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    CASTELLO ITALIANA

    4.1 (38 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndItalian
    Closed 5:30 pm - 9:00 PM

    CASTELLO ITALIANA Photos

    CASTELLO ITALIANA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Upscale
    Quiet
    Good for groups

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    Jeannie N.

    Castello Italiana was such a solid Italian spot in Banff. We started with the Caesar salad and it was genuinely delicious -- I love a good Caesar, and this one absolutely delivered. For mains, we ordered the lobster carbonara and the lasagne bolognese, and both were rich, comforting, and really well done. Everything felt hearty without being heavy. Our server really made the night too -- super sweet and great with recommendations, which always elevates the whole experience. And do not skip dessert -- the tiramisu was incredible. So fluffy, light, and perfectly balanced, it honestly ended the meal on the best note. Great food, great service, and a place I'd happily come back to.

    Cake
    Hillary I.

    I'd recommend this for a cozy Italian dinner. The food was fresh and tasty, but nothing particularly stood out. The ambiance is also cozy and comfortable. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and provided recommendations. We don't eat veal but it looked amazing. We ordered the lobster carbonara and the eggplant Parmesan. The pasta was perfectly al dente! They also gifted us an anniversary dessert. This is a great option if you're staying in the Fairmont!

    Gluten free chocolate cake
    Briana M.

    Amazing food and wonderful service! It was a great find in Banff while on vacation. Being gluten free, I had more option than I have ever had in any other Italian restaurant. We hope to be back when back in Banff.

    Appetizer - Charred Octopus (CAD$19)
    Alia G.

    Very nice dining experience! However, be prepared to spend more than a few dollars. Why did we pick this restaurant? 1) It was included in our trip, so we were allowed to order, 1 appetizer, 1 main and 1 dessert each. (Alcohol was at our expense.) 2) I saw octopus and a number of other dishes that looked tasty and thought we needed to try this. Ambiance: 4 stars Small space so you need to make reservations. I'd call it Upscale Casual. Meaning not jeans (definitely no shorts), but you could wear khakis and a blouse. Conversation is easy and the sound in the room is good so that you don't have to scream at your dinner companion. Windows all around so it has a lot of natural light. And with nights lasting til almost 10pm, they don't need a lot of artificial lighting when it's clear out. Menu: 4 stars Really good options from pastas to meats to seafoods. I saw a number of different things I wanted to try. I could have easily made a meal out of the Antipasti, Insalada and Bruschetta sections without even going for the Primi or Secondi. But our meal plan was to order 1 starter, 1 main and 1 dessert, so I went the conventional route. Wine options: 4 stars They had a nice selection of wines by the glass. There wasn't a lot of options for each varietal, but there was at least 1 of each varietal. If you wanted a bottle, there list was pretty extensive with lots of options from around the world. Note, most wines by the glass start about CAD$13 and bottle prices start around CAD$60. Food / Flavors: 4 stars Chopped Salad - So good. Super fresh! Chopped hazelnuts on this salad add a nice flavor and crunch so no need for croutons! Love it. Charred Octopus - I'm picky when it comes to grilled or charred octopus.... while this was good, it wasn't quite what I expected. This seems more like it was steamed with hardly any char, and the meat was pretty chewy. The flavor wasn't fishy but it was hard to get past the chewiness of the octopus. (Note, I compare all octopus dishes to the one at Estiatorio Milos in Vegas which balances flavors and textures so perfectly.) Now, the sauce it was in was awesome... you can't go wrong with butter and garlic. This dish also had kale and chick peas ... both of which I really liked. Eggplant Parmesan - Special for the day - This is Mom's favorite dish so naturally she ordered it, and she was quite happy with it. The eggplant was cut thick and was not overly drenched in breading which was nice. Plus, it wasn't drowning in red sauce... so the eggplant was able to shine through. Speck wrapped Halibut - The dish was nicely prepared and presented. The fava beans were on point. YUM! Grilled halibut was good but not spectacular. And the speck (thin sliced bacon) seemed a little tough. Tiramisu - YUM! YUM! YUM! This is one of the best I've enjoyed in a long time. Nice balance of creaminess to coffee flavor to ladyfinger. Lemon Semifreddo - Surprisingly light and refreshing. A good palate cleanser and finish to a meal. If you want dessert, but don't want something heavy, order this. Good lemon flavor and pairs great with the crunchy almond crumble. Service: 5 stars Excellent Service! Polite, Professional and Helpful!

    Erin D.

    So obsessed with this divine Italian restaurant. It's located in the Fairmont and the concierge recommended it so we booked it. We loved it and can't recommend it enough. The restaurant is tiny and has the most romantic ambiance. It's beautifully lit, has perfect decor, great service, soft jams, and the list goes on. This was the best food we had on our trip to Banff. We started with the Caprese salad and it was the best we've ever had - truly divine and a generous portion. We then shared fresh bread, arancini, and the garganelli pasta. Everything was superb! The pasta had a bit of heat and was so tasty!! We shared everything and left full ... too full to try dessert. This is the perfect spot for a romantic, date night in a place with cool ambiance, great service, and delicious food. Fairmont - you knocked this one out of the park!!

