The Rundle Bar at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is an absolutely beautiful space. The balance of…read moreold world charm and elegance is prominent from the moment you walk into the iconic space. The space used to be the original lobby from 1888 but now occupies the bar. We've had the pleasure of visiting fantastic bars in a lot of places but Rundle Bar is special. The service level is as good as it can be. The staff makes you feel like you're in their home. They're incredibly attentive but not annoying. We had great conversation with many of the them and they genuinely care about you having a memorable experience. The views on the patio (alfresco terrace) are as epic as it gets with views of the breathtaking mountains everywhere you look. It's been named the best patio in Canada for years and you will see why when you walk out of the beautiful Rundle Bar onto the patio. The menu is made up of classics and signature creations. I had the Ember which is an old fashioned variation made up of high quality spirits and an infused maple syrup it was one of the best cocktails I've had in a long time. It didn't hurt that it came with a smoke show. It was so good that I have to create a separate post with photos and videos vs. detailing it here. Trust me, it's gorgeous!!! Banff has been on my list forever and I finally visited. The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel was equally a place I needed to experience and it didn't disappoint. The Rundle Bar was a bonus I wasn't expecting so make sure you make time to visit this magical place when you finally check Banff off of your list. I'm definitely going back with my beautiful wife because we have to experience it together. You need to go. Salute @thejohnnycocktail

We stopped for drinks, and enjoyed the views while relaxing over cocktails…read more The atmosphere is classy as expected at the Fairmont, but our waiter could have used a bit of training.

Rose & Crown is a perfect spot for great views, great service and great food and drinks! Located…read morein Downtown Banff, we choose to sit outside and had gorgeous views and enjoyed the sunshine. We, of course, sampled more Canadian beer and poutine! The chicken poutine was not something I thought I would order, but it was on special and why not? The Chicken Poutine is incredible and full of flavors that are out of this world. We shared the chicken poutine and I loved Kevin's Beef Dip and we shared a side of the traditional poutine - so good. Melty cheese curds, delicious and hot fries and the gravy...take me back right now! The fish and chips were yummy and light and the perfect lunch portion. We loved our visit to Rose & Crown and it's definitely some of the very best food we had in Banff!

Okay so the views from the rooftop are great, but the rooftop is ROWDY. I'm in my twenties and…read moredidn't want to spend my evening with so many twenty year olds. It seems like quite the après ski spot, but I don't think any of the people there actually went skiing that day. It was basically a huge frat party on the rooftop with canned beer for purchase and a DJ. If you're looking for a nice, classy spot to watch the sunset - this is not it. We were crammed in the corner next to their barricaded section of the rooftop and didn't stick around longer than it took us to finish the drinks we bought downstairs.

Best pretzel with a view you could ever ask for! I am so glad we made the walk up to try this…read moreplace! We followed the Bow River from Banff to get here. It's not too far and you get to see the Bow Valley Falls. Waldhaus is just right up the stairs from the bottom of the falls. We tried the soft pretzels and enjoyed them! The cheese dip was delicious. Diet Coke was perfectly crisp too!

We didn't plan on coming here but we're so happy we stumbled upon it. We walked along the trail of…read moreBow Falls when we saw a sign and staircase leading up to it. Since we didn't plan on eating, we shared the Spilt Pea Soup and Bratwurst. Both were absolutely delicious. I really couldn't decide what I enjoyed with my brat more, the garlic mash potatoes, or the beer and onion gravy. The spilt pea soup had plenty of bacon in it to give a nice flavor and texture. I'd highly recommend stopping by and enjoying the scenery.

Excellent! Creative!…read moreInnovative! Foodie Delights! I'm not vegan... But the most amazing and cool dish was the faux chicharrónes. It's actually made out of sweet potatoes in some magic way. The corn elote is super savory and creamy and vegan... again...they are doing some magic here. The Butter Baked Scallops were a big hit! Talk about unctuous and sinful. The scallops were succulent and tender! You just can't go wrong with Butter and Scallops. Service is on point. We wanted for nothing! Our water bottle was kept full and several folks checked on us not just our server. All of them were friendly and genuine. This establishment is pretty small inside... About 10 tables plus the bar area which I think sits 8. Definitely make a reservation!

