Bluebird Woodfired Steakhouse

Bluebird Woodfired Steakhouse features in OpenTables 2025’s Top 100 Brunch and Lunch Restaurants.

Before I travel, I tend to remind myself that my perception of a place is rarely the reality—particularly in a destination like Canada's Banff National Park, which is world-renowned for its jagged peaks, glaciers, turquoise lakes, and picturesque alpine villages. I told myself it couldn’t be that great, especially since I was visiting in the heart of winter.

Banff National Park and Jasper National Park—two beloved parks in Canada’s Alberta province—experience their peak season during summer and fall, with an estimated 5 million people flocking here to see brilliantly hued foliage and Lake Louise’s icy-blue lake.

There are so many reasons to visit Banff, but you’re always going to try and track down that perfect food spot for whatever you’re in the mood for. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Next time you’re in Banff, you’ve gotta check out a few of these spots. Or, make a foodie staycation of it and visit them all!

Bluebird Restaurant & Lobby Bar is Banff Hospitality Collective’s newest restaurant, and it’s one of the best in town.

Calling all thrill seekers: come with us to explore all the heart-pumping adventures in Banff, Canada!

Between the chilly weather, expensive lift tickets, uncomfortable gear, and physical coordination required, skiing and snowboarding may not be everyone’s idea of a good time. But hitting the slopes is only one way to enjoy your time in a wintry resort town.

Alberta's freshest food and beverage magazine for dining in, dining out, wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails!

Alberta’s food scene had more than its share of memorable moments throughout the past year.

Anyone who pays attention to the restaurant landscape in Banff is likely familiar with the Banff Hospitality Collective (BHC), the restaurant group overseeing some of the town’s most beloved restaurants including The Maple Leaf, Magpie and Stump, Park Distillery, and The Bison.

In the last two years, 11 fine dining restaurants have opened in Banff, a Canadian town with less than 10,000 year-round residents. For some, this restaurant boom is reminiscent of the one led by the railways in the 1800s, when the Canadian Pacific Railway was built as a passage from East to West. Others believe this portends an entirely new wave of growth.

Obviously, most tourists flock to Banff for the outdoor recreation and the scenery — the beauty of the Rocky Mountains of Canada really is unlike anything else in the world. But Banff is also becoming quite the culinary destination and the local restaurants have really stepped up in recent years. Here are just a few spots in Banff where you can grab a great meal after a day of exploration.

Trips to the Rockies in the winter used to be about the skiing. Banff was a place to have dinner and crash, to get ready for the slopes the next day. What does a trip to Banff look like without the lure of the mountain top? A lot of fun actually. And so much great food and drink. Time to explore Banff on foot.