Absolutely lived up to the hype. 1888 Chop House is a must if you're in Banff and want a proper steakhouse experience. Get the ribeye -- no hesitation. Perfectly cooked, insanely flavorful, and worth every dollar. It's also dope that they let you choose your own steak knife, which adds to the whole experience. The sides were just as good: the milk bread is dangerously good, the broccolini is cooked perfectly, and the potatoes are rich and comforting. Service was outstanding. Adam was hands-down a big reason the night was so good -- he helped with drink recommendations, set the tone, and really tied the entire dinner together. And do not skip dessert -- the 1888 Sundae is absolutely worth it. I could honestly eat two by myself. Great food, great service, would 100% come back. read more

Enjoyed the fine dining ambience. Service was great and let us set the pace. We began with the highly recommended 1888 milk bread appetizer ($15). It was ok. Honestly didn't think it was very special or had a memorable taste. I wouldn't order it again. Lots of beef options - all very expensive. Two of us had the Ontario corn fed 8oz tenderloin ($86). We thought the fillets were just OK, certainly not great. Perhaps because we're used to great beef in Texas. My wife had the rack of lamb ($70) and she thought it was delicious. We split the heirloom tomato side and it was fantastic. I highly recommend it. Our friends split the whipped potatoes side. read more

What an experience! I made a reservation at 1888 for 12 people for our reunion. A few days prior, I called to see if we could move the reservation to the right an hour and they were very accommodating. On the day of, we got a message on OpenTable saying that our table would be ready up to an hour beforehand if we wanted to come earlier. I really appreciated the thorough communication! The grounds are beautiful, please don't do yourself a disservice by coming on time, you should absolutely come EARLY to explore the Fairmont. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were able to sit at a beautiful waiting area while the made sure our table was ready, and were given a gorgeous private room for our large group. Our waiter, Alex, was very patient with our large group, gave us wine recommendations, and even shared a few laughs with us. The food itself was incredible; we shared the potatoes, broccolini, peppers, and asparagus family style and our standouts were the peppers and potatoes. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their steak, even though we all got different cuts and styles. At the end of the night, we were sorry to be too full to try dessert, and left with great memories and full bellies. read more

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WONDERFUL DINNER AT FAIRMONT FLAGSHIP STEAKHOUSE We had a wonderful dinner at 1888 Chop House, the flagship steakhouse inside the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. If you have only one chance to dine at the Fairmont, choose 1888 Chop House. Reservations are highly recommended. Plus unlike most places in Banff, this is an elegant yet comfortable restaurant where you can enjoy dressing up a bit and maybe not come in your hiking gear :o) We began our meal with the 1888 Milk Bread ($15 CAD) - four warm light and puffy Japanese milk bread rolls - and the Local Gem Salad ($18 CAD), a well-dressed flavorful salad tossed with a creamy vinaigrette. The standout appetizer was the Hokkaido Scallops ($34 CAD). The four incredibly fresh raw scallops had a clean delicate flavor unlike the distinctive briny flavor of raw clams and oysters. For our main course, we ordered the Alberta Brant Lake Wagyu Beef Strip Loin (12 oz $118 CAD). Perfectly seared and cooked medium rare, the wagyu steak featured well marbled fat that was completely melted into the extremely tender steak. The steak was served with a rich bone marrow bordelaise sauce. We also enjoyed the rich and tasty Brome Lake Duck ($62 CAD). We did not expect the dusting of very pungent blue cheese on the small side of Charred Broccolini ($16 CAD). We only wished the dessert menu was as elevated as the rest of the meal. The chamomile soft serve ice cream in the 1888 Sundae ($18 CAD) could have been vanilla but for the garnish of flower petals. The highlight of the sundae was the pitcher of a thin but rich caramel sauce served on the side. We're still not sure what was the Banana & Seabuckthorn dessert ($17 CAD) - it was an artsy arrangement of colorful soft domes (were they made of cream or cake or panna cotta?) with no identifiable flavors - a pretentious dish that was all looks and no substance. Finally, we appreciated the professional yet understated service from the entire staff. Our waiter was attentive and engaging as he guided us through our dinner. Plus the floor manager checked on us twice - first to apologize when a rude person barged in front of us while we were being escorted to our table and later to check on how well we enjoyed our dinner. This level of thoughtful customer care is rare and unfortunately, no longer the norm. Note: If possible, skip the high top seating and standard seating located near the entrance of the dining room and request seating further inside the main dining room to avoid the traffic of incoming guests. Also note that the more modern menu of 1888 Chophouse does not include steakhouse classics such as Caesar salad, French onion soup, raw oysters, escargot or cheesecake. read more