I went to the Deja Vu speakeasy in the back of 4296. The ambiance is super cool. A great place…read morefor a drink. The food was good albeit overpriced. But the main problem I had was that the things they said are gluten free are not !!!!!!!!!! They fry things in the same fryer as gluten and then call it gluten free. I wish they would have just said nothing was GF and I would have gone somewhere else.

Great food, cocktails, service, and live music! I would highly recommend this restaurant!read more

Unbeatable: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese…read more My wife and I, along with 3 members of our family from California, were spending a week visiting the Canadian Rockies. Canmore was our base so we needed a place for dinner each of the 7 nights. While walking in Banff and needing a quick lunch, we found Banff Social. - Overall: 5 - Location: 5 - Exterior: 5 - Ambiance: 4 - Menu: 4 - Food: 5 - Service: 5 - Price and Value: 5 Pros: - Location: Convenient to the downtown area. In the midst of everything. - Exterior: Very nice with 2 attractive patios outside. - Ambiance: Casual. The patios are great in good weather. A section just inside from the patios is bright and light. The large interior is quiet and soothing...if a bit dark. - Menu: Moderate size with several selections in all the main categories...including choices for vegetarians. - Food: Excellent. Three of the 5 in our group chose a bowl of tomato confit soup ($15).....made without cream.....along with a grilled cheese sandwich ($10). They were among the best of each we've ever had. I could have gone back for dinner. Another family member had a plate with Ahi Tuna and vegetables ($28) while the 5th person ordered a Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($27). Both said "very good". - Service: Superior. We told our server, Brock, that we had only had 40 minutes. He got the orders in ASAP...the kitchen pushed them out the door and we ate...but not in a hurry...and enjoyed a fine meal. Brock was friendly and helpful. - Price and Value: Reasonable. Cons: None We'd heartily recommend Banff Social for any meal - especially the Tomato Confit Soup with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich on the patio or front portion of the restaurant.

This place was the best restaurant we ate at while visiting BANFF for a week in September. they…read morehave a great HH for some of their menu items and every dish that we ordered tasted amazing and was cooked to perfection! we had tuna crudo, crab toast ( we are from Maryland and loved this crab toast!) mushroom pizza, bibb lettuce salad, maple bbq trout and wood grilled strip steak and every dish was delicious!! The service was 10 stars on both days that we visited the restaurant is also huge and well designed , with airy seating and multiple rooms for different types of tables if you are in Banff area, I highly recommend you try this for a highly elevated dining experience at the same prices of others in the area Do make a reservation because they fill up quickly ! I would stay away from their kombucha because its just tasted like soda, however it wasnt house made, so can't ding them for that :)

What a let down! This restaurant came highly recommended for the food but every single person (word…read moreof mouth and read the reviews) said how terrible the service was... and I agree! The hostess sat me (party of 1) at the worst table-right behind the hostesses stand where allllllll the servers and people pass by. She never even asked if I wanted inside or outside. I asked my server if I could switch and that never happened. My drink took forever-it arrived after my appetizer. The best thing I ate was the eggplant fries app-that sauce was a delight with the lightly breaded eggplant. It had the perfect crunch! I also asked for more sauce and the server again forgot and was never around. I mentioned in my reservation that it was my birthday and nothing happened. I was dining solo and hoping that by the restaurant would celebrate in some way, especially since the reservation asked if I was celebrating... The food wasn't THAT good to put up with such poor service. I never even got a second drink - my server was all over the place. It seems like an overall tightening up would do this restaurant well- from hostess to the bar to the servers. Come on guys- charging $30 for a salad deserves white glove service.

A wonderful experience in every respect!…read more This is what dining should be about these days. I The dinner is inspired, has a story, tastes wonderful and makes people actually enjoy the evening.

