Ate here twice during a recent trip to Canmore -- the second time because this was the first choice from our boys for the restaurant to return to after our first round of eating (edging out more bougie venues like Crazyweed, Ankor and Table, and various pubgrub spots). Their review was: "good food, protein and carbs in every meal, a good deal". Victor is a gracious and loquacious host. The interior is eclectically warm in a coffeehouse kind of way: hanging and potted plants, books and jewelry for sale on walls and shelves, various architectural details breaking up the space. The dinner menu is fairly vast, and you're pretty sure to find something for everyone. Appetizers were a bit limited, but we enjoyed the mussels. The entrees span from Mexican to Ukrainian to Southeast Asian. They're all a bit the same -- protein cooked up with some vegetables and served over a starch (mostly rice, some potatoes) -- but that simplicity allows them to be prepared fresh, and with a variety. We had a bit of everything (Mongolian beef, "Louisiana beef", prawns, a risotto, I think a quesadilla, some other dishes I've forgotten) and it was all good, and the portions were enough to fill even teenaged boys (no mean feat). If you don't expect long preparations, exotic ingredients or subtle seasonings, but instead look forward to flavorful, varied and hearty portions, you're going to be pleased. It's worth wandering around the cocktails -- the manzarita (tequilla, apple juice, lemon) was surprisingly tasty (and more so with Victor's recommended splash of red wine on the top), as was the gluhwine. read more

After an afternoon in Banff, we returned to Canmore and decided to eat at the Elita Restaurant run by a gracious Ukrainian couple. They have a fairly large variety of food on their menu. My wife had the Ukrainian vegetarian perogies and I had the beef and mushroom stroganoff. Both of our meals were excellent. Very friendly and attentive service. read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - Beef Stroganoff - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

Had a wonderful early evening meal and talked with the owner/chef. The cod was excellent. Cocktails (margarita and sangria) were tasty. Everything well prepared. Enjoyed our meal. Highly recommend. read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - Inside of restaurant - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

Wow, this place is very very expensive for what you get. The restaurant is a mom and pop shop that makes home cook meals. Their menu is all over the place from steaks, perogies, pasta, curry bowls, etc. They don't specialize in anything. (If Gordon Ramsay came to this restaurant, he would freak out!) However, prices are quite high for what they serve. I ordered the perogy plate and was kind of hoping the perogies were made in house. I even asked the server if it was and she said yes. However, you can tell from my picture that the perogies are perfectly formed. Homemade perogies are never perfect shapes. For $25 it was a rip off. My husband ordered a steak for $32, while it was alright it was a cheap cut of steak that was pan fried and again not worth the price. On top of that, the restaurant has bad ventilation system. Your clothes will smell when you get home. This restaurant is great if you are a terrible cook and miss mom and dad's home cook meal but be prepared to pay high prices for the meal. read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - a plate of food - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

Absolutely delicious. Wide selection. VERY reasonable prices compared to other 4- and 5- star restaurants in Canmore. No pretension. Nice view of benchlands and mountains. We'll be back for sure! read more

Service is ridiculously bad. We were given a bell to shake when we were ready. Only one lady working the front of house. She was nice...but slow. No drink order taken....took it with food order....diet cokes extremely flat and gross. Food was all but inedible. My parents ate most of theirs because they were starving....i had two bites of my "bad cafeteria" food. Such a rip off at the prices. 23.99-29.99!?!?!? Avoid at all costs. Also, ambiance was confused and in shambles. Jewelry, art, and plants for sale, with cut out pictures of drinks and desserts taped to walls...just avoid this place at all times. read more

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Very cute restaurant and lovely family-run business, service was amazing. The risotto was very tasty! The paella was definitely unorthodox, but still good. read more

Family run, amazing service and food. Flexible with accommodating dietary restrictions, nice view of the mountains. Highly recommend!

This place is a "must visit" if you are anywhere near Canmore. I go every time I'm in town and I always leave beyond satasfied. Victor is a world- class chef that has a real passion for food and it shows in his dishes. Pictures and words do no justice.. you have to try it for yourself. Aside from the food, Victor is a fabulous host and I always enjoy good conversation. (Great place to bring a date) P.S... Mountain View read more

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Pros: cute ambiance, very kind staff, good bison quesadilla, good healthy pasta Cons: very limited menu, guacamole and salsa were terrible (I don't think there was any avocado in that "guacamole" and the salsa was equally artificial) read more

