Waldhaus Pub at Fairmont Banff Springs - Banff, Alberta, Canada

We golfed at Banff Springs and then wanted to catch the rest of the football game.  We walked up to the Waldhaus pub, which has a spectacular patio, but elected to sit inside to watch the game.  It has a TRUE European pub feel.  The tables are not crammed together and the entire atmosphere is authentic.

While I was weary of dining in a Fairmont restaurant, the first thing I will say - the prices here are REASONABLE.  Not cheap, but not overpriced either.

I was not starving, so I had the wings.  Many people will judge a place by their wings, and I am one of them.  They were hearty and the flavor was excellent.  Quite a bit of kick for salt and pepper I must say!  Ryan had the Bavarian Deli Sandwich and loved it.  He said the flavor was excellent and it was not as heavy as he anticipated.

The service was excellent.  And while the pub was almost entirely sat at one point, it was not loud and did not appear overly busy (even though it was!)

HIGHLY recommended as a stop in Banff!

Oh and their skillet nachos - they could feed a few people quite easily!  They are huge!

Banff Springs Golf Course - Tunnel Nine - Banff, Alberta, Canada

Beautiful views....

... but these little buggers are everywhere!

Gnomee isn't much of a golfer - so he sat this one out!

Ryan and I decided to do a twilight nine while we were in Banff on our honeymoon.  We elected to golf the Tunnel Nine and were disappointed with how not challenging it was.  It is a VERY wide open course and while the views are nice, there are gophers everywhere and they have ruined sections of the course.  Honestly, the condition was ok at best and the course is something I could have played back home and NOT for $80 for NINE holes.

The service was not stellar by any stretch.  When we arrived, our credit cards were declining (and not because they were maxed out).  We were told the system sometimes does this.  I asked for decline receipts - there apparently were none.  It was more when we arrived back.  Neither my husband nor I heard what we were supposed to do with the key for the cart.  There were FOUR staff members hanging off other golf carts.  When I asked them if I should take the key in or leave it, which by the way I had to interrupt their evening planning to do so, one girl very snottily replied, "I guess you can just leave it," as she rolled her eyes and one of the guys said, "Don't know.  Don't care."  Nice image for the course I must say.

The Grizzly House - Banff, AB, Canada

We have dined here before, but this time, we just came in for a nightcap and the Toblerone fondue.  With the second side open, there seems to be better ventilation.  We sat on the original side and the dining room was still quite full - thus, you can smell the meat cooking!

Considering the average bill in this restaurant is probably over $100 - I admit that I was pleasantly surprised that our waiter did not seem at all bothered that we were merely in for drinks and dessert - in fact he was quite enthusiastic!  Excellent service, EXCELLENT chocolate fondue!  We were pleasantly surprised that via our chat with the waiter, who discovered we were on our honeymoon, that he brought us complimentary nightcap!  Attentive and generous service.  This is a cheaper way to do the restaurant and really get the best part out of it. :)

Whatever you wear - DO NOT plan to wear it again.  This is your warning!

Maple Leaf Grille & Lounge - Banff, AB, Canada

We were in Banff on our honeymoon and I made a note on our reservation that explained that. We were greeted by the hostess whom sat us at a table a little more out of the way to increase our privacy and when our server arrived she had complimentary champagne - a VERY nice and appreciated touch!

We ordered the calamari to start and it isn't breaded, so it is a little more rubbery; however the sauce was delicious and the overall quality excellent. We both had the venison wrapped in bacon - a personal favourite and it did not disappoint! Their wine list is phenomenal and has good range in price and variety. We went with one of our favourites - Inniskillin Meritage and it was stellar as well!

We have been here twice now and the atmosphere upstairs is more bubbly upstairs and quieter downstairs, but it is AMAZING!!

Elk & Oarsman - Banff, Alberta, Canada

We have had one bad experience here, and this one wasn't it.  We were looking for somewhere to watch the football game, so we sat at the bar, the bartender switched the TV so we could watch and we sat playing trivial pursuit while watching the game.  Both bartenders were extremely personable and on top of their service.  If one of us didn't know the answer to the trivial pursuit question, the bartenders were likely to have the answer!  I wonder how many times they have heard all the answers on each card?

