Photo Credit: Creekbread
Whistler’s culinary scene is world famous. We have five star restaurants, casual cafes, pubs with perfect patios, and just about everything in between.
Many of Whistler’s restaurants reflect the resort municipality’s family friendly attitude. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a place where your kids are outright turned away (unless it’s after 8 PM, when certain pubs and bars turn into 19+ zones).
We’ve compiled a list of some our favourite family friendly restaurants. These places don’t merely tolerate families – they embrace them, creating an atmosphere that’s a lot of fun for kids and adults alike. After you’ve worked up a big appetite playing outside, here are some places to take your family for some delicious grub.
Creekbread
Fresh, locally sourced ingredients? A simple but delicious menu that’s open to customization? An open kitchen with a wood-burning pizza oven that doubles as entertainment? Check, check, and check.
Creekside’s Creekbread has just about everything you could ever want in a restaurant. Its big, log-cabin atmosphere feels cozy, not stuffy, and kids are embraced as patrons – just check out the hand-drawn menus crafted by young local artists, or the chalkboard wall down by the bathroom that is just begging to be doodled on. Creekbread is as family friendly as it gets, and the food is to die for.
Old Spaghetti Factory
Photo Credit: Old Spaghetti Factory
With a kid-approved menu, prices that will please parents, and an upbeat environment, the Old Spaghetti Factory is a safe bet for a fun family night. Located in the Crystal Lodge on the Village Stroll, the Old Spaghetti Factory is known for big heaping portions and free ice cream with every meal. Need we say more?
Pasta Lupino
Photo Credit: Paul Morrison/Pasta Lupino
Fresh, high quality ingredients are at the heart of the delicious handmade pasta, homemade soups, and other Italian-inspired dishes served at Pasta Lupino. Kids will love the food, and so will adults. Head to Pasta Lupino on Main Street for a no fuss lunch (try the pizza, topped with goat cheese and balsamic reduction) – but go a little before or after the lunch rush crowd, as seating is limited and the restaurant is very popular. It’s also open for dinner, where it becomes a full-service restaurant – at lunch, you order and pay at the counter and the food is delivered to your table.
We also like Pasta Lupino for the fresh pizza dough it sells, along with a few other premium ingredients that set the tone for the ultimate at-home pizza party.
Southside Diner
Photo Credit: Southside Diner
Located in Creekside, Southside Diner is a Whistler classic. Known equally for its delicious, greasy spoon all-day breakfasts as its classic pub fare for dinner (beef dip, anyone?), Southside is a great bet for morning, noon, or night. Kids will love building their own burgers, or they can check out the special menu just for them. No fuss, all fun.
Caramba! Restaurante
Photo Credit: Caramba
For a memorable night out, head to Caramba! on the Village Stroll (near the gazebo, partway between Olympic Plaza and the mountain gondolas). The menu features Mediterranean-inspired food with plenty of options for kids (including their infamous pizzas). Their tagline, “unpretentiously comfortable”, says it all. Entertainment is provided by way of an open, bustling kitchen, and the lively atmosphere is just plain old fun.