When you walk into the Bison, the first thing the host asks is “do you have a reservation?” My husband (gosh, saying that will never get old! We’re newly weds) and I said no and were quickly informed the restaurant was full, so we booked for the next night- the earliest we could get in was 8:15. What I am trying to get across is this is a busy and popular restaurant. Fun Fact, The Bison was included in Trip Advisor’s top 10 restaurants in Canada of 2020.

To get into the restaurant (after passing the “do you have a reservation” test) you walk up a staircase into a dimly lit, warm feeling room. There are exposed wooden ceiling beams and the kitchen is open, allowing the guest to see their meal prepared before their eyes. I would describe the style of the restaurant as modern, yet rustic with an alpine feel. The Bison prides itself on sourcing it’s food from local farms, which is always a plus.

I decided to treat myself to a good glass of wine for this meal and went with the Syrah (also known as Shiraz) from Great Northern Vineyards in British Columbia. I am not usually a fan of a tannin-y wine, but this glass changed my mind. The favor was mid-bodied, and I was pleasantly surprised by the dryness of it.

We skipped appetizers and went straight to the main course. I was in the mood for something different so I went with the Forno-Roasted Duck Breast. First off, the presentation of this dish was absolutely gorgeous. The duck breast was the star of the show with a cherry gastrique drizzled on top, along with whole dried cherries. This sweetness was a wonderful addition to the slight gamey flavor of the duck. As for the duck, WOW. Slightly crisp on the outside and pure tenderness inside. I am normally the type to cut the fat off of my meat, but I enjoyed every bit of savory fat in this dish. It literally melted in my mouth. Along with the duck, there was steamed broccoli (average) and an interesting parsnip puree.

The dish was not huge which I was ok with, because that meant room for dessert! We enjoyed a rich piece of chocolate cake with chocolate ganache adorned with crushed hazelnuts and blackberries. It was the perfect sweet ending to what was the best meal I have ever eaten.

Now if you go to The Bison’s website and look at the menu, you will see that it’s pricey. I promise you, it is worth every single penny. If I lived in Banff, I would save this restaurant for a special occasion; but from now on whenever I’m in Banff I’ll gladly handover the money to enjoy another meal at the Bison.