Lunch at 1,850 metres, on both mountains, in winter and in summer
Eleven restaurants, lodges and huts are spread across Whistler and Blackcomb, from waffle cabins at the top of a chairlift to white-tablecloth dining rooms with the whole Coast Range outside the window. Some are built for a twenty-minute refuel between runs; two are worth planning a day around.
In winter everything is open. In summer the list is shorter but the setting is at its best: the Roundhouse, the Umbrella Bar and Christine's carry on through the sightseeing season, and the Roundhouse hosts a sunset buffet on weekend evenings.
Every venue on this page sits above the Village, so you need a valid lift ticket, season pass or sightseeing ticket to reach it, even if you are only going up to eat. Non-skiers can ride the Whistler Village Gondola to the Roundhouse or the Blackcomb Gondola to the Rendezvous, both of which are the main hubs on their mountain.
Most of the lodges are self-serve food halls, and on a busy powder day the lines peak between late morning and early afternoon. Eating early or late makes a real difference. The two full-service restaurants, Christine's on Blackcomb and Steeps Grill on Whistler, take reservations and fill up well ahead in peak weeks, so book them before you travel if a long lunch is part of the plan.
If you are planning a day around lunch, the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola links the Roundhouse and the Rendezvous in about eleven minutes, which makes it easy to ski or walk one mountain in the morning and eat on the other.
The main lodge at the top of Whistler Mountain, where the Village Gondola and the PEAK 2 PEAK meet. Inside are several food counters, Pika's and Mountain Market among them, a cappuccino bar and Seppo's for a beer or a Caesar. It is open for breakfast and lunch in summer as well as winter, and the huge patio outside has one of the best views in Whistler.
If you are looking for a full-service mountain top experience, this is it, tucked inside the Roundhouse. The menu is farm to table, with meat and produce from the Pemberton Valley just up the road, Ocean Wise seafood and Salt Spring Island cheeses, and the wine flights lean on the Okanagan. Lunch and après in winter only; book well in advance.
The first Indigenous-inspired restaurant on Whistler Mountain, at the top of the Creekside Gondola. Its full name is Raven's / Sḵewḵ' / Yecwlào7, and the menu was developed with the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre: venison and salmon bowls, chili and sandwiches, with Spirit Bear coffee, Ravens Brewing beer and Nk'Mip wine. The easy first stop if you start the day from Creekside.
Gourmet grilled cheese in Whistler Mountain's beginner area, handed out of a small hut with outdoor seating only. Hand-crafted sandwiches, hot drinks and a patio right beside the learning terrain, which makes it an easy stop with children in lessons nearby.
An outdoor bar in front of the Roundhouse at 1,850 metres, with 360 degree views, local drinks and the house Caesar. Arguably the best bar in Whistler on a sunny day.
A small hut in the Family Zone, famous for its cinnamon buns, with chili, sandwiches and a foot-long chili cheese dog for the main course.
Blackcomb's answer to a full-service dining experience, at the back of the Rendezvous Lodge at the top of the Blackcomb Gondola. Sit back with the mountain views, choose a glass from a long local wine list and settle in. It is the one fine-dining room open in summer as well as winter, and with food and wine this good, a reservation can be hard to get.
Blackcomb's main lodge at 1,860 metres, where the Blackcomb Gondola and the PEAK 2 PEAK arrive. Six food stations cover most cravings: chicken and fries, a taqueria, burgers, curry bowls built to order, soups and breakfast.
At the bottom of the Glacier Express, and the best-placed lodge for a day in the Blackcomb alpine. Tacos, fish and chips, pasta, grain bowls and ramen, under root-stalk chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows. Watch out for the pro skiers, and take the patio on a bluebird day.
A rustic log cabin at the top of the Crystal Ridge Express, best known for its handcrafted buttermilk waffles, fully loaded with berry compote, maple syrup and fluffy whipped cream. Soup and chili for anyone who wants a real lunch. After the lifts close, the hut hosts a fondue dinner reached by snowmobile or snowcat.
A European-style hut at the top of the 7th Heaven Express, the highest place to eat on either mountain. Bratwurst, pretzels and mustard, and a ridge-top patio made for sunny days.
From mid-May to late September the gondolas run for sightseeing, hiking and the alpine trails, and lunch on the mountain becomes a destination in its own right. The Roundhouse is open daily for breakfast and lunch, the Umbrella Bar pours on its patio, and Christine's on Blackcomb keeps serving through the season.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from late June to early September, the Roundhouse hosts the Mountain Top Summer Feast: a buffet high on Whistler Mountain with carved prime rib, cedar plank salmon, fresh bannock, salads and desserts, live music and the sunset over the Coast Range. Seatings run from 5:30 pm, and children six and under eat free.
Book the ticket that includes the gondola and you can ride the PEAK 2 PEAK and walk the alpine trails before dinner. The PEAK 2 PEAK stops running for sightseeing at 5 pm, so do that part first.
