Good Food and Drink in Canmore and Banff

Canmore
I recently spent three days in Canmore and really enjoyed the mix of interesting main street stores and restaurants and trails along the creeks and rivers. Here are a few places that I enjoyed eating and shopping.


El Cafecito
El Cafecito is a brand-new coffee shop just off the main street. The owner is from Mexico City and offers a variety of simple Mexican dishes (limited vegetarian options) as well as a full range of coffee and tea. I loved the clean white décor, the friendly staff, and excellent wifi.


 

Tapas Restaurant
Tapas is a lovely small restaurant with a wide range of small plates for sharing. The rich chocolate dessert was amazing. Be sure to make a reservation as they fill up fast.


Murrieta’s 
Murrieta’s Bar and Grill is on the second floor with big windows on two sides overlooking the mountains. I enjoyed my Cauliflower Pappardelle with a glass of Black Muscat from Quady Winery for dessert.


Communitea Café
Communitea Café offers really healthy breakfast and lunch options. I had a Buddha Bowl, an enormous serving of marinated tofu, spinach, brown rice, shredded beets, carrots, sprouts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds with a rich tahini garlic dressing.

Café Books
Café Books has a broad selection of books. If you go exploring, you’ll find that they have a small collection of secondhand books and a tea shop on the lower level. The cupcakes are designed especially for them.


Grizzly Paw Brewing Company 
Grizzly Paw Brewing Company offers guided tours of their brewery on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (be sure to reserve in advance). The guide is extremely informative; there are lots of tastings (they make both beer and soda); and we even sampled the different varieties of malt that they use.


Mountain Mercato 
Allow lots of time for browsing in Mountain Mercato. They also have a small coffee shop.


Banff 
I took the bus from Canmore and spent a day in Banff. There are lots more tourists than in Canmore, but I enjoyed a walk on the Fenland Trail and found some excellent places to shop and eat.


Wild Flour Bakery and Café
Wild Flour Bakery and Café offers organic bread made from local ingredients as well as a full line of baked goods, snacks and meals. Very delicious!


Banff Tea Co. 
The shelves of the Banff Tea Co. are lined with jars, waiting for you to sniff and enjoy. They make a wide range of exclusive tea blends. My current favorite is Pink Grapefruit (white tea, rosebuds, orange peel, natural flavour), which is light and refreshing for summer. My sister in law really likes their chai blend.


Nourish Vegetarian Bistro
Imagine my delight to find a vegetarian restaurant just down the street from Wild Flour Bakery. I had a burger and a beer from Phillips Brewing Company in Victoria.

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