For being a small mountain town right off the Trans Canada Highway, Golden, BC has some amazing restaurants and cafés!
Whether you’re looking for a cozy place to hang out with friends or a more fancy restaurant for a date, you can find it here.
From yummy Mexican tacos to traditional tavern food to dining at the most elevated restaurant in all of Canada, Golden offers a great variety of cuisines. It’s a small town but the food scene has really picked up over the recent years!
Whether you’re spending a night or two at one of Golden’s beautiful hotels or just passing by, we’re sure you’ll be very pleased with the food scene!
In this post, we’ve highlighted the best restaurants and cafés in Golden that we went to during our most recent visit.
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13 must-try cafes and restaurants in Golden, BC
One thing we love about Golden (and lots of the other small towns in BC) is that the majority of businesses are family and locally owned! This includes a lot of the restaurants and cafés in Golden. We love supporting small, local businesses so this was a really nice bonus for us.
The majority of these restaurants and cafés are located very centrally in Golden and within walking distance from anywhere downtown. A few of the restaurants, however, will require a car or a shuttle (winter season) and the gondola to get to it.
There are a few that are right next to the Trans Canada Highway and then there’s one at the top of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort: The famous Eagle’s Eye Restaurant.
#1 Whitetooth Bistro
Whitetooth Bistro is the first place we ate at in Golden and it was excellent! This casual yet elegant bistro is right in the heart of Golden and a perfect place to go for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (especially dinner).
We went there for dinner and it had a super quaint and relaxing vibe.
Quite often when we eat out, we end up ordering the same dish but this time we switched it up a bit and went with two different meals. (There were just too many good options).
Jo had the pasta of the day and Dom had the duck breast – and both meals were incredible!
You can see Whitetooth’s menu here to get an idea of what you can get. They do switch up their menu sometimes based on the season but we’re sure anything they have will be amazing.
Whitetooth Bistro has been a staple of Golden since 2014 and is an awesome local place!
#2 Indian Kitchen Golden
The Indian Kitchen is another great option for dinner in Golden – especially if you’re just driving by. We love Indian food so this was a no-brainer for us.
This restaurant is located right on the Trans Canada Highway and you don’t even need to go into town if you’re in a rush to continue your journey (although it would be a shame to miss it).
If you’re staying in a hotel or accommodation in Golden and don’t want to drive out to the restaurant you can also order takeaway to your place.
You can look at Indian Kitchen’s menu here and place the order online.
There are quite a few good restaurants in town but if you’re looking for good Indian food in Golden this is it!
#3 Eagles Eye Restaurant
This is probably one of the most unique experiences you can do in Golden! The restaurant isn’t located right in Golden but at the very top of the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort close by.
From Golden, it’s about a 15-minute drive to the resort. During winter, you can also take the Golden Kicking Horse Connector Resort Shuttle!
From the mountain resort, you’ll have to take the gondola up to the top of the mountain where you can enjoy the most spectacular views from Canada’s most elevated restaurant.
It’s great to check out Eagle’s Eye if you’re planning on spending a full day on the mountain either skiing or hiking (Terminator Peak is a great option for this).
There are so many fun things to do at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Dining at Eagles Eye is just the cherry on top.
They serve a nice variety of food and the menu changes depending on the season. We went in September and had a nice summer salad and chicken breast sandwich with pesto.
You can see the menu for Eagles Eye here!
It’s such a cool experience because there are big glass windows and, on a clear day, you get a full panoramic view of the mountain range and 5 different Canadian National Parks!
Of course, if you’re just looking for a bite to eat downtown Golden this probably isn’t the place. But if you make your way up the mountain then Eagles Eye is worth ticking off the list!
#4 Wandering Fern Cafe
Wandering Fern Cafe is probably one of the coziest places in Golden and it’s perfectly located right in the center of town so it’s easily accessible by foot.
It’s not a restaurant but you can grab some delicious breakfast and barista coffee there! We never tried the breakfast (although we heard it is delicious) but we did go for coffee multiple times.
