Portobello Market & Fresh Bakery at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler

There’s just the right amount of pork-crackling crunch served on a Portobello pork porchetta sandwich, one of the many mouthwatering deli-counter options at this Upper Village lunch spot at which a meal isn’t complete without a decadent maple cream doughnut for dessert. However, a multimillion-dollar renovation last fall means that the palate-pleasing no longer stops in the afternoon. It’s now an ideal location for that sunny après session where you can sip on a locally brewed beer, small-batch gin and tonic, or a B.C. wine, either on the Portobello patio or perched on a stool at the new Watering Hole Bar. While you relax, cooks buzz in the animated open kitchen where two antiquestyle Miwe Wenz 1919 ovens shipped directly from Europe enjoy a place of pride. As well, an open-flame rotisserie and smoker are key pieces of equipment behind Executive Chef Isabel Chung’s new smokehouse dinner menu that includes smoked brisket and prime rib, spiced pork ribs and slow-cooked turkey wings. The style is relaxed mountain chic with farm-style long tables and exposed brickwork matched with black-and-white photography of iconic Whistler scenes. If you want to take a little of that “chic” home, head to their market-style retail section where you’ll find locally made products ranging from organic balms to woven blankets, hand-stitched leather satchels to fragrant candles, beautifully packaged candies to elegant spreads — perfect for gifts or as your own holiday mementos.