The staff was really nice and attentive. I would have rated this place 5 stars but our food took a really long time to come out. We ordered the scallop dish which arrived quickly but it's not a filling dish. While we were waiting, we decided to order the milk bread so that we could eat it while we wait for the main course. The milk bread also took long to arrive though. I like that they can make any drink here. This place had the best espresso martini I tried while I was in Banff. They just can't make a pina colada because they don't have a blender. I highly recommend the ribeye. You get a lot of meat for what you pay and it was delicious. There's not a strict dress code enforced. You can dress up or be casual. I wouldn't recommend dressing too casual but I did see people arrive in very casual outfits such jeans, knit sweaters and a santa hat. read more

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I've got to be honest: this is one of the most memorable meals I've had in a long, long time! read more

1888 CHOP HOUSE - Wine Bars Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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This was one of the best places we went to in Banff for dinner! I highly recommend going here if you are in town! The service was excellent and the food was amazing! It's a bit of a romantic setting, so for me and my mom we didn't need it but if you're on a date or with your husband or family for sure it's a nice atmosphere. I did see a group of guys that looked like they were having a business dinner as well so It's for everyone! We had the Alberta tenderloin, the mashed potatoes, which are a must because they just melt in your mouth, and they are the best mashed potatoes ever, the carrots, the halibut with peas, and the birthday dessert, which was ice cream with the various sauces. All is delicious, and if we went again, I would order the same thing plus more.! read more

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Amazing experience, very calm ambiance, light music, staff was attentive and quick with everything. Got 2 rounds of drinks, and literally ordered the whole menu. Also got to choose my steak knife made from real deer antlers (in the image) the steaks were great, the desert was great. The pictures speak for themselves read more

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The Fairmont has exceeded our expectations at almost every turn. 1888 was no different. Tonight was our last night and we chose 1888 as our cap stone. The service...excellent! The duck...excellent! The steak...better than expected!. Heck, they even have a cart they bring to the table with by the glass champagne you want to drink. We would definitely come back. PS: my wife...THE BEST! read more

Went on Saturday date night for my husband's bday dinner. The restaurant is very much like the hotel. Service was the best part of my experience. They were attentive but not too intrusive. The food was okay, not the best. I think all of the plates were missing something. It was a good meal overall. read more

1888 CHOP HOUSE - Charred broccolini - Wine Bars Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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Oh man, where to begin! Absolutely incredible. Although the dessert was my personal favorite, the ribeye was also one of the best I've ever had. Needed NO sauce & cooked perfectly, medium rare. My husband & I were sharing because we had a late lunch so we weren't super hungry, they even offered to slice the steak for us for easier sharing. The bread & butter was also good. We tried the mushrooms & didn't care for them but honestly we're just not a huge fan of mushrooms but we were trying to branch out. Otherwise, superb! Our waiter was James & he was truly so kind. read more

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Pretty great steak place. Wagyu tenderloin and bison tenderloin were amazing. Ribeye was a little tough. Sauces that accompanied the dishes were great. Service was also fantastic read more

Amazing experience overall! Food and dessert were delicious. Loved the ambiance. Service was excellent. read more

