82 Best Restaurants in Alberta, Canada

This spot resembles an old English pub in every way, including having a red phone booth and the best fish-and-chips in town. Other British pub classics like Scotch eggs, bangers and mash, stuffed Yorkshire pudding, shepherd's pie, and beef Wellington are on the menu alongside Canadian favorites like salads, burgers, poutine, and steak sandwiches. The breakfast menu is also very good. The bar is one of the biggest in Canmore with more than a dozen beers on tap as well as a nice selection of cocktails, spirits, ciders, and wines. FYI: The Georgetown is named after a ghost town not far from 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.

Banff's newest sushi restaurant was designed to feel like a mix between a 1970s ski lodge and a traditional Japanese restaurant with wood paneling in the main dining area and a long sushi bar; private karaoke rooms are in the back. The menu has classics like miso soup, tempura, and a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi, and ramen alongside more inventive fare like cheeseburger gyoza, oshi (press) sushi, hand roll tacos, and build-your-own bao buns. The Japanese BBQ menu highlights Alberta beef and chicken. This restaurant celebrates happy hour daily, with the exception of holidays and long weekends, between 4-5 pm with half-price sushi and discounted drinks and ramen.

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.

Fresh contemporary Italian cuisine in a farmhouse-style atmosphere is the specialty of this restaurant. The menu has classic Italian appetizers like bruschetta, calamari, and beef carpaccio along with house-made pizzas and pasta, and there are meat dishes like salmon, chicken, veal, and bison short ribs. Desserts include such specialties as gelato, limoncello cheesecake, and tiramisu. The restaurant is family-friendly and there is a children's menu. There's also a nice patio area.

Across the parking lot from Lake McDonald Lodge, Jammer Joe's Grill & Pizzeria was named after the historic red jammer buses that have been used for park tours since 1936. The casual restaurant serves an all-you-can-eat salad and pizza lunch buffet, as well as pasta, salads, soups, sandwiches, and pizzas on the dinner menu.

The park's only brewery is a fine stop for a beer and a burger, though the menu also features wings, poutine, nachos, fish-and-chips, and other pub fare in addition to well-made salads, steaks, and seafood dishes. Premium hops and natural mountain water go into the six signature beers brewed on-site. You can watch sports action on the big screens near the bar or dine in the restaurant.

The views are amazing from the newly renovated rooftop patio of this popular downtown Jasper restaurant. Pizza from the wood-fired and traditional pizza ovens is the star attraction here, but you'll also find burgers, pastas, salads, and a broad selection of appetizers. The dessert menu is pretty much non-existent, but it's easy to forgive when you taste the pizza. The King of New York wood-fired pizza is so authentic, you'll want to fold your slice before eating it. The restaurant has three beers on tap, a good selection of craft beer, cocktails, spirits, and wine.

Enjoy good food and drinks in a fun, casual atmosphere at this Eau Claire Market staple that has a loyal following among the locals. While they serve the usual Calgary fare---steaks, burgers, ribs, salmon---much of the menu is Asian-inspired: lettuce wraps, sushi, and a variety of rice bowls. There’s also a good selection of salads and more than a few gluten-free and vegetarian items. You can try much of the menu for less money during their popular happy hour.

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.

With wooden walls and ceilings, this small 28-seat restaurant has a cozy, homey feel. There isn't a lot of selection on the menu, but it's innovative and very well done like elk tartare, Wagyu meatballs, and the coffee-braised bison short ribs; breakfast ranges from French-style omelets to buttermilk pancakes with a blueberry compote. The veggie and pasta dishes should not be overlooked and there are options for kids. There's also a nice selection of coffees, teas, craft beers, cocktails, and wine to accompany meals, and if you're staying at the resort, the Kumama canteen has everything you'll need to stock your kitchen.

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.

Offering panoramic views from the top of an otherwise nondescript office building, Major Tom is one of Calgary's perennially popular and lauded restaurants, where reservations are essential almost year-round. The wide-ranging menu offers Alberta lamb and beef, but also excellent pastas, and perhaps the standout dish, a crispy roast chicken. Cocktails are taken seriously here, and the bar menu is longer than the food menu, including some interesting dessert cocktails. If you were ever tempted to try that 1970s favorite, the Grasshopper, this would be the place.

