Block Kitchen + Bar

Amazing menu, the food was incredible and the service matched equally. A must if you are in Banff

We came here for lunch. Excellent service with a smile from Nathan. The food is absolutely sublime, beautiful combinations of flavours and perfect preparation. Perfect portions for lunch. Good beer too. Definitely a winner.

We ate here one night last week during our visit to Banff, and it was so wonderful. All of the food we ate was simply delicious, the beer and wine recommendations were spot on, and everyone working there was so friendly. I highly recommend.

NOT CHILD FRIENDLY, FAMILIES AVOID. Would put zero stars if I could. Brought my 1.5 year old with us who was starving and we fed him a small sandwich while we were waiting to order. This was witnessed by a few waiters who didn't say anything and even helpfully brought over a booster seat.
This is when things turned sour. The manager came over and told us we can't have outside food. We explained that we just got in and our baby skipped lunch, we asked him to make an exception. He was completely unreasonable and refused to empathize. He laughably quoted an allergy rule when all the ingredients in the sandwich were common ones seen on the menu. He then pointed out that my baby could have the kaarage chicken which is fried and totally unhealthy.
This rigid and uncompromising attitude totally ruined our impression of the restaurant and establishment.

I came here on Sunday. Absolutely loved the food and service. While there, we saw an encounter between the employees and some patrons regarding their child and outside food. Having worked in the service industry, the employee handled the situation with patience, understanding, and compassion. The employee informed the patrons about the store policy - no outside food is allowed (a common policy in restaurants) - but stated that an exception would be made in this situation. Unfortunately, the patrons did not like the policy being pointed out to them or the alternatives provided - food the kitchen could make appropriate for a child. While the situation did not end to the patrons liking, I believe the restaurant was in the right and incredibly considerate given the verbal onslaught they endured. Would recommend to everyone I know.

Came in for a sip. Good selection of whisky. Small and charming. More local vibe than other places in town.

Hands down the best food in Banff. Cocktails amazing! The bao was excellent but the biggest surprise of the night was the mushroom risotto. I was blown away with it's taste and the chilli oil added a superb kick to the risotto.

It's a small place so getting a table might have some wait time but it's definitely worth it. A restaurant I'll keep going to in Banff

Really good small place vibe. Can only seat 20-30 people and the service, food, and cocktails were all top notch. Had prawns and red curry special…so good. Had all three bao buns and Korean fried chicken which were also great.

Best part were the cocktails though. Bird of paradise, Ruby red, and Sakura spritz as good as it gets. Definitely recommend this place if in town.

Small cozy place. Great food! Friendly service. We enjoyed our meal alot.
The burger was phenomenal.

This place is phenomenal. The service is amazing and the food is to die for. Our server, Nathan, went above and beyond for us. Not only did he have the BEST recommendations, but he was so friendly and personable! I was with a group of 4 other girls and we loved every single thing we ordered. It’s definitely the kind of place where you should just order a bunch of shareables and try it all. I cannot recommend this place enough. Thanks for having us!

We thought we filled up on the appetizers (couldn't stop eating them!) but we managed to order some larger plates after that and still finish them! Most of the items on the menu are for sharing and the portion sizes work perfectly for that, but you won't always want to share them (: you won't want to share the drinks either! The house rendition of the Caesar was a delicious complement to the meal itself.

The staff was also very friendly and helpful when we had questions or requested recommendations.

Restaurant serves a unique Fusion of various Asian inspired dishes from Thailand to Japan to India and many more. We ordered the tako Wasabi, jambalaya, and chilled ramen. It was all very good and portions really big. The only negative is that the food is a bit too salty. We told the server it was our honeymoon and he gave us a matcha cheese cake on the house. That cheese cake was the highlight of the whole meal. Absolutely must try. It want just a simple matcha cheesecake. But the chef elevated it by adding a yuzu drizzle on top. The server was a local Banff resident and he did such a great job!

Great restaurant! Food was delicious - so fresh, tasty and beautiful to the eye! Our server was attentive, knowledgeable and yet gave us space to visit and enjoy our time. Highly recommend.

Get your basic neighberhood asian resto and give it a nice name, great interiors, and great serice and you have Block Kitchen, except with subpar and overpriced dishes that your neighberhood asian resto could probably do better on the cheap, such as:

Karaage Chicken Skewers- this is hands down the saddest Karaage i've ever tried. Tasteless with reddish-orange fried chicken skin. We had to lather the chicken in the kewpie mayo in order to get through the entire serving.

