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The Bison
Categories: Restaurants Nightlife Bars Lounges Restaurants, Lounges [Edit]
The Bison Courtyard213-211 Bear Street
Banff, AB T1L
(403) 762-5550
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Sun 9 am - 2 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
37 reviews for The Bison
Review Highlights
"We had the seven layer chocolate cake and shared in between..."
(in 4 reviews)
"Had the great Bison French Onion Soup - it was perfect."
(in 2 reviews)
"I guess that goes to the beer and wine list."
(in 4 reviews)
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37 reviews in English
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Review from Ljubica T.
Calgary, AB
9/18/2011
Stopped in for a special 1 year wedding anniversary meal with my husband. Everything about The Bison was lovely; the decor, the server, the music, the food... yes, everything.
Rosemary & sea salt bread was served complimentary. So tasty!
Appetizer: Open Flame Escargot. I really liked this dish. It was flavourful and perfectly cooked... and the escargot didn't taste the dirt. The one and only time before this that I've tried escargot was at Red Lobster (years ago) and the stuff tasted like dirt to me. The Bison cooked their Open Flame Escargot so well that I think I like escargot now!
Main course: Springbank Bison Striploin. Everything was good about this dish, except that it could have had a few more vegetables on it.
I would like to try some other dishes at this restaurant in the future.
We did not opt for dessert because we were too full. -
Review from Alex L.
Calgary, AB
11/8/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Good food, bit pricey, inattentive service.
Went for a sunny summer lunch on the way to getting some hiking in. The outdoor patio is a great place to relax and looks over a nice square which is perfect for people watching.
The beer selection is quite good with some interesting local breweries mixed in with the usual suspects. Had the Grumpy Bear Honey Wheat beer which was tasty and different.
I remember being really impressed with their dinner menu which is extensive and creative. Lunch was a bit of a disappointment as the selection is significantly less in both these factors. While it was hearty and tasty, it did not have the wow factor that the dinner menu entails. I guess it should be expected as the lunch menu prices are a significant step down from dinner prices.
The biggest negative for me was the server. Throughout the meal, I continued to get the feeling that our waitress did not want to be there. From staring into space while reciting the specials, not listening to the drink orders and disappearing after dropping off the bill, it was a bit of a customer relations disaster.
I will likely give the Bison another shot for dinner as I see alot of potential here. Too bad customer service ruined an otherwise positive experience.
7/30 -
Review from Nina P.
10/3/2011
GREAT BISON FRENCH ONION SOUP!
Came here for a more upscale casual place to dine in Banff. Had the great Bison French Onion Soup - it was perfect! The stock was rich with bison flavor and a deep tone of port wine. I could have just had three bowls of this for dinner! It was wonderful and well balanced!
For a main course the hubby and I both had the braised bison short ribs. This was good although it seemed to have been reduced maybe just a little too long over heat because it was a tad bit salty. Other than that the meat was delicious and tender and the dish was very rustic HOMESTYLE cooking with great potatoes and vegetables.
The restaurant also has a full time pastry chef who makes all the desserts in house (minus a local sorbet maker). We had the seven layer chocolate cake and shared in between the two of us. It was so rich I don't know how one person could eat it alone! And this was no typical cake it had a great hazelnut mousse like layer in addition to rich chocolate layers.
Our server John (?) was very friendly and a great resource! Overall this is a great option that is reasonably priced for Banff anyway! -
Review from Kelsey D.
Red Deer, AB
2/10/2012
The Bison has the most amazing French Toast! I find myself dreaming about the layers upon layers of deliciousness in the dish. It has the crispy french bread, of course, but it also has a blueberry compote, apple slaw, whip cream, gruyere cheese and BACON!
So yummy! On this trip to the Bison, I had my fav dish with coffee. My compatriots had traditional breakfast fair, and all in all, a very satisfying meal. Our server was a little slow...maybe a bit hung from the night before? But, this is Banff, what should we expect! We were a bit hung too! -
Review from Cathrine A.
Sechelt, BC
2/11/2012
AMAZING lamb!!! Husband said the rib eye was the best he ever had! Tony was our server and he did an awesome job!!! Great customer service, bar service and Adam - who make our steak and lamb, really knows his meat!!! He deserves a raise!!! Great location/ambiance, service and food....sorry that I have been to Banff for a decade or more and never visited this great restaurant before!! Loved, loved, loved it!!!