We didn't eat this time around... but we plan to return to try their pizza one day!

Canoeing at Lake Louise - Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

We don't JUST eat and drink - we like to do stuff too!  Gnomee wasn't built for water - so he sat the trip out, but we wholeheartedly recommend canoeing on Lake Louise.  The boat house is to your left if you are facing the mountains and lake.  You can take the canoe for an half an hour or an hour.  We went for an hour and made it all the way to the back of the lake and back.  

Getting towards the back of the lake...

Can you see the hotel??

Banff Ave. Brewing Co. - Banff, Alberta, Canada

I write this with such mixed feelings because the service was just terrible.  I really WANTED a good experience... but it just didn't happen.  I would consider giving it another try with a different waiter to see if I would change my mind...

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We started with two of the crafted beers (after sitting for almost ten minutes, even though we were greeted at the door by a waitress who told us to sit anywhere; she proceeded to walk by us and make eye contact, but never offered to get us drinks).  When we were finally addressed, we ordered a Head Smashed IPA (very full, very flavourful and quite heavy) and a Czuggers Pilsner (HIGHLY recommended).  The waitress who greeted us, was the one who eventually took the order, but then she passed us off to another waiter.


It took some time for the drinks to come as the waiter was quite concerned with socializing with some people at the bar.  As for the food - hit and miss.  I ordered the turkey club on naan bread, which was excellent - quite light actually.  My husband ordered the meatloaf buttie and only ate half because it was so heavy.  Heavy filling + heavy bread = too heavy.

The service really effected our experience and not in a positive way.  They have a great patio that faces the main avenue, and it's a little tight.  They have tv's, but you can't see them from many of the tables.  I think if you are just in for a beer - this isn't too bad.  And my guess is - the best service is up at the bar.

Note: I did not want to spend the whole review talking about the service - it was just not good and we weren't the only ones who felt it.  At one point the server left a table with their drinks sitting on the bar while he did merchandise for a table he wasn't even serving.   On top of that, the bartender was doing nothing.  By the time he got to the drinks, he had to top up each beer because the head was gone.

I TRULY believe that the steps of service need to be executed within a reasonable amount of time and your staff needs to work together.  I have never seen a restaurant so stuck on only one person serving a table (and at their leisure).  On another note, as we were leaving, a new waitress walked in, bussed all the empty dirty tables, took two orders and bussed the non-empty tables that needed things taken away... so maybe we just got stuck with a bad server, but it wasn't acceptable service.

Coyotes Southwestern Grill - Banff, Alberta, Canada

While the food was extremely tasty here, the overall experience just didn't cut it in the long run.

We came in for breakfast before heading to Lake Louise.  We were seated immediately and greeted by our server.  We both ordered fresh squeezed juice and I asked for water (which was never brought).  This came in a timely fashion and we ordered - both of us cereal - the Warm 9 Grain cereal (like porridge, but tastier) and the honey baked granola (served with yogurt, which really doesn't make for an easy eat).  Both were delicious, but took a really long time to come out.  There were several tables seated after us, who ordered after us, who received their meals before we did.

Since it took such a long time, we really got to see the workings of this restaurant... and some things just left me with a not so pleasant experience.  First off, you can see their kitchen - which to me could be a really cool experience.  However, I saw a cook eating while preparing food and that didn't sit well with me.

Secondly, the restaurant is SMALL so be prepared.  Even if you make a reservation, you may be in the crush!  Mostly they have tables for four, that easily separate into two sets of two.  Unfortunately, this became very difficult for the servers to serve efficiently as they had to lean over other tables and guests to serve.  Thirdly, while I can understand the frustration of the server having to bend over people, taking it out on the hostess in front of guests is just not something I want to see.

Finally, and this is a personal gripe/pet peeve of mine...
Our server, who was "in the weeds" as they say in the industry, was pimping himself out to other tables about where he worked at night.  While I understand this is their livelihood, the restaurant you are serving in should be your priority.  I know this is not something everyone agrees with (one way or the other), but it just ticked me off.

