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The Maple Leaf
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
137 Banff AveBanff, AB T1L 1CB
(403) 760-7680
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 4 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for The Maple Leaf
Review Highlights
22 reviews in English
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Review from Cornelius R.
4/7/2012
Spot on lunch for myself and a coworker in from outta town.
Wild Game Stroganoff was just what the doctor ordered after lugging a bunch of TV gear thru waist deep snow on top of a mountain all morning.
Hot and hearty noodles with plenty of perfectly cooked meat in a thick, savory gravy... topped with cold sour cream and tangy pickles.
I'll never eat stroganoff without sour cream and pickles again.
5th star because our awesome waiter saw me attempting to Shazam a song with my phone and surprised me with the complete track info, unsolicited. And it was an amazing track. Made my damn day. -
Review from Janna L.
2/8/2012
From the outside of this place you are not sure if it is a bar or fancy restaurant - maybe it was in the name. The door is just tucked off the main drag and it caught our eye to go in and have a drink no matter the decor. We were pleasantly surprised. It was not very busy and our eyes were able to take in the sleek yet rustic decor, low lighting and amazing bar area. I would say this place would be business casual to dressy. Not a place for ripped jeans or a cowboy hat, none of which I own - YET!
I am rating this restaurant on the atmosphere and the service which was amazing. We were in between places and were not eating here, just in for a drink. Seated at the bar, I ordered a Malbec (amazing red wine from Argentina) and hubby ordered a beer. They did not have a lot of selection on tap unfortunately. The wine list however, was huge, it was actually a large book! The bartender was a sweetie and spoke highly of other restaurants in the area and was very pleasant. She even gave us each an ice water with our drinks without our having to ask which was a nice touch. The food coming out of the kitchen looked and smelled top notch. Plates had high, stunning presentation and I would not hesitate to come back here for a nice meal.
They have an upper floor where the washrooms are. This space was closed due to lack of patrons but I could see how on a busy night this place would have a great buzz to it. I did not get to look at a menu but I imagine this is not an inexpensive evening for the good ol' Visa card! -
Review from Éva B.
Calgary, AB
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
We had dinner here last Friday night (insert catchy Katy Perry song here). It was one of the best dinners I have eaten in along time.
For starters we got the Calamari it came out on a beautiful rectangular plate. It was grilled rather than battered and I enjoyed the change. It was a delicious light starter before our main course.
I ordered the AAA steak as my main course and it was mind blowing. It was cooked exactly how I wanted it! The peppercorn sauce drizzled over top was so good. The plating was elegant and tasteful the whole dish was full of flavour. The steak was so succulent I can't rave enough about this streak I'm drooling just thinking about it.
My significant other had the bison prime rib the chef's special that night and it was also so delicious. He was gracious enough to share with me (I shared too). I liked the different taste to the prime rib the meat had such a different flavour and it was so tender. Never have I had a prime rib so tender in my life other than my grandma's cooking. -
Review from Melanie J.
Back in Banff and back at the Maple Leaf....
Waitstaff were wonderful. Ordered a dish off the dinner menu for lunch which they accomodated with no problems. Had a craving for mussels and I've gotta say they were absolutely wonderful. With a side of beer....delicious.
This is now becoming my new banff tradition - hike for a bit, stop in the Maple Leaf.....1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/25/2011
Great place.....strolling along the street with a rumbly in my tumbly and luckily, this came along… Read more »
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Review from Kelly B.
9/15/2011
This will be short and sweet. We entered on a c-c-c-c-cold night, wearing fleece jackets over our dressy-casual Saturday night skinny jeans kind of get up. The hostess welcomed us but the manager....literally signaled her not to seat us because of our attire. Doing one of those little neck and collar pumps to signify that we were not dressed well enough to grab a martini or 4 at the bar. She awkwardly sat us anyway since she was already half way to the bar. We took one glance at the menu but decided we should take our ruffian bums to the next dive.
