
Canadian
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Formerly Sunfood Cafe, a vegetarian restaurant, now no longer vegetarian since 2008. But has a few vegan options. Open Mon-Sun 10:00am-10:00pm.
18 Reviews
First Review by jd6
Hannahelse
Points +76
Trying to do too much - Edit
The menu is too large and from a variety of cultures. That's a red flag anywhere. The food here is completely mediocre and overpriced. Chef should focus in on doing a smaller menu well. This place has a weird vibe.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-12-10
Guest
nehakumar88
Points +57
Yummy Options - Edit
We stumbled upon Elita while walking through Canmore. The owner of the restaurant was knowledgeable about different cuisines and was able to guide us through the menu. We are vegetarian, but we do not do eggs. The owner had mentioned three other dishes that were not on the menu and said one was a pasta dish. We asked him if the pasta was made from egg and he assured us that it was not, and even brought out the pasta packet to show us. We’re from the US and it can be hard to find restaurants that accommodate vegetarians to the extent of ensuring that the pasta does not have egg. This restaurant was inclusive and incredible to say the least. We got 4 food items, and my favorites were the burrito and the Honolulu curry. The menu was amazing and offered food from different cuisines. Also, all the vegetarian dishes could be made GF or vegan upon request. This restaurant is a must try in Canmore!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-08-06
Pros: Wide variety of items, Excellent service (friendly), Flavorful food
Guest
JamieHeis
Points +318
Interesting Experience - Edit
We chose Elita because we were two vegans, a vegetarian and two carnivores and they have a very extensive menu. From the moment we sat down in the restaurant, Victor, the enthusiastic owner, rattled off all the places he’s lived and how he knows food and how food and music connects people. The menu is extensive, and there was a Vegetarian/Vegan page that had a lot of offerings and Victor said he can make certain dishes vegan if we were interested.
Read moreWe started off with warm bread and a babaganoush (eggplant spread) which was very tasty and we all ate it up quickly. Because it’s just Victor and his wife, Elena, it took some time for Victor to cook our meals. I ordered the Magic Wok of Tibet which was described as super-healthy stir-fry choice of fast-sautéed vegetables in an inimitable saffron-turmeric sauce, served on Jasmine Thai rice. What I got was a plate of gloppy, over-cooked vegetables mixed with a tangy sauce that tasted like it came out of a jar. I was very sad. I ate it, but it wasn’t very good. I ordered it with some spice and it didn’t taste spicy. It was a very drab meal. It was also supposed to come with a salad, but it was a few pieces of lettuce as shown in the photo. My husband ordered the Peach Curry with Tofu and Mushrooms. He said it was good but that it was too sweet and not enough curry. Everyone else seemed to like their dishes. I really wanted to like this place because Victor and Elena were super nice. But I was disappointed.
Updated from previous review on 2024-06-20
Pros: Many vegan options, Enthusiastic owners.
Cons: Too expensive , Not a good value.
Guest
BOO2U2
Points +72
Wonderful find. - Edit
This was a superb find and we really enjoyed the experience. I had a Peach and Tofu curry which isn’t something I would ever expect to find, but it was really tasty and interesting. The host was so kind and attentive, and had so much enthusiasm and love to bring to life in general. The evening was unique and memorable and not one we will forget. Thank you for giving so generously of your time and attention.
Read morePros: Unique experience, Amazing food, Beautiful setting.
Guest
IlonaHudson
Points +43
Great options - Edit
Lovely owners, beautiful food, vegan and vegetarian menu!
Read moreGuest
Shawna88
Points +31
I’d go back - Edit
When I enquired about vegan dishes, the chef showed me the page of vegan and vegetarian options but also explained some dishes he was developing to possibly be put on the menu. I had something he called a Fajita Pyramid and it was delicious.
Read moreGuest
Apothecurist
Points +16
No clue how to make quality vegan food. Terrible value. - Edit
I NEVER write reviews. But this place was a complete rip off. $27 for crappy tacos. $25 for a “stir fry” that has sweet Chili sauce poured all over the plate and a tiny little salad with craft Italian dressing. The chef talks a big game like he knows how to cook. Fine dining prices for food I would be embarrassed to serve in my home. Sweet Chili is a condiment used by college students and people who don’t know how to cook. It’s not hard to make your own salad dressing and if you are a restaurant with fine dining prices you 100 % should be making your own quality dressings and sauces. This place lacked any direction or theme he just makes whatever with no regard to style or flavours. I think I saw Mediterranean, Thai, Lebanese, Italian, and Indian on the menu.