So, if you can find a quieter time where food comes out in a timely manner, the staff aren't tripping over each other and are a little more organized/not so frazzled - I would try it.  If it is during the rush - avoid it.

Banff Park Lodge - Banff, Alberta, Canada

While we have stayed in several hotels in Banff, this remains our most affordable favourite.  We were here for August long weekend for our honeymoon.  I had requested a room a little more out of the way (ie. not the middle of the hotel) and we were granted one on the corner with a view of the mountains, which we greatly appreciated.

We love the central location of this hotel as you are walking distance to services, food/drinks, and hiking.  The staff here are bar none some of the best out there.  They are friendly and welcoming, whether they are front desk, concierge, housekeeping or maintenance.

We did not eat on the property, but twice went for drinks in the lounge.  The first time the service was very slow.  The second was better, but the bartender seemed quite cold - or overly professional - one of the two.  No smile.  It just rubbed us the wrong way.  However, this can't deter us from highly recommending this property!

The pool area is lovely, modern and very well maintained.  The beds are comfortable and we like the balconies (and the fact that you can move chairs outside to enjoy the views!)  We also like that every room has a mini-fridge as we were able to purchase food for hiking the day before and avoid the rat race of Safeway the day we went hiking.

This is a full service hotel and typically one of the most competitively priced for it's calibre.  Summer rates may seem high, but compared to other properties - it isn't in the least.  In winter, sitting by the fire in the pool area is an added bonus!  Kudos to the staff for an excellent experience yet again!

Balkan the Greek Restaurant - Banff, Alberta, Canada

We went to the Thursday Greek night at the end of July and were greeted by the owner.  He offered us a table up front (immediate seating) where it was a little quieter, or we could wait a few minutes and he would get one ready in all the action.  Since we made reservations and were quite hungry, we took the immediate seating.  As a side note, if you come in for Greek night, the atmosphere REALLY steps up - don't expect it to be quiet!!  *Make sure you make reservations for Greek night as it is always a full house.

Greek night involves a belly dancer, plate smashing and dancing.  While the dancer moves throughout the restaurant, unless you are in the middle of the action, taking part in the other two seems more difficult.  We did notice that during the program, the service slowed considerably, both kitchen and bar wise.  The bartender that evening was slow and seemed more concerned with putting on a show than taking care of the bar.  At one point we waited close to ten minutes for our drinks.

Now the reason we rate the restaurant the way we do - the food.  Consistently excellent.  For our appetizers, we ordered saganaki and prawns ouzaki.  Because our table was quite small, our waitress did stagger them being brought out (plus she had to flambe both of them at the table), which I thought was a really good point of service.  For dinner, we had the donair and the chicken souvlaki.  While I was feeling quite full from the appetizers, my husband thinks it is one of the best donairs he has ever had.  With the beef and lamb mixed together, he thought there was excellent flavor.  Capping the night off with ouzo is the only way to go!

Magpie & Stump - Banff, Alberta, Canada

We were at Magpie & Stump twice during our honeymoon in Banff - the first time for food and the second time just for drinks.  We always elect to sit in the bar because seating is typically immediate and we admit - we like the peanuts.  The restaurant can get quite busy and a wait might happen, but check out the bar area, they allow kids (at least during the day).

On our first visit, we sat at a table and our waitress (whom we have had in the past) was extremely prompt and very friendly.  Both of us had enchiladas - his with beef and mine vegetarian.  We really enjoy the food here because it isn't heavy, which Mexican can be.  We also like their margaritas because they aren't blended - no brain freeze here!  The atmosphere is very relaxed and casual and around the bar you will usually find locals.

Our second visit, we sat up at the bar as we were just in for drinks.  As per usual, the bar was filled with locals, but we were treated no differently.  The bartender was friendly and prompt and the drinks were fantastic as always!

Welcome!

Welcome to our first venture at blogging!  We will be reviewing hotels, restaurants and activities of all our travel destinations.  Rather than post our mugs all over the blog, we have our front man - Gnomee the thirteenth man. Gnomee travels with us everywhere and is more photogenic than either of us!

Join us as we travel through our marriage and throughout the world!

Meet Gnomee & Oilman