Whistler, BC, is known as among the top resorts worldwide for the quality of its dining experience. If you came for two weeks you could eat at the equivalent of a Michelin one-star restaurant at least 5 times, arguably twice at the two-star level and every other day at a place of extremely high quality, without ever going to the same place more than once. But which is the very finest establishment in Whistler?
This, of course, depends on what you are looking for. The most expensive restaurant in town is the Bear Foot Bistro, which offers one of the world’s Top Ten wine lists in terms of range and depth. If you feel like a vertical tasting of one of the Classed First Growth Bordeaux, it is one of the few places that this can be done. If you are looking for wines of quite extraordinary rarity like Cheval Blanc 1947, or Le Pin 1961, you may be able to find it here. The food is also very good, but perhaps not quite up to the standards of the wine list. Also, the sommelier is not above a little dissembling: when a friend recently ordered her favourite Champagne, Louis Roederer Cristal 1987 it was poured from a bottle surrounded by a napkin. She is very familiar with this wine and said immediately “I don’t think this is the ‘87”, and the red-faced sommelier was forced to disclose that under the napkin lay the ’88. (He had the good grace not to charge for the bottle, which saved her a tidy $750).
Long-time favourite of the more affluent residents is the Rim Rock Café, to be found in the relatively unsalubrious Creekside neighbourhood, where seafood and game are the focus of the menu. The ambience here is excellent, with warm colours, extensive use of wood in the construction, two large gas log fires, discreet service, excellent quality of raw materials and meticulous preparation.
If you prefer a less decorous atmosphere and if you are a lover of Italian food, the Trattoria di Umberto (more familiarly know by its moniker The Tratt), is the place to go. The food is good; the warmth of your welcome is even better and it there is always an exuberant crowd in the evenings. . If you prefer a more business dining atmosphere try Quattro where starched linen and a more subdued atmosphere form the backdrop to excellent food and extensive range of Italian wines. The other Italians worth a detour are Il Caminetto di Umberto and La Rua.
If you are a red-blooded steak-eater, Hy’s Steakhouse is not to be missed. . Prime Alberta beef is accompanied by subtly-flavoured sauces conjured up by the maestros in Hy’s kitchen.
Relatively new in town are Apres and Fifty Two Eighty, the latter named after the vertical drop in feet available on Blackcomb Mountain. Apres is known for offering multiple smaller dishes, whilst Fifty Two Eighty aims for haute cuisine and almost always reaches it, accompanied by the faultless Four Seasons service.
Which of these is the best. Try them all (and don’t miss out on Araxi and the Val d’Isere Bistro as well). Weather conditions can sometimes be iffy in Whistler, but dining conditions are always superb.
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