Look no further for your guide to the best restaurants in Canmore, Alberta!
An hour west of Calgary and twenty minutes East of Banff, you’ll find the charming Rocky Mountain town of Canmore, Alberta. A popular destination for international tourists and local Calgarians alike, Canmore offers endless options in the way of outdoor adventure.
After a great day out in the mountains shredding slopes, biking trails, hiking peaks, or simply taking in the sights, you’re bound to have worked up an appetite. Thankfully, Canmore has a wide variety of great dining options to choose from, with something for every taste and every budget.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve spent a combined three months living in Canmore. During that time we’ve been able to check out many of the best restaurants in Canmore. Here are our favourites!
For each restaurant, we’ve included the estimated cost for two people to dine. In most cases, this cost includes an appetizer, two entrees, and two drinks. Prices in CAD.
Tavern 1883
Tavern 1883 is an institution and sits firmly atop our list as one of our favourite restaurants in Canmore. A popular spot among Canmore locals and tourists, Tavern 1883 offers a delicious can’t-go-wrong menu of appetizers, mains, and drinks, along with live music a few nights of the week.
No trip to the Tavern is complete without trying the fried brussel sprouts and the best sweet potato fries you have ever freakin’ had in your entire beautiful life. Seriously. When friends come to town, most people take them out for drinks. We take them out for sweet potato fries at the Tavern. Not even kidding. Order them. Please. For us.
The Tavern also offers many drink, lunch, and dinner specials throughout the week, so be sure to check those out.
For us, the perfect day in Canmore is a long day spent outside in the mountains, capped off with dinner and drinks at Tavern 1883. We promise you’ll love it.
Dinner for two: $60
The Iron Goat
Located between the Cougar Creek and Eagle Terrace neighbourhoods is a local favourite, The Iron Goat Pub & Grill. With probably the best patio in Canmore, The Iron Goat is the perfect spot to post up for Summer day lunch, drinks, appetizers, or dinner.
Enjoy epic mountain views while you indulge in upscale pub food like like chipotle mango duck wings, brown ale dry ribs, wild game taco salad, and various other grilled and handheld goods.
You’ve gotta try the Okanagan pizza – charred pear, blue cheese, pesto base, pickled red onion, candied walnuts and a balsamic drizzle. Mmm mmm!
To go along with their magnificent mountain vistas and their mouth-watering food menu, they also carry a solid supply of local craft beers (including flights), wines, and crafty cocktails. The Iron Goat is a must-try!
Dinner for two: $50
Red Rock Pizza
We recently discovered Red Rock Pizza and we absolutely loved it.
Red Rock is without a doubt the best pizza place and one of our favourite restaurants in Canmore. Their toppings are all fresh and delicious, their combinations are mouth-watering, but it’s their crust that really sets them apart. Slightly sweet, amazing texture, mmmm so good!
Located on the East side of Canmore, Red Rock is a great option for takeout, delivery ($4 fee delivered anywhere in town), or sit down. They have a great little picnic table patio where you can enjoy both the amazing pizza, as well as some of Canmore’s amazing mountain views.
If you do dine-in, Red Rock offers many great local beer options, including $5 beers on Sundays! In terms of which pizzas to get, you really can’t go wrong, but we really like the True North, the Pazzo, and the Fun Guy.
Dinner for two: $45
Grizzly Paw
Grizzly Paw is a local craft brewer with both a brewery and a brewpub located in Canmore. Their restaurant is very centrally located with easy walking from almost anywhere in town. A great place to watch the game or bring the whole family, Grizzly Paw has lots of space and lots of options for everyone.
Their beer features 5-6 staples as well as 3-4 rotating taps based on the season. They cover a wide variety of styles and are approachable for all kinds of beer drinkers. For kids, they also have a great selection of craft sodas that they sell on-site, as well as in bottles in grocery stores.
In terms of food, Grizzly Paw offers a great selection of burgers, sandwiches, and other classic pub foods. One of our favourites is the Korean Cauliflower, you gotta try it.
Be sure to check their recommended beer or wine pairings for each dish before ordering your drink, they’re pretty spot on! Great beers and tasty pub food makes this one of the must-try restaurants in Canmore.
Dinner for two: $60
Looking for breakfast or brunch before starting a big day of adventure in Canmore?
Click here to check out our best breakfast & brunch spots in Canmore article.
Mi Sushi and BBQ
Sushi? In the Rockies? Yes, sushi in the Rockies!
Obviously it’s not on the level of some top tier Vancouver-based raw seafood establishments, Mi Sushi and BBQ is a formidable sushi option as far as restaurants in Canmore go, and is perfect if you’re looking to satisfy that hankering for a little Asian fare.
The fish selection and quality punches well above its weight class for interior, high-altitude sushi, and they offer several creative rolls guaranteed to make your taste buds happy. All rolls are made fresh to order, so order 3-4 rolls to split between two people and enjoy!
Beyond the sushi, they also offer a variety of Asian soups, dumplings, and mixed plates. Something for everyone!
Dinner for two: $60
BLAKE
Located very conspicuously at one of the entrances to town, BLAKE is a relatively new, industrial-contemporary restaurant in Canmore that’s becoming increasingly popular.
Featuring a great, sizable patio, the spectacular views of the Mount Rundle Range and the Three Sisters are on-par with or better than any other restaurant in Canmore. At the very least, grab a table here for a drink and appetizer on a sunny summer afternoon.
Their menu is constantly changing based on the season, but the concept – and a few staple menu items – remain the same year-round. They offer a variety of large share plates, which is great if you’re with a group because you get to try multiple of their mouth-watering dishes. Here is where you’ll find some of the most creative culinary dishes our of all the restaurants in Canmore.
We’d suggest asking your server for his or her recommendations, as they’ll have experience with the current menu. However, we highly recommend getting the fried chicken as that’s one of their staples and always one of the best things on the menu.
Dinner for two: $70
In addition to all these great options in Canmore, you’ve also got many great options in the town of Banff, just twenty minutes away! Check out our favourite Banff restaurants at the bottom of this article.
Bon appetit!