-
Review from Cristina G.
9/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
My rating really should be 3.5 stars rather than 3.
Based on other reviewers on this site, we tried Bison. Was I impressed? No. Was I disappointed? No. The food was just average in my mind whereas for the money I would have expected more than we got. I had the beef tenderloin and it was okay...again nothing to die for. The wine selection was good and I did like the ambiance. The restaurant is open and airy with windows to allow the patrons to take in the views.
Banff is a touristy town so don't expect fine quality food...recall that they do not have to maintain a steady customer base since they rely on generally one-time visits from tourists. If I had friends coming to the Banff area I would recommend not eating in Banff and heading south to Canmore where the good restaurants are. In a pinch, Bison will do I you don't have a car or don't feel like driving, but you will be spending unnecessary money for the quality of food you receive. -
Review from Kerri W.
Banff, AB
7/3/2011
I've wanted to try brunch at The Bison for quite some time now. They serve, by FAR, the BEST brunch in Banff!
I had the french toast and a coffee. This isn't plain old french toast that you'd expect some chain family restaurant to throw on a plate for you. No way. You have not even HAD french toast until you've tried this.
The bread is soy-free (awesome)! It's served in a giant plate/bowl hybrid. Between two pieces of french toast is melted cheese and bacon. It's like an awesome surprise when you look at it because it's all hidden in there. On top is a big dollop of freshly whipped up cream with apple slaw - it's like an apple haystack! So neat! Under that is blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. There is no syrup - no need and no room for it! By far the best combo I've ever tasted - though I left much of the whipped cream on the side as I already felt I was overdoing it.
I sat out on the patio and finished my meal just as the rain started picking up. I was wearing shorts and was offered a blanket. That was so considerate, though I declined. It wasn't really that cold and as a local, I can handle it. As they cleared my dish, I grabbed my coffee and sat in the covered area. I was the only one left outside when the rain hit, but it was so beautiful drinking coffee and watching the mist over the mountains. The wait staff were wonderful and accommodating. I tipped quite well because it was such a phenomenal experience, likely one of the best I've had in Banff so far.
So if you're in Banff and seeking the best brunch in town, skip the over-priced buffets. Get some real food and awesome service at The Bison and you're set for the day. -
Review from Jennie M.
Edmonton, AB
2/24/2011
Raves for the Bison Carpaccio - one of the best dishes I had in Banff! It came topped with baby arugula, shaved parmesan & yummy truffle oil! Delicious.
Bison Rib-Eye - delicious - tender & juicy, perfectly cooked. My brother-in-law had the Duck Breast & told us it was his favorite dish in Banff. Unfortunately they were out of Steelhead Trout, it was substituted with Salmon but it was still great! The cabbage/back slaw it's served with is also very tasty, I think it's cooked in red wine.
We could not decide on a bottle of red wine, so the waitress brought us a small glass of our 2 top choices to taste.
Our waitress was prompt & friendly....the place was busy upstairs & downstairs when we got there & I can see why! -
Review from Poul M.
Edmonton, AB
4/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
My friend Chad recommended that we visit The Bison when we were in Banff, and that in and of itself is a high recommendation. You see, Chad is a bit obsessive about "local" and slow, and sustainable, which are all good things, especially coming from a red seal chef, and coffee fanatic.
So, naturally, as soon as we got to town, we rang them up and made a reservation. So after a day of skiing, we made our way to Bear Street and climbed the stairs (albeit a bit more slowly then yesterday; evidence that I am getting older). We were warmly greeted by both a hostess downstairs and up, and quickly led to our table. My dinner guests were my lovely wife and 7 year old son (who immediately noted that the kids menu didn't have much to colour, and queried the accompaniment of the crayons.
Our server was friendly, attentive, and quickly had our drinks in our hands. To be honest, this was my first meh experience of the evening. I ordered the Canmore local brewed pilsner (I think it was the Powder Hound) which left me wanting something with more substance. I guess that goes to the beer and wine list. The beer list was pedestrian at best, with options like Corona on the menu. The wine list was better, quite extensive, but for a establishment that is all about local, there could have been more Canadian wines on the list. The wine list was pretty pricey too.