Takoyaki - It was okay? Could have been more generous with the octopus portions.

Korean BBQ Saikoro Steak - overpriced, small serving size.

However, The Ahi Tuna Tataki and Thai Mushroom Risotto were good and my favorites.

No reservation in advance but you can leave your number when you arrive and they will call you once the table is ready. Great food and cocktail drinks. The server was attentive as well.

Tout était parfait: ambiance, bouffe, alcools. Tous les plats que nous avons commandés étaient délicieux. Le risotto thaïlandais aux champignons sauvages est à essayer absolument. Le vin blanc "maison" (un viognier frais, rond) était délicieux. La musique électro lounge nous a donné envie d'y passer la soirée. Je le recommande sans retenue, j'y retourne c'est certain!

Absolutely delicious, food was very flavourful and has a kick to it which we loved. We order the korean bbq saikoro steak, korean fried chicken, the risotto and pork belly baos, which I definitely all recommend. The space is quite small, and if you don’t like spicy food at all then this place might not be for you. Would come here again!

We didn’t quite think through dinner plans and ended up at Block. I’m so glad we did! The drinks were amazing, the food was flavorful and well executed. We had the truffle fries, bao buns, karaage chicken skewers, and calamari. The food was tapas style so you get a little bit of everything. We devoured all of it, me and my family of four. The service was impeccable and the atmosphere was fun. I thought Block was wonderfully different from the other food options in downtown Banff. (Pictured are the passion fruit mojito, the before and after, and the truffle fries)

Such a cool little restaurant in the heart of banff. Would highly recommend it. It’s Asian fusion flavors. Everything from the hostess to our server Kaz was awesome. We loved the two dishes we ordered. Loved the risotto especially. It was so flavorful. They have gluten free options and also clearly marked on the menu, which is always so helpful. We did have to wait like 40 minutes for a table as they are a small restaurant. If you can try and make reservations.

We were first here in Nov and it was good so we decided to check it out again in June. Even better! Vegan options are awesome - the steamed bun, yummy. Risotto, so good! Salad, bangin. Drinks are great, vibe is chill. Totally recommend.

The food here was AMAZING! We tried many items and shared them. Probably the best bite we had in Banff and this place probably had some of the best restaurants I have ever encountered on vacation! Don't miss the Bao buns or salads!

Favorite cocktail in Banff: the spicy coconut margarita. When the Thai mussels go on special you have to get them. Especially the green curry. The tuna tataki are a go to everytime. Also the servers are all rad. Best spot.

Always a fantastic stop when we’re in Banff. I can’t recommend the cocktails enough, we’ve tried most of them and they’re all great. The tapas style food is outstanding, like the cocktails everything we’ve tried has been a delight.

The pulled duck was a bit too dry.
The nannwich (beef) was good hair a bit too salty.
I like the takoyakis very crispy.

Cute little restaurant with amazing food! Our server Steve absolutely made the experience over the top!

Super cool vibe. This small yet mighty place is great for intimate experiences and I guarantee you won’t leave without making a new friend or two. The highlight of this place by far is the drinks, they are sophisticated and a fair price. The food was good but a bit over priced, yet still tasty. Our bartender Reese was friendly and courteous. Highly recommend this place but be ready to spend money.

This place was absolutely delicious. Small plates, great for a group splitting different dishes so you can try multiple things. First time to Banff and 2 different locals recommended this place and it didn’t disappoint. It’s small inside about 5 tables plus the bar but the wait was worth it. We had the salmon tartare, pork lettuce wraps, and prawns in curry. The salmon had a poke flare very light and refreshing dish, the lettuce wraps had great flavor with a couple sauces but the prawns stole the show. A bigger plate that came with rice on the side and a big bowl of curry/prawns. Very flavorful and more filling. I got the re-fashion drink and it was also delicious- a sweeter type of old fashion but very well balanced. Overall loved this place!

A hidden gem in Banff. These guys do a great job in creating an interesting menu with lots to choose from. The best part, it's delicious, definitely one of the best restaurants in Banff. We will be back.

We were in Banff for 5 days and went to about 8-9 restaurants. This one was by far! The best one. Wonderful flavors and pleasant prompt service. Do not miss this opportunity!

