Cancel

Open app

Search

St James's Gate

3.9 (165 reviews)
ModerateIrish Pub
Open 11:30 am - 11:00 pm

St James's Gate Photos

ST JAMES'S GATE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Dogs allowed

More like St James's Gate

Recommended Reviews - St James's Gate

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Christopher S.

I love a good Irish pub. This one is amazing. Started off with the whiskey flight and all were solid. Moved on to the beer. I got the cream ale and it was delicious. Food- started off with the fried mushrooms, loved them, I had the beef and barley soup, also good, and finished with a genesis pie, amazing. My girlfriend had the fish and chip and said they were fire as well. Sat outside and stared at the mountains, such a beautiful day. This place would be five stars if the tartar sauce was good, and my waitress forgot our ranch for the mushrooms.

Sticky toffee pudding cake
Cindy M.

One of my favorite restaurant during my visit to Banff. It has enough space for all - big groups, date night, or solo drinkers who want to sit at the bar. We came for dinner but they have a big selection of drinks for those who don't want food. Food came out hot and was filling. I ended up really enjoying the Microburst beer and got a second, then went to Townhouse liquor to pick up more for home. The sticky toffee pudding cake hit the spot and satisfied my sweet tooth. The restaurant was busy even for an early dinner and the workers were nonstop moving. They are nice enough and may not get to you as fast as they can, so be patient. I'll be back during my next visit!

Home from home
Joan M.

St. James's gate is a traditional Irish pub located in the heart of downtown Banff. It's quite a large space with many nooks and crannies and of course, lots and lots of snugs. The staff are super friendly, the decor has IRELAND written all over it. I love the space and I love what they have done to bring IRELAND to the city of Banff. They did a great job. I did not have any food here, but the menu looks fairly large with a huge variety of food. Guinness is on point.... That's all that matters really!!! If you are looking for an authentic Irish experience here in Banff, this is your spot and that's coming from an Irish person.

Menu
Gina O.

I absolutely love the atmosphere, lots of stained glass and old books, Really cool restaurant. The lamb shank was delicious, literally fall off the bone good. I will say our waitress was not very impressive but even with the service the food is worth the return.

Fish and chips
Garth S.

Wonderful lunch break outside on the patio. I was a little disappointed that the chips were not English style, the cod was very light and refreshing. Not greasy. Bangers and mash the best I've had outside of Belfast. The rigatoni had lots of chicken which had been grilled and added so it was nicely prepared. Well done. Service was spot on very polite attentive and punctual

Cottage pie
Dylan S.

Came in to St James because few of the other breweries we had in banff were pretty mediocre. Honestly, I was pretty surprised how awesome St James is. Highly recommend! FOOD The food here is pretty solid. We had little Yorkies and cottage pie. It was my first time having both of these and honestly it was pretty good! It paired with my beer really well. Not sure if it's the food, the vibe, or the combination of both that just made me keep on eating!!! SERVICE The service here is absolutely perfect. Our waitress (forgot her name but she had blonde hair but looked she's of Asian decent) was the friendliest waitress I've ever met. She was patient with us, explained these new dishes to us and made her recommendations as well. ALL IN ALL, St James is a low key gem in the area and honestly can't wait to come back next time for another pint and these finger foods!

Pickleback
Jenna B.

First stop in Banff and I was a little worried because some reviews I read said service is a little lacking. Well they were right. We were seated and after no one saying a thing to us for about 10 minutes we hopped up to the bar and sat there to order. Our bartender was friendly. We ordered hot toddy's. They were terrible. It was hot water with a shot of whiskey, and I squeezed lemon. A cinnamon stick, and the honey caked to the bottom of the glass. Pretty disappointing. The food however hit the spot. Nothing too mind blowing, but really solid and tasty for a warm meal. I got the lamb stew which I thoroughly enjoyed (although I wished the side of soda bread it came with was toasted and not just cold). Boyfriend got the chicken boxty which was really tasty. We ordered pickle backs. Can't really mess that up. All in all the food was a good solid warm meal after a long day of travel, but I don't think I'd come back unless I wanted to grab a beer or take a shot. Or if I was really craving a lamb stew.