We shared a very tasty caesar salade and a plate of escargot to start. I know, not very local, either of them for Banff Alberta, but nonetheless, they were both tasty apps. From there I had a nice slice of organic pork from Lethbridge Alberta, with a tasty bourbon and fig reduction. Mich had a half chicken which she found over cooked and quite dry. So, three out of four ain't bad? All in all, the dinning experience was enjoyable, the food was on the whole very tasty. I will go back, and try some other dishes, but I can't in good conscience give The BIson a 5 star rating, because there is still room for improvement. But then, there is always room isn't there? Don't take my word for it, next time you are in Banff, make a point of visiting The Bison. -
Review from Christena R.
Amazing! Great food, wonderful atmosphere...We went for dinner and were not disappointed. My hubby liked his dinner so much he ordered a second one!
Great atmosphere that is casual and comfortable that makes you want to stay and chat with the friendly staff for a while
Be sure to look at the local art
Be bold-have multiple courses--you are probably on vacation and the calories don't count! -
Review from Jonah K.
7/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Awesome brunch, done right. Lots of local foods and game meats. The dinner here is also fantastic if you like game as well. I am a big fan of both, and enjoy the food and ambiance of Bison.
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Review from Machelle H.
7/24/2010
Positives: The Bison Tenderloin was hands down the best item of food we ate in Banff . I would definitely go back to try more. It was perfectly grilled medium rare, excellent cut, and expertly seasoned. We have discussed its perfection a couple of times since we ate there. My trailmix salad was unusual.
The s'more dessert was beyond my hopes for the dessert. So melty. A flourless chocolate cake with a gigantic vanilla marshmellow, some kind of strawberry sauce, and a graham-cracker-like garnish. Mmm, now I'm thinking about that s'more again. I am planning to try, but fail, to replicate it at home. It was impossibly perfect.
The rooms were light and airy feeling, and the architecture was fun.
Mehs: The fondue plate was satisfying but not spectacular. I have made and eaten many fondues, and this was well above average but not special, even in a town full of fondue places against which fondue competition might be sharpen.
Negatives: The decor looked like too many other we-are-trying-to-be-hip places. The art wasn't very interesting.
When we first arrived at 8, they were playing techno/chill music, which is not always the best dinner music, especially when it is just loud enough to make conversation with our waiter an effort. They later started playing 70s and 80s music that was a pretty fun mix of somewhate interesting hits.
The wine list had some nice items, but was overpriced. Even for Banff. -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
6/24/2010
A few of us stopped in at The Bison for dessert before heading back to Calgary.
Any place that offers Smores on their dessert menu will easily win my heart, but this place STOLE my heart because their Smores are made with flourless chocolate cake. Um, can you say "every gluten-intolerant person's dream come true?!?!??!"
And let me assure you, this was no simple Smore. This was THE best Smore I have EVER had. Aside from this heavenly dish, they also offer everything from cheesecake and chocolate tarts to cheese plates.
Plus you know how I LOVE a great summer patio right? Well The Bison has got one of the best in all of Banff!
The service and ambiance are perfect and they offer everything from brunch to my personal favourite - dessert.
The next time you're in Banff, give The Bison a shot - I promise you wont regret it. -
Review from Glenn B.
6/9/2011
Incredible - food, setting, and service if you are sitting in Jessie's section. What wonderful food and people. Group of 23 of us there for dinner - amazing wine, wonderful Baileys and Earl Grey Tea! I can still taste the Elk Steak and the Elk Slow Cooked ribs. The steak was great but Bison even made the Beets and Root Veggies taste great. I will go back and hope you try it too.
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Review from Sam S.
1/7/2009 5 photos
In an otherwise touristy corner of downtown Banff, The Bison made us feel right at home.
We liked it so much, we dined there - and met the same waitress - twice. We have no shame.
Dinner starts with warm multi-grain bread with organic butter, served in a tree-bark bowl. It's so good I could fill up from this alone. Seriously.
Order their red wine onion soup and red curry mussels and you're all set. I dare you to dip the bread in the mussel curry. What follows - the moaning and possibly involuntary gastronomical orgasm - may invite excessive staring from diners nearby. But you'll be too busy enjoying the moment to care.
Should you still be hungry - you overweight bastards, er, foodies - go for their roasted leg of lamb, crisp roast chicken, or salmon. Whether it's the bed of mashed potato or toasted hazelnut, no ingredient is superfluous. Everything meshes in perfect harmony.
When you're all good and satiated, wipe the remaining drool off your mouth and go sit on the sofa in the lounge area. Sip their brown-sugar mojito.
Moan again. You'll be back. -
Review from Vicky L.
