33 Best Restaurants in Alberta, Canada

This tried-and-true Mexican restaurant is the place to go in Banff for great margaritas and inexpensive tacos that run the gamut from pork carnitas or chicken to crispy fish and mushroom tacos; the premium taco menu features duck carnitas, shrimp tacos, and grilled mahi mahi tacos. The tableside guacamole and house salsa are delicious, and the extensive tequila menu creates a variety of margaritas and other mixed drinks. The churros are a great choice for dessert. There are two locations in Toronto and new locations in Calgary and Edmonton.

This cozy downtown bakery is a great stop for a breakfast of tasty muffins and other confections or a lunch of sandwiches and wraps. Freshly baked cookies, cakes, and artisanal breads are also available, along with a wide variety of coffees and teas. Popular with locals and visitors, this place with just a few tables for dining inside can be packed during peak times. The owners also run the Other Paw, two blocks away. And, at night, the place turns into Ursidae Lair, a scotch-tasting lounge.

A locals’ favorite, Block 1912 Cafe has the same ambience as the infamous coffee shop, Central Perk, in the TV show Friends, which makes it a great place to hang out with friends or work on your laptop. There’s even a nook where you can read a book and munch on cakes and pastries as well as tasty sandwiches, soups, and salads.

Another Calgary icon, Bottlescrew Bills is a second-generation family establishment that has been serving high-quality versions of classic pub food and an enormous selection of beer for more than 40 years. Daily specials and a generous happy hour only add to the fun; if you're feeling adventurous, try their unique riff on the traditional Caesar (a Canadian cocktail invented in Calgary) that includes a “prairie oyster.” If you’re in town long enough, you can try to fill your Around the World in 80 Beers passport.

This café is a great place to enjoy coffee, tea, or ice cream, grab-and-go breakfasts, fine chocolates, or baked goods before or after a hike. There's also a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, pizza, hamburgers, stew, burgers, fries, and poutine. They even micro-roast organic fairly traded coffee beans in small batches, and you can have local beer or BC wine with your meal if you dine inside. There are picnic tables if you wish to dine outside and enjoy the magnificent scenery.

Although diminutive in size, this Downtown coffee shop has a BIG reputation for the best coffee in town, with perfect microfoam on every latte. They do offer a fine selection of baked goods, and you can also preorder excellent St. Viateur bagels from Montreal and pick them up on Wednesday.

More than 80 varieties of loose-leaf teas, craft beverages, and artisan coffees are served alongside fresh, healthy, and local food at this downtown café. Look for pad Thai noodle bowls, rice bowls, salads, sandwiches, and delicious wraps. There are many vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options on the menu as well.

One of three Credo locations in Edmonton, this elegant café serves seriously good coffee and house-made granola bars, brownies, and outstanding cookies. Every latte comes with perfect microfoam worthy of a picture.

Deville brews direct-trade, small-batch coffee beans and serves fresh baked goods and other tasty breakfast and lunch items as well. There are four locations Downtown but only the Fashion Central Location, near Stephen Avenue Mall, is open on weekends.

Every town has at least one outstanding breakfast and lunch place, and in Downtown Edmonton, the District is it. Excellent limitless coffee and fresh baked goods, all-day breakfast, and a world-class breakfast sandwich make this a great breakfast stop. The tasty sandwiches and salads make it a great spot for lunch too, and there are lots of options for vegans and vegetarians too.

On any day, this specialty coffee roaster carries 15–20 different environmentally grown and socially responsible coffees which they roast on-site---they've won numerous roasting competitions. Each aromatic blend is perfectly brewed and can be enjoyed with baked goods, snacks, wraps, and other light fare. There are two locations in Canmore.

Spacious and bright with large tables, Beltline’s Good Earth is a great spot to grab fresh-baked goods and as ethical and responsible a coffee you will ever find. This feel-good coffeehouse also serves fresh and nutritious sandwiches, soups, and salads. It's also just one of several locations in the greater Downtown area.

Always cozy and full of sunshine, Higher Ground has been the go-to coffee shop in Kensington for decades. They serve 100% organic coffee and tea, so you can feel good about quaffing a hot beverage while sampling one of their fresh-baked goods or all-day breakfast items (particularly the Tuscan Sunrise---a panini with egg, sausage, tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, and basil pesto).

Located in a historic building in downtown Pincher Creek, this cute café is a great place for a quick meal or a long coffee break. Besides exceptionally good coffee and tea, you'll find classic American dishes alongside Asian-fusion cuisine—think pancakes and crepes, avocado toast with lox, chicken skewers, and Filipino lumpia (fried spring rolls with a savory mixture of pork, cabbage, and other veggies). There's a kids' menu as well as a number of vegan options.

