Reviews of Block Kitchen + Bar (Butcher Shop)

Beryl Brown

Was visiting Banff from Calgary and decided to try Block out for the first time. We ended up ordering a table of appetizers and we were not disappointed. The food came out quick and was prepared with care, everything tasted amazing. I highly recommend trying the ramen noodle salad, the broth was out of this world. We also tried the Gyoza and Korean fries. Both were super flavourful and had me wanting another order. It's small and quite busy, so I suggest booking early, before the dinner rush. But well worth the wait.

Jordan Grigoriy

This has quickly become my favourite little spot in Banff! Amazing food, great service, and top notch drinks! I make sure to visit every time I’m in town

Jason Chung

AMAZING FOOD! Great drinks and service too. Cool vibe...We will be back!

Colby

Block is a fantastic restaurant with a plethora of Asian fusion dishes to try out. The prices are great and the staff are super friendly. I ordered takeout and I was blown away with how speedy the service was and how delicious the food was. I tried Takoyaki (something I have been wanting to try for years) and it was better than I could have hoped for. The duck lettuce wraps were also delicious and the in house made kimchi was unreal. When I am back in Banff I was definitely be returning and hopefully eating on their patio someday.

Sanjay M

Can only do take-out but still very yummy! Highly recommend!

Deborah Obeng

Just got to Banff, got quick service even though COVID has delayed most wait times significantly. I highly recommend the Truffle Parm Fries and the P.E.I mussels in red Thai curry. Cocktails were also really popular with my group.

Jenna Dallaire

AMAZING! The bao is the best I’ve ever had and the ramen curry was unreal. Highly recommend!

T

Very delicious food. Katsu chicken bowl was probably the best. Zen salad was delicious but not filling. Chao Shui Bao was good but a little salty. Ahi tuna poke bowl was great. Bison burger was good, with an Asian twist. Service was very good considering they had 2 front of house staff serving the entire joint. They had many delicious cocktails offered and were btw $10-17/glass.

Katerina Lyadova

This fusion restaurant is a must see when in Banff. Finding a spot that doesn't feel like a tourist trap is hard to find but this place is legit. The lettuce wraps, takoyaki, charcuterie board, and the mussels were all great and the flavours were awesome.

Melissa Martinez Leo

Food was exquisite as always, staff were so helpful and prompt. The bartender was kind enough to share a drink "recipe" as we were interested. So I made Bird's of Paradise once back home. Great ambience and excellent food.

Nimisha Dubey

Service was slow and not very organized. Food was okay. Very disappointed, anticipated a great experience based on previous reviews.

Julia Elizabeth Thornley

Service

Ariana Katsanis

Small, intimate lively place. Only complaint was that they don’t give you enough pita for the plate we ordered. Other than that, besides the ‘hipster’ tin can Moscow mule (not in a mule mug ????????‍♀️) - All was good.

Annie Drysdale

Service

Levente Kovacs

A really trendy cool place. They have some delicious cocktails and the food is amazing as well. Lots of healthy options with creative plating and amazing flavours. The service was friendly, attentive but not overwhelming. Really enjoyed the atmosphere with awesome music to set the vibe. The restaurant gets packed fast so make sure you get there a bit before to reserve your table, it's worth it!

Coral Guan

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.

Rose Orlando

Fabulous place, bartender/mixologist is amazing! We had some delicious cocktails and small plates....a must try when in Banff!

DrewTube

Fantastic Asian fusion food. Excellent service. I had the beef brisket lettuce wraps which were so good.

Vytis Talalas

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.

Jason Nolan

Had salt & pepper duck drumette, Asian lettuce wrap with beef, both were excellent! I also enjoyed the cocktails with real fruit flavors.

Cherie L Klassen

Great food, but unlike the reviews for this place, the service was lacking. Most likely will not come here again, which is unfortunate since the food was good. It took us 5 minutes to get seated when they were basically empty. They didn't bother greeting us at all. During dinner service, they didn't bother checking in on us until they already left a bad impression on us. Since they never checked in on us, we could never order more food when we wanted it and when we finally got to order, getting the food took far too long with none of the staff letting us know what was going on with it. As for the food, the portions were small but made for sharing. The menu was asian inspired and utilized the ingredients quite well.

Franco Lee

Dug their special of Banh Mi. Super friendly service.

Ayan Basu

We came here for lunch, as we were waiting for the group ahead of us to be seated they asked for the proof of covid vaccination cards. One person didn’t have one in the group and the host said just show me something even if it’s something else and I’ll seat you anyways. She showed him his drivers license and he brought them in with out proof of vaccination. We decided not to go in and went else where.

Lance Amols

Delicious cocktails and food! Big big recommendations for cocktails and food.

Sheena Manabat

Awesome cocktails, great tapas. Nice small place, if you're a group of 4 or more I'd definitely make a reservation.

Roger Duncan

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.

Shray Sharma

Bit pricey but super tasty. Friendly service, although a bit slow. The tuna tataki and duck ssam were definitely the two standouts for us. Passionfruit mojito was great as well as the creme brulee for dessert.

corinna h

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.

Anita Lerer

Fantastic! If you are looking for a quiet place, don't go here. The food and drinks are too good to find this place quiet. Small, with good ambiance the owner and chef is a French Canadian Chef who spent several years as a chef in Japan. My wife taught in Japan for 5 years so she pointed out all of the Japanese inspired things about this place from some menu items to the place itself. A changing menu from seafood to Japanese appetizers the quality, presentation and taste will not disappoint. Staff are awesome and prices fair. This is not casual dining but a complete experience. Well done everyone at Block Kitchen. Bravo.