This restaurant was a surprise! The owner is very informative, interesting and quite friendly. The food is very good and the menu diverse. He obviously has a broad cooking background. The inside decor is rustic and colourful. I have tried several dishes such as Texas Ranch Omelette Baked with sautéed young potatoes, ham, garden vegetables & cheese, served with salsa & whole wheat toast. Frontier Egg Burrito Baked with scrambled eggs, premium diced ham, vegetables, salsa & cheese, served with salsa dip, sided by sautéed young potatoes. GARLIC & SAFFRON Mushrooms in Golden Sauce Highly-rated Elita specialty made with premium mushrooms & freshly cut vegetables in Asian turmeric sauce served on Jasmine Thai rice with salad. HONOLULU Sweet Pepper & Tofu Curry Exotic and flavor-rich Pacific Rim curry, cooked with an array of premium vegetables. Served on steam rice with a mini-salad on the same plate. SPANISH SEAFOOD PAELLA WITH CHORIZO A premium marinara-and-rum sauce seafood casserole with mussels, cod, prawns, veggies and diced chorizos sausage is baked in the oven on bed of rice with cheese on top. EUROPEAN PORK TENDERLOIN SCHNITZEL Wine marinated schnitzel is heavily tenderized and pan-fried alongside diced potatoes, veggies and mushrooms in Weiss-wine béchamel sauce, sprinkled with Romano cheese and a zesty drizzle of mild prune sauce. There have been times I have asked him to surprise me and he delivers. You really have to try this restaurant. The owner, menu and tastebuds are in for a treat. read more

This was the worst meal I have had in the two weeks we have been here! I ordered the steak and shrimp. According to the menu the meat was marinated for 24 hours so it would be very tender. That was what I was expecting- what I got was an extremely tough piece of meat. When I mentioned it to the waitress, the response was that's the way it is! When I asked her what the chef said when I paid the bill , she said he said it was soft and tender. Obviously we were not talking about the same piece of meat! He could have tried it since I didn't eat it! I didn't eat it, but was charged full price for it and basically told I was a liar! Do not eat here!! read more

Not the greatest food or service. Portions are tiny unfortunately. The halal menu is different from the regular menu and it's very pricey.

Food here is weird and flavorless. The Tibetan wok dish was a strange combination of sweet flavors and just random chopped up veggies that didn't make much sense. The side salad is just lettuce and tomato. The ingredients seem very fresh, but execution isn't on point. Really expensive for what you get too. This is like quick takeout Asian fusion and should not cost legit sit down restaurant prices. The star of this place is the service though. The owner was incredibly nice and respectful! It's a shame that the food isn't better. read more

We came here twice with family on a vacation trip to Banff. The first was with a family of four and the second was with our whole group of 19. Every restaurant we tried to book denied us for seating except for the kind folks at Elita who immediately booked us! The host is extremely welcoming, warm and makes you feel like you're a guest entering his home. The restaurant itself is very quaint and sports local art and sells handmade shawls and geode necklaces. The food is quite amazing and has a variety of food from all around the world. Every food item that we tried had amazing flavor and exquisite taste. Not to mention they were extremely accommodating for those of us that had food restrictions it made their eating experience which is usually sour much livelier. The food itself definitely had a "homestyle" touch to it which was unique and refreshing. This coupled with the breathtaking view of the Canadian Rockies made every penny spent worth it. If you're staying in Canmore or visiting and thinking of eating around, you would seriously be missing out by not coming to Elita. read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - Bankok Curry Chicken - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

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The good news is that the menu will accommodate any food mood. Ever get frustrated when the SO can't decide what she wants and doesn't match your cravings ? Have no fear Elita is here! Quite the mix of Asian to Greek to Moroccan on the menu. Ordered the Moroccan feta mushroom salad and the Athena Greek salad with chicken. We were initially helped by the chef who was donning his chef garb as he returned to finish telling us the daily specials. Apparently they get clientele who have all kinds of food allergies. Wtf?? The food was fresh and tasty albeit a bit expensive (Greek salad was $17 plus $6 for chicken breast add on). Service was friendly. Food was 4 for taste and freshness and service was also 4 while ambiance was 3. read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - Moroccan mushroom feta salad - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

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Food was really good. Service was a little slow. This place might not be good for big groups.