Fish and chips
Beth R.

Visiting Banff from the US, this place was actually on my dinner list because I had eaten here years ago. I'm not sure why it only has 4/5 stars because everything we had was so good we came back 2 more times! The beer list is broad enough that everyone can find something you like. The atmosphere is warm and cozy without being dark. The service was excellent and the wait staff so kind. I overheard them giving recommendations for hikes and sights to several other tables. The fish and chips was hot, crispy and not greasy-just perfect after a long day of hiking. I only took one photo because I dove in and devoured it too quickly. My husband had the beef barley stew which was amazing. We never had to wait for a table, nor service. The drinks and food came out really quickly, but we were also not rushed to vacate the table. It was my favorite place for some delicious hot food and cold beer in Banff

Wild Rose Wraspberry Ale and poutine
Alexis C.

Came here for lunch and it wasn't busy inside. I was seated immediately at the bar and there were so few folks that service was quick. Inside the vibe was your standard pub atmosphere, which wasn't out of the ordinary. The poutine was pretty good but this was my first time trying it so I wouldn't be able to compare it to anything. The burger was solid for a burger since it's a bit hard to mess that up but the beer and fries were easily my favorite part of the meal.

a glass of old fashioned whiskey
Michelle D.

This was our first stop for a drink and we loved it! Was not busy at all and our bartender was chill. I'm particular about how my old fashioned is made and not a fan of it being served with regular ice cubes because it waters down the drink quicker but the drink was still good. I also ordered the cold brew cocktail which was DANGEROUS! My gf got the penicillin which id probably get as n alternative drink too because it was pretty good. Loved the classic feel of this Irish bar. I could imagine how much of a blast it would be to come here on st pattys day!

a table full of beer and food

See all

2 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 days ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Gina O.
1
88
200

7 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Jenna B.
220
93
77

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Sandra B.
24
120
20

10 months ago

Love popping in here when on Banff. Great atmosphere, great staff, solid drinks. Shout out to our server Finn for excellent drinks!!

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Fantastic atmosphere! Great steak and Guinness pie. Server was awesome--will come back and highly recommend!

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of G R.
0
29
6

1 year ago

Great pub atmosphere, delicious food. Service is good and beer is cold. Awesome Happy hour deals.

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Great service and I loved the bangers and mash. Just off the main street through downtown Banff, it has a nice ambience and friendly staff.

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Dalia M.
7
114
67

4 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of L Q.
0
12
2

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of P. D.
1
37
11

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Good food, great service, and excellent live performer the night we were there! Good ambience and fair prices. Would surely go again.

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Erin P.
2
102
10

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Grace G.
28
19
13

4 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Craig P.

Craig P.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 5

St James's Gate Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - St James's Gate

Harp, Guinness, Smithwicks, and all the scotch your little lush heart desires.

Mentioned in 14 reviews

Read more highlights

Elk & Oarsman - Elk queso

Elk & Oarsman

(195 reviews)

$$

After a trail run and climbing Norquay's Via Ferrata, I was ready to sit down and have something to…read moreeat. My running group that I was traveling with brought our party to the Elk & Oarsman for a quick dinner. This place is a lodge-style sports bar that is located in the heart of the Town of Banff. There are TV screens all around that show live sports and a large fireplace. You can see the beautiful mountain scenery from the rooftop patio. It was nice of Elk & Oarsman to accommodate our large party. The service was great here. Elk & Oarsman is a sports bar that serves good food. The menu has a variety of pub fare favorites like bar snacks, sharables, salads, flatbreads, elk dishes and burgers. I was starving and ordered the Buck Hunter because I wanted to try something with elk in it. This elk & bacon burger patty comes loaded with condiments on a brioche bun. I really liked the tasted of the smoked mayo on my burger. I also got a Broccoli Cheddar Soup on the side. Banded Peak Brewing is a popular beer made in Alberta that is named after a mountain in the Canadian Rockies. I grabbed their Amber Lager to pair with my dinner. There is a fun lively atmosphere here at Elk & Oarsman. I was only here for brief time, but enjoyed it. This is a solid place to check out if you like sports and good food.

