Eagle’s Nest Canadian Bistro at Sunshine Mountain Lodge
Banff Sunshine Village resort is the only ski area in the Banff region with ski-in-ski-out accommodation. Sunshine Mountain Lodge is located in the upper resort village, which is accessed by gondola. Guests of the hotel check their luggage at the base station, then board the eight-person gondola for the ride up to the resort village. While the on-hill location obviously makes the lodge a favourite stay for Calgary skiers, it’s also a place where non-skiers can go to relax in the amazing outdoor hot-tub and enjoy dinner at one of the village’s restaurants, such as the lodge’s in-house Chimney Corner or Eagle’s Nest Canadian Bistro. For a truly elevated experience, reserve a spot for one of the five-course pairing dinners at the Eagle’s Nest. Following on the heels of a scotch-focused event in February, the next wine-pairing dinner is set for the evening of Saturday, March 25.
Eagle’s Eye Restaurant at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
From its perch at 7,700 feet at the summit of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden, B.C., the gondola-accessed Eagle’s Eye restaurant offers diners mountaintop views of five national parks. The chalet-style room with a massive wall of windows hosts skiers and sightseers daily for lunch, as well as a regular dinner service on Friday and Saturday evenings and on holidays. The menu is a mix of local and global influences, offering entrees such as a five-spiced pork belly with pad Thai noodles and fermented black bean vegetables as well as a bison tenderloin served in Port and haskap demi glace. Dinner reservations are required and include gondola access.
Sky Bistro at the Banff Gondola
The Banff Gondola is one of the most popular attractions in Banff National Park. The four-person gondola cars transport passengers to the top of Sulphur Mountain in approximately eight minutes. At the top is a multi-level station with a rooftop observation deck complete with warming firepits — an ideal vantage point for watching the sunset over the surrounding peaks on clear evenings. The top station also contains dining options, ranging from casual grab-and-go to the upscale Sky Bistro. The menu here is Canadian-inspired, with entrees such as Arctic char in a fennel and grapefruit broth with roasted vine tomatoes and B.C. prawns, or a braised lamb shank with beetroot polenta and baked king oyster mushrooms. Reserve the Sky Experience, a prix fixe dinner for $135 per guest (gratuity included) that includes gondola admission.
Avenue’s writers and editors are occasionally invited to experience dining or adventure activities as a guest, including some of the spots in this story. Neither complimentary experiences nor advertising are required for coverage. Neither companies that advertise nor those that provide other incentives are promised editorial coverage, nor do they have the opportunity to review or approve stories before publication.