Banff nightlife

Ok, so this isn't a post about Banff's best party spots, but it is our view of the best restaurants...

Top three lessons learned about eating out in Banff:

1. Whilst clearly very distinct from their American neighbours, Canadian restaurants have a similar approach to portion size. Main course only if you want any chance of finishing it!

2. Despite it being in the minus thirties outside and the restaurants struggling to heat themselves, they still insist on putting huge amounts of ice in the water, why?!?!

3. Perhaps we're just out of date, but a minimum 18% tip expectation does seem a little OTT (unless of course the service is exceptional)

 

So, vaguely in order (as we couldn't reach consensus on all!):

1. Maple leaf – large cocktail menu, maple hot toddy was a really good way to start on a cold evening (although a good 20 degrees warmer than it had been remarkably). Then we went for the seafood platter which was fantastic. Lobster, two ways, large prawns and squid in a lovely batter were our favourites. Also present were mussels, rice and a good selection of veg which were all quite delicious. If we’d had room, the pudding and the teas looked great too. We wanted to go back.

We got to go back. We picked the Maple Leaf as our favourite Banff restaurant for our last night dinner and it didn't disappoint. The Asian salmon was divine, and the Bison very good. Chocolate soufflé type desert excellent too - with an amazing raspberry sauce. The service here is fantastic, the decor delightful and both the food and the drinks menu exciting. A well deserved No 1 spot!

2. Nourish - ended up here on our first night, a vegetarian restaurant with good reviews. When we walked in the door it wasn't quite as expected - a hip(py?) bar with a few tables around the edges. We were seated on a cool table- made out of the roots of a tree supporting a glass eating surface. Food and drinks were great - big sharing bowls of pasta and gnocchi (possibly the best gnocchi we've ever had) washed down with a couple of local beers. And then to top it off, the live music act of the night was a manplaying a digeridoo!

Second trip to Nourish was again on a Monday, this time with a DJ was quite different. The chefs continue to amaze this time turning a salad into a thing of wonder, adding 26 ingredients to the humble nacho to elevate it from basic snack to delicious and a lovely chickpea curry and homemade naan. The service on the other hand was spectacularly bad, we waited a long time even for drinks, when nothing more than the salad had arrived for over and hour the waitress came back admitting she had forgotten our order. They didn't have the drinks we ordered on the menu for the second week running ( so take them off the menu?), and they had to send something back which had been made without the requested vegan cheese. To give them their dues, they gave us a discount from the price in recompense without us having to complain, which was well received. Independent of the service the food at this place is too good to ignore. I'd keep going back if I could.

3. Giorgio's - yum yum double yum. Ended up here only because Wild Bill's was not serving food. Really pleased though - very good seafood platter with calamari, clams, mussels, prawns, salmon, linguine and asparagus - a great combo, well cooked (although central heating was losing the battle against the-36C outside!)

4. Cafe de Paris - ended up here by chance as Wild Bill's wasn't serving food again, despite what they'd told us the previous night! There's two restaurants right next to each other - we think probably served by the same kitchen - the bistro style Cafe de Paris and the upscale Le Beaujolais. There was some problem with the heating in the bistro, so we got a table in the posh bit with the bistro menu's (and this was the first restaurant we'd been to which was actually a pleasant temperature). Food was good - excellent snails to start (smothered in an amazing garlic butter), then we had a beouf bourginon pie (impressively large and tasty) and gnocchi and prawns (each component cooked well, but a slightly weird combo). All washed down with an excellent vin de table.

5. Coyotes - yet another one we hadn't planned to go to - this time because there was a private party on in the Bear Street Tavern. A Canadian/Mexican menu - and the verdict is split. Al thought it was excellent -a nice salad to start, a really great flank steak Asian-style, followed by meltin middle chocolate cake. Sam on the other hand was underwhelmed - thinking the salad was tiny for what it would have cost if we'd paid full price for it (rather than effectively getting it for free on the set menu), her bean burrito was ordinary, and having spotted that the chocolate cake had come out of a wrapper! We were at least both in agreement that the vin de table was excellent value!

6. Chaya - tiny noodle bar that is only open until 8pm (we had tried to come earlier in week but failed). Simple standard Japanese menu - well cooked and truly great value (we both ate very well for less than £20 in total). Only real downside is that you need to keep your jacket on as all the tables are close to the door which opens regularly! A second visit didn't let us down either - and the Chicken Don and Vegetable Katsu has been so good the first time we both went for exactly same again.

7. Saltlik - A moderately upmarket independent steak house. One of the highlights had to be the lovely twin- table we had in front of a big roaring fire. A cocktail to start was good, Al's large rump steak very tasty - accompanied with very well cooked skinny fries and asparagus, although Sam's scallop and prawn pasta was slightly disappointing given the venue.

8. Melissa's - A local restaurant with a wide ranging menu. It was founded in 1978...and virtually everything on the menu on the night we went was $19.78. Both the rump steak and the salmon and lobster combo were huge - with more sides and salads than we could even contemplate finishing - and were decent but not great quality.

9. El Toro - had the (large) benefit of us not needing to go out our hotel! Menu relatively simple but food was tasty and typically Canadian portions. Highlight was probably the prawn fajitas - huge succulent prawns, withwell cooked and spiced peppers and onions and fresh homemade salsa and guacamole.The bison chorizo sausages were also very tasty. And being 'wine Wednesday', we tucked into an easy drinking cab sav. Didn't quite have room for an excellent looking chocolate cake - but hope to be back to see if it tastes as good as it sounds.

10. Samurai sushi restaurant - We went to this place a little out of town as we had made the trip out for the hot springs. A small restaurant where the sushi and sashimi meals were good but not great. We both agreed that the star of the show was the oyster appetiser (and Sam doesn't normally like oysters). Quite expensive for what it was compared to other places in town.

11. Bear Street Tavern - Pizza was good, with interesting topping combos, but cocktails slightly disappointing. Another great value place though on one of its special nights.

12. Miki – Al la carte or all you can eat Japanese. We went for all you can eat as we compared prices and decided this was the best value. Started with sushi which was OK, nigiri was fine, sushi rolls pretty average. Star of the show was the tempura, you can chose from all different things and we had prawn, cod, squid and veg. All really yummy. Then some hot dishes which were again nice but not spectacular. Ordering like this in courses worked for us as it meant you could get a feel for the size of the dishes without ordering too much or too little. Lovely friendly staff, nice place.

13. Banff Brewing Company - best part was the beers - we had the tasting samples, a glass of each of the 6 beers brewed on the premises. The blonde was particularly tasty (the beer that is, not the waitress). Food was ok - pulled pork burger (good for what it was) and salmon burger (too spicy for our liking).