The Panorama Restaurant – Banff, Alberta

We were staying the night in Banff and decided we wanted to experience Alpine Lights Mountaintop Dining Experience that was at the Panorama Restaurant at the top of Sulphur Mountain. With this reservation, you get a free gondola ride up to the top and as it’s winter time, you do get a free ride down the mountain afterwards as well!

We were seated by the window and enjoyed beautiful views of the town of Banff and the restaurant itself was quite beautiful! The staff was friendly, the food was wonderful, it truly was a great dining experience!

It was a set dinner that came with this experience and they start you off with some delicious bread! It was actually really tasty and the butter they infused was also quite delightful!

We then got their House Salad which was extremely fresh and delicious! The dressing was perfect, although a little bit over dressed! It was quite tasty for a salad and very interesting and colourful!

Then, the main course was their Prime Rib which was a huge piece of perfectly cooked prime rib and it wasn’t too fatty or anything! It was delicious and we devoured the entire piece of prime rib and potato!

To top off the evening, we got a Cheesecake for dessert and it was really light and creamy! It wasn’t overly sweet or too rich – so it was really how we like our cheesecakes to taste!

Overall, this experience was truly one to remember for a lifetime! The scene was magnificent, the ride of the gondola was quite the experience in the dark going down, and the food was perfectly cooked and presented beautifully. The service was pretty good as well. I think you get a great meal out of this experience and should try it!

Panorama Restaurant – Top of Sulphur Mountain

100 Mountain Ave
Banff, AB
(403) 762-2523

Le Beaujolais New Years Eve 2014 Dinner – Banff, Alberta

We’ve been to Le Beaujolais many years ago for lunch and thought it would be the perfect dinner spot to ring in the New Year! We made a reservation for their Gala Seating for their 6 Course Dinner as we have nothing but fond memories of this restaurant! Decorated festively for the New Years, we were glad we came in to celebrate with them!

We sat down and it was quite cold outside, I just wanted a hot drink. As odd as it sounds, I ordered myself a cup of Hot Chocolate which I must say has become one of my favourite hot chocolates! I think they use a marshmallow whipped cream on top – but it made the cup of hot chocolate spectacular!

Once our drinks came and we got comfortable, they came around with the first course which they called Ocean Flavors which was cured Artic Char, Scallop Ceviche and Salmon Rillette. This was an amazing start as it just tickled our curiosity for the amazing dishes to come! Although you can’t really see the scallop ceviche, it was amazing, sweet and tender. The Artic Char was almost juicy although cured and the salmon rillette was my favourite! Almost like a salmon salad without all the other fixings, it was just perfect!

From here, we moved on to the next course their Lobster Duo which was lobster ravioli and butter poached lobster! I love lobster and to put this course down in front of me, I was in heaven! The lobster ravioli was actually filled with lobster meat in a delicious lemongrass bisque topped with the perfectly poached lobster claw makes this a dish to remember into the New Year!

We were then presented with their House Smoked Brome Lake Duck Brest, a beautifully smoked duck breast topped with some Riesling Foam and Port reduction really makes this dish shine! You really taste the smoke on the meat but it doesn’t overwhelm in any way! It was very delightful!

Here’s where we had a choice for the main entree, I went for their Maple and St Germain Glazed Sablefish that was prepared really delicately. The sablefish was perfectly cooked and it sat on a bad of smooth and creamy celery root puree. The sablefish was so flaky and fresh, I’m sure I could have eaten a million of them!

My husband ordered the Filet Mignon Marchand deVin which was a beautifully cooked and a generous portion of Filet Mignon with shallot confit. The meat was perfect in every aspect and very enjoyable. We really loved the Dauphine Potatoes as well as it was fried nicely on the outside and soft on the inside! The perfect mashed potato puff!

Just as we’re so full, there came a Cheese Board and I’m not much of a stinky cheese eater, but luckily my husband is! I enjoyed some Honey Almond toasted break and pear compote, while my husband had the bleu benedictin and le cendrillion with some pieces of toast! He enjoyed it thoroughly and I was waiting patiently for my dessert!

Now came what I was withing for, the Chocolate Surprise 2015 was a beautiful hazelnut mousse in a chocolate cup, topped with coffee foam! This dessert wasn’t too sweet and it was just delicate and delicious! What a perfect way to end 2014! We couldn’t have asked for a better night!

With a full stomach, we were ready to put behind 2014 and we went outside to celebrate the New Years! The staff equipped us with some hats/tiara’s and some noise makers on our way out! Happy New Year!