Ask for a table on the engaging patio or inside near one of the dining room's walls of windows to enjoy some of Banff's best views while dining on dishes made from fresh local ingredients like prairie berry stuffed waffles (brunch); burgers, salads, and flatbreads (lunch); and pan-seared duck breast or the daily butcher's cut (dinner). Many dishes can be made gluten-free, vegetarian, or both.

The smell of Illy coffee and French baked goods makes La Boulangerie feel like a little slice of Paris in Cowtown. The cappuccinos and lattes are works of art, and the fresh-baked baguettes, pastries, and house-made crepes make this a perfect stop for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or to take a break from shopping.

This cafeteria-style café located just off Maligne Lake is a great spot to get a picnic to go or to relax and eat in. The regionally sourced menu has a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, soup, chili, hot dogs, and three different kinds of poutine, a Canadian indulgence made with potato wedges, cheese curds, and gravy. There's also a small children's menu.

The all-day bar menu at Lucke's Lounge features bison burgers, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers alongside yet another great lake view. They also serve a nice selection of Montana microbrews, wines, and craft cocktails.

At the edge of Castle Provincial Park, this place has a funky deli and bakery with hot and cold sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, and an impressive coffee and tea menu. The store also sells ice cream and fresh baked goods and you can pick up food, liquor, camping, and fishing supplies in the mercantile. Gas and diesel is also available.

This casual little restaurant serves all-day breakfast, sandwiches, snacks, baked goods, house-made donuts, salads, and picnic lunches to go. It's a great place to stop for a hot dog, French fries, poutine, ice cream, house-made ice pops or house-made marshmallows for ultra special camping s'mores. They also offer a wide variety of beverages including coffee, tea, kombucha, craft sodas, craft beer, and wine.

Original Joe’s is a local favorite that has been part of the Kensington scene for decades. Recently renovated, it boasts a bright and fun pub atmosphere with one of the best patios in town. Classic pub fare served by some of the friendliest servers you will ever meet.

Located in the historic Simmons Building, the café at Phil and Sebastion's headquarters is the perfect stop before or after a stroll along the RiverWalk. Pop in for a caffeine fix and a pastry from Sidewalk Citizen Bakery or something more substantial, like one of their Middle Eastern--inspired breakfast and lunch items. The space is also home to their roasting facility, which you can peer at through floor-to-ceiling windows; tours of the space are occasionally offered.

Every night bakers at this establishment make between 60 and 120 dozen artisan "Mountain Style" (cooked in a steam-injected oven and then baked) bagels in nine different flavors as well as muffins, cinnamon buns, and scones. Flavored cream cheeses, soups, cookies, and squares are also on the menu and everything is served with a nice selection of coffees, teas, and juices. There are two locations in Canmore.

Always bustling, this popular bakery has delicious pastries, excellent sourdough bread, and good sandwiches. You can even order a Phil and Sebastian coffee to go with your breakfast or lunch, bypassing the even longer lines there.

This restaurant serves Japanese classics like sushi, sashimi, noodles, and tempura along with Korean favorites like beef bulgogi and bibimbap. They also have some stir-fry options on the menu. Everything is made fresh to order.

If you want a taste of Australian café culture, this is the place, with six types of coffee, a variety of organic teas, kombucha, and healthy smoothies. The food menu includes breakfast sandwiches and bowls, sausage rolls, apple-cider loaf, and other nibbles. The view is lovely from the sunny second-floor terrace.

West Edmonton Mall may be a Canadian institution, but Tim Hortons is genuinely loved by a whole lot of Canadians. Affordable coffee and delicious donuts are the foundation of this legendary chain, but you can also order an assortment of other baked goods, as well as breakfast sandwiches, cheesy flatbreads, and submarine sandwiches.

Local work crews, mountain guides, and park wardens love this small café for a hot breakfast, lunch, or early dinner (until 6). Baked goods, made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, and salads are the specialties, and the coffee is excellent. This is a good place to pick up a meal to go if you're driving north on the Icefields Parkway. There are only a few seats along the window and a few chairs outside.

First established in 1978, this company produces gourmet cured meats and artisan sausages. In the on-site deli, you can buy locally grown and made foods and enjoy a variety of freshly made sandwiches, chicken potpies, sausage rolls, paninis, snacks, and treats served alongside coffee or tea.

This is the place to start your day with a sweet or savory treat or to reward yourself after a day of hiking or paddling near Maligne Lake. You'll find everything from classic cinnamon sugar waffles to smoked salmon waffles, and there's a good coffee and tea menu.