


Banff · Après
Best Après-Ski in Banff
Après in Banff happens in the slim window between the lifts closing and dinner reservations starting. Most of the buses pull back into town between 4 and 5pm, which is exactly when the better pubs and brewery taprooms hit their happy hour stride. The trick is knowing which spots have working fireplaces, which run a real $6 to $7 pint deal, and which are just charging tourist prices to people in salopettes.
Magpie & Stump is the standard, with a tequila bar that doubles as a ski boot friendly pub once 4pm hits. Three Bears Brewery is the brewery-side option with proper food, fireplaces, and pints made on site. Banff Ave Brewing has the best location, right on the strip, and a wraparound deck for the sunny days. Eddie Burger Bar packs in a younger ski crew with poutine and beer flights. Rose & Crown's upstairs floor is where the season passholders end up most weeknights. The Beaver Bar at the Banff Caribou catches the ski instructor crowd if you want to drink with locals.
For après in Canmore, see the Canmore après-ski guide. For where the same crews end up after 9pm, the late night Banff guide is the next stop.
Top picks
Our top 3
The rest of the list

Farm & Fire
Banff

Magpie & Stump
Banff
25% off tacos

Melissa's MisSteak
Banff · 3pm–6pm

Rose & Crown
Banff · 1pm–5:30pm

St. James's Gate Irish Pub
Banff

The Beaver Bar
Banff · 4pm–6pm

The Boss Kitchen & Bar
Banff · 3pm–6pm, 9pm–11pm

The Canadian Brewhouse
Banff · 11am–7pm

Three Bears Brewery & Restaurant
Banff · 3pm–5pm

Tommy's Neighbourhood Pub
Banff · 3pm–6pm, 10pm–1am
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About this list
How we curate
Every venue on this list is hand-picked by us. No paid placement, no auto-pulled aggregator data, just spots a Bow Valley local would actually send a friend to. Times and prices are verified against the venue's own sources at least once a month. More on how HappyMap works.