Guidebook for Canmore
Essentials
Safeway Canmore
1200 Railway AveSave-On-Foods
950 Railway AveShoppers Drug Mart
933 Railway AveNutters Everyday Naturals
900 Railway AveA great European deli/grocer that sells meats like beef and poultry, and also game including venison and buffalo, if you’re looking for something different.
23 locals recommend
Valbella Gourmet Foods
104 Elk Run BlvdA great European deli/grocer that sells meats like beef and poultry, and also game including venison and buffalo, if you’re looking for something different.
Food Scene
This restaurant is housed in a double decker bus on an empty lot on the main street. Closed in the winter (‘cuz it’s a bus), it opens in the spring and seats only 18 people on the top deck. They serve street food from a window on the main floor. The portions are on the small side, but quite good – they make a breakfast popcorn with egg yolks and bacon that my daughter is hooked on! The owners have opened a new restaurant called Blake, on Bow Valley Trail – we haven’t been there yet but it’s on our list of places to get to.
13 locals recommend
PD3 by BLAKE
806 8 StThis restaurant is housed in a double decker bus on an empty lot on the main street. Closed in the winter (‘cuz it’s a bus), it opens in the spring and seats only 18 people on the top deck. They serve street food from a window on the main floor. The portions are on the small side, but quite good – they make a breakfast popcorn with egg yolks and bacon that my daughter is hooked on! The owners have opened a new restaurant called Blake, on Bow Valley Trail – we haven’t been there yet but it’s on our list of places to get to.
A favourite with locals, the Bagel Co serves amazing bagel sandwiches, great coffee, and soups and wraps. The ‘all day breakfast’ bagels are my favourites – I’m partial to the Greek and the Amigo.
99 locals recommend
Rocky Mountain Bagel Co
830 8 StA favourite with locals, the Bagel Co serves amazing bagel sandwiches, great coffee, and soups and wraps. The ‘all day breakfast’ bagels are my favourites – I’m partial to the Greek and the Amigo.
Serves awesome pizza and pastas, using lots of locally sourced and organic produce. Really good food, very family-friendly (it’s okay for kids to make noise) and a great wine list – who could ask for more? It can be a busy place, so I’d recommend a reservation. You can also order their pizza for takeout.
99 locals recommend
Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.
838 10 StServes awesome pizza and pastas, using lots of locally sourced and organic produce. Really good food, very family-friendly (it’s okay for kids to make noise) and a great wine list – who could ask for more? It can be a busy place, so I’d recommend a reservation. You can also order their pizza for takeout.
A great place to go when you’re super-hungry. With Brazilian BBQ, waiters circle the tables with skewers of lamb, beef, sausage, and chicken (even chicken hearts if you are up for eating them!), and there’s a salad bar with some yummy salads and hot food that won’t work on a skewer (like beans or potato dishes or fish).
30 locals recommend
Gaucho
629 8 StA great place to go when you’re super-hungry. With Brazilian BBQ, waiters circle the tables with skewers of lamb, beef, sausage, and chicken (even chicken hearts if you are up for eating them!), and there’s a salad bar with some yummy salads and hot food that won’t work on a skewer (like beans or potato dishes or fish).
Great pub food (licensed as a restaurant, so kids are welcome), great hand-crafted beer, great setting. What more could you want? It’s on the second floor of a building on the main street in Banff, and it has a long skinny patio where you can sit at the railing and enjoy a pint and some pretty spectacular views.
8 locals recommend
Banff Ave Brewing Co.
110 Banff AveGreat pub food (licensed as a restaurant, so kids are welcome), great hand-crafted beer, great setting. What more could you want? It’s on the second floor of a building on the main street in Banff, and it has a long skinny patio where you can sit at the railing and enjoy a pint and some pretty spectacular views.