Gobi Kathirgamanathan

Excellent dinner! Takeaway bison flatbread, tako yaki, rillette and ramen noodle salad. Would recommend! Perhaps a little too much broth in the ramen salad, dry ingredients with the noodles are great on their own :)

Arab Reality

Meal type

Zahida Arziyeva

It's was awesome to enjoy a nice place fort dinner before the lockdown measures. Service was impeccable and loved the atmosphere. Can't wait to come back when things open up again!

Jason Norman

The Tokyo fries were awesome, probably the best thing I've eaten in Banff. The mushroom risotto was a little disappointing. There was a taste of coconut milk that dominated the dish, i would have loved for more of the mushroom flavour and more creaminess. The wait was also really long. Not holding it against them, just a heads up. We put our names down ~4:25 for outdoor seating and were 3rd and we got seated around 2 hours later.

Michelle Cash

Best food I've ever had in Banff.

Fuyu

Probably one of the best restaurants in Banff, tiny location (more Bar than Restaurant) and therefore a bit noisy. But food and drinks are excellent and staff very nice!

Luke St James

Was a delightful surprise ❤️ Great service.. great food..

Dylan Gavel

A fusion of local and Japanese, with nori fries and duck pancakes, this places is small but well worth a slight wait. The dishes arent huge but they are full of flavour. We had a Buttered chicken soup shicx is exactly as you would expect from the curry, but with more sauce. Oyster ($4 each) were definitely worth it. Total spend was $100 each, plus tip but that included 3 cocktails each Definitely worth a trip if youre in town

Matt

Cute, cozy, and fantastic.

bryan boxall (BBOX)

Excellent! Our server was fantastic. Food was delicious and came out quickly. We ordered the veggie burger and fries - enough to share if you're not too hungry, and just enough if you're looking for a hearty meal.

Yanting

Fantastic drinks and amazing service . A must check out when you are in Banff

Leïka Migneault

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

Mika Warkentin

amazing birthday experience here. lovely service!!!! thank you to the one guy who serves and also hosts. delicious calamari and duck poutine. beef tataki was a tad bland and the cheesecake was unique but i personally liked it (boyfriend did not). still would come back again just for the calamari :)

jay mackenzie

Awesome food spot in a touristy town. We stumbled upon this place and were not disappointed. I would recommend it to anyone!

Ewen Lewis

Dine in

M C

This restaurant is amazing! The food here never seems to fail us every time we come into town, there is so much flavour to every dish. The cocktails are also delicious and they are also very pretty looking. We highly recommend coming to this restaurant if you're ever in Banff!

David P

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.

Sean Tsandelis

Great food! Nannwich and chilled noodle is the best

Cavan Fertig

My partner and I stopped by for the first time last night - Block is definitely a new Banff favourite for us. The vibe and music are great - it's an ideal spot for a date night. For our mains we had the risotto and the pork belly lettuce wraps and absolutely recommend both!

Yeeyang Wong

Great place for a delicious meal in downtown Banff. The place is very small, but tastefully decorated. The food and drink menus look very interesting. Very friendly servers.

Yo Av

Initimate setting to savour the best food. As a Maple lover, the miso Maple creme brulee was the ultimate dessert.

Natalie Leung

Super surprise restaurant! The first time I bought a takeaway ramen , the taste is so special and surprisingly many different kinds of ingredients ! Service is very good too! This is the second time I went there even I need to wait for 25 min! No doubt the curry ramen is the best ever! Rarely find something so good in Alberta ! It is Asian fusion! And we had a drumlette or duck is not bad! The pork chop rice ( katsu curry bowl) is also excellent

maevah

This little hidden gem is amazing! The food is so delicious and staff were very attentive and friendly. The Chicken Kara-age was so tender, the Tako Yaki took me right back to Japan and the Pig, Duck & Fig Rillettes were paired so well and so very tasty! We will definitely be back here.

Radha Suresh

Was very impressed with the food. Excellent execution of not only traditional Asian, but also Asian inspired fusion dishes. My lamb burger was cooked to perfection, something I don't experience often. As a chef with culinary experience of over a decade I was truly amazed. Even checked out the tiny kitchen at glance and the guys in there must work miracles. Made sure to give a generous tip for our wonderful server; also gave an even more handsome tip for the culinary artists who continue to work hard during what looks to be one of their busiest summers. Keep it up guys. I'll be sure to recommend this amazing restaurant to my friends, family and even my customers looking for somewhere to eat in Banff.

Daniel (Danny)

We went to different restaurants in Banff all weekend, and this place surprised us the most! Cute little spot and we loved the atmosphere. Everyone was so friendly. Food was amazing!! Best Katsu curry I've tried, really close to the one I've had in Japan. I definitely will be back.

T F

My friends and I had a wonderful time here. The Service is TOP Notch, food is delicious!! Try their Katsu Curry and Crispy Chicken Burger ???????????? Thank you so much for being amazing to your customers. Will definitely be back again!

S Balisong

This is a terrific spot! We had a wonderful lunch. The grilled nannwich with the pork belly was excellent and spiced just perfectly. The crispy chicken was fabulous. Fries were excellent. The best was their special negroni - a real treat.

Lisa M

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

CanadianCEO

Awesome food, ambiance, and service. I will definitely return every time I visit the area.

Jordan Franks

Take out is equally delicious. Everything was hot and absolutely outstanding. We tried a couple of new things this round and we were delighted with our fantastic dinner tonight. Don't miss ordering To Go as well!!! Great service and great attention. Thanks Stephane and team. Fantastic.

