46 Best Restaurants in Alberta, Canada

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.

This is slow food at its best, with just one chef and one server and patrons sitting either at tables along the perimeter or at the small bar, watching the sushi as it's prepared à la minute. Tatsuhiko Okazaki, the owner and chef, is famous for fashioning tantalizing combinations from the freshest ingredients. Try the Jasper Roll, made with crab meat and shrimp and served with a spicy sauce. Sapporo beer and sake complement chef Okaki's creations perfectly. Only about a dozen people can fit in this sushi bar at once. Reservations—only possible for the earliest seatings, at 6 and 6:30—should be made well in advance.

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.

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.

Neapolitan-style pizza baked in a stone-fired oven is the specialty of this local pizza place that serves their pizzas with their own secret finishing oil. The menu also features calzones, lasagna, salads, and tiramisu for dessert. You can pair your meal with a selection of local craft beers and ciders, wine, or a cocktail.

This award-winning family pizza chain began in Canmore and now has locations in Vancouver and Calgary as well. The secret to their success is local organic produce, free-range organic meats, and Ocean Wise seafood on the flatbread pizzas, pastas, and salads. You can watch the pizzas being made in the open kitchen and then baked in an artisan wood-fired pizza oven. There are gluten-wise, vegan, vegetarian, and nut-free options on the menu as well as a nice selection of craft beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy with a meal. There's also a good children's menu.

This saloon-style pub restaurant is themed around the Prohibition era when rumrunners frequented the Crowsnest Pass. The open kitchen prepares Canadian and European-style pub food like burgers, pizza, fish-and-chips, appetizers, and salads. There's a seniors menu and a gluten-free menu. They also serve a wide variety of beverages to accompany a meal and their display of local nostalgia is impressive.

Opened in 2021 by Chef Stephane Provost, this is Banff’s first Japanese izakaya, a type of informal Japanese bar that serves drinks and food. This friendly and fun restaurant serves small plates and snacks with an extensive selection of saki, Japanese-inspired cocktails, and beers. The space is decorated in dark colors with a wood beam ceiling, a long bar, well-spaced tables, and minimalistic Japanese art and adornments. The creative menu is made for sharing and includes a variety of skewers, sushi and maki rolls, sashimi, and other yummy snacks like sweet-and-spicy Korean fried chicken, steamed bao buns, pork-kimchee gyozas, and Tokyo fries with smoked bonito shavings. Maple miso crème brûlée and black sesame ice cream make uniquely delicious dessert choices.

An izakaya is the Japanese version of a British pub or a Spanish tapas bar, and this one is extraordinary. The vibe is Tokyo underground and though it’s authentic Japanese fare, the specialty here is grilled meats and vegetables, particularly yakitori (skewered chicken). Creative cocktails and a nice selection of sake and Japanese whiskey round out the experience.

This Scottish-inspired restaurant is decorated in dark wood and has a long granite bar and cozy private booths with a wall of TVs playing various sports games. There are a wide array of nibbles on the lounge menu and a great bar menu---burgers, fish-and-chips, stuffed Yorkshire pudding---with 10 beers on tap, local canned craft beers, and ciders, cocktails, spirits, and wine by the glass or bottle. Happy hour is from 3--6 pm daily. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Stirling Grill, adjacent to the lounge, is open for fine dining with a full gourmet menu including a three-course "Trust the Chef" menu that can also include sommelier chosen wine pairings.

Near the top of Whistlers Mountain, spectacular views and casual dining are the big draws at this restaurant that is operated by the Jasper SkyTram. It's a good spot for breakfast, lunch, or possibly an early dinner—depending on the season—as casual Canadian-style sandwiches, burgers, wraps, soups, and salads are served with beer, wine, coolers and soft drinks.

Named after a 10-foot replica of the 1930s comic character, which you’ll meet on the way to the washroom, this fresh veggie-centric eatery offers family-style dining in an airy space enhanced by lush green plants. This is not your average salad shop as Chef Steve Smee’s talents in the kitchen have earned Ten Foot Henry’s a spot as one of the top 50 restaurants in Canada. Sit in front of the open kitchen and try the warmed tomatoes and herbs on sourdough toast and the vegetarian cacio e pepe pasta. Meat eaters can rest easy, as the menu includes numerous seafood options and, yes, a steak.

This brewery restaurant is designed to feel like you're in the middle of a forest—complete with a 25-foot pine tree, wood features, plants, leaves, and a retractable rooftop patio. The menu is casual and includes a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, and mains that all pair nicely with a flight of craft beer made on-site. Pizza, stone-baked in a wood-fired oven to provide the perfect amount of crispiness, is one of the specialties; the sourdough pizza crust takes 72 hours to make using a reverse ice water fermentation process. The smash burger, made with Benchmark ground chuck, is one of the better burgers in town. For a more substantial meal, try the slow-roasted beef rib. The "million-dollar onion"—a roasted onion section baked in herb cream sauce and then broiled with cheesy bread crumbs—goes well with almost anything and only costs C$5.

Fine artwork adorns the brick walls of this bright and charming French-style café perfectly blending old and new; there's a great Euro-vibed patio for summer dining. The daily brunch menu includes a blue crab bennie and a truffle mushroom omelet, but there are also plenty of delicious vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free items. Late afternoon Happy Hour features half-priced bottles of wine.

This aptly named restaurant has an enormous glass-enclosed patio overlooking Maligne Lake, the largest lake in Jasper National Park. Locally sourced gourmet cuisine like the Alberta beef burger or the soy-marinated bison short ribs complement the breathtaking views; save room for the Banoffee tart. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free menu items are clearly marked and there's a reasonably priced kids menu.  Meals are complimented with a good selection of local craft beers, craft cocktails, and Canadian wines. You can also purchase packages that include the Maligne Lake cruise.

This award-winning restaurant offers creative riffs on bistro favorites in a bright, airy space. Breakfast is served every day, with an excellent brunch buffet on the weekend, and you won’t regret the chef’s five-course dinner special.