    Antipasti and arancini
    Stefan W.

    I have to admit that I don't understand the appeal of Castello. We went there for a glass of wine and some appetizers which seemed largely to annoy the staff. Sorry, I guess? Extremely overpriced overall, but generally good quality. We had some arancini and antipasti which were quite delicious, but ultimately made up of ingredients you can source just here in Canmore for a hilariously small fraction of the total cost. I won't say it wasn't delicious, including some beautifully pickled olives and fresh breads, but it was simply too expensive. This is the problem with most Italian food. It is inherently inexpensive to make. This has not stopped restaurants for attempting to elevate it, and usually failing to do so while staying coherent to their demanded pricing. Castello does this to extremes. For those that place a 5 star review on this place, I do recommend you branch out to other Italian restaurants. Take the drive to Calgary and visit Bonterra (for a more contemporary experience) or Buon Giorno (for a more classic experience) if you're after some quality Italian food at much more reasonable pricing.

    Ian C.

    The price is not expensive at this Italian restaurant at the high end Fairmont Banff hotel. So the price Is good and the service was amazing. I would rate the food as 3 stars as thy came too salty and meat texture too dry and rough. I was expecting the meats to be moist, juicy and tender, that was not the case. However, all levels of serving staffs put in all effort to ensure us being satisfied. Because the risotto came out too salty, we have to have it changed. Our waiter was very kind to help us. And the floor manager was aware of it too. In the end they gave us the very tasty dessert for free. I would rate their service 5+ stars, which saved the overall rating to a 4. If the food actually taste good, I will come again. I hope the meat texture and saltiness get fixed.

    The breads
    N B.

    Our favorite place to dine in Banff. Can't say anything bad about Castello. The roasted garlic and breads they start you off with is to die for. I don't normally indulge in the bread basket, but I do here. The rest of the food is always good... I have never had a bad meal here and I've been several times. We always eat here at least once when we stay in the hotel. I love the relaxed ambiance of the restaurant. It's not a huge space, which is nice. It feels quite intimate. The service is excellent... you know it's good when most of the staff have been there 10+ years and you recognize familiar faces year after year.

    Entrance
    Mr B.

    Baked garlic and fresh bread is awesome! Meatball appetizer truly delicious and lounge-side dining is faster with 75% of the ristorante menu so a great combo if seeking drinks with the meal. The modern classics menu of drinks is a great shot at bringing esoteric ingredients into play so give it a shot but prepare to drop $25 for 2.5 oz silver Parton... We had great service at the bar side dining area and despite the dark lounge-like environs the quality of food was amazing.

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    This place is so lovely. The service and staff were friendly and professional. The food was excellent. And the cocktails were exceptional!

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    Had the calamari to start as well as some red wine! I would say the food quality is worth the price! Definitely recommend and will be back!

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    Lupo - Must have

    Lupo

    4.4(216 reviews)
    1.8 km

    This place was one of the key takeaways for food on our Banff trip! Order the Seafood Linguine and…read moreCaesar Salad with a Espresso Martini for a drink. You are very welcome! We came here on a whim to find a nice place to eat as we were on our way to Lake Louise. We walked around town to find a place to eat and my wife loves Italian, so we tried to walk in at about 6pm. Luckily for us, there was an open seat (reservation are highly recommended.. it was packed). We were greeted by the waiter who gave us the choice of sparkling or still water. Fancy schmancy. We got the still house water. The place was packed, full, and a bit loud, but also romantic given the atmosphere and the views. Good place to take a date, but not a good place if you wanted a private booth/moment. I ordered the seafood linguine, and my wife ordered the spicy rigatoni alla vodka. We also ordered the little gem caesar to share, and she also go the coffee martini for her drink. I got soda. The caesar came out and it was one of the best caesars I had. It was presented by having two baby heads of romaine lettuce covered with caesar dressing. Very tasty and creamy. Very very good! Next time, I am going to order one for just myself! Only eating one baby romaine head left me wanting more! After the salad, the pastas came out and the seafood linguine was remarkable! Presented as a bundle of linguini with seafood on the sides, all covered in white wine/clam sauce. One of THE BEST seafood linguines I have ever tried! My wife's spicy rigatoni was spicy and had a kick (I am Thai so take that for what it's worth). My wife thought it was a bit too spicy for her, but overall the dish was meh. Reminds me of the pasta alla vodka at Cheesecake Factory, but without the sausage. I do believe if there was an option to add sausage, the dish would've been 100x better. The dish just got bland the more you ate it. And because of this, I ended up eating the rigatoni, and my wife ate the linguini lol. Just kidding.. kinda. We shared our plates :) I highly recommend this place. The rigatoni was nothing special, but everything else was spectacular. We were even contemplating going back there on our drive home, but it opened at 4pm that day, and that was too late on our schedule to wait. Nevertheless, we'll be back again!