1888 Chop House restaurant, deserves to be based at the classic world famous - Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel! An elegant superior fine dining restaurant it is ... I was had at ... Bison! First off - it ain't cheap here so bring mad crazy amounts of cash on all 5 of your cards!!! Our waitress was fantastic. Knowledgeable & informative, Alysha made our time here smooth as butter! Our Champagne & cocktails were a delight! The tables next to us were all staring, when our drinks were wheeled over to our table for us to decide on what to try! Can you say - bottle service anyone!?! Like a Boss! LOL! Then came the main course - Wagyu Striplion, Mac N Cheese, Carrots & Bison. The Wagyu was in a class by itself - a tasty & succulent delight! The 3 that ordered it swore that it was so great - best ever - such so they would be naming their first borns - Wagyu! I was on a mission when I got to Alberta ... having enjoyed the province's tasty triple AAA beef over the years, I longed to try Bison & wow what a sensation it was to my taste buds!!! Can I say WOW, WHOA, DAYUUUUUMMM any louder!?! Very impressive meat & went straight to my heart! Loved it!!! Order the Bison - medium! To be honest my eyes thought - these servings are waaaayyyyyyy too small for my belly! Forgetting that this is fine dining & all about the experience = taking your time & enjoying the bubbly = doing it right! Sometimes I just need to remind myself of that - not to rush the meal! LOL! After dinner we pondered dessert but we were all feeling just right! However, one in our party suggested we share the ultra magnificent - Yuzu Crème Vanilla Sable (try saying that fast) & gosh did it knock our socks off or what!!! A fight broke out to move the dessert closer to each other as we slashed each others spoons prying for a piece! Truly one of the most exquisite desserts I've ever had & one I won't ever forget! Make a reservation ... limited hours & seating! Fine dining at it's finest indeed! read more

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I asked the front desk what was the best place for a steak. She recommended this place, not only was it a weird set up for seating, open to the hotel public, but the ribeye was soooo tough. There was no flavor and hardly salted to taste. Hugely disappointed. I am not sure they can called them a steakhouse. I make better at home. However, the cocktail guy behind the bar was great and he did his best. read more

If you are looking for a gorgeous evening out, with views, vibe, drinks, food and the service to go with it... here it is. Impressed because I didn't expect to find this here. Shame on me. Located in the Fairmont, this place is gorgeous. Valet the car, spent the 50 and enjoy your evening. We had drinks at a few different lounges and then made our way to dinner. Halibut to steak... flawless. Great job read more

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Overpriced and not our style. It seemed to be too stuffy and we enjoyed other restaurants more near by.

excellent ambiance, excellent service, a real stunning place to dine and the food was just as good. we were there on 10-23-25 and it was by far the best overall experience at a steakhouse in Banff. read more

Oh my gosh, the wagyu steak was incredible!! Loved the mashed potatoes too. Wonderful atmosphere and great service in a stunning location! read more

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We were fortunate to eat here the night after our wedding (also hosted at the Fairmont) and our meal was incredible. The service was wonderful and our food was absolutely divine. I will say my ice cream did taste like it had melted some and then had been refrozen, but otherwise everything was impeccable! read more

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So very disappointed in this very expensive restaurant in the Banff Fairmont Hotel The duck was inedible , the pork was chewy and tasteless, a tenderloin had to be sent back because it was cold . I thought this would be the best restaurant on our trip and it was the definitely our least favorite ! There were six of us and we all felt the same! Manager and waiter were useless read more

Exceptional food. An absolutely delightful wait staff. And an incredible view. Absolutely worth a visit. We are still talking about and dreaming for the Haikkido Scallops read more

I only ended up here because I was staying at the Fairmont for a work trip. On a normal day this place is way out of my price range and I could never imagine eating here. Prices aside, the food is great, just not sure if it's worth the money but you are paying for the location and ambiance. I ordered the scallops and the crab cake for my meal, small portions expected, my table also ordered a ton of sides. My favorite thing was the carrot side, I've never loved carrots so much in my life! Drinks were plentiful and I got to try Pappy Van Winkle which I must say didn't impress me all that much. It's definitely a high end restaurant and I would love to try the other spots in the hotel. read more

1888 CHOP HOUSE - 2 scallop appetizers. - Wine Bars Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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It's extremely difficult to get a 5 star rating selling steaks for around 100 dollars without any sides on the plate, but this place absolutely does it. I had the ribeye and the sundae for dessert. 100+ worth of food right there but absolutely mind blowing. Ribeye was extremely flavorful with great marbling. Typically I am slightly picky in regards to fat but this steak was absolutely phenomenal. ++ service and ++ atmosphere. Overall great dining. read more

Not a fan of restaurants located in hotels, considered this could anyway be a good exception. Looking for a steakhouse experience without reservation few days ahead in August is not easy, but we ended here. Excellent options on the menu, but for some reason our experience was not that great. Took almost 20min to get our order done, and made our minds sharing a tomahawk for the four of us with some side dishes. Meat took more than one hour to show up, without any word from the waitress other than it is coming soon about half hour before it came. She never apologized for having us abandoned or justified the long wait... no more words about service. On the meal itself, meat was little dry, probably a too thick piece or just overcooked considering the time it took... Overall, not what we were expecting, and very disappointed with the service provided read more