Ayat Obaidullah

Truly enjoyed our lunch here. It is a small place so it can be anywhere from 30 min. - 1 hour wait. Best time would be off peak before dinner and after the lunch rush. We went around 2pm and were seated right away. We had their infamous block burger and their naan burger along with their special soup of the day, which was a small spicy pork stew. I would suggest forgoing the soup and just opts for mains. Their food is a fusion of western and Asian influences.

Katelyn Morin

The food (more specifically the Ahi Tuna Tataki) was exceptional. Great vibe

Tidings M

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.

Béatrice D.St-Pierre

Holy Jesus. Just ordered their Sunday Special - pulled pork & Kimchi Sandwich w crispy onions and a side soup. Most delicious sandwich of my life. No exaggeration. Froze my fingers off eating it in the park but worth every second. Soups was also next level. Bang!

Emma Louise

As two fabulous gay boys, this experience was sensational. Not only is the food spectacular but presentation is golden. & don't even get us started on the drinks! Not only are they all made with just the right amount of awesome, but the bartender preparing them is an art in itself. Just watching him was a worthwhile experience. Plus, every cocktail is a double! Need we say more.

Shawn Tokarz

Perfect place,delicious food

Sandy Wu

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.

Hermann Vogel

Really good steaks. Polite waiters. Good music

Pat Quinlan

Great cheese and meats board with fantastic steak and beer in one of the most picturesque places in Canada.

Adam Kronemeyer

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!

JoleenRochelle

Surprisingly good Asian fusion. Tapas are a good variety and taste great. Fries would be the best recommendation.

Guy Henly

Absolutely delicious and an incredible atmosphere. Small place with a beautiful ambiance that is great for a date night.

Sameer Shakya

Called for pickup, placed an order for the Kar Age Chicken Skewers, Cheese and Charcuterie Board, Grilled Hanger steak and Tuna Tataki. Gentlemen on the phone said 20mins. Mozyed my way over there. Got there in 18 mins and everything was packed, labelled and ready to go, during their high time might I add. Everything was presented so nicely in the togo containers, all the food was so damn good. Really enjoyed our dinner in our hotel. Thank you again for the pleasant takeout experience and great food!

Jessica Connors

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

Isabelle Desroches

Wow, we are super happy that we stopped in at the Block Kitchen + Bar whilst staying in Banff. Rachel our server was amazing and our food was so satisfying. The fusion food experience was one for the books. I definitely recommend this establishment to anyone looking for a casual setting with tantalizing food choices at very reasonable prices served by freindly and engaging staff! Great way to end the day!

Rosemaria Johnson

You can’t go wrong when you come here! Everything I’ve ever had here has been delicious- the food and the cocktails! Service is amazing with a cool trendy ambiance. I love coming here, and I highly recommend it! They often have a wait list, but it’s 100% worth the wait to get a table!

Cyril Gascon

We live in cochrane, stopped by after a hike for drinks, servers were very friendly and amazing cocktails, will return for food!

Ann S

This place is a must. Bird's of Paradise Blocktail was devine. Korean Fried chicken was tasty. duck, pig and fig rillettes is a must. Calamari was delicious. The service was outstanding, very attentive and interactive. My family and I will definitely be returning here.

Arrielle

I enjoyed the tapas here, it's going for a japanese western fusion style which works. It was a bit pricey for what you're getting but being in Banff a complete touristy town, you come to expect it. We got an order of fries, the chicken Karage and a charcuterie board. It was all pretty tasty. I would go here again if I wanted small plates but if you want a hearty meal, which we were looking for. This is not the place for that. For those reasons and the price I gave it 4 stars, I would give it 4.5 but I can't give a half star rating. Service was a little slow too, it didn't seem too busy but we had to a wait to take our orders and for the bill to come. Service was friendly though so I'll give them that.

Michael Southgate

The most amazing tapas menu. You can tell that the food is made with love and attention to detail. I would give the chef a Michelin Star. Amazing eating experience at such reasonable prices. The virgin Moscow mule was great and my friends cocktail looked like a work of art. The venue is small and cozy. So you not going to get a large group of people in at once. But for 2/3 people groups. Perfect

Daisy Nguyen

Simply the BEST! Best cocktails amazing food great atmosphere for a fun night out !!!

Joanna C.

How anyone would give this place less then a 5 star is behold me! Wow! It’s great!

Wen Jiang

Cozy-yet-crowded tiny restaurant (even by European standards) serving satisfying tapas. Definitely recommend reservations as seating for is very limited. The beer, wine, and cocktails complemented the meal nicely.

RoeL Buenaventura

Good food, very tasty margarita, good vibe ????

Monty Walsh - IG Wealth Management

Staying in Banff for two nights and we came back the next day for two days in a row. Food was excellent, and service great as well. It's always busy but the wait is never long. It is very clear they love their craft here. Food is intentional and the plating is always on point. Even the drinks are made with intentionally. Our bartender showed pride in how he made his drinks and even showed a bit of flair. Highly recommend these guys!

Diliara Sharipova

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!

Terence Chang

Amazing food, amazing service ! You need to try this !

Keelan Clemens

This place was recommended to me by a server at Sleeping Buffalo. Expensive for smallish portions but delicious and good service. Would come again. Get the karaage, it is unbelievable. The pakoras were a little falling apart but still tasted so flavorful (not very close to pakoras at an Indian restaurant, but this place is fusion, so I'm willing to be imaginative).

feblolli

Friendly staff that provide excellent service! Creative menu with plenty of vegan options - and the food is delicious. Highly recommend!

Barb Purdy

Meal type

Simo Becarevic

By far the best meal I ever had in Banff. Customer service is great other restaurant employees should come here to learn a thing or two. Great job guys.