    The ambience here is absolutely stunning! It was easy to get a reservation through Open Table and…read morethere was a lot of seating inside the restaurant. Below are the dishes we ordered: scallop crudo -- absolutely delicious! The scallops were so fresh and the sauce was so yummy. Loved the crispies on top (potato?). This was my favorite dish from our visit! winter squash pizza -- this sounded so unique so we had to try it! It was flavorful, and the star was definitely the crust!! The pizza crust is the best I've ever had; it was perfectly airy and light! rigatoni carbonara -- the rigatoni was a bit undercooked and the guanciale was overcooked. Overall, we did not enjoy this dish and would not recommend it. We were a bit disappointed about the pasta but enjoyed the other two dishes we ordered!

    Photos
    Lupo - Inside of Lupo restaurant.

    Inside of Lupo restaurant.

    Lupo - Took it too fast bc he couldn't wait to eat it!!  Rosaline

    Took it too fast bc he couldn't wait to eat it!! Rosaline

    Lupo - Negroni

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    Negroni

    Bear Street Tavern

    Bear Street Tavern

    4.2(547 reviews)
    1.7 km
    $$

    I visited Bear Street Tavern based off of a recommendation by a coworker. Beer and pizza is usually…read morea winning combination and Bear Street Tavern is a great example of this. Admittedly, I'm not much of a drinker but I'll have some once in a while and Bear Street seems to have a pretty good selection. I tried a Vietnamese Coffee Stout which I enjoyed. I'm definitely more of an eater than I am a drinker and the eats at Bear Street Tavern are excellent. My party got 2 pizzas and a salad and we enjoyed it all. To start we got the Tavern Bowl. It's a bunch of different vegetables with a Tahini Miso Dressing and kimchi on top. All the different textures and flavors worked really well together and the salad served as a nice break between bites of pizza. The Wheeler Hut pizza has mushrooms, ricotta, truffle oil, pesto, and mozzarella. If you're a fan of truffle flavor you'll enjoy this pizza. As soon as it was brought out I could already smell the truffle. The Mediterranean has olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, red onions, chili flakes, spinach, mozzarella, and balsamic glaze. A little busier than the Wheeler Hut, but it was equally delicious. I'm not sure which pizza I liked more. Both pizzas had a fantastic crust with some char. Substantial enough to stand up to the toppings but still a little doughy for a nice chew. The char gives a nice crunch as well. Service is quick and friendly and the prices are fair, especially in a tourist area. I definitely recommend Bear Street Tavern.

    I enjoyed this place a lot! I only have positive things to say. We arrived and there didn't have…read morespace to seat us, so we opted to wait for take out and we only had to wait 20 minutes. We ordered the wheeler hut pizza and the tavern bowl salad. Both were incredible! I'd highly recommend doing this combination on your next date night. We were both full and happy by the end.

    Photos
    Bear Street Tavern
    Bear Street Tavern - The Mediterranean

    The Mediterranean

    Bear Street Tavern - Caesar salad

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    Caesar salad

    Hello Sunshine - Chef's Roll on the left, Maui Wowie on the right

    Hello Sunshine

    4.2(201 reviews)
    1.8 km

    Stopped by Hello Sunshine Banff and had a really great experience. The sushi was fresh, flavorful,…read moreand beautifully presented. One roll had perfectly grilled pieces on top with avocado that added a nice smoky flavor, while the other had a great crunchy texture that balanced everything out really well. I also ordered what I believe was a matcha drink, and it paired perfectly with the meal. It was smooth, refreshing, and a nice contrast to the richness of the sushi. Everything tasted high quality and thoughtfully prepared. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, and the whole place had a great vibe. Definitely a spot worth checking out if you're in Banff and craving good sushi and a solid matcha drink. Service was great. But a little slow

    3 stars because this place is all about the ambiance, and I really appreciated that. Beautiful…read moremid-century millennial vibes. Warm cozy fires. Karaoke rooms available for large groups with high minimum spends. However, when it comes to the food, I've got issues. The happy hour menu boasts several discounted (half price) sushi rolls, which sound great. However, in execution, they are flooded with mayonnaise (not included in the menu's ingredients). This adds so much extra salt and oil to the sushi that it drowns out the true flavor of the fish. For the first time in my life, I couldn't finish my sushi, and I had no desire to eat any leftovers. Also, reservations are not required, but they definitely help (and require a credit card reservation). If you show up for happy hour, get there early, becasue the space fills up fast!

    Photos
    Hello Sunshine - Bar seating @hellosunshinebanff

    Bar seating @hellosunshinebanff

    Hello Sunshine - Salmon Teriyaki

    Salmon Teriyaki

    Hello Sunshine - Awesome seating.

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    Awesome seating.

    CASTELLO ITALIANA - italian - Updated May 2026

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