1888 CHOP HOUSE - Tomahawk as it came from kitchen - Wine Bars Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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Exceptional service from start to finish. We ordered the 32OZ 30-day dried aged porter house to share and that was more than plentiful. Cooked to perfection. Thank you Adam for your service at our table. It was a great experience. read more

We went to 1888 for a special occasion and our experience was mixed. The Good: Across the board the food was amazing. I have eaten at some nice steakhouses around the world and this might have been the best steak I have had. The ambiance is nice and for the most part the service was friendly and attentive. The Bad: The pacing of the meal was off. My wife got a salad and finished her salad, they cleared the plate and then it was a full 25 minutes until our steaks came. I know, I timed it. This resulted in a lot of awkward sitting around waiting, the waiter never checked in or apologized for a delay. Was the delay the end of the world? No, but it would be annoying at an Outback. At a $100pp location that charges $3 for water (both still and carbonated), this kind of delay really is unacceptable. read more

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Tomahawk chop: This is 2 steaks for 1 order. They ask you if you want to keep the bone. The chop is composed of half ribeye and half shoulder blade steak. Split amongst 3 people. The shoulder blade steak was too fatty. Threw at least half of it away. They cut the chop in front of you. $300 for dinner including asparagus/poutine/bottle of wine. Reasonable for 3 people. oddly this was probably our best value meal in a fairmont restaurant. read more

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Such a great steakhouse experience. The bread and butter was one of the most delicious breads I've ever had. We also had some amazing steaks and lobster. Mashed potatoes were so yummy too. We loved it here. Service was a bit slow but everyone was so kind and friendly and the food was worth the wait. read more

Wow!! Talk about elegant! So impressed with the Fairmont!! It was a spa day and dinner in Banff, and the Fairmont was a natural choice. The Chop House was outstanding. Unique. Luke and Eric treated us so well, recommending the right wine, right meal, and right dessert for our experience. The starter was the scallop and pork belly offering, topped with a pork rind for texture contrast. Creative and delicious. Who knew?? Our big rib eye (shared) carved at tableside was both dramatic and delicious. Add the au jus (seemed like a reduction with brandy?) and herbal butter, and we ate the best steak in Banff. And the mac/cheese side was great too, made with a hard cheese (local parmisian?) that certainly grabbed attention. Dessert was the chocolate offering, paired with a sherry that enabled the cocoa flavor to shine. A "must go" meal and restaurant, add it to your itinerary. Bon appetite. read more

My husband and I had the privilege of staying at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel in Banff Springs. We decided to splurge on a meal here and so happy we did! The meal was incredible from start to finish. And the service was spectacular! We started off with the bread and butter. I know, I know, sounds so boring. But it was the most delicious bread and butter ever! The bread is freshly baked and so so soft! It comes with the most deliciously churned butter, foie gras, and a berry marmalade. That bread stood no chance! For dinner my husband and I both opted for the Brant Lake Wagyu. Worth every penny. The meat was so soft, hardly had any fat, and cooked to perfection. It is served with a delicious Jus. For sides we had the mashed potatoes(so creamy and delicious) and mushrooms (also delicious). We ended the meal with a decadent slice of blueberry cheesecake. Order it. Even if you are stuffed. Thank me later. read more

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Absolutely prefect experience. Everything was top notch from the start to finish. The restaurant sits inside the world famous 'Castle in the Rockies' with beautiful decor and atmosphere . Our server Adam was amazing! His knowledge of the menu and meat in general was impressive. He helped guide us in our ordering. He checked in at the prefect time every time and was so attentive. He even kindly guided us on how to eat one of the appetizers to ensure we mixed it properly as it was set that way for presentation only. We had the beef tartare and crab cakes. Out of athis world delicious! Then went on to the bison and tuna which is the best bison I've ever had by a mile. The side of whipped potatoes where an absolute delight and an experience in themselves. I can clearly say this was the best meal of our lives. We eat out regularly and aren't afraid of fine dining, so we know good food when we have it. Now keeping in mind this place is very expensive, with many items near or over $100. But you get what you pay for here, a 1 of a kind dining experience in a 1 of a kind hotel looking out at the best views mother nature can muster. read more

