Canmore is a food lovers dream. There is so many cool local restaurants and craft breweries to check out! I had good intentions of cooking some of my own food at the hostel. Unfortunately, there were way too many good places to eat and drink so that didn’t happen. I was extremely impressed with all of the meals, very flavourful and unique twists on old classics!
Grizzly Paw Pub and Brewery: This was our first stop after our drive in, after not eating much for breakfast by the time we rolled into town we were ready to eat (and drink). I tried the raspberry beer and the shrimp tacos with passion fruit salsa and was very impressed. Have a look at their menu here.
Tavern 1883: Stopped here for a drink on the patio. Tried out a Mexican Mule (Moscow Mule with tequila instead of the usual vodka). It was very tasty and refreshing. There is a ramp for wheelchair access on the side of the patio, as there are stairs at the front entrance. Check out their full menu here.
Blake: This place takes the cake for best meal we had while in Canmore. Started off with the mango jalapeno margarita to drink. To eat, I had the mushroom skillet and the pork belly bao and they were fantastic. If my memory serves me, the mushroom skillet had cremini, oyster and maitake mushrooms. It was extremely flavourful, and served in an adorable little skillet. For my main course I had the pork belly bao. The bao were soft and pillowy, and the pork was super tender and not chewy at all. I also tried a bite of the lemongrass chicken bowl, and it was hands down the best lemongrass chicken I have ever had. Super flavourful with a good level of spice. For dessert we tried the homemade ice cream and sorbet. The blueberry sorbet was really good, but the lemon sunshine coconut ice cream I had was even better. The entrance had a single step to get in, but I mentioned this to them and they are going to get a ramp installed to make it accessible to everyone, rather than making people go through the back entrance. Check out their website and menus here.
Beamers Coffee: This was the go-to coffee place in the morning, as it was super close to the hostel where we were staying. It was very rich and flavourful and a great way to start the day. Scope out their menu here.
Rocky Mountain Bagel Co.: I broke my cardinal rule and ended up eating here twice over two days. I had the smoked salmon lox breakfast sandwich the first day, and upgraded to the open faced classic lox on the second day, it was too good to pass up. I had the spiced chai to drink the first day and it was fantastic, the perfect drink for a rainy day. Stopped here before our drive home and powered up with an espresso shot, it was just what the doctor ordered! Check out their menu here.
Stirling Lounge in the Malcolm Hotel: Great happy hour drink prices with $5 highballs, house wine and beer from 3pm-7pm. At that price you can’t go wrong! We sat on the dining room side, since the lounge side was all high tables. The facility is beautiful and there is a great view of the mountains out the window. I also tried the crab cakes and they were very tasty for a mid day snack. Scope out their menu here.
Wild Orchid Bistro & Sushi: I had the lychee mojito and was impressed by the drink menu, definitely want to try one of the sake martinis another time! We had the tempura shrimp for an appetizer, which were very tasty and had a nice light, crispy batter. For rolls we had the spicy tuna roll, the lobster roll and the softshell crab roll. My favourite was the soft shell crab, but all were distinct and tasty. The dessert was the best part: we had a coconut crème brule, with a super thick sugar crust and spun sugar garnish on top it was amazing! Check out their menu here.
On the List for Next Time:
So many good restaurants, not enough time.. Heard great things about these places and have them on the list to check out next time I am in town! Spice Hut, Wild Life Distillery, Rocket Pie Pizza, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co., Rose and Crown Pub and Iron Goat.
Check out my full wheelchair accessible review of Canmore, Alberta.