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.

When in Calgary, do as the Calgarians do and enjoy the bounty of the land. Alberta is famous for its beef, and this restaurant has perfected the fine art of steak; they only serve fresh, ranch-specific Alberta beef, and they grill it at 1800ºF to make the outside crispy and the inside juicy. The menu also offers Alberta rainbow trout and seafood options, and a couple of vegan options. Dine upstairs for a more formal setting, or downstairs in the cocktail lounge for a more casual experience. Wednesday is date night, so two can wine and dine for C$80.

This good ol’ Canadian steak-house chain always gets top marks from its regular customers. There’s two options: a family-friendly restaurant with a laid-back vibe and the more adult urbanLODGE that serves the same great steaks in a more festive atmosphere.

The theme of this upscale pub is “come in good, leave better,” and a meal here will only improve your day. Award-winning burgers, the best Caesar in town, and an outstanding weekend brunch are just three of the reasons to visit the Next Act Pub. For a more carnivorous experience, visit its sister restaurant next door, where Meat serves up excellent barbecue.

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.

This vegan-friendly spot lives up to its name with intricate and diverse plant-based cuisine. Twenty different ingredients power the explosion of flavors in each bite of Banff's most intriguing nachos: strawberries, toasted quinoa, smoked blackberry sauce, garlic gherkins, six kinds of beans, Monterey Jack, and nine more items. Other inventive dishes include the kimchi burger; vegan mac and cheese made with quinoa noodles and a coconut-based sauce; and wild mushroom ravioli with garlic, red pepper, and lavender cream sauce.

This is not your average diner as OEB offers creative riffs on brunch classics—try the Get Shorty Philly Rib poutine or the cold-smoked salmon scram-blette—in a hyper-modern setting. Locals know to use the Yelp app to check wait times and have your name put on the waitlist.

A go-to Canadian staple, especially for families with kids, the Old Spaghetti Factory offers a large and varied menu with an emphasis on pasta dishes. Whatever main you order, you also get soup or salad, ice cream for dessert, and coffee or tea.

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.

Close to the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market, this shop features a selection of local beers, craft cocktails, and delicious hot or cold sandwiches. Popular options include the Meatball Sub and the Veggie Sandwich. If you're on the move, Pals offers a take-out option.

With water from six Canadian Rockies glaciers and grain sourced from high-altitude family farms, Park Distillery produces spirits with aromas and flavors like no others. Its restaurant features a fun campfire-cuisine theme with classic coleslaw, warm potato salad, or mac and cheese served alongside rotisserie chicken, salmon, ribs, burgers, or steaks. There's a nice selection of vegan and gluten-free options as well. Sprawling over two floors, the restaurant has picnic tables and wall decorations that look right out of a kids' summer camp, though the lively main-floor bar reminds patrons of the grown-up pleasures to be enjoyed.

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.

If you’re looking for authentic Neapolitan pizza, look no further than Pulcinella, one of only a few Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani--certified pizzerias in North America. Chef Domenic Tudda, whose parents owned an Italian restaurant in the same location for decades, trained in Naples, and locals rave about the pizza, as well as the fabulous wine list, calamari fritti, and caprese salad.

This intimate dining space combines delicious with nutritious, using regionally sourced seafood, beef, pork, and game to create Mediterranean-fusion fare. Consider the seafood pot, with ingredients simmered in a broth made with tomatoes, coconut, and kaffir lime and served over sweet-potato noodles with Asian vegetables; just save room for the delicious chocolate-pecan tart (surprise . . . it's vegan and gluten-free!). Creative cocktails are served at the large wooden bar, where there's also a nice selection of wines by the glass.

Inspired by the natural surroundings of Prince's Island Park, on Bow River, this restaurant has the look of a fishing lodge. The exquisite regional Canadian cuisine includes Northwest Territories caribou, British Columbia oysters and Pacific salmon, Alberta Black Angus beef, and Alberta lamb. The wine list has earned Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence since 1997. With 24-hours advance notice, the restaurant can prepare you a picnic basket to enjoy in the park.