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Despite being in business since 1888 - Fairmont 1888 Chop House has not not yet perfected the steak. Disappointing! We had made reservations to celebrate our birthday at this restaurant while staying at Fairmont Banff Springs. Entrance to the restaurant is somewhat underwhelming but interior is nice and cozy. The waitress was nice but food and timing very poor. We ordered drinks and appetizer. After finishing our starter we waited a good 45 minutes and no food arrived. The party next to us who had arrived 30 minutes after us had already received their starter and huge Tomahawk steak but no sight of our medium rare NY strip steak which has significantly shorter cook time. After we asked the manager where our food was, we waited about 15 minutes more for our food to finally arrive. Our steaks arrived overly charred (not sure if that's intentional or not?) It was done medium well (overcooked to our order) pretty dry and tasted like nothing but charcoal due to the burns. The manager was very apologetic and competed our meal - however we had preferred paying full price and haven received a good meal like we expected. I would not recommend this restaurant and would not try again. read more

1888 CHOP HOUSE - Charred and over cooked steak :( - Wine Bars Near Me - Banff, Alberta

Such a wonderful experience here. Upscale but casual ambience, great service and solid steaks. Really can't say much more other than make sure you make reservations because this place is popular! read more

We eat at a lot of steak places and this was the most memorable we have been at in a long time. Their bone marrow app was the largest portion we have ever seen and it was absolutely perfect. Loved the twist on beef tartare served with thin potato skins. And the steak with fois gras on top was done exactly as we asked and was so delicious as prime beef always is. I am so glad that we came here. The service was also exceptional. It's hard these days to differentiate yourself from other steak houses but they have managed it here. Do you make a reservation though because it looks like it's booked most of the time. read more

Gosh, this is a tough one to write. My steak was perfect, best steak I've ever had. We loved the champagne cart and they have a fantastic wine selection. We did call ahead to see if we could make a reso for the evening and they said they were booked. We walked down and there was a couple that walked up to the hostess before us and asked if they could make a reso - she happily got them set up. Which was strange... I mean ok... you were fully booked 3 min ago but can take them at their preferred time? Not a big deal. We didn't care about this but I wanted to note it now My husband ordered a medium rare and it was def well done and even black/charred on the outside AND THEN there was a hair in our market veggies. This sucks but it happens, we get it. Everyone is human. What bothered us was how they made us feel for bringing it up and how it affected our overall experience. We felt bad for bringing it up. They made us feel cheap. We don't care to get those items copped, we were just wanting to let you know. There was a lack of empathy as well as tact in their communication style. One would expect better from a place like this. read more

1888 is located in Fairmont Banff Springs. It's a formal but comfortable room with a great menu and impressive wine list. Our steaks were perfectly cooked and service was great. Reservations are a must because it is very popular. read more

This is definitely my favorite restaurant in Banff, the reservation always full til 9pm. That is when we came. It's a little bit late, I'm hungry and little bit cranky. Never judge the book by its cover, I did and I was wrong. The exterior is just so well tuck away, you could miss it if you don't walk slower. The waiter is so informative, friendly and funny at the same time. He's a really attentive person. We had the chance to have the tomahawk, and it is a huge plate and enough for 4 ppl to share. We had an appetizer including steak tartar, couple sides. The steak is beautiful, lamb is just okay, it was cook several ways in the same plate. Will come back for the steak again! read more

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Worst $450 we ever spent on dinner. Service was slooooow -- we waited just under an hour for our dinner. We ordered the tomahawk with some sides and two sauces. They suggested medium rare and 70% of it was medium. It was so chewy and dry, most of it wasn't edible. The only win was that they offered a great wine selection. We decided to try something new because The Bison Restaurant was closed... next time, we'll save our appetite and our dollars. read more

1888 CHOP HOUSE - Tomahawk steak - Wine Bars Near Me - Banff, Alberta

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The Wagyu tenderloin was seasoned perfectly and was melt in your mouth tender. Great wine list. The braised carrots with honey and pistachios is the only way to EVER eat a carrot. The bake their own Gluten free bread on premise AND had a gluten free berry crumble made with almond flour for dessert. Great steak and GF -I'll be back. read more