This is Banff people, not Beverly Hills. -
Review from Marc M.
Edmonton, AB
Delicious as usual! Me and my gf come here every time we're in banff. It is a fairly expensive evening, but always worth it. As usual the food and service was perfect. They didn't have the elk but we tried the bison filet and it was perfect.
The Creme Brule was tasty too!
They lost 1 star because the hostess was rude to me and I found a fly in my rum and coke. -
Review from Meg F.
1/11/2011 4 photos
We visited Banff for our honeymoon. Maple Leaf meal was the best meal during the honeymoon, It was so good that we wanted to go there twice but second time was sold out, so we couldn't eat there.
We shared meat platter appetizer. My husband ordered Elk which was excellent. Elk was the special menu for the day. It was our first time to eat elk. Who knew elk was so tender. I ordered duck which was good but I wish I ordered elk.
The experience at Maple leaf was great. If Banff was close to NYC, we'd go back there anytime!! -
Review from Natalie W.
Edmonton, AB
1/15/2012
I love how they have wild game incorporated into their menu! I had the wild game burger with butternut squash soup, and both were to die for. Others had the wild game stroganoff, the chicken burger, and a pizza. Everything came out promptly, and was delicious. Our server was attentive and helpful.
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Review from Machelle H.
7/26/2010
This place gets a 4 rather than a 3 because of the Bison Stroganoff. I had debated between getting the stroganoff and the Bison tenderloin. How unusual this bison stroganoff - I am a bit of a bison fanatic, and had never heard or thought of making stroganoff with it. The waitress recommended the stroganoff, and told me that it had been taken off the menu but was returned by popular demand. And their version of the dish had some nice twists. I couldn't eat all of it, and had them pack it up to take back to my hotel fridge. I'll just add here that I don't usually do that, but that's how delicious it was. Then I had the rest for lunch during the middle of a short hike the next day, and it was so very worth hauling around the carton.
Before that we had the clam chowder fondue. What?! Served, of course, with cured game and bread. That was a good idea.
The elk tenderloin was delicious, but not as good as the meat entrees we had at a couple of other local restaurants. The wine list was fantastic.
The decor when we were entering was a little cheesy with the wild cabin style - taxidermy animals...was there a canoe hanging around? I can't remember. But it was kind of charming or funny, also. And I like funny. Fortunately, once we walked further into the restaurant, it was more subdued, so I think it worked overall. I particularly enjoyed the wrought iron light stands. Although it was a large and open restaurant, it was shaped in a way that still allowed us to feel a little secluded. -
Review from Meghan M.
Cold Lake, AB
12/7/2010
The Maple Leaf is my absolute favourite restaurant! It's classy & cozy, and the food is AMAZING! The first time I went to The Maple Leaf was on a road trip my husband and I took a few years ago. No problems with the reservation, we were promptly seated in a little room with a fireplace that was totally cozy and perfect for the cold winter night. Our server was a cute Australian 20-something girl with a great personality, she was really personable and on the ball. No complaints about service whatsoever. If you are expecting a family restaurant with a quick turnover of guests, this may not be your place. It is a place to sit back and relax and enjoy the dining experience...expect a bit of a wait for the meal! I will say that this is more of a couples/adults restaurant...I wouldn't really expect to bring young children here.
OK, the food. I can't remember everything that was ordered on our first visit, but I do know it was all absolutely delicious! I do remember that I ordered the eggplant parmesan and it was the best I have ever had in my life. Delicious. I've been back 3 times and each was equally delicious. We've even been on Christmas Eve with my parents - it was their first time there and they agreed that the food lived up to all of the fuss we made over it. I also really appreciate the way they are regularly changing up the menu - this shows thought and effort & quality of ingredients that change with the seasons.