2/26/2009
Our tour guide insisted that we stop here to eat and eat we did!!
I was impressed with the quality of food and variety of dishes. (Somehow being in the middle of nowhere up in the Canadian Rockies made me feel like quality food was a premium...)
The prices are kinda high here, but calculating them back into USD made it better. I had a bison dish and it was strangely very good! Tasted like beef but leaner, but more flavorful. Must stop place when you're in Banff! -
Review from Scott m.
4/15/2010
As a foodie hitting all alleged "can't miss" eateries in Banff, my wife and I had to try "The Bison".
We had a relatively simple meal plan: Start with the cheese fondue app over a glass of white, and move onto a red meat fest of the Alberta AAA beef tenderloin and the Bison Strip and try to find a good wine match.
Long and short:
The decor was very nice: psuedo artsy, clean lines, with hints of frontier/western living influence.
The food was good, but hardly epic. The tenderloin was cooked close to requested, while the bison was a bit over-done depsite the request to have it cooked as the chef recommended. And the bison strip itself was a bit anemic (5-6 ozs? tops) for the $45 price tag.
WINE: The white wine list was solid, but for a restaurant that focuses on red meat, the red wine list was pathetic and suffered from dramatic overpricing. I realize alcohol is 40% more expensive in Canada than in the states due to the taxing policies, but there were $8 bottles of shwag cabernet on the list for $65. I am rarely offended by mark-ups on a wine list, but these prices were borderline insulting for the quality represented. They took a paragraph to preach about their commitment to the "slow food" movement, and then (with the exception of quite a few unknown Canadian wines) featured mass produced, corporate owned wine companies.
Waitress was very polite, but didn't welcome us to the restaurant when she first met us or even tell us her name, or share any specials, or ask where we were from, etc (a bit out of place for the $100 pp joint). The waitress to her credit (and sweet nature) however did win us over when she graciously brought us a complimentary tasting of 2 local ports at the end of our meal to celebrate my birthday. This gesture was the most memorable part of the meal!
All in all, a good experience, but if you are planning a big night out to buy a great bottle of cab and have it with a great steak, don't automatically put this one in your top three picks- -
Review from Jeffrey S.
7/16/2009 1 photo
While on vacation last week in beautiful Alberta, Canada, I had lunch with friends at the Bison Restaurant & Lounge in the town of Banff. Casually attractive, simple-contemporary, cozily homey and elegantly rustic are among the clever adjectives that I pulled together to help paint a picture of this quaint little bistro tucked away among the many tourist offerings around town.
From the outside, the restaurant is seemingly unassuming. Through the front door is a small deli-type market that serves salads & sandwiches to go, a variety of cheese, meats, and house-made mustards and preserves.
Walking through toward the back of the restaurant was the "lounge", which showcased absolutely GORGEOUS communal natural wood slate tables and benches (perfect for pulling up a seat and making new friends). The floor-to-ceiling windows were removable making it essentially an open-air dining area that extended to a small outdoor patio where we opted to sit and enjoy the beautiful weather.
There was also an upstairs dining area that offered a more robust menu in a more elegant setting with wooden floors, tables and wooden vaulted ceilings. Upstairs included another outdoor patio where more scenic mountain views can be found.
The restaurant champions itself as "Rocky Mountain Comfort Food" and places a huge emphasis on local ingredients much of which is made in-house as possible (the bread and butter here are alone outstanding). I ordered a glass of chardonnay and the Bison Burger, topped with Saskatoon berry chutney, comté, pickles, house-made smoked tomato ketchup and wild flour organic brioche. The burger came with freshly cut frites and small saucers of house-made mustard, mayonnaise and smoked tomato ketchup.
The staff was friendly and hospitable, however, our server was a little busy with the lunch rush. Our food took a little while to prepare but luckily I was with friends some of whom I have not seen in several years and we spent the time catching up.
It was worth the wait. My Bison Burger was absolutely scrumptious.
One thing to note was that our server never asked for a temperature for my burger. I normally order them medium. Cutting into the bison burger, it looked like it was cooked thoroughly through with very little pink if any. Nevertheless, it was a juicy goodness and was very lean and flavorful. Each of the house-made condiments were all remarkable as well. The ketchup tasted a little like bbq sauce and paired perfectly with the burger and frites.
My girlfriend ordered the Bison Chili with sylvan star cayenne gouda which was a worthy choice. My other friends ordered various sandwiches, which looked great, but I did not try.
