Grapes Wine Bar

Of all the restaurants at the Fairmont Banff Springs, I recommend Grapes the most! With a focus on cheese and cured meats Chef Tyler creates masterpieces. Almost like piece of art, he curates a selection of cheeses and meats to your liking. He’s also a pleasure to speak with and informative if you have any questions. Sit at the bar for a front and center view of his work.

The chef’s choice charcuterie blew my mind. We had the truffle salami and elk salami which are local and so decadent. Our server David was nice enough to go over everything we had. The best thing I had was a cheese called Le Cendrillon out of Quebec. It’s like a goat cheese Brie without the thick brine. This place is a gem. I’m in love. Thanks David!

Like all the other reviews for this place, I agree that it is one of the best meals I have had. Everything is amazing and reasonably priced. I wont write much more because I think the other reviews have coved all the bases. Needless to say, this place is now going to be a standard feature of any night Banff.

Excellent place for a quiet evening. Enjoy a great bottle wine, Have a board, and a great time with your date.
The Chef’s choice is fantastic, so much meat and cheese. You probably need more mustard and jelly, but for the price it can’t be beat. The service is very good treats you with respect and is courteous.

We grabbed a quick glass of vino here before our dinner reservation. Very quaint and cozy. We sat at the bar and watched the chef bust his ass putting together yummy looking plates of cheeses and meats. Next time we will definitely be ordering the chefs plate. FYI reservations are recommended for the early seating. We took the last 2 chairs at the bar.

I prepped a whole slew of bad puns in planning this review, teasing Grapes Wine Bar by saying stuff like, «I was so looking forward to getting graped,» and, «I would totally get graped every week.» I decided to avoid that, not because of sensitivity (as I just shared them), but because it would distract readers from the review’s intention – ensuring Grapes Wine Bar’s continued success.
Traveling from Courtenay to Banff, looping around Edmonton to Jasper, I had eaten at some of the best restaurants in Western Canada, from Araxi in Whistler to Tojo’s in Vancouver. Yet the one review I most looked forward to was this one. I passed by Grapes on my first day in Banff, but decided on Samurai’s sushi instead, telling my girlfriend later that our return would be inevitable. The next evening, after getting blissfully tipsy at the nearby Wines of Canada store, we tumbled into the wine bar for an evening meal (well, I tumbled, she guided).
It goes without saying that this place is small, like Seth Rogan’s acting range small, like Wal-Mart’s interest in its employees small. It has six tables and a bar. It also has no real kitchen to speak of – everything is crafted behind the bar. Are there microwaves, blenders, and griddles? No. What you will find are home-​cured meats, cheeses, and preserves and pickles still in their jars. But wait, you’d ask, what does Grapes serve, other than obviously wine? The answer is cheese fondues and charcuteries.
Now, if that doesn’t sound totally awesome, then you are not worthy of Grapes Wine Bar. Stop reading now. I mean it; it’s only going to get better, and I can’t be held responsible for the consequences. Soon, you may end up drinking coffee with your pinky raised, changing your Instagram photo daily, and dressing like a hobo from the 1930’s. Grapes is fantastic, the kind of place I kept thinking about weeks afterward, the kind I told people about in my hometown. Another restaurant owner asked what kind of restaurant I’d like to see in my hometown, and I described this very place. Even he agreed that it was awesome. Oh yeah, and it has wine apparently to.
Look, here’s the thing, the best way to describe Grapes is that it’s a sushi bar, replacing sushi with charcuterie. Customers take a seat, enjoy a glass or two – or ten – of wine, then sit back and enjoy the pageantry of the chef building your plate in front of you. Like an itamae, he or she (ours was a she) sets down a canvas – a wooden board with a stone for texture – in which the artist places cheese, preserves, dressings and meats upon. The preparation is akin to watching a lava lamp and the final presentation that of art. She stretched a spoonful of scorpion pepper mustard across one side, then gently placed wedges of cheese at equal points, following that with honey dripped like a Pollock masterpiece. Fruits followed nuts, ground up between the mountains of cheese. Then came the meat, four different kinds. We could hardly see the board by this point, yet she continued. Dollops of jam was spooned over the wedges. Afterwards came the pickles, peppers and peaches, carrots and cauliflower, dried first before placement. Throughout it all, the chef offered casual conversation. At the end, she explained everything, revealing that each placement was made with purpose. The selections closest to one another augmented each other, with the entire plate meant to be enjoyed like a book, left to right. Softest cheeses matched with blackberry jam sided with house-​made pancetta. Roasted red pepper tequila jelly matched with cheddar fringed by elk salami. Smoked blue cheese under cold pickled cherries next to double smoked beef sausage.
At this point, I’ve spend nearly 630 words on foreplay, and you’re wondering where the main act is. Like a proper romantic assignation, the food was amazing. They kept offering me bread as it ran out. Each mouthful was an entirely new experience, salty with sweet, spicy with bitter, and with each bite washed with a sample of wine. Past haute French cuisine and excellent sushi, Grapes was one of the most enjoyable culinary experiences I’ve ever had, and to think that it barely cost me $ 50. And that was for two, with my meticulous girlfriend even admitting it was astounding.
I need a place like Grapes wine bar in my life. I don’t care if I have to move. In Kelowna, I discovered a similar place in The Salted Brick. Now to find Grapes Wine Bar in Banff, this isn’t fair. I was asked if a place like this could survive in my hometown. I would make sure it did.
Food: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Presentation: ⁵⁄₅
Value: ⁵⁄₅
Recommendation: ⁵⁄₅

Our third time at Grapes Wine bar in the past 17 years did not disappoint. A trip to Banff is always special and the Banff Springs Hotel is a part of that. Chef Tyler was friendly and beyond accommodating. Sommelier Dana was cheerful and helped set the atmosphere. Even though the truffle oil cheese fondue was no longer on the menu, Chef Tyler made a point of locating some truffle oil and re-​creating our cherished memory from so long ago. Thank you!

Stopped by last night and had a fun time even with the limited supplies while electricity was out. A candle, some great cheeses, served with salted and candied nuts and basil infused honey. It all came back to normal and Tyler made us a meat and pâté board.
My favorite spot when in Banff, quaint little wine bar with so much to offer. Dana the sommelier was very knowledgable and very courteous and recommended a good cab to sip. See you next time!

What a nice place to unwind at the end of the day.
Chef Tyler is so creative. It’s fun sitting at the bar and view his work. His meat, board medley is excellent.

If you are passionate about food, Grapes, hosted by Tyler and Dana, is a magnificent treat!!! I ate, and appreciated, foods I love and foods I cringe at, and it was one of my most favorite dining experiences ever. The wine was delicious as well!

Grapes is a nice place to relax.