Restaurant Le Beaujolais

212 Buffalo Street
Banff, AB
(403) 762-2712

Jump Start – Banff, Alberta

Long time ago, we went for a walk and decided to stop in to Jump Start for a quick bite. We found that the location was perfect for a cafe place like this as many guest could grab something and take out – and enjoy at the park or wherever their travels will take them.

We decided to take a break from the outdoors and went to dine inside. We ordered their Hot Chocolate as it was a breezy day. It tasted fine and it was in a nice mug where we could slow down the pace with. I like drinking my hot drinks out of a mug!

Then, we ordered their Roast Beef Sandwich and we did mention to them we’re eating in. They just took the sandwich from the fridge and placed it on our plate. We thought it was kind of strange they didn’t make it to order or at least ask to heat it up or anything. It looks like there’s a lot of roast beef in the sandwich, but it really only has 3 slices where they folded it. It was rather disappointing and reminded us of something you can grab from the fridge at a convenient store.

Without knowing that is what the did to the sandwiches when we ordered them, we also had their Ham Sandwich where you can actually see there’s only 2 slices of ham, and stuffed with lettuce and tomatoes. This one we didn’t mind cold as the vegetables wouldn’t be as nice if it was warm – but they still only took it out of the fridge. That was the nice thing – the veg was really fresh!

For what we paid, we’re not too satisfied although it was filling and convenient. Unfortunately they didn’t taste like much, but we were here when they first opened. Hopefully they’ve changed their ways – especially if they claim they’re the sandwich place. The location is very comfortable and we were here for awhile watching the people walk by, so that was really nice!

Jump Start The Coffee and Sandwich Place on Urbanspoon

Jump Start The Coffee and Sandwich Place

206 Buffalo St
Banff, AB
(403) 762-0332

Magpie & Stump Restaurant – Banff, Alberta

We’ve been heading to Banff a lot more recently to get away from the city and this time we went to enjoy the Banff Santa Claus Parade of Lights. We stopped for dinner before the parade and went to Magpie & Stump where we enjoyed a fantastic dinner! Once inside, the place was already packed, and tons of tables were trying to get in-and-out before the start of the parade. We didn’t care if we missed it, but we were advised their kitchen was a little backed up from the amount of customers.

I felt like a sugary drink, without the alcohol so I got a Virgin Pina Colada which is one of my favourite drinks! It wasn’t the best one here, as it was fully of ice and watered down even at the start – so by the end, it was really quite flavourless.

We ordered their Spicy Shrimp Tostadas which was basically a large salad in between to large crispy corn tortillas, topped with a bed of pulled pork and spicy prawn. Then, it was topped with some delicious bbq sauce and lime crema. It was a large dish and very refreshing.

We also ordered their El Pollo Piquante Fajitas which was spicy grilled chicken with tomatoes, peppers, onions, queso and salsa on the side for you to build on flour tortillas. It was a fun, interactive dish which was delicious and quite spicy!

Overall, we loved this place, the service was quite good even when they’re so busy. The food was fresh and delicious and the location is really good as they’re right next to public parking. The food came out fast enough that we were able to eat, pay and get outside in time for the parade even though they warned us they’re backed up! So, they did an amazing job!

Magpie & Stump on Urbanspoon

Magpie & Stump

203 Caribou Street
Banff, AB
(403) 762-4067

Elk & Oarsman Pub & Grill – Banff, Alberta

Every once in awhile we like to go into a local pub or bar for lunch. This time while traveling through Banff, we went and sat on the patio of Elk & Oarsman which was really nice. Although I don’t have a picture of the place, the view was phenomenon!

We sat down on this bring afternoon where I ordered myself a Virgin Caesar as it’s become a drink I love, especially if it’s spicy. It’s definitely spicy here with tons of flavour!

I ordered their Elk Poutine which was thick cut french fries with gravy, braised elk and cheese curds. A delicious combination of things I love! It was the perfect combination for this particular lunch! There was actually a lot of french fries in this order and we didn’t actually finish the entire plate – we did eat up all the elk though!

My husband ordered the Lamb Shank and it was a giant piece of braised lamb in Cabernet honey jus. It was tender, juicy and tasty! Although the picture doesn’t look as appetizing, it was a great piece of lamb shank!

Our overall experience here was phenomenal and it’s no wonder why they’re always so busy! They have great food and service and the location is ideal – right on Banff Ave!

Elk & Oarsman Pub & Grill on Urbanspoon

Elk & Oarsman Pub & Grill

119 Banff Avenue
Banff, AB
(403) 762-4616