Delicious food. We sat outside on the patio with the beautiful Mountain View's. We shared a Thai salad and Milano Mediterranean Fantasy Chicken. The pesto sauce was amazing. read more

I am puzzled, perhaps a little suspicious of the high reviews. This was hands down the worst restaurant experience I've ever had. After seeing the restaurant had good ratings, we decided to go there for lunch. No one else was in the restaurant, the first red-flag. The young man suggested a seat in the back, but it was so hot in the restaurant, I politely asked if we could sit outside. Ignoring my question the chef came out of the back and said he could put the air conditioning on, but said I would be too cold multiple times. We ordered a vegetarian dish and a cod dish. They were brought out to us in record time (which was okay), but we soon realized it was because the food had been microwaved. My spouse's cod was watery and bland tasting. After several bites he stopped eating and said he couldn't eat anymore (this was a first for him). I would have offered him my dish, but it was just as bad. Mushy, peculiar tasting and all around awful. We moved our plates to the side and the hostess who had been watching us from the till, silently took the plates away. It seemed this was common and she did not ask us why we had not eaten our food. Meanwhile a group arrived with two small children. As the older hostess was seating the group she told them there was 1 highchair. A person from the group said "this is why we phoned ahead, to make sure there was 2 highchairs". The hostess seemed to be annoyed and began arguing with them about where to put the highchair. As the arguing continued we went to the till where a young man quickly printed out our bill and thanked us for coming. It seems like a family owned restaurant and I felt badly for the young man. I was regretful of my decision to have lunch there and would never go back. Even if the food had been mediocre, I would not have bothered to write a review. But I felt it important to warn others. At $20+ a dish, it's just not worth it. There are much better places to eat in Canmore, including the gas station. read more

This place is LEGIT. I was greeted by the Chef Victor when I walked in who thoroughly described the specials and also recommended me to order before a large group that was already seated so I can get my food faster. I showed him a picture of a dish that I found on yelp that was no longer on the menu. Without hesitation, he knew exactly what it was and reassured me that he had all the ingredients to do it. It was a seafood risotto and was absolutely DELICIOUS. Easily the best meal I've had in a long time. He and his wife were very attentive and my experience was incredible. If you are in Canmore and want some delicious food.... come here! AAWESOME find! read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

This restaurant has a pretty good website detailing a wide breath of offerings. People were super nice. Food was not great. Overpriced.

What a wonderful treat for tasting delicious and wondrous combinations of flavors, temperatures, and textures in a beautiful, creative manner. Oh my! Thanks to the chef and his talent, creativity and wonderfully tasty art! Can't say enough nice things about the food we experienced here this evening! The mushroom stroganoff and the house special salad dinner were the treats we enjoyed, followed by a decadent strawberry cherry cheesecake. Well worth the ride from Banff to enjoy this taste treat!! read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - a view of the mountains - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

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Delicious food and amazing service! Chef is kind and detailed. International cuisine!

Delicious, eclectic food with a friendly, thoughtful host who was extremely accommodatibg to my dietary needs. read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - Mexifish with vegetables and salad @Elita in Canmore, Alberta CA - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

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A little hole in the wall spot that was a bit underwhelming when we walked up but amazing service and AMAZING home cooked food. Everything we got and all the dishes that came out looked outstanding. Planning on eating here again before we leave! read more

Very underwhelming experience. The food is mid and overpriced. The hostess who might be the owner is racist. If you are a person of colour expect to be treated with subpar hospitality. When we asked how large their serving sizes were, she looked at us indignantly and said " One dish one person!!!" Their chef is a kind man. There was a hair in my daughter's food and he re-made the dish and apologized, but they never took it off the bill (we've never in our lives been charged in a scenario like that). We went there because of their vegetarian selections but were taken aback by their rude behaviour, the treatment we received, and the average quality of food (not to mention the hair in our dish). At $25-30 per entree, I expect to be at least treated with respect forget about the down bad hippy decor. This is a mom-and-pop establishment with the price tags of premium restaurants. Will not recommend it, especially if you aren't white. read more

A+++ service! We really felt very well taken care of by the owner. Wow. And the food was delicious. Thank you!

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Decent food in an interesting atmosphere. The bf and I were actually trying to go to the ramen place next door but they were unexpectedly closed so we had to look for an alternative. This was the closest restaurant that wasn't a pub (we really weren't in the mood for pub food that night) and it looked interesting so we decided to give it a try. It was around 6:30pm and it was empty; turns out they were looking to host a big tour group that evening and it was the calm before the storm. It's a true mom-and-pop joint, with the husband and wife owners doing all the serving and cooking. As previous reviews have mentioned, there is a lot of art, jewelry and various other craft items for sale to benefit the Ukraine all around the restaurant, and with the hodge podge of furniture and and decorations it all added up to kind of a kooky ambiance, but not too weird. The couple were friendly and chatty with us and let us know that they could customize a lot of the dishes on the menu to be veg-friendly. The bf was initially intrigued by their peach curry, but upon further reflection decided to go with the Moussaka pasta. I went for the Irish cream vegetable casserole, which turned out to be basically a bunch of sauteed vegetables in a mostly butter sauce with some melted cheese on top with a small side salad. Of the two, I'd have to say the moussaka pasta was better, but overall we didn't think the food was all that--kind of ordinary. However, considering that everything (including the wine) was reasonably priced and the service was nice, I'm giving them an A-OK. read more

