Vistas Dining Room — Restaurant in Banff

On a work conference, so I have been up here consistently for three meals over the last week. I will do my best to add pictures and summarize the different pros and cons:

View is absolutely amazing. If you don't go up and get a window seat, you're missing out. Mountains all around, for those from the meadows, it's fantastic.

Breakfast is great. Small changes each morning, but the made-in-time omelettes are always a positive. Pastries are also very good.

Lunch is generally good. They seem to really focus on cultural changes (Asian, Greek, European, American) and usually it's good. Some dishes aren't up to par however majority are quite nice.

Dinner is alright. Of the three I've had there's been an Asian night, Greek, and a Mexican. The Greek night was very underwhelming while the Mexican was tremendous. Often the dinners are quite dry or greasy which makes it difficult to remain positive. I read a review regarding vegetarian options being lacking, however I think there are too many vegetarian options but that's personal thought.

Desserts are good, but the large proportion of vegan options are upsetting for someone who is not. Cheesecakes are amazing, and fruit salad is always a positive.

Salad bar is good with some nice options, but doesn't get restocked much. Soups are consistently good.

Service is okay. Getting refills on drink pitchers can be difficult however as there are no dedicated servers to your table.

Overall, I think the kitchen is stuck trying to cook overly fancy and pairing some foods which just should not be paired. Some of the foods, most specifically moussaka should never be in a buffet. It's something that is best fresh, and when it sits, gets too soggy with grease. All things considered however, I do think this is a great cost-effective option. Excellent food for a buffet level as well while trying to diversify...

There's a handful of reviews that made me a little nervous about a large family dinner we booked here, but we had an amazing experience. It's not a sprawling buffet with neverending options, but there was a solid selection of between 6-8 each of salads, mains and desserts. The food was incredible. I don't think I was disappointed by anything and after talking to the staff I found out that they recommend groups of 4+ call ahead so they can prepare food quantities accordingly. Their philosophy is sustainable, locally sourced and/or inspired dishes and they try to minimize food waste as much as possible. I recommend coming earlier during the seating time because they do close the buffet promptly at close and they may run low on food, especially if you haven't called ahead for your party. The salads were delicious, I tried elk au jus and discovered how incredible it is, and the desserts were delightful. Dinner for an adult was $42, children under 12 are half price, and 5 and under eat free. I know it might seem pricey, but the food quality is more like a sit down meal, and I can't think of a nice 3 course meal where I could have as large a portion as I would like for that price. I knew it was a winner when my South Asian dad was so impressed that he arranged to come back the next day. Oh, and to top it all off, it's wall to wall windows with incredible views of Banff and the...

The food was so bad. My family and I visited this “ all you can eat” restaurant as part of our visit to Banff. The food was so limited. For appetizers the only available options were mashed potatoes, steamed corn, and tofu stuffed portobello mushrooms. Nothing special about any of them. Main courses were horrible. There was some sort of cod fish available but it was way too salty that we couldn’t eat the rest after taking a bite. The duck lasagna was at best a 5/10 and the chicken was extermely dry. The tomato soup was very bland and the salads including the pasta and beans salad were rotten and felt like leftovers from last night. The deserts and service were okay hence the 2 stars. The view was also fantastic and all non-alcoholic drinks were included. Keep in mind, you pay for the food upon entering the restaurants which is uncommon . If you are going for the view, definitely go for it but if you are going for the food AVOID at all costs since my family and I left this “ all you can eat”...