Cinnamon Bear Bar & Grille is located inside the Hilton Whistler. They serve up Pacific Northwest dishes prepared fresh daily by their culinary team, led by Executive Chef Julian Owen-Mold. An engineer turned chef, Chef Owen – Mold is leaving his blueprints across the world creating original dishes and masterpieces using selections of the finest and freshest locally grown ingredients.
A few foodies and I were invited to come here for dinner while we were staying here over the weekend. The portion and items are slightly different that what is usually on the menu.
There is the bar side and the grille side to this place and they are quite different.
Cinnamon Bear Bar
We started off at the Cinnamon Bear Bar, a more casual and fun atmosphere après bar with TVs and pool tables. You can gather around the cozy fireplace in winter or gather in the sun soaked patio in the summer, taking in the mountain views. We came here first to have a cocktail before dinner. You can have beers, high balls, wine, or whatever your heart desires as long as they have it in stock.
Muddled strawberry with rosemary and gin was a fun cocktail with no name, but it was highly recommended to us by the staff.
Manhattan is made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. They also stick a cherry in the centre of it.
Summer Sangria was what I ordered. Great having in the Summer outside on their patio on a hot day.
Cinnamon Bear Grille
The interior has a good amount of seat and can accommodate small to large groups. Best to make reservations ahead of time to ensure no wait.
An assortment of bread and butter arrived at the table as we waited for our dishes.
Tomato gazpacho with ice shrimp and vanilla oil was the first appetizer. It was cold and refreshing. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients.
BC Dungeness Crab Cake with mango salsa and chipotle aioli. We noticed that the crab cake had a lot of crab and not stuffed with fillers like other restaurants.
Sumac Ridge Sauvignon Blanc from the Okanagan was paired with the first 2 appetizers.
Kale and Quinoa salad, organic wheat kernels, toasted pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and spiced almond dressing. I wanted to see more fresh ingredients with more flavours. It was weighed down by the dressing.
Grilled tenderloin of Alberta beef with Nova Scotia lobster, scallop, asparagus and a maltaise sauce. It was really good and tender. A good contrast between land and sea.
It was paired with Inniskillin Pinot Noir. A nice full-bodied wine with oak and spiced aromas.
Trio of desserts arrived at the table including smores, creme brulee and tiramisu. The desserts were fun, but the flavours were ok.
It was paired with the Taylor Fladgate LBV from Portugal. It is a port wine with flavours of ripe dark plums and cherry.
Overall, it was good to see what hotel restaurants are producing. With the great culinary scene in Whistler, hotel restaurants are easily overlooked.
We Rate Cinnamon Bear Bar & Grille: 
Address:
4050 Whistler Way, Whistler, BC
Website:
http://www.hiltonwhistler.com/dining/cinnamon-bear-grille.php