This place was unreal. The chef was willing to adapt the menu choices anyway you wanted. Gave lots of recommendations too. You have to go here... read more

Great food, and the owner makes it feel as if you are the only customer! Great service and a family feel when you walk in the door. Expansive and unique menu that changes frequently. Innovative drinks. We even got a desert on the house! A step off the main drag, but you must visit this place if in Canmore! read more

Chef owned restaurant in downtown Canmore. We choose this place because it is out of the way of the tourist mainstream dining area. The owner was kind and informative. He gave us a thorough description of each menu item as well as any diet alterations that could be made. Ordered the bison quesadilla, peach curry with tofu, chicken vegetable pasta, and steak and shrimp, each plate including a side of cole slaw. It was amazing to see that each dish was completely unique and eclectic coming from a different cuisine: Mexican, Asian, Italian, and American. My only criticism was the quality of the steak ordered. It was prepared medium-rare and was not a very good cut of beef, being tough with sinew and difficult to chew. The taste was a spicy barbeque flavor with a hint of sweetness, it was topped with shrimp which were cooked very well. The restaurant was clean and well kept, the staff was friendly and helpful, the bathrooms were clean and neat, the wait was minimal, and the food was pretty good. read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - Steak and shrimp - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

It's a little out-of-the-way place but the food and service were both excellent I would highly recommend it. Homemade food not fast crap. Servings were a good size portion. I have to go back read more

This is a hidden gem! The food is amazing, the service is on point and personal! Got the Pork tenderloin (off menu item-seasonal) stir fry. OMG. We couldn't stop eating it! Got the sponge cake with Mango syrup. Omg once again devoured it. The Ukrainian gentleman that runs the place is super awesome! I recommend this place for tourists and locals alike. Have to say-wasn't expecting much from it being so empty, but this place exceeded my expectations! read more

Victor is something else. A walking food encyclopedia he welcomes you like your walking into his living room. I mean this guy works for a living he greets, welcomes, goes through the menu, cooks,serves and is just everything. Ladies if he is single he's a catch!! The menu is awesome . Start with the buffalo meAtballs salad and some baba ganoush dipping sensation. We fought over the apps, I think Jamie won but not before Rachel stabbed her hand with a fork. See the picture attached to this review. Service is great without being overbearing. Victor gave us a bell if we want them!! How good is that. It started to go bad when Steve and Rob started playing with the bell. That caused some confusion but Victor kept his cool. Sangria was only so so. Opt for the Mango KISS. Rob rated it a 5 of 5. Excellent. Ok we all loved our meals. Stroganoff (Steve gave it a 4 out of 5 and he is a tough sell). Perrogi's chicken stir fry schnitzel it's all good. Get everything and share will be a culinary delight for sure. Deserts were not great. Ice cream had frozen taste. Ok, Mindy stop playing with the bell please!!!! Ugh, you can't bring these people anywhere. I have to go but overall this place was great. read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - I guess we liked the meatball appetizer. Sorry it went so fast no time for photo of the food. - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

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We had a delicious, quiet Sunday night dinner after swimming. The owner was charming and so thoughtful towards the children. We could hear the meals being made from scratch and everything was delicious! HUGE portions! Children shared chicken Alfredo & enough food for 4 was presented family style. My husband and I had Mexican entrees and each sauce was tangy, fresh with authentic flavours. Nothing canned, bottled or preserved - yum! Yum! Yum! As if we weren't already hugely satisfied the charming owner bought icecream for the little ones and fresh organic strawbs in caramel/mango sauce. Swoon! Highly recommend! Jazz tunes, lovely atmosphere but the food!!!!!!....... read more

Elita Restaurant Canmore - Organic strawberries in mango & caramel sauce treat - Canadian (New) Near Me - Canmore, Alberta

International cuisine by a very talented chef. Seafood was amazing! He was very kind to our young kids as well.

Some of the best food that I had. Service was amazing and I want to return very soon for another meal. Highly recommend!

The menu was very confusing. I dont know how anyone could rate the food 5*. It was nothing that any home cook couldnt whip up.

Absolutely phenomenal food, and great service. A must go if you want to support local businesses in Canmore

Lovely staff and atmosphere. Waiter and chef Victor I believe his name was, was amazing treated us like family. Food and drinks were great! Big vegetarian menu also which I enjoyed, I loved the Irish cream casserole. Thank you Victor for your hospitality and service. read more