1/2 Yelp Review -- Sauvage…read more Highs were high. Lows were lows. We tried the five-course tasting menu at Sauvage, which offers a fun choice between the Hunter and Gatherer options. The presentation throughout the meal was beautiful and definitely part of the experience. The amuse-bouche was a delicious little apple bite and a great start. I really enjoyed the hunter's bread, although neither of the butters was a favorite. Jon's bread was just okay. The berry, oil and vinegar, however, was excellent. From there, the meal was definitely hit or miss. The poached fish was okay, while the pressed watermelon was one of my favorites--really delicious and memorable. We had two different dumpling courses, and unfortunately both were just meh. My lobster dumpling was especially disappointing because I really couldn't taste the lobster while the brown butter was delicious. Jon's mushroom dumplings tasted like nothingness. Oyster mushrooms cannot develop into anything meaningful regarding a tasting profile. The boar was another standout--tender, flavorful and probably one of my favorite savory courses. The tenderloin was fine while the asparagus potato and garlic greens were very good. The purple cabbage dish was wonderful while the cauliflower was too hard to chew and the green sauce was meh. The lowest of the low was the palate cleanser - a maple syrup and thyme tea. Yuck. I couldn't get it down. I'm probably old school, but I really appreciate a clean lemon sorbet as a palate cleanser. Dessert continued the highs-and-lows theme. The panna cotta didn't really do it for me, but the chocolate dessert was excellent. The accompanying ice cream was just okay. We were told that the thank you candy was Japanese... Jon is Japanese and we have been to Japan half a dozen times. Nothing of the candy "screamed" Japanese besides the fact that it wasn't as sweet as American candy. Looked more like geode rock candy. Overall, this was an interesting and very creative tasting menu with some truly delicious bites, beautiful presentation, and a few dishes that really stood out. Unfortunately, there were also several courses that didn't quite live up to expectations. Service was pleasant and cordial. Bottom line: the highs were definitely high--but there were enough lows that the experience felt inconsistent.

This was the perfect place for a late dinner for the four of us. We had just come in from our long…read moreday on the Rocky Mountaineer and definately wanted some dinner, [large or small]. From where the hotel is located you can not take a quick walk downtown so we came here. It was definitely a good choice. We were immediately greet by the smiling-friendly hostess who sat us quickly. The ambiance around this area was wonderful. The HUGE fireplace was very special but not lit yet. The overall appearance was soothing with comfortable tables and chairs. Our server came up and brought us some menus and took a drink order. Just a lovely young lady. It did not take long for our food to be delivered... Sone fish tacos, chicken sandwiches and salads. Food was excellent and we all enjoyed. Everything was fresh and tasty. The pricing was also favorable. I had the fish tacos which were excellent. These were as good-fresh-tasty as anyone I had every had. Everyone else was very satisfied with their choices. (There are a few pictures attached to this review.) After a long day on the train coming here, sitting back and enjoying the atmosphere and food was a grand treat. This part in the hotel was wonderful alongwith all other areas of the Rimrock. KUDOs to the team at the Social

Top notch service- some of the most personable people and conversation starting employees I've ever…read moremet anywhere in the world. Not just one, but every single one. Seriously, whoever trained the employees in being personable needs a friggin Michelin Star just for service training! That being said... the food was also excellent. I hate ordering a chicken sandwich for dinner, especially a $29 chicken sandwich, but damn did it taste worth every bit of that Canadian tourist location exchange rate with the seasonings and preparation. The everything focaccia bun? Perfection- and raise it with being buttered and toasted on the grill, not just tossed on cold. I'm sure they had to fly that avocado in from Mexico too because it was pretty fresh- unfortunately the iceberg lettuce didn't make the trip as easily, but it still had crunch. We would have loved a seat in the lounge, but alas the table to low seat ratio felt a bit challenging for having a true elbows on the table kind of sandwich meal, so we opted for bar table seating instead. It was a bit awkward to have bar music playing while the live musician was also playing in the lounge- which would be the biggest atmosphere change I'd make to elevate the experience- otherwise the atmosphere provides a nice variety of options no matter what you like. What really made me love this was that I drove here and needed to park in the garage; and parking was validated by the restaurant before leaving. Unfortunately the parking lot ticket reader had problems accepting the validated parking ticket- but the call button led to the switchboard and solved the problem. Service was on top of it, even when machines failed.