It is often touted as the best restaurant in Banff, located on the far end of Banff Avenue near the Bow Valley River that connects the town to the Banff Springs Hotel. The restaurant is located on the upper floor of a timber-clad building with ground-level retail space of garish jewelry store and discount ski wear. A narrow staircase leads to a large dining room of low ceilings framed by walnut paneled walls and large picture windows overlooking a picturesque park. Recently the owners divided the main restaurant space to include a more casual Cafe de Paris bisto and Lobby Wine Bar. Since opening in late-2008 the cafe has been a huge success with a more casual dining room and lighter menu served by a fresh slate of waiter staff. The main dining room, now a bit smaller, still offers all the flair of a ‘60s Paris eatery complete with stiff high back chairs, stark white tables with dramatically-folded linens and buttoned-up staff that languish on every French syllable of the limited daily specials and intricate traditional Parisian menu.
The Food
Perfect for a heavy winter meal or post-ski feast, dinners are anything but light. The more casual brasserie offers an appetizer menu of charcuterie and pate plates as well as lazy iceberg salads topped with egg bits or goat cheese or toasted Parmesan. Not to be missed are the wild mushroom crepes that compliment main dishes like poached Pacific Salmon with spinach tagliatelle, Elk meatloaf with macaroni au gratin and veal cordon bleu with French fires. In the more formal main dining room meals get a slightly chicer start with choice of baked pear with Roquefort cheese, lobster salad with mango compote and Ahi tuna parfait with avocado mousse. A gut-busting second course is a selection of surf and turf oxtail with bacon scallops, crab crepe with mascarpone and foie gras escalope with caramelized peach. For those that have room for main course, menu highlights include a Chilean sea bass with wasabi foam, Elk fillet with wild boar bacon and signature Beaujolais Tenderloin with mushroom shallot confit.
Last Word
Banff's top eatery changes its format after two decades with all-new bistro cafe and casual lobby wine bar to compliment its legendary dining room.
