Appetizers happy hour
in the Bow Valley.

Appy hour — local shorthand for the food-side of happy hour — is where Bow Valley pubs really shine. Half-price calamari, $5 nachos, three-for-$15 small plates, and après-ski poutine specials are all common between 3pm and 6pm. The Grizzly Paw, Bear Street Tavern, and the Banff Ave Brewing pub all run consistent appy specials with rotating seasonal additions. For groups, look at venues with proper share-plate menus — typically the hotel restaurants and the upscale pubs — where you can build a meal out of three or four appetizers and a couple of drinks for under $80 a couple.