Daniel A

First and foremost, the food is amazing! Ordered twice in one weekend and everything tasted fantastic. Very accommodating too with delivery and pick up time considering there isn't a 3rd party delivery system in Banff and not a lot of places do deliveries. The pulled duck poutine was the bomb! You gotta try this place!

MR RICKETSON

Really good soup and probably the best fries i've ever had in my life.

Beth Walker

Food was great, it is a busy spot so the service wasn't very good. We had to flag down someone when we wanted anything, they didn't really come to the table.

Matt Lund

Super awesome bar! Innovative and tasty dishes. Must try! We tried the ramen curry(special), naanwich with pork belly(the fries that came with it were really good too), 3 homemade dips with naan and cocktails. Definitely recommended place. Went twice on our trip.

David Y (Yipper)

This restaurant was recommended To Us by some locals and it certainly did not disappoint!

Casey Ecker

Our second time at Block and we are still amazed. The service is lovely and so accommodating! The atmosphere is fun and of course, THE FOOD is fantastic. Asian fusion that can not be beat. The cocktail list including ingredients local to the area. All in all a five star experience. No reservations so walk in and hope they have a spot for you. You won’t be disappointed.

Heather Clitheroe

We got the lattice wrap and risotto. Both were pretty decent.

Amy Tam

Dine in

Fabian Heer

Great food and ambiance. Just wish the portion sizes were larger.

Vikram Dhaliwal

We haven't had food and service this well delivered in a long time. The cocktails we're well thought through, the fusion inspired appetizers brought flavors together in a way that just made sense. I'm glad the prawn curry came with an extra kick of spice to help us bear through the crisp spring weather, late night in Banff. The servers were knowledgeable and friendly and that only added to the experience. The real winner of the night, though, was that house made Kim Chi, a really refreshing burst of pickled flavours. Bottle it up!

Thanh Trang (Ella)

Lunch

Malcolm Yang

Small place but great food and service. We had a bunch of appies and had a great time there. The drinks were great too.

Daniel Mandryk

Everything we ordered was fantastic. We had the Pork Kimchi Gyoza, Bison flatbread and the duck spring rolls. All amazing. Must come to this place when you visit

Jasmin van Straaten

Best food I have had in Banff. Incredible and innovative flavors in every dish. Can't wait to go back!

Ayesha Khan

Yesterday we had a chance to come to Block. It was amazing dinner! Food is delicious, excellent service! Thank you guys! Definitely will be back! Highly recommend!

Gina Smith

Can't say enough good things about Block. Amazing food and service. Pictured is the curry ramen, which was their Soup of the Whim for that day. Unexpected food fusions. Bao buns were excellent. The drinks are pricy IMO but worth every penny.

Thalia Dabda

Loved this place! What a gem in Banff. Had delicious karaage chicken, garlic shrimp, salad and duck spring rolls (the only thing I didn’t really like - cut bizarrely and not the spinach was a bit weird). Watermelon drink and passion fruit mojito were delicious.

Chris Meunier

Quality and tasty food! We ordered the lettuce wrap with pork belly, takoyaki and duck spring rolls and really liked them!

Jennifer

If you are looking for something different than a steakhouse, this is the place to go! We had 6 different plates which were all tasty and delicious! I am difficult to please with alcohol, but those cocktails are refined and nice! Service was great, we did not wait for food or drinks! Highly recommend!

Jeremy Balliston

Excellent food/atmosphere

Keith Shepherd

Cocktails done amazing! I had the “Flow like a butterfly” and an off menu cocktail.. the bartender is a wizard on cocktails! Service was fun and fast, didn’t try the food but the menu looked worth a trip back!

feriyal hallajarani

Cozy & friendly, with great food and cocktails!

Heather Seidle

Highly recommend the bison flatbread and chopping block salad!

Yajie Chen

Food is fresh n good, interesting Asian/Japanese fusion mixed. We like it.

Iris Chan

I try to come here every time I stop in Banff. The cheese platter is a must and the service is great. The wait times can end up exceeding an hour so get there early if you’d like a seat. We got a call once to come in however our table was not ready when we arrived. The server had given us a drink on the house and we appreciated their customer service! Walked by recently and noticed they had opened up some patio seating so glad to see them expanding for more customers.

Landon Caldwell

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!!!

Stephen Epp

What an awesome place - highly recommend! Had a “Re-Fashioned” for my drink as well as the Gyoza, Calamari, the Salt & Pepper Duck Drumettes (special), as well as the Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps (not pictured). This place is small, but does have a little outdoor patio. Expect a wait unless you get here at slower times.

Piotr Szewello

The food took at least 40 minutes to arrive. We got the char sui baos and takoyaki. The char sui baos were too salty and lukewarm when they arrived and the takoyaki were nothing special.

Nicholas Ong

What a great little spot! There is only a few tables here and maybe 8 seats at the bar. They have a really good cocktail list with a decent 2 oz pour and lots of local spirits. I went by myself so I didnt do small plates but went with the tuna poke. It was fantastic, I'd highly recommend it.

Gene Teichroeb

Very small place but we went early before the crowds. The cocktails were excellent and the service was friendly and prompt. We weren't very hungry so we just had the lettuce wraps but the quality, portion and flavor was really great. I didn't expect to be impressed by such a simple dish.

Ryan Han

Lunch

Valeria Railean

Terrible service. Food was ok. Nothing special. Many better places in Banff besides this.