The golden beet flatbread and mushroom risotto was delicious! ️
Sierra our server was great. Reis made some amazing cocktails as well! Good ambiance with close friends eating yummy food.

Absolutely phenomenal eats. We shared the ahi tuna tataki, fries, kimchi gyozas and the salmon tartare. Really pretty and delicious cocktails as well. Our server was just the right amount of attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. Can’t wait to come back!

This place is tiny with limited inside dining, but the food was absolutely amazing. Seriously impressed.

I was in Banff for a few days and the entire experience was amazing…. Except for the food. After 3 days of depressing and bland food I stumbled upon this restaurant and man was I glad I did. This was the easily the best food I’ve had in Banff. The Kombucha soup was superb…complex, flavourful and perfect after hiking on a cold day. I don’t eat pork so the beef nanwich was what I ordered. Just perfection! I really needed that! The 3 dips was quite a surprise. I never thought some chef in Banff would do Baba ganoush and hummus better than the mainstays in Toronto. Honestly, this was a fantastic place to eat…. Good job and keep it up!

Went there with my fiancée and was thoroughly disappointed by the service. The manager and the waiter refused to admit us purely because we could not offer up an Alberta vaccine QR code. We are visiting from Ontario and presented our proof of vaccination but they refused to admit us no matter what. All other restaurants in Banff that we have been to were understanding and reasonable with their policies. The staff here is clearly blind to reason, would not recommend any out of province tourists from visiting this establishment.

Small restaurant/bar with interesting menu (asian fusion). They have a chalkboard menu and a regular menu. We chose few items on both of them: bbq pork bun, karaage chicken (not pictured) and prawns in green curry. The bun was flavourful but rather small and lacked meat. Karaage chicken was good. Green curry was overly salty, which totally ruined the plate (also, I did not get why they would add a side of kimchi to it (green curry being thai and kimchi being korean) ? But their kimchi was fairly good and I ate it with the chicken instead.
We tried their ginger/lavender cocktail, which tasted mostly lime with a ginger aftertaste.
I found the whole thing rather expensive for the value, I was expecting more considering the good reviews.

I've been here many times and have always enjoyed the diversity of food and drinks that have been thoughtfully created and handcrafted. The Calamari was one of my favorite dishes last time we visited but there a plenty of other yummy dishes too. Make sure you try the delicious cocktails. I'm pretty sure we drank our way through the entire menu that afternoon. Keep up the great work!

Great service, great food- I got the pulled duck poutine which was great! The fries are thin cut fries which i loved. However the poutine was a little salty, the pulled duck and fries both had salt in them which made the overall dish too salty. My suggestion- ask your server to let kitchen know to go easy on it.

Probably the most incredible food I’ve had in a while. The place has also an exceptional playlist going and the staff is a Marvel. Would recommend tremendously.

Wow! Un des meilleurs restaurants de Banff! Cocktails excellents et la nourriture est tellement bien. Nous avons partagés plusieurs petits plats, ce qui nous à permis de goûter à plusieurs de leurs plats!

The BEST food I’ve had in Banff. The vegan bao bun was outstanding and the falafel naanwich was delicious. Amazing service, waiter came by many times to ask how everything was. Fast service and a delightful menu. Would definitely visit again.

The service was the worst ever. I thought Canadians were better at being polite then Americans but I was proven wrong. Don’t waste your time

This is really a unique restaurant/pub. They have an interesting menu for sure. The taste wasnt really for me but i liked trying new foods. We had tokyo fries which were different. The calamari was also a unique flavor as it was a red species. I'd try it again and order some different foods. The wraps looked really good at the table besides us.

Déçu par l'établissement.
L'intérieur est petit et très bruyant (visité le 13 septembre 2021 en début de soirée).

Un conseil: selon la saison et la température installez-voua à l'extérieur car sinon vos vêtements vont sentir la nourriture (manque de ventilation au niveau de la cuisine).

Carte des vins aux prix plutôt élevés, dommage car c'est une belle initiative de mettre de l'avant des vignobles canadiens.

Sat at the bar and got to watch the bartender make all the drinks, was a show in itself. Food was also really good! Highly recommend!

Food was good, but pricier than I expected even for tapas. That being said there wasn't a thing we ordered that wasn't very tasty.

