90 Best Restaurants in Alberta, Canada

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.

Get a taste of northern Italy while enjoying one of the best views in the Canadian Rockies; on warm evenings, you can dine on the heated patio while enjoying the vistas of Lac Beauvert, Mount Edith Cavell, and Whistlers Mountain. All the pastas are house-made, and the produce is locally sourced. The menu features shellfish from Atlantic Canada; steelhead trout from British Columbia; and Alberta beef, chicken and lamb. There are also good vegetarian and gluten-free options. Be sure to save room for tiramisu for dessert. Children age five and under eat for free; those 12 and under can order from a special menu or, for half price, the regular menu.

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.

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.

This award-wining restaurant serves authentic prairie cooking from wood-fired ovens. Chef Blair Lebsack’s focus on sourcing fresh local ingredients according to best practices and sustainability means the food served is the best it can be. The attached Butchery provides the restaurant's meats, as well as uncooked versions of their house-butchered meats and other foodstuffs like premade foods and baked goods. The wine selection won a wine excellence award in 2024.

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.

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.

The cozy main-floor lounge serves casual comfort food. The top-level restaurant serves more elaborate dishes—perhaps maple-rosemary braised short rib with Saskatoon berry sauce or grilled arctic char with beetroot risotto—in a modern dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows, wood-plank walls, and dark-wood tables. The nightly, three-course, "trust me" menu is a good value for adventurous eaters who don't mind letting the chef decide what's for dinner. There's a nice selection of reasonably priced wines (by the glass or bottle), cocktails, and craft and draft beers.

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.

You can't beat the panoramic mountain views from this restaurant on the third floor of the Banff Gondola at 2,281 meters (7,486 feet) above sea level. There are floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides and the cuisine is just as elevated as the scenery with a regularly changing menu that features local ingredients like Alberta beef, British Columbia salmon, and prairie-grown vegetables complimented by local craft beers, craft spirits, and Canadian wines. There are vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian menu choices as well as a children's menu. You can also purchase packages that include the Banff Gondola ride and dinner. Reservations are recommended; request a window seat if you can!

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.

Dine on the patio or inside at this restaurant serving classic Canadian food in a unique setting: the original Lake Louise Railway Station. Daily lunch specials round out the menu of salads, burgers, steaks, and salmon. Save room for the rhubarb-strawberry pie, just like grandma used to make—if your grandma made really good pie from scratch.

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.

Just outside the Jasper National Park gates, this gourmet farm-to-table restaurant is a hidden gem with wonderful mountain views. The menu changes often, but the food is always made from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients (try the bison burger) and everything, including the desserts, is prepared fresh on-site; there are also about two dozen beer choices including an extensive locally made craft beer list and a fun cocktail and martini menu. The restaurant received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence several years running and the carefully curated wine list features over 300 well-priced wines—some served by the glass and some by the bottle. There are two seatings for dinner—one between 5 and 6 pm and a second after 7:30 pm.

At this intimate, 15-table, downtown dining room, chef Jason Munn's menus change regularly but always feature entrées made with fresh Alberta bison, Angus beef, and British Columbian seafood and creative sides like handmade potato gnocchi or white-cheddar poutine. The restaurant's name is inspired by the Syrah (Shiraz) grape varietal, so you'll find a nice selection of wines (as well as craft beers) to pair with your meal. The menu also has many gluten-free options—and at least one vegetarian entree nightly—and everything is made in house, from the biscuits and infused butter that start the meal to the desserts that finish it. On that note, save room for the wonderful white-chocolate goat-cheese cake. Reservations are essential, but there is bar seating if you just want just a glass of wine or a light meal.

Located on the third floor of Grizzly Paw Brewery, this restaurant embraces craft beer culture with a seasonally inspired menu that pairs well with the beers made at the brewery. Each dish has a suggested pairing and the menu includes salads, a wide array of pub-style starters, oven-fired flatbreads, burgers, steaks, pasta, and other dishes. If beer's not your thing, wine, spirits, cider, and craft cocktails are also on the menu. The brewery is also known for its non-alcoholic craft soda and can prepare a flight of sodas instead of a flight of beer. If you sit near the window, you'll enjoy views of the Three Sisters, Ha Ling Peak, and Mount Rundle from the restaurant and the outdoor patio.

A local favorite for high dining, the elegant Teatro is in an old bank building on Olympic Plaza, where classical features blend with contemporary decor to create an exquisite setting for fine Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Specialties include numerous antipasti, pizzas from a wood-burning oven, pastas, and risottos---try the lobster and scallop lasagna. Teatro’s wine cellar is in the former bank vault, which houses 10,000 bottles of the very best Bordeaux and Italian red wines.

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.

For something fun and a little different, try this restaurant's three-course Château Experience, consisting of a mushroom-and-shallot cheese fondue to start, an 8-ounce beef tenderloin with farm vegetables and whipped potatoes for the main course, and chocolate fondue with banana bread and fresh fruit for dessert. If fondue isn't for you, other classic Swiss, German, and alpine dishes are served à la carte. The comprehensive wine list roams the globe but favors vintages from Canada and California.

This local hangout sells specialty fizzy drinks; guests choose their favorite soda and add flavored syrups. Hot dogs, cookies, ice cream, frozen yogurt, milkshakes, ice cream floats, and seasoned popcorn are also on the menu.

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.