RimRock is just the type of restaurant you’d expect to find at a world-class ski resort. Located a short drive away from the bustle of the village, RimRock is the paradigm of mountain elegance, welcoming you into a hushed, dimly-lit dining room enriched by heavy wood beams and roaring fireplaces that cast a warm aura over the scene. Knowledgeable servers are on hand to tell you about the fresh fish or game of the day, such as wild BC salmon or succulent caribou. Appetizers like sautéed wild mushroom salad and venison wellington complement the mountain cuisine, but lighter options like an heirloom lettuce salad are also available. This is the kind of place you’ll want to linger over your meal, staying to sip a glass of port or cognac after dinner.

Sidecut is a cut above your average steakhouse. With its location in Whistler’s most luxurious hotel, innovatively and expertly executed steakhouse classics, several seafood dishes and a few vegetarian options as well, Sidecut leaves diners little to beef about.

The contemporary dining room, decorated in wood, stone and rich hues of chocolate and burnt orange, is inviting. Before you dine, you might be tempted to first sip a martini at the Fifty Two 80 Bar next door. When you sit at the restaurant, start with a half dozen locally sourced oysters or such memorable appetizers like house made raviolis stuffed with wild mushrooms. Classic steakhouse offerings like iceberg salad share the menu with more inspiring alternatives like a chicory salad with local goat cheese. Even typical side dishes like creamed spinach are given lighter, more complex notes by executive chef Scott Dolbee.

Choose from several cuts of beef, or such wild options as venison, deer and bison. Fresh fish is always on the menu, as well as an unforgettably tender lobster tail. The meats and fishes are brought to the table with an assortment of saucesbottled to look like tiny potions from an old-time apothecary.

If the meat isn’t rich enough for you, after the main meal you can choose from a dizzying assortment of local cheeses and such decadent desserts as a s’mores brownie sundae.