The ambience is also great; when you think of a Canadian themed restaurant, you might think that' it's probably tacky and stereotypical. Not The Maple Leaf, it is very tastefully done. Lots of wood, very rustic, soft warm lighting & pieces of Canadiana such as old snowshoes on the wall and sepia photos of notable Canadians. Very classy.
I love The Maple Leaf - I will be back as often as I can! -
Review from Barbara B.
9/9/2011
Impressive wine list but disappointing food. Even after discussing with the waiter not to overcook the halibut, it was overcooked. The menu made a point of saying the salmon wouldn't be overcooked, which I appreciated. It wasn't, but it looked and tasted more like Arctic Char than salmon.
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Review from Keith R.
7/23/2011
Excellent and friendly service. Brie and pear pizza vg. English bay halibut and chips were excellent. Really delicious roasted carrot and sweet potato soup. Quinoa salad delicious. We waited more than half hour to get our food, it was but worth it. One of the best meals we had on at 5600 mile road trip. This is one case where the Yelp reviews really paid off.
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Review from Sherri C.
6/8/2010
Maple Leaf Grille is a huge restaurant with a nice, classical interior and great views. Reserve a table by the window if you can (some of them have booth-like window seats, which give you lots of space). The food is pretty good. I didn't find the menu to be as incredibly innovative as other places, but we had a farm-raised, organically-fed elk steak that was delicious and not gamey at all. We also ordered another meat entree, but can't remember what it was since the elk was so surprisingly tasty. Actually, it was a salmon, and I didn't like it as much knowing that I've had better. Both dishes came on top of a pile of mashed potatoes and some overly oily veggies on the side.
Service was great, although they didn't seem to want to bring us more bread. Funny how we had the most awesome breads in Canada, but none of the restaurants seemed to want to give us additional servings. All in all, Maple Leaf probably has something for everyone and was an enjoyable, if not stand-out, experience. -
Review from Mike L.
Calgary, AB
8/20/2011
Tried the bison bourgone (sp?) was like bison sautéed in soy sauce and sugar, sometimes you can use the starch to mitigate, but the parpadelle was also soaked in it, sad experience
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Review from Jay L.
2/7/2010
It is a high end restaurant but with OK food. I ordered a lake duck breast with saffron risotto. The duck breast was juicy and tender, a little too rare though. However, there was some grains of crunchy and hard rice in my risotto and I had to send it back. The waitress tried to tell me that it is supposed to be that way? Come on!
She replaced my risotto with rice for the fish but it was undercooked as well. Too bad for me. Dessert was excellent though and the overall restaurant's ambiance is excellent.
Service is definitely lacking and they took forever to take my order. I wish I had the other waiter who seemed to be interested in actually doing her job. -
Review from Jeff L.
7/1/2011
Took a short trip to Banff this past week. Went to Saltlik, Fairview dining room (Fairmont Lake Louise), and other places. The Maple Leaf offered the best experience, hands down.
Service: very friendly waitress, chatted the right amount, made us feel comfortable. Also timed the food well (knowing we ordered an appetizer that is slow to consume). They also gave us a table on the second floor with a nice overlooking view of the street. Perfect.
Food:
1. Game platter - an excellent choice for something a little different. Some people would complain that what you get is similar to the normal analogues (e.g. the caribou pate was not better than a normal French-style pate). But we thought it was interesting and different. And you get quite a lot. Cheese, fruit, pickes/garnishes, and meats (pate, prosciutto, salami, sausage, smoked duck) made from various game animals like venison, bison, duck, and caribou.
2. Pacific cod - the winner here. Light, flaky, buttery... crispy skin. Served with white beans stewed with sausage and other goodies.
3. Brome Lake Duck - you get a piece of breast with delicious duck skin, a meaty piece of breast, and a whole leg quarter. Served on top of a mushroom risotto cake that's been browned in a pan, plus blueberries and a rich sauce. This is a hearty meal, maybe a little rich for some people, but I thought it was perfect after a long hike earlier in the day.
Major yums. We only wished we had room for dessert! -
Review from Ash R.
