For a small centre, Banff has a surprisingly wide variety of food, both in cuisine and in price.  This interactive restaurant map on the Town of Banff's site will show you restaurant locations.

At the top of the scale are the fine dining establishments of Le Beaujolais (classic French), the Banffshire Club (in the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel), the Canadian cuisine of the Maple Leaf Grill, and the wonderful global-inspired cuisine of Fuze Finer Dining. 

In the middle, there is everything from the casual food stylings of Earl's, and the Elk and Oarsman, to the ethnic cuisine at the Balkan (Greek), Pad Thai (Thai), Suginoya (Japanese), Silver Dragon (Chinese), Guido's (Italian), the  Grizzly  House (Swiss fondue) & Nourish Vegetarian Bistro.

At the bottom end of the scale are many chains, such as McDonald's (hamburgers), Phil's (pancakes & comfort food), and the many choices listed under Inside Banff: Cheap Eats .

Many restaurants post a copy of their menu outside their establishment, so it's easy to make sure that the menu selections and prices fit with your expectations before you even go into the restaurant.

The dress code for almost all restaurants (except  Le Beaujolais and the Banffshire Club) is "resort casual": no ripped clothing, no exercise wear. And the dress code for the cheap restaurants is usually "no shoes, no shirt, no service".

The  Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel has a huge array of places to eat in addition to the elegant Banffshire Club. Castle Pantry is the least expensive, and most casual. Grapes Wine Bar specializes in food and wine pairings, while the Rundle Lounge offers an awesome view along with beverage service or a light meal. You can enjoy a full meal in any of the hotel's restaurants: Bow Valley Grill (buffet breakfast through brunch, a la carte dinner, dinner buffet in winter months, great view from windows),  Waldhaus (German / Continental), Waldhaus Pub (casual, pub grub), Castello (Italian), Banffshire Club (fine dining, dress code), or Samurai (Japanese). Samurai's menu is very limited; unless you enjoy sashimi / sushi or nabemono (dishes such as sukiyaki, yosenabe, or shabu shabu which you cook at the table yourself), you should dine elsewhere.

Taxi Mike and Dining in Banff are great guides to Banff's restaurants. The website for Rocky Mountain Room Service, which delivers restaurant food in Banff and Canmore, has the takeout menus for the restaurants they serve.

Restaurant Inspection Reports

In July 2008, the Calgary Health Region (which includes Banff) made all recent restaurant inspections (since January 2008) available through online search. The five most recent reports can be viewed; make sure to have the name and address of the restaurant handy.