Read moreCons: Expensive for the quality , Terrible atmosphere , Low quality ingredients
Guest
lmcc
Points +1208
Huge selection beyond the menu - Edit
In addition to having a whole page of the 3 page menu for vegetarian and vegan options, the chef/owner came over and listed off a huge range of items that were not on the menu but were available and vegan. It was a bit tough to keep up with, because there were just so many options.
Read moreFor an appetizer, we tried the Fresh Thai Salad, which was very fresh tasting. We also had flatbread (which was tortilla) with hummus and baba ganoush. The spreads were very tasty! I had a vegan enchilada, which was not on the menu. It was quite good, although I do wish it had some sort of cashew/non-dairy cream sauce. The chef, as he was pointing out which items on the menu could or could not be made vegan, did say that to make an alfredo sauce vegan was like making champagne out of apples. (Not that I necessarily wanted the alfredo pasta, it was just a notable comment from a chef who seems like he would be very creative.) Respectfully, I disagree, and I think the menu could really benefit from a soy or nut-based cream sauce.
Anyway, the whole meal was very nice, and we had a beautiful view of the Three Sisters from the patio. It is off the beaten track in Canmore (i.e. not on Main St), so it was not busy, and there was a ton of room. It was nice to speak with the owners, and I appreciated the diversity and range of vegan options.
Updated from previous review on 2019-06-03
Pros: Vegan options labeled clearly, Pretty much anything can be made vegan
Cons: Except for alfredo sauce, apparently
Guest
BartekSyrek
Points +26
Amazing - Edit
I do not normally write reviews. And maybe we got such excellent service because we were the only ones dining in at the time. But this man is a genius when it comes to food, and a developed pallet may be needed for some of the food. He made off the menu items that completely blew me away, created the recipe from the top of his head whilst explaining where the ingredients come from, and why that's so important. I'm blown away.
Read morePros: Genius, big portions.
Guest
Ritakafija
Points +116
Real European Hospitality and hearty food - Edit
True heartfelt hospitality, passionate chef, real and hearty food
Read moreArtwork for sale to support charity projects
Great music for perfect dining atmosphere
Pros: Hearty food, seperate veg menu, vegan marked , Dining and entertainment in one place
Guest
Veganmamamoom
Points +127
Great taste, lovely hosts - Edit
Still has a little bit of a hippy decor, only a few vegan options on the menu (same as in the pic) but hosts very sweet and offered a couple more choices not shown. No dairy alternative for drinks though which was weird
Read morePros: Delicious flavours , Clearly labelled options, Lovely hosts
Cons: Bad presentation, Salad was just shredder iceberg, Super expensive
Guest
EeliakRellim
Points +32
Amazing service amazing food! - Edit
The cook is very passionate about his work and knowledgeable. He explained the food options in detail, catered to our dietary needs. That was one of the best meals my boyfriend and I have had yet. They were very friendly and welcoming
Read morePros: Very friendly customer service they went beyond, Amazing food packed with flavour , Cook was very knowledgeable and skilled
Guest
madisavv
Points +16
Delicious! - Edit
Small, family owned business who are very friendly and knowledgeable about any dietary restrictions. We were lucky enough to come at a time that wasn't busy and got to speak with the chef. He told us that as everything is made from scratch he can happily prepare many things on the menu vegan. I had the green Mediterranean fantasy and it was absolutely delicious.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Guest
isabellar
Points +26
great restaurant ! - Edit
It was quite so we were iffy to walk in. But the service was great and the vegan options were very yummy !
Read moreCons: bit expensive (but it's Canmore)
Guest
Vegitrd
Points +137
Great vegan find! - Edit
Artfully prepared vegetarian food with great taste, complimented with personalized service. Also the restaurant is very aware of food sensitivity issues i.e. Gluten dairy etc. We also enjoyed the piano music during our meal!
Read moreGuest
leont
Points +746
Great Vegan diner options - Edit
I was very happy with the three real vegan choices on the diner menu. Quite difficult to find in this region.
Read moreThe Green Mediterranean Fantasy and the Peach Curry with tofu and mushrooms tasted good!
Guest
milie
Points +16
Yum! - Edit
Hands down one of the best vegan meals I've had in my lifetime. We had saffron mushrooms and ras el-hanout rice and could have picked other options. The spices were so delicately balanced, it was a true feast! We went in the middle of the afternoon on a Friday. The dishes were clearly marked (they have a bit of everything, meat, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, etc.)
Read moreGuest
jd6
Points +25
Not open & rude staff - Edit
Wasn't open at 4pm on a Saturday?! Guess they don't need the business. We went to see if it was open a staff member rudely snapped "we're closed!" at us! Definitely would not return!
Read moreCons: Rude staff, Not open
Guest
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