JJ Louise

The bartender had an attitude, perhaps she was having a horrible day, but she went into rants about their menu items which lacked the sort of culinary confidence you'd expect with an intimate space. She also made the worst $15 Old Fashioned I have ever had the displeasure of drinking, tasted like melted ice with a splash of cheap alcohol. The oysters were drowned in some sort of cucumber water and just tasted like cucumber. Google rated this place as a 91% match, turned out to be a 12% match. The secret to good food is happiness and this place was teaming with sad faces occasionally lifting smiles for a select few. I left after 10 mins. Your time is better spent adjacent at Balkan, service there is amazing and the food is delicious made with love. Edit to the owner: Your response is highly combative from an owner that should be focused on hospitality vs only responding to people that disliked the experience. The point of a review is to adjust experiences for those that it might not be tailored to. The two cocktails that jumped up were the old fashioned and the "before and after" which seemed like a play on a appertif and digestif to me, the drink was horrible as I described it. Most places with $15 cocktails are at the very least 2.5 oz of alcohol, if you look at the picture the concentration of alcohol is diluted by the quantity of the ice tgats stirred in, which is probably why the drink was so poor. To seek to point out my lack of interest in the space after your waitress was inhospitable after I spoke to her incessantly and gave up is the very reason its important to review restaurants. I lost confidence in the experience and left, I found a happier place that better represented the type of experience I was expecting. This was not personal but an opportunity for you to better train your staff, you chose to be as combative as the other responses you comment on describe your restuarant, I wish I had read those to avoid your space. But, we live and learn. Hope you do the same.

Curtus Collins

Small intimate (so you may have to wait for a seat) but well worth it. The food is delicious, friendly service and several very tasty shareable dishes

Paula Mendoza

One of the best places to eat at Banff you gotta come here if u visit Banff. They have a large array of dishes on the menu, such as ramen, burgers, and the delectable Tokyo fries which I'd highly recommend (beat fries I've ever had), and also textures here are just incredible. Along with delicious food, the service here is hospitable, and fast.

Megan Simmons

We had a date night at Block Kitchen and while we did expect good things, all our expectations were blown away with each dish! We had Bison flatbread, Steak takaki rolls and finished off with our favorite: this very unique cold Ramen noodle salad! We will always remember this incredible Asian fusion meal and will be back next time we're in Banff!

Jess S

Place is amazing. Only place worth it to eat in Banff. Food has great texture, presentation and flavour! Service is great staff is really nice they offered me bug spray and recommend us tea spots. Our waiter was the blond Aussie man not sure his name. Get tuna takaki for sure

C

Cozy and cute restaurant with great food. Lots of the plates can be shared so it is a good place to go with friends. The saikoro steak was the best thing we tried (all of us agreed) but the portion size was small (9 cubes). The drinks were also good and fun! They have espresso martinis. All around great choice.

Phil Kidd

Great food and service!! Must try their ahi tuna tataki and the lettuce wrap!

Anisha Patel

Great food and service on the strip. A little tight space but was able to accommodate a large group if necessary. Definitely worth the price.

Katie Jalbert

Super cocktails and amazing food! Best calamari I've ever had!

Kristin

The food was hit and miss. I thought the cold ramen salad was really good but then I remembered I was starving so maybe that's why it was so good. The Tokyo fries were my favourite, but it's a typical dish you can get at many places. I didn't like the mushroom risotto because the texture was weird and it was too salty. Everything else was good, but not amazingly good, but not bad. Our server was amazing tho; she was so friendly, happy, and polite

Zelda

Amazing food and service. Highly recommended

rvtBC

Small, hip eatery in the heart of Banff - great cocktails (!) and their share plates are great as well. Actually really liked the sauces that came with the pan-flashed spicy prawns and duck spring rolls. And their daily special was mussels which was also great. Highly recommend!

Jonathan Taaffe

A hidden gem in Banff. Small little restaurant bar down one of the side streets. Great cocktails and delicious food to go with it. Here 5 days and the best spot we ate at. HIGHLY recommend

A Peter

A must visit restaurant at Banff. A small gem of a restaurant. Tasty food and friendly service. Had a great time with friends.

Bob Krysak

Amazing Discovery! Highly recommend!

Aimee Foubister

Loved the food. The service was great. There is limited space so it can get pretty cozy :-) Given that this place caters to mostly tourists, I was pleasantly surprised that the food and the service was excellent. Kudos !!

Vivian Tang

We really loved this restaurant and bar.

Quinn Dymond

Delicious, creative cocktails- they were all amazing. And the food was fantastic- we loved their specials.

Davis Harrison

Amazing food, Fast service! Can’t wait to go back. (Which we did) We had the Vegetable Samosa, Shoestring Fries, 3 Dips with Toasted Nan & the Asian Lettuce Wraps w/ Tofu (again.) The food we ordered came quickly and was simply, delicious. I also enjoyed their Old Fashioned called the “Refashioned” - This is a staple to all our Banff visits now.

Maginda Magendrathajan

I've been here three times, each time I have had an amazing experience. Food menu is very good, and they always have specials with fresh seafood. If you have sensitivity to spice take a look at the menu first as a lot of the food is spicy. Drink menu is also really good, nice selection of cocktails. Can't go wrong here! They don't take reservations so try to get there early!

Joseph Davis

Pros: Amazing cocktails, great music and ambience. Cons: food is hit or miss. Bison pizza was amazing but $24 for a 6 inch pizza is ridiculous. Also “cold ramen noodle salad” is listed as a salad, but it is just cold ramen (tasted good but not what was expected).

Miranda Cooke

One star on service alone. They claim to be “first come first serve” when we talked to them earlier in the day, okay no problem. We come back later and they tell us the “wait list” started 4 hours ago and they are booked for the night.... yet when we were there earlier they didn’t tell us anything other than we don’t do reservations. First come first serve is fine if you actually follow it, a waitlist with a “estimated” sit time is very similar to reservations.

R T

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.

