Le Fournil Bakery Canmore is as authentically French as it gets. On a recent trip to Banff, we stopped in Canmore to grab some breakfast and decided to pop in. Recently, we found an article in Western Living Magazine about 17 Best Hidden-Gem Restaurants in Southern Alberta and Le Fournil was featured in this article. It seemed like a great opportunity save some money, as Banff can be rather expensive to eat. And, of course, to see what all the fuss was about. For those of you that are curious, le fournil means it’s a French word for bake house.
As you walk in, friendly staff greet you. The display cases filled with plenty of picture worthy sweet treats are the first thing you see. Since it was our first time, it took us a few minutes to take it all in. The cases are filled with gorgeous, authentic French treats beautifully presented. There’s so many choices from perfectly golden baguettes, to an array of freshly baked sweet treats. Also, there’s a menu of sandwiches, quiches and soups. Everything looked so good… go hungry and don’t count calories!
Making decisions on empty stomachs don’t always lead to the wisest choices. Consequently, we got way too much food. We opted for a tartelette au citron (lemon meringue tart), a danoise aux bleuets (blueberry danish), a monkey bread (they didn’t have a French name for this) and a mini salted caramel chocolate tart and coffee of course. Unlike most bakeries we have been to, Le Fournil serves up great coffee! It’s freshly roasted just down the road in Calgary. It paired perfectly with the sweet treats.
We stayed and enjoyed our treats there; they have plenty of seating. Being there fairly early on a Saturday morning but, it wasn’t too busy but, it was filling up quickly. There is extra seating outside, with a great view of Three Sisters to take in.
Everything was absolutely delicious! Our favorite, the danish, was flaky with a not too sweet, fresh tasting blueberry, filling. The monkey bread was the best we’ve ever had. Our guess is that it was the same dough as the danish which crisped up nicely on top, with just the right amount of cinnamon. And, you definitely can’t go wrong with the lemon tart. It’s just the right combination of tart and sweet.
Best part, we got everything for under $20! Hard to find a better deal for 3 pastries and coffee, anywhere.
We recommend this place for anyone looking for breakfast, lunch or a snack in Canmore. Or, stop in on your way to or from Banff. Obviously, this will be a regular stop for us when in the area!
Highly Addictive Chocolate Chip Cookies