You can see the breakfast and brunch menu here.
Wandering Fern is another locally owned shop in Golden and there’s a good chance you’ll meet the owner, Jamie, when you pop by.
Whether you’re popping by for an afternoon coffee or a yummy breakfast you’ll love this little cafe. You can truly tell they love what they do and the coffee speaks for itself!
#5 Reposados Tacos
Reposados Tacos is one of the best restaurants in Golden BC! This little gem right downtown has both indoor and outdoor seating so you have options for where you want to sit.
If you are feeling like having tacos for dinner, we do recommend walking by and making a reservation earlier in the day since it can get very busy.
The first time we tried getting a table we were unsuccessful so we had to try again the next day. It’s just that good – and it’s located right downtown – so it makes sense that it’s always busy.
They have a wide variety of options including veggie and vegan tacos as well. Reposados Tacos is basically your traditional Mexican restaurant with a rocky mountain twist to it.
Inside you feel like you’re in a little Mexican restaurant but the second you look outside and see the stunning mountains it can only be the Rockies!
To give you a bit of an idea of what type of tacos and food you can expect, you can look at the Reposados Tacos menu here. They also have an online order service on their site as well.
If you want to take the tacos to some cool viewpoint (such as up to Mount 7 for sunset) or by the river you can also order from their takeaway window which is usually faster than getting a table.
It’s a great place to eat and you’ll hopefully get to enjoy some delicious Mexican food in Golden BC!
#6 Island Restaurant Golden BC
Out of all the restaurants in Golden BC, Island has to have one of the coolest locations. Island Restaurant is in fact located on a little island on the Columbia River.
You don’t really notice that it’s on an island but it is. There are also two outdoor patios both on different levels where you can enjoy the awesome view overlooking the river and the mountains.
Aaron and Petra (the owners) truly have a passion for cooking. Whether you’re craving breakfast, lunch, or dinner you can enjoy an awesome meal on the island!
It is beautiful coming for a sunset dinner though. To give you a bit of an idea of what they serve you can see the Island Restaurant menu here.
Every day is different at the Island since there’s always some sort of special going on (such as Taco Tuesday). You can see their daily special online here or at the entrance.
#7 Ethos Cafe
For a small town, Golden BC has an incredible food scene and it only keeps getting better. Ethos is one of those places you just have to visit.
Ethos is a new cafe right on the edge of town in the direction of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. This lovely cafe serves an amazing breakfast and awesome coffee.
I’m pretty sure we alternated between The Wandering Fern and Ethos every day to get our caffeine buzz on.
Inside Ethos cafe there are a few tables for seating and while you’re there eating you’ll see locals stopping in for their daily dose of coffee or to buy a loaf of bread.
Their bread is really good by the way but you have to be quick to get one before they sell out!
There’s a good chance once you visit Ethos you’ll be back again.
It’s great if you’re heading out for a hike or doing another day trip from Golden as well. You can pop in, grab breakfast (check out Ethos menu here) and a coffee for the road, and then go explore around Golden BC.
#8 The Wolf’s Den Golden, BC
If you’re looking for a nice steak or pub meal in Golden BC, The Wolf’s Den is the place to go. You can find anything from delicious AAA-certified Angus Steak to yummy homemade burgers.
The Wolf’s Den is located inside a rustic log building that gives you true mountain vibes. Especially during the winter months when it’s snowy and cold outside!
It’s a great place to get together with some friends but also if you’re just looking for a nice steak in Golden!
Even though you can find a ton of delicious meat dishes, The Wolf’s Den also caters to vegetarians with a bunch of yummy veggie meals. You can see the menu at The Wolf’s Den here.
Like most restaurants in Golden, BC this is another gem worth trying out!
#9 Bacchus Books and Cafe
This little cafe in Golden BC is quite unique. In a way, it’s actually somewhat hidden and you could easily walk by Bacchus Books and Cafe without even knowing there’s a cafe there.