This place is wacky - if you’re looking for a memorable dining experience you’ll be talking about for years, this is it. It’s a fondue place where the selection includes venison, elk, bison, wild boar, shark, rattlesnake, and alligator. And tamer fare like beef, lobster and scallops. With the tag line of “for lovers and hedonists”, it was a swinger bar in the 70’s – which would have been good to know before we brought my 75 year old parents there. Oh well. The restaurant still has phones on the tables and a listing of table numbers on the backs of the menu as a throwback to that time. The food is great, and plentiful, and I strongly recommend making a reservation well in advance.
20 locals recommend
The Grizzly House
207 Banff AveThis place is wacky - if you’re looking for a memorable dining experience you’ll be talking about for years, this is it. It’s a fondue place where the selection includes venison, elk, bison, wild boar, shark, rattlesnake, and alligator. And tamer fare like beef, lobster and scallops. With the tag line of “for lovers and hedonists”, it was a swinger bar in the 70’s – which would have been good to know before we brought my 75 year old parents there. Oh well. The restaurant still has phones on the tables and a listing of table numbers on the backs of the menu as a throwback to that time. The food is great, and plentiful, and I strongly recommend making a reservation well in advance.
It's a cozy restaurant (only 9 tables!) with great food and an amazing wine selection.
30 locals recommend
Trough Dining Co
725 9 StIt's a cozy restaurant (only 9 tables!) with great food and an amazing wine selection.
Beamer's has great coffee and tasty treats - especially nice when you have kids in tow. It's a nice place to stop and refuel when you're taking in Canmore's main street.
47 locals recommend
Beamer's Coffee Bar
737 7 AveBeamer's has great coffee and tasty treats - especially nice when you have kids in tow. It's a nice place to stop and refuel when you're taking in Canmore's main street.
This is a great stop for dinner on your way to Canmore if you enjoy curries! A wonderful cafe and gift shop where you can get some food to go, get frozen food to bring to the apartment, or sit down and enjoy a tasty dinner. Look at their website www.themaddogcafe.ca to see what they are serving for the day. The first Friday of each month they have a buffet, which is supposed to be amazing - reservations highly recommended for that.
8 locals recommend
The Mad Dog Cafe & Market (Dead Mans Flats)
302 Old Canmore RoadThis is a great stop for dinner on your way to Canmore if you enjoy curries! A wonderful cafe and gift shop where you can get some food to go, get frozen food to bring to the apartment, or sit down and enjoy a tasty dinner. Look at their website www.themaddogcafe.ca to see what they are serving for the day. The first Friday of each month they have a buffet, which is supposed to be amazing - reservations highly recommended for that.
Entertainment & Activities
the recreation centre in Canmore. It’s a good place to spend some time if the weather isn’t cooperating. It has a pool for lane swimming, a lazy river and play structure, a water slide, big hot tub and a steam room. There’s also a climbing wall with a huge variety of routes, and of course a weight room and cardio equipment. Check the schedule and prices on their website before you head out.
119 locals recommend
Elevation Place
700 Railway Avethe recreation centre in Canmore. It’s a good place to spend some time if the weather isn’t cooperating. It has a pool for lane swimming, a lazy river and play structure, a water slide, big hot tub and a steam room. There’s also a climbing wall with a huge variety of routes, and of course a weight room and cardio equipment. Check the schedule and prices on their website before you head out.
Home to the Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon events for the 1988 Winter Olympics, the Canmore Nordic Centre is the premier nordic sport centre in Western Canada. They provide ski rentals in the winter and have a huge variety of ski trails for beginners up to world cup athletes. They also rent bikes in the summer, and have an equally good selection of mountain bike trails.
163 locals recommend
Canmore Nordic Centre station
Home to the Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon events for the 1988 Winter Olympics, the Canmore Nordic Centre is the premier nordic sport centre in Western Canada. They provide ski rentals in the winter and have a huge variety of ski trails for beginners up to world cup athletes. They also rent bikes in the summer, and have an equally good selection of mountain bike trails.