I somehow manage to visit Banff every few years or so to visit friends and I would highly recommend The Bison Restaurant & Lounge as one of the more memorable establishments in town. Order the Bison Burger + Frites, soak in the atmosphere and you'll see why. -
Review from Reid Y.
5/16/2010
Not bad, not bad. If there's brillat-saravin cheese when you walk in, then you know it's going to be good. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated - long wooden tables and a sweet looking bar. Foodwise I had a steak sandwich, which I gotta admit was not great - the steak was a bit overcooked and not very tender. The cheese fondue and meat plate, on the other hand, seems to be the thing to get. It's nicely presented on a cutting board and sampling pork, duck, beef, etc is quite delicious.
Would come back here again if I've ever in Banff to try some of their other dishes. -
Review from Homer S.
5/27/2010
Well, it's not clear they know how to cook things the right amount of time. My salmon was first overdone and then slightly undone. In any case, they get bonus points for the server trying hard to get it right and the food generally being enjoyable.
They should cut their prices, though. Please? -
Review from Laura M.
Banff, AB
6/9/2009 1 Check-in Here
Popped in for lunch today (in the lounge downstairs). Usually I would go for a sandwich but today wanted something light.
Caesar Salad! It was great.
Presentation was appealing and it tasted even better than it looked! I will be back. -
Review from Will C.
8/1/2009
We got the charcuterie plate, smoked albacore, and the pork plate, which was a pork tenderloin and a pork belly. I thought the tenderloin was a little overdone, but the pork belly was very satisfying. The skin was chewy and cartilaginous, the fat partly liquid, and the meat very thin. As a fan of pork bellies in Chinese food, I had never had it in the context of another cuisine, but was delighted with how it turned out. The side was a wet mixture of wild rice and corn, also very nice. The albacore too, was cooked well.
So, the one rueful thing about the dinner, was that everything tasted smoked, which got monotonous after awhile; that and the service was very slow. A reluctant four. -
Review from shane m.
1/12/2010
The food was very good. Very good beet and frisee salad and Venison. Pizza was okay, too much cheese for my taste as you could not taste anything else.
Service was not good. I ordered pizza and the other asked for the Venison but they delivered a Venison pizza instead. When we asked them to fix it, no apology and said that they assumed we wanted the pizza. The situation was not handled well. This is acceptable unless you are paying $45 for your entree. Obviously they could have done something to fix the issue, but offered nothing and were short with us the rest of the night.
Again, food is good. I won't go back because of the service...you may not have the same experience though. -
Review from Meredith G.
6/18/2011
My husband & I had our first anniversary dinner at Bison in May when we were passing through Banff. The restaurant was so inviting/cozy. Our waiter was absolutely perfect... the best service we've had in ages. And - last but not least - the food was amazing. After religiously using Yelp for years, I finally set up an account & this is my first review. Thank you Yelp for helping us find such a sweet spot.... one of many. : )
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Review from Mark R.
Whitehorse, YT
3/5/2011
We stopped for dinner last week-end and were sadly underwhelmed. The food was fine but not out of the ordinary. The service was good and the room was pleasant if a bit noisy. We were left with the impression that the Bison knows it doesn't have to rely on repeat customers as there are new people in town every night. Next time in Banff, we will skip the fancy meal and just find a pub.
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Review from Wilbert C.
Calgary, AB
11/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
Loved the selection in the menu. Good service and loved the atmosphere. When in Banff, Bison it.
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Review from P X.
7/8/2009
This is the best restaurant I have ever eaten at. My wife and I spent a few days in Banff during our honeymoon and we ended up cancelling our reservations that we had made at other restaurants so that we could eat here as many times as possible. We ended up eating here a total of 4 times over 3 days and then ordered extra charcuterie on our last visit so we could have a fifth meal for breakfast.
We ate downstairs twice. The first time we did the charcuterie and the fondue. The chef who runs this joint makes all of the sausages and cured meats from scratch and has about 20 to choose from for the charcuterie and offers 2 pages worth of cheeses to compliment. We tried a total of about 8 meats over the course of our 3 days and all of them are rediculously awesome.
We also ate upstairs once for dinner and had the lamb sausage corndogs, the alberta beef tenderloin and the salmon. The corn dogs were brilliant and the beef was possibly the best beef i've ever eaten in my life. We had the lavendor smore for dessert that night as well and it was the shiz.