The cafe is located on the second floor of the bookstore and it’s a lovely little cafe where you can order a coffee, a cake, and some food.
Bacchus Books and Cafe is right downtown (next to Rooms at Riveredge where we stayed) and there’s a good chance you’ll walk right by it at some point.
If you want to enjoy a coffee while browsing some books and art it’s worth checking out. They also have some funky mugs with funny puns on them which we really enjoyed.
It’s a great place to chill, read a book, or even bring your laptop and get some work done if you need to.
You can see the Bacchus Cafe menu here.
#10 Papa Bear’s Kitchen
Soup lover? Papa Bear’s has you covered!
If you’re looking for a delicious soup and sandwich combo after skiing or just to warm up from the Golden winter, this is the place.
Papa Bear’s is a cozy little restaurant that truly makes you feel at home. Coffee, soups, and sandwiches is all the comfort food you need. It’s a great place to enjoy lunch while exploring Golden.
Here’s the menu for Papa Bear’s where you can see all the tasty soups and sandwiches. A must for lunch any day of the week!
#11 Eleven 22
If you’re looking for something a bit fancier or upscale then Eleven 22 is the place.
Most restaurants in Golden BC have a pretty chill vibe – you know, that small-town mountain vibe which we love – but if you’re looking to have a date night or celebrate a special occasion, then you can do that here at Eleven 22.
It’s a super nice place where you can enjoy a good glass of wine (or bottle if you will) paired with a delicious meal.
Eleven 22 has been around since 1994 so it’s a staple in Golden BC. You can check out the menu on their site here.
#12 Golden Bakery & Deli
The Golden Bakery & Deli is probably the complete opposite vibe of Eleven22. It’s a little bakery & deli that serves very simple but delicious food.
There’s nothing fancy about this place but it’s always busy for breakfast and lunch because it’s that good.
If you’re looking for sweets and cakes they also have a wide variety of them. It’s definitely a more local place but you’ll also see plenty of tourists there because it’s located right downtown.
Come in the morning for a BELT sandwich and a fresh cup of coffee. From there you can walk around Golden and check out the different shops and explore some of the highlights of this awesome town.
It’s also a great place if you’re just looking to pick up some bread to bring home or a coffee for the road.
Here’s the menu for Golden Bakery & Deli.
#13 Riverhouse Tavern
Last but certainly not least is Riverhouse Tavern which is also located in downtown Golden.
This is a chill pub & grill where you can get all sorts of different pub food such as burgers, pizzas, and loaded baked potatoes.
If you’re looking to enjoy a few drinks as well and have a late night you can easily stay after dinner and party till 2 in the morning! Otherwise, you can just enjoy the restaurant and have some delicious pub food before heading home for the night.
The Riverhouse Tavern has been around since 2005 and is definitely a staple of Golden. You’ll find it packed with both locals and tourists.
If you’re craving a delicious burger and a beer then pop on over to the tavern! You can see their menu on their Facebook Page here.
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- 7 Things To Do at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in the Summer
- Hiking the Epic Terminator Peak hike near Golden BC
- Meet Boo the Bear at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
Recap of 13 awesome restaurants in Golden BC
For being a small town, Golden BC actually has a ton of delicious restaurants. This is just a list of 13 restaurants and cafes in Golden that we really like but there are even more options around the town with more popping up every year.
The variety of food is also fantastic. You can stop by and get a delicious Indian or Mexican meal or you can stop by one of the local coffee shops and have a nice cappuccino and smoothie bowl.
Or on a cold winter day, you can grab a comforting soup or a coffee while reading a book at one of the cafes.
The food scene is great and we hope you enjoy these different cafes and restaurants as much as we did! They also have some beautiful hotels in Golden, BC if you’re looking to stay for a few nights!
If you have any questions about restaurants in Golden, BC or anything Golden-related feel free to ask by sending us a DM on Instagram or leaving a comment below!
Enjoy all the delicious food and all the other fun activities Golden has to offer!
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