Where to Eat & Après-Ski in Whistler: Bearfoot Bistro (-32°C Ice Room), Rimrock & Casual Legends

For a mountain town of 14,000 permanent residents, Whistler punches at the level of a major international food capital, combining legendary slopeside après-ski patios, cosy bakeries, and three of Canada's most celebrated fine-dining rooms.

1. Fine Mountain Dining: The 'Big Four' Institutions (Book 3 to 4 Weeks Ahead)

1. Bearfoot Bistro & The -32°C Ketel One Ice Room (4121 Village Green): Whistler's most theatrical dining experience. Pull on a supplied Arctic goose-down parka to step inside the -32°C (-25°F) Ketel One Ice Room to sample four shots of sub-zero global vodkas (which turn syrupy-smooth at -32°C), then head down to the 15,000-bottle wine cellar to sabre the neck off a bottle of Champagne with a cavalry sword before Chef Melissa Craig's tasting menu.
2. Rimrock Cafe (In Creekside, 2117 Whistler Rd): consistently voted by locals as the #1 restaurant in Whistler for food. Housed inside a warm, fireplace-lit timber lodge in Creekside (Bus #10 or #20), specialising in wild BC seafood (miso-glazed sablefish, seared scallops and hot-and-cold Oyster Platters) and wild game.
3. Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar & Wild Blue (In Whistler Village): pioneer of farm-to-table Pemberton Valley cuisine in Village Square alongside glittering seafood powerhouse Wild Blue.

2. The 4 Legendary Slopeside 'Après-Ski' Patios (Mid-Afternoon to Early Evening Daily)

• The GLC (Garibaldi Lift Co., Right Above the Whistler Gondola): sit by the outdoor fire pits watching skiers and bikers finish their last run over gorgonzola-steak nachos and local ales.
• The Longhorn Saloon (Skier's Plaza), Merlin's Bar (Upper Village) & Dusty's Bar & BBQ (Creekside): for high-energy outdoor DJ parties and champagne showers head to Longhorn; for mountain-high nachos and live rock bands under Blackcomb go to Merlin's; and at the bottom of the 11km Peak-to-Creek run in Creekside sits historic 1966 Dusty's (famous for smoky ribs and loaded Caesar cocktails).

3. Best Casual & Budget-Friendly Village Eats

Do not miss Peaked Pies (on Main Street, where you can order an Aussie flaky meat pie 'Peaked' with a mountain of mashed potatoes, mushy green peas and rich gravy on top), Purebread Bakery (for salted-caramel bars and coconut cake), El Furniture Warehouse (casual pub classics on Main St), or wood-fired Neapolitan pizza at Pizzeria Antico and Creekbread.