only hard-boiled. They also had a variety of danishes that weren’t anything special.
With those negatives aside, this hotel was right in the middle of town and we had a lovely balcony that overlooked the street and had a view of Rundle mountain. The foam on top here was sitting outside with a blanket on the crisp May mornings drinking coffee and looking out at the mountains. I will definitely stay again if the opportunity arises. I’d be very interested to stay in winter to see how the town changes.
Restaurants in Downtown Banff:
Breakfast:
1. Wild Flour Bakery
Aside from the cute points for the play on words, Wild Flour Bakery had a good variety of food. I really enjoyed the thyme and lemon scone. However, I did have to ask them to heat it up since I was taking it to-go.
This spot is definitely popular, so you may want to go early to skip the crowd. If you eat in there is indoor and outdoor seating available.
2. Uprising
Another cafe, is the Uprising Craft Bakery. It’s a bit more expensive than Wild Flour, but the chocolate chip custard swirl was yummy. There was also less seating than Wild Flour and it was all indoor.
3. Starbucks & Tim Hortons
These classics are both options in town if you are looking for something familiar and quick. Although both Wild Flour and Uprising were both decently quick.
Lunch/Dinner:
Below are our favorite restaurants starting with the everyday (not cheap but more affordable) restaurants followed by the splurge restaurants.
1. 3 Bears Brewery
We loved 3 Bears Brewery so much we went twice! Overall the restaurant has aesthetic indoor and outdoor seating and chill vibes. We really liked the Big Kahuna pizza, Chinois salad, and the chocolate cheesecake.
Side note: they do this cool thing called reverse ice water ferment for their pizza dough! Apparently it takes 72 hours, and honestly it tasted amazing so I guess I like reverse ice water fermented pizza.
The beer flight was fine, however you weren’t able to pick the beers that go into the flight, which takes a little of the fun out of it. Nevertheless, I would say this is a must dinner or lunch spot for your visit.
2. Magpie & Stump
Although when walking by, you may just overlook Magpie & Stump due to its rather gloomy outer appearance, we really liked this little Mexican spot! Everyone loved their food. We got the veggie burrito, a chicken burrito, and three soft corn tacos (pork, beef, and chicken). (Pork ended up being the most flavorful taco). Not only was the atmosphere cozy, but it was fun as well.
Next time I go back, I would try the Gringo Salad. I didn’t try it, but it looked really good and although it’s on the starter list, the waiter said that it is a full meal. Lastly, they have deals on different days, so if you have a few days in Banff maybe check their deals at the beginning of your trip and plan accordingly.
3. Silver Dragon
We liked the food at Silver Dragon and there were pretty views if you can sit by the window. However, I will mention a few drawbacks. Since it was a bit crowded, the staff seemed rushed which took away from the experience and we found that the dinners were a bit small and did not include white rice. So be sure to order that additionally.
Overall, the food was good, but a bit overpriced for what you get. But, honestly none of the restaurants are “cheap” so take this with a grain of salt. Lastly, we got the medium spice for the Szechuan Beef and it was unbearably spicy so keep that in mind.
Splurge Lunch/Dinner:
4. Grizzly House
Fondue was a Banff bucket list item for me, and although Grizzly House is a bit touristy, I think it’s worth the hype! The hack for us here was going for a big lunch. We did not have a reservation, but were easily able to get a table for lunch. Especially if you encounter a rainy spell midday, it could be a good time to check this off your list.
After being seated in the back area, which is dark and cozy we ordered the “Complete Fondue Dinner” off the dinner menu. Firstly, this included a starter, I got the tortellini soup. Then an appetizer of fondue, which we chose the cheese fondue with bread (don’t miss out on the crispy cheese at the bottom, our waitress scraped it off for us at the end). Then we chose the main course meats (beef and chicken for us). The 4-course meal was finished with a chocolate and fruit fondue!
I know chicken and beef for main meats was not super adventurous considering they have many other more exotic meats, but I’m happy we got those because they were delicious. Also for the meats, we chose to cook on the stone, rather than in oil and think that’s the way to go.
Lastly, someone in our party got a burger. It was a bit on the burnt side, but still good. The burger came with a side and we got the soup, but you may want to ask for the soup to come out first because when it comes out with the burger one gets cold before you can eat both!
5. Sky Bistro
Located on top of a mountain, Sky Bistro is not just a restaurant, but a whole experience. Although they sometimes take walk-ins we made a reservation weeks in advance, so I would do the same if it’s a must for you. The restaurant has floor to ceiling windows and allows you to enjoy the mountains while you eat, but it’s usually crowded, so be prepared to wait.
As for food, my main came with a soup, so I asked for the Roasted Red Pepper soup to come out before my main, which worked out well because I had something to eat while I waited. This soup was so good! Make sure they give you the roll to dip in it. Another option is to get fancy cocktails to keep you occupied while you wait.
For my main I ordered the Beef Brisket Burger medium well and it was rather raw so that was not great, BUT they comped my meal and cooked me something new let me pick a free dessert as well, so the customer service is top notch. The meal I ended up getting was the Orecchiette which was yummy.
My last tip for Sky Bistro is that I got this side soup with my main, but asked for it to come out first and we also got an order of the soup from the starter list and they were the same size. So, likely you’ll get a better bang for your buck if you just get a main and the side soup, instead of the soup by itself and another starter.
Keep in mind, you will have to either hike here or take the Banff Gondola which costs money! (Splurge! – but worth it) There’s a lot to do up there anyway! For more details on the complex at the top of Banff Gondola check out my post about the best things to do near Banff.
For our tips on how to plan the best trip to Banff National Park and the surrounding area check out my post on planning for the Canadian Rockies!
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