Alfonso Correa

Food was outstanding. It has to be one of the best meals I think ive had in a long time. I'd 100% go back!

margaret tan

We went here on our stay in banff because it’s highly rated and the Asian fusion sounded really good. The vibe is great, izakaya kinda of feel. We had to wait a while for a table but no big deal. They were extremely busy but the wait staff were still nice although we had to waive them down for everything including getting water and a menu to start our dinner. The problem is the food. It is so extremely salty, and my taste is saltier than most. Everyone in our company felt this way, so much so that we ordered plain rice because it’s like only eating the sauce of a stir fry with our main courses. I had the Thai risotto, there is literally a layer of at least 2mm of oil floating on top of everything else. It was just salt and grease. The octopus calamari was coated with seasoning as well, we brushed off the seasoning as we were eating it. The only thing I can say is good out of the dishes we had is the kimchi…which was fresh and delicious. To top it off I got upset stomach threw everything up at 10 pm that day it just was too salty and greasy I was feeling uncomfortable all night. I don’t think it was food poisoning I really just couldn’t stomach the food. I think the concept is really nice and maybe we just had an off meal but that is our experience…

Gurpreet Sahota

Really good food. The Mushroom risotto was surprisingly amazing.

Fanny Pigeon

Cute and cozy spot in Banff and a nice atmosphere to sit and have drinks + food with friends! I got the crispy chicken burger and it was soooo delicious. The only thing to keep in mind is as its a small place, grabbing a table on a busy day may be hard.

wasif niwaz

This is by far one my favourite restaurants. It’s super cozy with high end food and cocktails. You have to eat here! They have the best steam buns, Thai curry ramen, mussels, and Moscow mules! The service has always been excellent and I will come here every time I visit Banff - seriously this place is amazing!

Shuhong Dong

1+ hr wait even for the bar stools. Loud music blares throughout the tiny restaurant. Oysters were meh. Duck spring rolls were decent, the dipping sauce meh.

Claire Chen

Thank you so much for hosting 16 of us, we all had a great time, and the drinks were phenomenon!! We planned our wedding lunch celebration at Block, everyone loved the food and all the cocktails! With the ongoing pandemic, Stephane, the owner, was so easy to communicate with and made the planning extremely easy for us. They also supplied to-go lunch boxes for our remote wedding the next day; they were a hit! Block will forever be in our memory, thanks again to all the staffs who made it wonderful.

Mike Salter

I keep a diary. Don't judge me. This is what I wrote about this place in my diary last night. "Dinner, Asian fusion place called Block. Had Midnight Sun beer, string potatoes fries with spicy mayo, pork kimchi gyoza, and shrimp with a sweet peanut sauce. All were great, shrimp was amazing. Somehow it tasted like a good beef steak. I don't know how, but best shrimp ever." Went back for lunch today, got katsu curry. Also delicious! I've had katsu curry from Japan and this was authentic while simultaneously stepping it up a notch and making it fancy.

Khalid Yusuf

Hidden gem - Asian fusion food in the centre of Banff town. Tasty pork belly bao and unagi rice bowl.

Thisa Pak

Great experience trying different types of food! We got their pork katsu bowl and chicken sandwich which were both great! We order their chicken skewers as well, however, it was the same kind of chicken in the sandwich. Our favourite was the passionfruit mojito! The best mojita we have ever tried!

Derek O

Went there for lunch with hubby. He took the Unagi bowl and I ordered the Kabocha Miso Udon Noodle. It was a flavor explosion! One of the best umami experiences coming from a soup. Very quick and friendly service. Don’t know if we will be able to come back since we are here on a short stay, but hopefully yes because there are so many other things we would like to try on their yummy menu!

Bryan Yu

Not what you would expect in Banff. The flavours and cuisine are exceptional. Would recommend the Block to anyone that wants to try something new and is open to expanding their pallet. Who would think the seafood in Banff would be this good. Great service during COVID. We will be coming back next tine we are in town.

Nancy DaDalt

So great. Amazing service and food.

Jodie Palm

Good experience.

Dmitry Ovrutsky

It lives up to its expectations! We ordered saikoro steak and the daily curry (prawns in Thai yellow curry) and both were delicious and full of flavors! We could have been full just ordering the curry since they included both rice and naan bread. The space is tiny, thus they have a long wait. For our table of 2, we put our name down at around 6pm and had to wait for about an hour. We killed the time strolling around the downtown area.

carmen thomas

Great little place in Banff. And I mean little! Hope you don’t mind being packed in like a sardine, but their food is worth it. Everything was delicious and the menu had a lot of unique choices. Their cocktails are delicious too and not to pretentiously garnished The service is pretty slow, however. My boyfriend had finished his main meal by the time I got mine (over 20 minutes later..). that part was quite disappointing.

Brian Chan

The food here was overall alright and in my opinion almost everything we ordered could have been better. We had the Kimchi soup, toyko fries, beef tartare roll and tuna tataki. The last two pictured. The Kimchi soup is definitely fusion and not traditional. It seemed to be tomato based and not anchouvy based like traditional Korean stews. I guess that is what is expected from a fusion place but I just felt that every mouthful was lacking the flavour that comes from what I would get at a Korean restaurant. The toyko fries were the best thing we ordered. Can't go wrong with fries, kewpie mayo, seaweed and bonito flakes. The beef tartare roll is interesting. Not sure if it works though. There is no flavour outside of the sauce which is I found was over abundant. Also the beef doesn't wrap well and everything just falls apart. The tuna tataki was just okay. I found that it had too much sesame seeds which was overpowering and for most bites that was all I was tasting.

Pgogo

We were in the mood for something different and boy, did we find it! We have tried asian lettuce wrap, asian dry ribs and thai beef and kimchi soup. Amazing flavor and good location

Alex

Great spicy beef soup, pulled duck asian lettuce wraps. Kind service.

