While there’s plenty to discover in the wilds of the Bow Valley, a meal at the Miner’s Lamp Pub in Canmore’s Georgetown Inn is a great way to explore the area’s history too. Named after a small hamlet established to serve the Georgetown mine, the inn is an homage to the area’s coal and copper mining history and the British expats who settled the area in the late 19th Century. While the inn was built in the 1990s, its English Tudor architecture conjures days gone by and the menu at the Miner’s Lamp is packed with traditional pub favourites plus a few surprises.
You can’t mention the Miner’s Lamp without acknowledging its legendary fish and chips – voted the best in Canmore for the past 12 years. Figuring this “signature” dish is already well-enough known, we wanted to explore some of the menu’s other offerings.
The Ploughman’s Platter is an English tradition that originated on the farms and fields of England. Choose two meats and two cheeses to accompany a crispy, chewy French baguette, apple chutney, pickled beets, pickled onions and Dijon mustard. We opted for the Scotch eggs, salami, cheddar and gouda version. The eggs were delicious pockets of flavour with just a hint of heat in the crispy meat coating. The preserves offered bright, tangy notes to cut the richness of the cheeses and meats making this a tasty, colourful and shareable appetizer for two.
We absolutely loved the stuffed Yorkshire pudding, which is dramatically plated with a towering golden pudding with a hint of the delicious filling cascading down the side onto a heap of garlic mashed potatoes and a splash of colorful veg. The pudding was excellent with a crispy golden shell, perfectly puffed. Breaking it open released a hearty helping of tender roast beef bathed in a rich, flavourful gravy that complemented the savoury mash beautifully. With some crisp steamed carrots, broccoli and red pepper on the side, the huge portion was balanced, delicious and oh-so Instagrammable.
The huge menu is jammed with breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings as well as some great tidbits about Canmore’s origins, legends and other stories. If you’re a hiker, the pub is home to the Triple Crown Challenge which offers a pint glass, discounts and a spot on the wall of honour for adventurers who summit Ha Ling Peak, land at the Lady MacDonald Tea House and reach the Bench on Mount Rundle.
The Miner’s Lamp Pub at the Georgetown Inn is open 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m.- 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Camie Leard
Camie has a passion for music, food and the people who make them. A lifelong Calgarian, Camie brings 20+ years of experience telling stories about the area as an editor, communications professional and blogger. In her spare time, Camie is a painter and musician who is always looking for the next great meal.
