Eden — Restaurant in Alberta

What an experience! Eden was recommended to us by our wedding planner (Sharon at Elope in Banff), we had them as our pre-wedding meal due to being closed on our wedding day. Upon entry we were congratulated for our upcoming marriage, treated like royalty, jackets taken & introduced to all staff members who would be assisting & serving us. Seated toward the far end of the restaurant with a view over the staggered side of the Rimrock Resort, snow cloud starting cover the mount bad when snow started falling it really completed the ‘magical’ experience. Starting off with the perfect vodka martini we then decided to go middle-ground with the food and beverages to avoid adding extra pounds (lbs) on the wedding pictures, so we went for the 5 Course Menu & Classic Wine Pairing but decided to have the Caviar Service (Northern Devine Sturgeon) - it came with sweetly pickled, finely diced red onion, chive emulsion, aoli, and freeze dried egg yolk, the caviar provides the wonderful saltiness, the additional enhancements lifted the flavour, knowing it is the only certified organic caviar in North America was a plus point. On to the Artisanal Breads & Butters (Fermented Butter, whipped goats cheese butter & whipped salted butter - breads were sourdough with oil drizzle, dark rye and a salt with cracked pepper crisp bread in between) - we had seconds as they were so good! But don’t spoil your appetite! We were then provided with an Artichoke Velouté with Caviar as a ‘gift’ from the kitchen, it was so light and creamy, we wish there had been more. On to the main event… Cold Smoked Arctic Char, Caribou Tataki, Icelandic Cod, Dry Aged Brome Lake Duck and Brant Lake Wagyu, followed by Mandarin Eaton Mess and Chocolate Miso… we ended up ordering another Chocolate Miso as my soon-to-be husband was jealous of my chocolate choice, this resulted in me having the Raspberry Entremet, to ensure we had tried as many desserts as possible, all the while loosening our belts! All the dishes were truly exquisite, beautifully crafted and perfectly balanced, the attention to detail was second to known and each dish told a story and the wine helped that story ‘flow’ from dish to dish. The sparkling and desert wine pairings were lovely and the red wine was utterly perfect, but the white wine pairings were not to our taste, they were a little too strong and overbearing for the meal, but we are not trained in wine tasting and were offered alternatives but declined due to the amount of alcohol already consumed so this in no way detracts from the 5* review as each person has their own taste!

Our Sommelier was Robert, he was was very friendly and fully explained each wine and the reason he chose it, however we felt he could have ‘loosened’ up a little bit and had a bit more fun with us as guests as he appeared a little stiff. We were served / looked after by Marie-Claude for the duration of the meal, she was a true delight! Taking time to get to know us, we felt we could have a personal conversation & it was great getting to know her background both in her personal life of where she comes from and what she enjoys. Marie-Claude remained extremely professional and attentive throughout, never missing a beat. The added touches which truly made this a 5*, out of this world experience, were things such as fresh hand creams and mouthwash in the bathroom, your napkin being folded as you left the table and re-laid on to your lap as you sit down and the synchronised service. We thought this was it, but we were then gifted with housemade banana bread before leaving and a confectionery assortment, all of which were divine when we got round to eating them, but also upon being handed our jackets, realised they were warm, turns out Eden has a heated jacket closest! To top it all off we were offered one of the Rimrock Resort vehicles and a driver to take us to our hotel as the management were informed by the team that we didn’t drive up.

For anyone wishing to have a truly unrivalled dining experience, Eden at the Rimrock Resort is THE place to go, we...

The far end window table for two is one of the most romantic restaurant views in Canada. Because the views change dramatically throughout the restaurant, and some aren't as special, make sure to ask for table "K" just before the private dining room.

This 5-Star CAA/AAA restaurant is a true destination restaurant for special occasions, and it has many touches of a Michelin starred-restaurant. World gourmands should note that you are in the mountains, and altitude affects your taste buds, and comparisons are best done to other world restaurants at elevation.

The menu is a mixture of local Alberta, as well as foie gras from Quebec, along with generously-shaved truffles from Europe, and scallops/wagyu from Japan.

The three-course menu is actually 8 different tastes. The amuse-bouche, bread course, appetizer, palate cleanser, main course, dessert, bonbons, and banana bread to take home with you. Portions are very small but also very rich, so the three-course menu will be plenty for many. Those expecting a huge meal after a day of hiking take note: the steak course is 4oz in the 3-course menu, and 2.5oz in the 8-course menu.

Standouts include the foie gras (Quebec) appetizer, the SunGold Meats (Alberta) lamb roulade main that included lamb bacon smoked in house, and the Camembert (France) beignet with shaved truffle from Burgundy.

Finally, a clarification for those wishing to taste Alberta beef. The "wagyu striploin" is not the same as the more expensive Japanese A5 on the menu. The regular wagyu striploin is Brandt Lake Wagyu (BLW) from Alberta and, at the time of this writing, not full blood wagyu. Eden restaurant said this was BLW Black Grade beef (which is lower marbling than BLW Gold Grade or Platinum Grade). In short, if you primarily want a high end Alberta steak experience in Banff, consider 1888 Chophouse at the Fairmont Banff Springs which has BLW Gold Grade and larger portions.

Eden is easily one of the best restaurants in Alberta, and has a rare magical quality worthy of special occasions. Though not inexpensive, you are deep in a national park, and those converting from currencies such as the USD will find it a bargain for this level of food, service, ambiance, and view. It is also worth the round-trip drive for Calgarians seeking true fine dining, and valet parking...

Ambiance was classy, dark yet eloquent - complete with beautiful single orchid decorated on each well-set tables. My wife and I had the 5-course meal, ordering 2 appetizers, a main dish, a 3-cheese plate, and a dessert for each of us.

Appetizers were excellent - great technical skills were at display with fine mariage of ingredients and flavors. Seared trout with pine nut and corn, and sunchoke soup with mushrooms were nice start to my dinner.

My main dish of grass-fed beef had overabundant seasoning of coarse crushed pepper, which subdued the bourguignon flavor of sauce, and unfortunately, could not experience much umami savoriness of aged beef. The beef bourguignon garnish bits were unpleasantly dry.

3-cheese plates were just a palate breather between cuisine - a safe conservative selection of typical fromage, and surprisingly, with no molded cheese to choose from.

Desserts did not fare too well; it may have been the biggest disappointment of the night. Supposed coffee "creme brûlée" with banana, passion fruit and pâte à choux was, I hate say, an amateur rendition of the classic. Presentation lacked refinement; the listed flavors were all muddled without any distinguishing texture or senses of acidity, salty, nor bitterness on the palate. My wife's hazelnut entremets also had met similar fate. We regrettably left our our desserts uneaten after few bites.

Service by all front staff was impeccable and courteous - friendly yet professional. My hats off to them during this trying times. We had to splurge over $300 in wine and champagne (excluding the meal cost) to uplift our evening in otherwise disappointing finish to our culinary experience at Eden. Unfortunately, not a place for people with...