Mathew Penner

Great food and customer service. We really enjoyed their tuna ahi tuna poke bowl and their appetizers to start!

Lia Foote

Awesome burger, delicious oyster special today. Great service!

Peter N

When we first walked up the service was friendly and helpful. Our meals were both excellent and the drink selections were good. I got a beer & pork belly lettuce wrap deal that paired so well together. My partner got some amazing Ahi Tuna Tataki that he said was unreal. The vegan dark chocolate pot de creme was the perfect way to end our meal.Overall a great experience. Will definitely be coming back and hopefully bringing friends with us!

Eric Schlott

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!

Andrew Betz

Coming from the GTA, we were hesitant to get Asian Fusion - however we were extremely surprised with our Ramen. They had a Curry Ramen Special and it was on of the best Ramens we’ve ever had, after delicious small bits with the Alberta Beef Tataki Rolls, and the seasonal Pumpkin Soup. Very impressed with the food and atmosphere. Food was great, service was excellent. We will definitely try again when we return to Banff.

Figs and Pigs

This place was great! We got seated right away on a Monday and the place is trendy and well decorated. We had the passionfruit mojito and the passionfruit aquavit cocktails both were delicious! We later split the espresso martini - it was good but very spirit forward. The food was excellent too, the spring rolls were crunchy and yummy with a tangy Asian sauce though the portion was too small, a third spring roll would have been better. The bison pesto flatbread was out of this world, perfect combo of crispy bread, goat cheese, bison, and onion. The only disappointment was the creme brulee, it was more of a creme caramel first of all and was extremely salty. I'd describe it as a salted creme caramel but even then they need to put about a third as much salt in.

Marissa Corea

Came here for lunch on Jan 5th, the bartender/server was phenomenal, it was super busy and she was killing it by herself. Drink recommendations and the food was amazing as always. Will keep coming back, 10/10

Danahé Laperle

Good food and a nifty little place to eat. Service was exceptionally fast and the meals piping hot!

Robert Richard

Take out was FANTASTIC. As always, warm welcome at the door and two bags of the most delicious smelling dinner, EVER. When we got home, the food was still hot, well labeled and absolutely divine. Thanks to The Block. So grateful we can have your fabulous food during this shut down. Makes it so much more bearable. Skiers, take note. Stop in on your home to the city for take out and the best dinner, ever.

Steve Balmer

Absolutely perfect night out here! The place was super nice and cozy, food was extremely tasty and had authentic flavours, while the staff was very enjoyable to interact with! Favourite place in all of Banff and one of the best places in Alberta. Our waitress was really great with the suggestions and honesty, plus was kind patient and had a positive attitude. We started with Samosas which were absolutely amazinggg, very on point with the taste and flavour. The Katsu curry bowl was also so good and quite the real authentic curry taste, I was impressed and it was not some generic flavour like other places offer. The Bison flatbread was likewise just as delicious and all the toppings went together very well, along with great quality bison meat to boot. Both meals left us stuffed. The prices were not outrageous, but not cheap, although once you are done the meal you would never think twice about not coming back here, definitely a must try place!!!

Alisha Jones

Amazing food, outstanding service, my first but not my last. A hidden gem you must try

B Y

Came around midday and had lunch of truffle fries, bao buns and some ramen. Really tasty and the waiter helped us choosing what we should eat. Definitely recommend it as the service was great and food was excellent.

YEG Burger

Mari - thank you! Newcastle fan - thank you too! Fantastic service, cocktails and food.

Jennine

This is a really small crowded restaurant that can get very busy in the evening. Lunch is not as busy and table is usually readily available. Very friendly staff with a simple modern atmosphere. Good for casual small plates dinning. Very much like a westernized Isakaya. The chef is very creative with unique interpretations of Asian food. Dishes are delicately prepare with attention to details despite its small and busy operation. One of the best Yakitori I have had. Have a drink and enjoyed different small plates and let the chef surprise you with his talent. It classified itself as an Asian fusion restaurant. Prices are reasonable for a location like Banff.

Karsten Lee

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.

André Hungaro

I found this gem in Banff... Ramen Full packed with flavor????????????... Fantastic!

Anna Chan

The mushroom risotto will leave you happy and satisfied.

Nava Mahmudi

One of my favourite places in Banff for food. Seats only 25 ish people and it's usually steady but waits aren't long. Food and service has been consistently excellent for me. Music/atmosphere is always great too. Definitely recommend.

Charvi Patel

Asian lettuce wraps were amazing. Excited to try another dish soon...highly recommend.

Ryan Lacharite

this is a great restaurant , and we have never had any qualms with the food quality, flavour and product. Our third time back - a favourite every Banff visit. Unfortunately, some hesitation, resulting in. a negative rating today. My sister called in a take-out order that unfortunately was discouraged as they were “swamped” with orders and a back-up in the kitchen. Despite offering to wait it out - they were convinced that they couldn't fill the order in a timely fashion and so they picked up dinner at Izakaya. When I picked up my order, I asked if there was any disposable plates….not available. Fair, thanks for the extra napkins though. For me - takeout tipping is not routine, but in a pandemic - I will support local. 15% default. 17% good service. 20% great service, with the recognition that you have gone the extra mile. I was not feeling it from this Asian-Canadian hostess, unfortunately. So nothing was earned given this interaction. I dont even mind the servers reminder for a service gratuity if the bill is $100 range… but the communication I received this afternoon was a hurried grab of the card gadget, an eye-roll, not asking if i wanted a receipt, the receipt goes flying, and no response to my thank-you or any type of closure to this, rather negative, experience. I realize tips can go a long way for staff, and I would have been receptive to a friendly reminder for the minimum gratuity… but i’m afraid after a very negative service encounter, and no further communication- and some actual disdain for being forced to provide service to a customer like me … that tip is not ever coming, and while the restaurant is great , I suggest a review of standard server or hostess attitude and demeanour. Maybe that would restore my faith in staff at “Block Kitchen & Bar”. Miss, I’m apologizing for ticking you off, but nobody visiting your establishment deserves to treated so curtly, and abrupt.

