The Raven Bistro — Restaurant in Municipality of Jasper

Walking through Jasper the Raven Bistro could easily pass you by. It's a somewhat boring-looking establishment. Inside things don't get much better, with harsh white light and irregular seating. The only highlight of the decor was the towering wine rack - clearly counter-productive but helped to elevate the aesthetic maturity of the restaurant. Some booths even forced the eaters to stare at a wall while eating, resembling a form of punishment. However, my time at The Raven Bistro could not have been further from a punishment. I loved the experience.

The collective noun for ravens is an unkindness. I wouldn't call the staff at this restaurant an unkindness though. They were immensely hospitable, and our waitress was one of the best I've ever encountered. Her experience shone through, and she was clearly in love with the restaurant.

What I haven't mentioned yet is the menu. Well laid out, small and intimately focussed on a few high quality dishes, catering for all tastes, it's great. I would question the genre of food though - a bit of everything with a bit of Lebanese influence?

We ordered the nachos to start, and these were on point. Nachos are difficult to do wrong though, so these aren't the litmus test. For this I chose the bison, a make or break dish for any restaurant in the Rockies. It was cooked perfectly - soft and offering flavour. The same could not be said for the gravy. Dark purple in colour, the gravy worsened the dull-coloured bison. What was presented was not appealing, and could be easily confused with a bison's excrement. This was served on 3 ribs, which was a nice idea but the bowl neutralised any threat of their visibilty. I often regard broccoli as an uncookable vegetable. Either it's undercooked and tough (as in this case), or overcooked and mushy. The sweetspot is tricky to find. I think carrots would've been a lot better personally. The goat's cheese thankfully wasn't detectable in my mash. The mash, as far as mashed potato goes, was therefore impeccable. On the whole the bison was a nice meal, but could clearly be improved. More colour, different gravy, and better presentation would easily elevate the dish. The Three Pharaoh's was imaginative and different, with all three meats cooked well. This was great. Portion sizes are very generous as well. Dessert was taken and delivered good results. The Chocolate Pecan Tart was exceptional, but the cheesecake only decent - nothing to be proud of.

What let the restaurant down for me then was just the decor. Food was good, service...

We had an absolutely delightful dinner at Raven Bistro in Jasper last night, and I can’t recommend it enough! From the moment we walked in, the cozy atmosphere set the perfect tone for a memorable evening.

Our server, Janice, was an absolute gem—professional, warm, and incredibly knowledgeable. She took the time to explain the specials of the day in detail and answered all our questions with genuine enthusiasm. We loved hearing how everything is made from scratch, which really elevated our appreciation for the menu.

We started with the wild game French soup and the Saffron seafood soup, both of which arrived piping hot—just the way we like it! The Saffron soup was a standout, brimming with a generous variety of fresh fish, tender mussels, and jumbo shrimp in a rich, flavorful tomato broth. The wild game soup was equally impressive, hearty and full of depth.

For mains, the schnitzel was perfection: crispy on the outside, soft and juicy inside, and paired beautifully with the tangy apple sauce. We also enjoyed the mussels, which were plump and perfectly cooked in a savory sauce that had us savoring every bite.

Compared to our experience at River Fiddle the day before—where the Saffron seafood soup was disappointingly lukewarm, lacking shrimp, and with dry, briny fish—Raven Bistro was a world apart. Everything here felt fresh, thoughtfully prepared, and truly cared for.

If you’re in Jasper, do yourself a favor and dine at Raven Bistro. We’ll definitely be back—thanks again to Janice for making our night so special! Five stars all the way.

Note: Make sure to make a reservation in advance, since Raven Bistro is a small place and busy...

My friend and I had a reservation here tonight and were really looking forward to the meal, but unfortunately, the experience was quite disappointing.

When we arrived and told the host we had a reservation for two, the attitude at the front desk was cold and unwelcoming — no greeting, no smile.

We were seated outside at a row of three tables and were given the middle one — the only spot without an umbrella. It started raining shortly after our drinks arrived, so I went inside to ask if we could move or if they had any kind of umbrella or cover we could use. The answer to both was no. They left us outside in the rain, with our food and drinks getting soaked.

Thankfully, a kind group behind us invited us to share their table so we could stay dry. After the rain stopped and we moved back to our original spot, the staff saw us carrying all the plates and glasses ourselves but didn’t offer any help. Once we got settled, someone came over and simply asked if we wanted dessert. After everything we had just experienced, we honestly just wanted to leave, so we said no — and they immediately brought the bill over.

To be fair, the food was good. But the poor service and attitude really took away from the experience. What made it worse was that there were covered tables that stayed empty the whole time it was raining — and yet, no one offered to move us or even asked if we wanted to switch.

It’s a real shame, because the place has potential — but with this level of service, I wouldn’t go back, and I wouldn’t recommend it to others,...