Came here for a group event. Large restaurant on second floor has front and back sections with…read moredart boards good for groups. Lively and busy atmosphere. When we were there had it to ourselves. Had fried cauliflowers, nachos and fries all quite tasty. Cauliflower interesting shaped like chicken nuggets. Can reserve dartboards with fun video displays.

Sauvage Restaurant - Venison ham

Sauvage Restaurant

(31 reviews)

Having dinner at Sauvage is really an experience for the senses. The atmosphere is sophisticated…read moreand intimate, perfect for a date. The menu is creative, and the chef uses local and wild ingredients in both the food and drinks. Everything is beautifully plated and you can tell they pay attention to details. Service was attentive and professional, although quite slow. To be fair, they were very busy and could have used extra staff. We had a wonderful time!

My boyfriend and I came to Sauvage Canmore for our anniversary and ordered the prefix menu. I have…read morea dairy allergy, so I asked for accommodations for the bread and dessert. The other courses, including the fish and bison with mushrooms, did not have dairy. Sadly, while the food was aesthetic, I have had much better dairy-free food in both Canada and the States. The bison was the only dish that tasted tender and savory to me. The fish did not taste as fresh to me, and the vegan bread was quite inedible, shaped like a rounded brick and tasting like one too. When I asked if there were any other dairy-free bread options, they said no. I hoped the dairy-free dessert would be something unique, but it was another vegan bread brick with jam and a dairy-free ice cream that tasted like freezer ice and sadness. My boyfriend also found his dessert bland. The waiter said there were no other dairy-free dessert options and recommended a drink, which was solid. The two stars are for the cozy, romantic vibes, the lovely Canadian Rockies view, the tender bison, the good drink, and the kind servers. All in all, I sadly would not come back, as only one course and a drink we liked for the price of the prefix was not worth it, especially for our anniversary.

FAIRVIEW BAR AND RESTAURANT - Elk

FAIRVIEW BAR AND RESTAURANT

(111 reviews)

$$$$

We had our first meal of our trip here. Lovely food, gorgeous views, and fantastic service. Our…read morewaiter, Chin, was so helpful and personable. He knew what to recommend and had lots of tidbits to share for new tourists. The hostess (I cannot remember her name but she speaks Spanish as well) helped us get a great table and was also super helpful. The food was good. The bread and butter was an unexpected standout. I had the duck confit. Nicely cooked (though just a tiny bit more than I'd like but still pretty darn good) and my mom loved the scallops. Beautiful sauces and mixes of flavors. Highly recommend. Wish I hadn't been too full to enjoy the gorgeous desserts we saw pass by.

There are not many choices when staying at the Fairmount on Lake Louise, they have 4 in-house…read morerestaurants to chose from, if you don't have transportation your stuck at the hotel. However a hotel the class of Fairmont should have some excellent offers even though your a captive audience. The Fairview Bar and Restaurant has all the makings of a 4 star restaurant, but they fall short on a few levels. After we were seated it took 6-8 minutes before someone acknowledged our presence and they said someone would be right with us. Another 5 minutes later a server came over and took our drink order, which took another 8-10 minutes to be served. Our server was fairly familiar with the wine list and make a couple of recommendations, both were over $200 a bottle, after telling her our expectations were in the $125-$30 range she made a couple of selections we went with. Portion sizes were not commensurate with the price point for the entrees. Two small Elk medallions were serve with a slight slice of bone for the marrow, and the vegetables; the plate was very nice looking as you can see in the photo. The bison filet appeared to be about 4-5 Oz. and wasn't very tender. Not impressed with the actual food, but the presentations were very nice. We had lunch at the Lakeview Restaurant and very satisfied with food, portions and service. I wouldn't return to the Fairview, but would go to the Lakeview instead.

St James's Gate - irish_pubs - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...