Kate Eynon

Atmosphere - 5 Cleanliness - 5 Quality - 3 Service - 3 Taste - 3 Stopped by for dinner during our visit. This seems to be a very popular spot during busy hours so there was a bit of a wait. They do take down your information and message you once a seat is available for you—which I found to be reliable. We sat at the bar and so I expected service to be somewhat faster than it would at the dining table but that was not the case. We had to call for service most of the night and it seems everything was taking a while to come out. The drinks were also just okay. We started with the duck spring rolls and chicken karaage. Both were extremely disappointing. The duck was dry and quite frankly tasted old. The karaage was 90 percent breading and 10 percent chicken. It also lacked greatly in flavor. This was a huge let down and gave me very little hope for the brisket soup and my curry. However, the soup came out flavorful. I felt there was possibly beer or something alcoholic in the ingredients and it was very present in the taste. The green curry was in my opinion the most delicious meal of all the plates and yet it fell short in consistency as it was very watery. I think if the curry was made just a little more thick, it would be perfect! Overall, I found block did not meet the expectations set by their ratings and long lines but it is quite good for its location and what it is. I would visit again if ever in the area.

Kelsey Geddes

Best place for cocktails in town! Here and their sister restaurant Shoku ????????

Jake A

Service

George

Allergy warning as ingredients that aren’t listed will be in your food! Also Horrible service and horrible food. Patios were full and we were hungry decided to get some take out and eat at the park. Menu looked good. First clue was the rude girl taking orders. Asked if they were going cocktails to go (other bars are) and she rudely responded no and stated the lockdown rules to me in a condescending way. I commented to my husband after if he thought she was rude and he agreed. Decided to Order anyway. I got the chilled chicken Ramen noodle salad and husband got the tuna. Food was old tasting. My salad was soupy, chicken was old and dry and there was two ingredients in it that wasn’t listed on the menu. I wasn’t familiar with them so I tried one and noticed it had a fishy taste. Googled it and it is a fish cake (Narutomaki). Checked the menu and it isn’t listed (only nori is listed /no fish in the ingredients), not sure what the other item was in it either but it was a vegetable. luckily I’m not allergic to fish but a restaurant can’t just add things that aren’t listed, especially common allergens. Both dishes were not good, we didn’t enjoy our dinner at all. DO NOT RECOMMEND!!!

michael talbot

Cocktail list is amazing. Small restaurant, but friendly staff. Had the tofu bowl, but added some muscles! Ended up having lunch 2 days in a row.

Rebecca R

Block is the real deal. Despite its small stature (literally just 4 tables), these guys punch above their weight class in serving delicious Asian fusion in an enjoyable atmosphere. Prices are decent by Banff strip standards too. The Pork Katsu bowl I had was the best meal of my Banff trip by far!

Joseph K

Seriously? Really disappointing experience, based off the reviews we anticipated much better food. Service was not great, forgot two items we ordered - and the server took no accountability and blamed it on the kitchen. Food was pricey, we ordered over $100 worth and several dishes. Flavor was muddied by an unexciting hodgepodge of seasonings that made for a really unattractive meal.

Pete

Small place with super nice staff. The service is fast and and the food and cocktails are delicious. We like to get a bunch of different small plates. Even when the descriptions sound just ok go for it. the dishes are always interesting and flavourful.

Eric Huan

Dine in

Mike M

Fusion cuisine made for sharing! An excellent option, especially if you're tired of burgers, steaks and fries.

Tracy L

Everything we tried was amazing! Will definitely come back.

Daniel Graham

Absolutely amazing. I ate here twice Feb 2019 and June 2021. Both times they exceeded my expectations!

Simran Arora

The space is small however it has a great ambiance to socialize and meet new people while dining in. They have great costumer service and great tasting food. I went there for their dinner menu and I would go back again to try their lunch menu. !

middle market

Food was INCREDIBLE. But service was the worst we’ve EVER had. Honestly, we were so excited to try this place, and the food was amazing. But the service was diabolical - tables left inside empty, even though they were “full inside”, birthday surprise was taken out BEFORE we’d finished our main course. How can something so small like the service, affect the overall experience so much?? Get takeout if you can!

Shannon Connolly

First of all, I just want to say I cannot believe this place has any reviews lower than 3. I salute the management responses to all the low ballers out there. This place is a gem in Banff. If you want service that is waiting on you, full of fake smiles and stuffy posture in the name of a tip, then sure, don’t go here. They’re laid back, talented bartenders and obviously love their little restaurant, but they aren’t going to be anything than themselves. I personally appreciate that. Secondly, yes, the restaurant is small and sometimes requires a wait, but can we all take a sober second thought and appreciate the wait may indicate the deliciousness of the food? The food is incredible. We went back twice in our two day vacation and cancelled a reservation to another restaurant because we were so impressed by Block. The cocktails and the food are both incredibly creative and delicious. I’m genuinely shocked by reviews that say the food is overpriced. We even commented to the bartender that we thought the value was great. There is so much love put into the food. Can’t wait to return the next time we’re in town. You guys are doing it right! Cheers!

Joey Najim

Good food, lots to drink and the staff are so hospitable and lovely! Will come back to try more, for sure!