Rose & Crown Banff

Nothing too fancy here, just hearty pub fare to fortify travelers famished by miles of window shopping and cold weather hiking. The fish and chips are superb, the French Onion Soup (en croute) is a soul warming restorative!

Busy patio however a very long wait for everything, 20 minutes just for menus and served after newer people arrived. Very dirty glasses, would have sent it back but waited so long for it. Dirty table we cleaned ourselves with napkins.
Auto tip is okay when proper service is given, this was not.

Overall I gave it 3 stars because the inside looked a little dark and I’m not sure it would have been as pleasant — certainly good, but not 4 stars.
4 stars on patio — We had a very good meal. I give it 4 stars because the rooftop patio on a beautiful night is lovely. The view was great. The service was good. The food was good. We were happy.

We’re here for Canada day so a busy pub we understand but the attitude and food were awful. They get they two stars for the great view and nothing else. No welcome or thanks for coming. Our waitress said I am waiting for someone to be nice. The corker was their tip system was 18 20 or 25. No where else in town starts that high we have been. Food is alot better other places in town.

Good food.

We were having a great night at the Rose but then the bartenders changed shifts and frenchie was beyond rude. Would not serve people that were all standing in line until they said please to his satisfaction. I’ve never seen such a rude bartender.

Surprisingly delicious food! The Toad in The Hole was amazing. I will come back every time I visit Banff just for this dish! The service was very friendly and fun but don’t come in a hurry. The price of a pitcher is pretty steep so stick to pints and try a few different offerings.

Stopped in for a real early dinner so not much of a crowd. Our server «Lulu Bell» was very friendly and attentive. We did not encounter any of the service issues mentioned by others. The food was very good — the 2-​piece fish fry was huge and the fries were excellent. The Mac & Cheese was everything we hoped for including the side if garlic bread. Solid bar food. We would return.
August 2014

Atmosphere is good, with great location, and a great outdoor sitting.
But the beers… seriously we tried the tester of 6 draft beers… they were all louzy. This is a bar, so pay attention how you connect your taps, and serve it properly.

Stopped in for a beer and some snacks. Wasn’t very packed but very friendly staff and guests too. Cozy as it was getting chilly and rainy outside. Glad we stopped.

Second floor pub on the main avenue in Banff. Odd layout with the bar around the corner in the back. Nice window seating with views. Could use more TV sets. Could use second bar counter in open area. Good stage for music. Pizza was OK but not great. Casual décor. More for locals.

Rose and Crown is another «must visit» for my husband and me when we are in Banff. We love the live music and the fact that we recognize the songs that are being played. Last night we were there, the band did a fantastic set of 90s tunes. It was a great place for us to end the night and despite it being only the two of us, we had a fantastic time. The place was busy, but our server was attentive and quick to refill drinks when they were empty. It’s not fancy, it’s dark, but it’s not a dive by any means. Just a great place to come for a casual night of music.

A hootload of fun!
Great rooftop terrace patio! Too bad it wasn’t open very late!
Live music on a Saturday and a lively crowd! We sure had fun and would definitely come back!

Food was good, but it took a while for the help to warm up and not seem like we were inconveniencing them. The portobello burger was delicious, and the mountain views are wonderful.

Came here for dinner after a full day of hiking and sightseeing in Lake Louise/​Banff.
We started on the rooftop patio (very nice), then moved to the main floor because we wanted to order off the full menu. Service seemed better on the rooftop, as we had to wait a bit before catching a server’s attention.
We ordered the beef dip sandwich and the elk stew. The beef dip was good, but not great. The sandwich had a strange sweet aftertaste that was odd. We couldn’t tell if it was from the meat or the bread. In addition, the au jus seemed to have some added ingredients which was entirely unnecessary. It was saltier than expected. However, my elk stew was delicious! It was so tasty. Thick meat chunks and vegetables in a burgundy gravy. The puff pastry on top of the stew was a perfect accompaniment. I would order it again in a heartbeat.
It’s a little pricey, but that’s typical for the area.

Every time I come to Banff, I end up at the Rose, late night, for a few night-​cap Caesars and the band’s last set. Having played there for years I kind of feel at home in the grubby, dark, interior. I also love the roof-​top patio, on a nice day, it feels like there could be no better place on Earth to enjoy an afternoon beer in the sun.
Okay, I’d be lying if I said everything was perfect. Maybe it’s just me, but the food seems to have declined somewhat over the last couple of years. Menu options are limited, dated and unspectacular, especially in a town that has so much great food to offer. I thought I’d play it safe and have the burger this time around, having been less than impressed on recent trips with the curry bowl, and ‘toad in the hole’ (stay away from this one!) The burger was burnt and dry, the fries were profoundly average. My friend had the poutine and the gravy reminded me of the Simpson’s lunch room lady … «it’s just brown and water.»
Since you’re paying Banff prices, you kind of expect a little more… but then I had another beer and looked at the mountains and thought, ‘well, it could be worse.’

At 4pm in downtown Banff, the options for a good meal are limited. The nice restaurants are setting up for dinner service, the sandwich shops are too grab-​a-​bite-​to-​go, and it’s too bloody cold for a picnic. So we head off to the pub.
I’m going to keep this simple. The elk stew. Four stars for the elk stew. Not only is it a great Banff-​esque dish in concept, but it’s delicious in execution. My colleagues had fish n’ chips, which looked (and reportedly tasted) rather disappointing. So once again: elk stew.
On to the bad: I know it’s days before Hallowe’en, and I can get behind some cheesy decorations in a pub. But do you seriously have to smear fake blood all over the windows directly in my line of view as I’m eating?! This young woman had a bucket of blood, and was cheerfully stamping handprints on the windows, oblivious to the effect that may have on diners (especially ones eating a meaty elk stew). Um… gross. Two stars for foresight.
Last quibble is the total lack of local or craft beers. Maybe I’m spoiled, but I don’t want to drink a Guinness (as much as I love it) at a pub in Banff. Where’s the local flavour?
There are plenty of pubs in the area. Choose wisely!
#30DaysOfYelp (²⁸⁄₃₀)

First of all, appreciated the great friendly service. This place fits the bill for edible pub food, and has some decent salads as well. Beer selection is lacking compared to other pubs in the area, but they have enough on hand to get you started for the evening.
Was very disappointed with the chicken wings… They were absolutely scrawny for $ 14, a bit overcooked, and their «suicide» sauce which I hoped would be the hottest sauce imaginable, didn’t even cause a single bead of sweat to emerge upon my brow. Not bad enough to send back, but sad for a pub food staple. Better luck next time?

This place is huge, old and dark. There is a rooftop however it was too cold to eat up there so we settled into a long table and ordered what turned out to be huge portions of everything. You can order 1 or 2 pieces of the fish and chips which should have been the first clue. It was tasty but the batter was super greasy — a very generous side of fries and plenty of tartar. Mum got the French Onion Soup and it was cheese-​er-​riffic! The sister-​in-​law got the nacho plate that was easily a full meal for 3. The boys split a cheese pizza and the brother-​in-​law enjoyed a hearty steak sandwich.
There is a good amount of stairs so go easy on the beers. The only drawback is you can smell the soap factory next door.

A haiku review:
Roof deck patio!
Food is good, service is great
Beer, booze, band, good times