We had brunch on saturday and I had the french toast stuffed with gouda, bacon, blueberry sauce and apple slaw mmmmmm.... my wife got the smoked salmon & double cream brie bennedict. Unbelievable.
If you come here, use the bathroom downstairs in the lounge. They use compostable eco-friendly foam toilets which are cool as hell. I've never seen anything like it before and it's worth taking for a spin.
Words can't describe the awesomeness of this place and its food. Great service and unbelievable food earns this place one billions stars! -
Review from Ea S.
2/25/2011
My steak, the signature with bone & hollandaise, was superb. The vegetables were as good - nice variety well prepared. Organic bread from the local bakery, a quite adequate flour less chocolate cake completed the meal. Hubby's bison was good (but not as great as my steak). We got in before the crush, seems like the food attracts crowds.
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Review from D L.
8/23/2010
Ate at the ground floor level twice in a week. The "big asian" was great...noodles, salad, and tuna. Everyone should have a big asian!
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Review from Bill E.
7/15/2009
Almost makes a person feel as if they're in Aspen, swanky and hip... maybe a little overpriced? Cool room and comfortable bar. Good selection of meats, tapas style. Decent wine list too. Bartender was sharp, gave us a taste of a few local beers. Relaxing end to a long day...
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Review from Erik C.
7/24/2010
Just dropped in at the downstairs bar for post dinner tea and beer. Well presented and comfortable big seats. Lots of TVs to watch. We'll come back sometime for dinner.
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Review from Chris T.
Steinbach, MB
8/16/2010
Food was four stars for sure but I've had better service at mcdonalds. The lack of service at this restaurant ruined our night. I don't need to go into detail but I was very disappointed.
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Review from Gary S.
7/18/2010
After a glowing recommendation from the visitor information centre on Banff Ave., we tried the upstairs restaurant. I ordered the fresh torn pasta (CA$25) for an entree and my partner had the (CA$26) cast iron roast chicken. The pasta tasted OK, but it was a tiny amount, almost like an appetizer. It was just a little too precious for me, and I don't eat much. I tried some of the chicken and it was dry. Don't think this restaurant is worth the hype it's getting. There are better choices for a meal in Banff (try Bistro Cafe de Paris on Banff Ave. and Buffalo St.).
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Review from Aydin O.
Canmore, AB
6/26/2009
The New Bison Lounge opened a few weeks back and what can I say Fantastic! Ryan,owner knows how to make things rock and Grant the Chef is an great and create new and interesting dishes. The lounge offers cheeses, and charcuterie that is hom made. All I can say is don't miss it and take a seat on a sunny day in the court yard patio.
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Review from Ginny M.
7/10/2009
Definitely get a reservation as this place is very popular. This restaurant focus on local ingredients and list the sources for all of the ingredients. The bread is even from the Wild Flour Bakery next door. I had the bison strip lion which was excellent. Bison is a very lean meat and the meat was very moist. The vegetables that came with it were prepared extremely well. The vegetable were fresh and definitely local. My friends also ordered the bison burger, and a few pizzas. This restaurant was definitely delicious and worth a stop if you're in Banff.
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Review from Ken M.
9/5/2010
The food was generally good but Alberta Rib-Eye steak came out almost cold and it was like chewing gum - at $39 dollars you would expect something juicy and tender -v ery disappointing . The service was at best acceptable.
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Review from David H.
Calgary, AB
1/31/2010
A - List. Highly Recommended. A local store employee at The Body Shop directed us here. The experience was exceptional. The seating is upstairs for more formal dining with a bar/deli-like atmosphere with plenty of screens for big game viewing at street level. From the moment you walk in it doesn't look like much. But wait until you get upstairs and the food comes your way. The chefs are talented, the food is superb and the service is confident, knowledgable, efficient and Banff friendly. The pacific salmon & canadian scallops and roasted butternut squash pappardelle were both expertly prepared and beyond anything I have experienced. For the dessert, the chocolate + pear hazelnut croustade was heavenly. If you can, make an early reservation (they open at 5 pm for dinner) and look for seating close to the window facing the patio. They often light a small fire on the patio which adds to the dining experience. The bill: 1 appetizer, two main courses, 1 dessert and 2 teas + tip = about $100. The food here is first-class and some of the best I have enjoyed anywhere. You get what you pay for...Expen$$ive.