Liked the atmosphere, little cozy place with nice modern decor, but not the food! Ordered Curry Ramen.chicken wasn’t fresh and it was smelly, noodles were just packed ones from store type noodles! Just expected more from a place like this

One of the coolest places I've ever eaten. Menu is full of amazing Asian fusion dishes everything looked so good. The hardest part was deciding what to have. I was not disappointed when it arrived either

A local secret. I guarantee you have walked past this place and kept going but take the chance. Albeit a small spot the Asian inspired dishes are delectable and probably one of the best places in Banff for hand crafted cocktails.

We ordered a bunch of stuff off the menu and there was not a bad item along them. The Tokyo fries were probably my favourite. Closely followed by the Grilled Hangar steak.

Absolutely incredible. It was the best food experience we had throughout our week-long stay here in Banff. Plan on waiting a little bit because it's a smaller venue, but they'll text you when your seats are available so you're free to explore the nearby shops and bars. Servers were so, very friendly and knowledgeable. This definitely has to be on your list of places to dine!

Took over an hour on a weekday to get a table. All the food was mediocre at best. Way overpriced for what you got. The service was alright. Would not go back.

Awesome spot. Our favourite in Banff! Always excellent food and great service. Highly recommend oysters (when available) and we have yet to have a meal not meet our expectations! Inventive menu, great cocktails. Only downside/possible advantage is they don't do reservations. This means when it's full up they do a text list to alert you when there's a table for you, so you can usually get in, albeit not immediately!

I have refined my 3 star review to 1 star, based on the response the owner/manager of block gave to a recent 2 star review of block kitchen and bar. (I will include it below).
I will seek to contact the current manager and explain to them my also disappointing experience.
I do not recommend this place. The food is average, the tables too close to each other, very warm and overall subpar.
I brought a friend who is an extremely talented chef/foodie and he was also let down.

Poor Management 101:

Response from the owner3 days ago
Dear Mona, We're truly sorry that you didn't enjoy our food. However, your claims of the smelly chicken and store type noodles are simply ludicrous. The chicken we use in our Ramen and other dishes is roasted daily and the noodles are …More

Awesome food spot in Banff. Small but worth it for the yummy options. I had the veggie naanburger, hearty and messy!

This sh*t is off the charts good. Had the salmon bowl, was practically licking the empty bow when done. Ordered my kid the chicken skewers, best chicken I have ever stolen off his plate in the past 5 years.

Very good food overpriced in regards of portions (tapas doesn’t
mean stealing) with mediocre service (if you buy a wine bottle never will they poor you a glass even thou they have time fooling around). A bottle of Pinot from the Prospect winery will be 62,80$ including taxe and tips (52$ + 5% + 20%= 62,80$) in that restaurant which is more than 4 times the price you will pay in the liquor store (15$) 4 doors up on Caribou street. So in that case, the experience of being served (or not) is not worth your bucks.

Block Kitchen + Bar is an awesome hole in the wall experience. Small area, seating for under 20. The staff were great and service was prompt. The food was some of the best food we have had in awhile. We had the veggie samosas served with chili mango sauce, the Block Burger served with fries and house mayo, and pork belly Bao buns (our favorite). The food was delicious and fulfilling. We also had the tiramisu brulé, we did not enjoy it as much though unfortunately. The cocktails were a bit more expensive but they are all 2 oz and delicious. Overall a great place to stop when checking out the town.

Outstanding food. We got the fish special and a few other dishes and the food and drink were the best we had in Banff. 100% recommend if you can get a table or spot at the bar.

This place is very small so expect to wait or try back another time. Our first attempt we got a message 2.5 hours later that there was an availability. We came by straight off the mountain and got the window table which was great. Waitress was friendly and food was excellent.

Beautiful food with complementing flavours. Original dishes in a charming environment. Service was excellent.

Check this place out! They do not take reservations and it is quite small but we've never had a problem trying to get a seat. Friendly servers with really well prepared food. Try the Hanger Steak.

Amazing! Zen salad! All the food we had was amazing! Small, but the two of us were seated immediately.

I loved this place when I went 2 years ago. Cant remember what I ordered but I know it was good! Nice cozy restaurant with great friendly staff.

The buffalo flatbread pizza was amazing! The staff were very friendly and accommodating. The 5 plates we ordered were ALL so good. The cocktails were a bit pricey but delicious at the same time. I will be back!