Kingston, ON
7/24/2010
Excellent food and atmosphere. had Bison Stroganoff. WOW!
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Review from Merrill H.
7/29/2009
Maple Leaf is a nice, quiet restaurant located right in the heart of downtown Banff. The wood panelling throughout the interior gives it a sophisticated edge without it feeling like a log cabin. We both ordered the Maple Leaf Signature Stuffed Halibut Chop. When the halibut arrived, it was huge and looked delicious. However, it was soo salty! I thought it was the dressing on the salad next to the halibut that made it salty, but it wasn't. Whoever cooked the halibut went crazy with the salt. I couldn't finish my halibut- it was just too much salt. Not worth the $36 Canadian we paid for each chop.
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Review from Robert G.
8/7/2011
I would have given this 41/2 starsbut the lunch service was vacuous, silver ware? not sure, annoyed staff who had to travel up stairs for food, staff was not checking with us about needs to make travel to the kitchen more efficient. Food ? great and creative !!
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Review from A B.
8/5/2009
The food was good, a bit salty but fresh ingredients, cooked well. The problem was the service. We sat at 8:30 and didn't get served until nearly ten pm despite having two hungry kids with us. When we asked if we could at least get the kids' meals, the waitress disappeared for ten minutes, then returned with, "When it's ready, they'll send it out." They finally started cooking our order when we said we were going to have to leave. The worst part was the waitress acting like we were the problem. If you go, make sure you're willing to spend a few hours. The people next to us, who arrived when we did, never did get served and were just getting their wine as we were leaving.
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Review from Colleen H.
1/5/2011
I'll start off by saying I had pretty high expectations for this place, and was VERY excited to eat here our first night in Banff. Unfortunately, it didn't take very long for the two of us to be disappointed. If I was rating on wine alone, 5 stars all the way. The wine list was excellent, and the staff very knowledgeable about the wines. We decided on an Amarone and were very happy with our selection. As far as the meal was concerned, the menu presented lots of delicious ingredients and we actually had a hard time deciding between entrées due to the fact that so many things looked delicious. My boyfriend ordered french onion soup to start. This was pretty good, not the best we've had. I chose the linguini with chicken prosciutto, squash, spinach, and cherry tomatoes...delicious sounding, right? Very bland, actually. My boyfriend decided on a gnocchi...I can't seem to remember what was in it but god did it sound delicious. Again, not so much. I ended up not eating (just drinking....) and he picked away at mine because of the two, it was a tad bit better. The waitress was nice enough to discount his meal due to the fact that it was barely touched, which was a lovely gesture but still so disappointing. To sum it all up, the atmosphere was nice, the wine menu and cocktails delicious, but really...I wouldn't eat here if I were you.
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Review from Edward J.
6/12/2009 2 photos
This place was quiet expensive but definitely worth the price. Its quiet a fancy place but not as costly as it could've been. The restaurant is highly decorated with logs and taxidermy animals, but with really high end designs and feel of a city restaurant. The service is excellent, my waiter was super nice and friendly. Very talkative when we talked about sighting animals in the wild (especially on the topic of bears). I got myself a pint of beer (forgot the name, but was good), $6.50 CND. I then took his recommendation and got the cod, $23CND. The cod is stacked with pickled mustard leaf and stem, over a bed of mashed potato and covered with a sweet sauce and few drops of balsamic vinegar. I think the vinegar is random but the mashed potato combined with the cod is super tasty. I also love the pickled mustard. It was big enough for myself to fill a stomach (I did do a full day of hike too earlier). My friend, Chai, she got a vegetarian dish of cheese over zucchini, I didn't like it that much, $19CND. Her bf, David, got the sweet salmon with shrimps, $21CND. I think the sweet sauce on the salmon tasted great but he didn't like it. He did love the shrimp and the cous cous that came with it. Overall, it was a good experience from a hard full day hike. I might come back.
