On our first evening in Whistler, Gluten Lips suggested that we go for dinner at a restaurant called “Araxi Restaurant & Oyster Bar”, located in the heart of Whistler Village. We were celebrating our anniversary, so we requested a romantic table and were not disappointed. We were seated at a relatively private table at the far end of the restaurant.

We started with cocktails: Gluten Lips had the “Bonfire” (a mock-tail) and I had what was essentially an alcoholic version of the same drink. It had white Tequila, lime, hibiscus, basil, smoked salt rim, and a red chilli pepper.

The smoked salt rim added a very nice flavour. The rocks of salt were quite large, so it was a lot of salt to take in at once. There was just a tiny bit of heat from the pepper, which was a perfect addition. The main flavour that I noted was the basil and the lime, which paired really nicely together. The menu noted that there was hibiscus in the drink, but I didn’t notice that in the flavour or the colour. In general, I loved the drink and thought it was a great way to start the meal.

The restaurant is very accommodating to a gluten and dairy free diet. We were offered freshly made gluten free bread (which was delicious and some of the best we have had) and various accommodations were made to permit us to enjoy the rest of our meal.

We had the salmon nigiri to start, followed by the Hiramasa Crudo and the Grilled Octopus and Beets. They were each outstanding. The salmon nigiri was very fresh, tender and refreshing. The Hiramasa Crudo, which was made with yellowtail tuna, was similarly fresh with some lovely citrus flavours. But the show stopper was the octopus, which was cooked to perfection and achieved that perfect level of tenderness while avoiding becoming rubbery. We would not hesitate to have these three appetizers again.

We then moved on to our mains. I had the Miso Marinated BC Sablefish, and Gluten Lips had the Line Caught BC Halibut. We thought both mains were delicious, but we found they were on the smaller side, so we were glad we ordered the appetizers. We also ordered two sides: the truffle oil fries and the mushrooms, which were very nicely done.

The sablefish was tender and buttery, while still being nice and light. The miso broth had bok choy and mushrooms, which gave the dish a nice Asian twist. Our waiter recommended a nice riesling to pair with the dish. The dish was a little sweet and spicy, so it worked nicely with a riesling.

The halibut was also quite tender and buttery. It came with a green curry sauce which gave it an Indian twist without being too overpowering. This dish was also a great match for a riesling or other white wine with a bit of sweetness.

The restaurant generously ended our dining experience with a desert in celebration of our anniversary, which was a nice touch.

Overall, this was an excellent dining experience. The ambience was great. We loved the music, which was modern lounge music at just the right volume. The waiter (who had a lovely French accent) was very attentive, informative and helpful in accommodating our non-gluten and dairy dietary restrictions. From start to finish, it was a masterful culinary experience. The location was also great and a quick walk from anywhere from the village. We will be glad to be back again to Araxi Restaurant & Oyster Bar during our next trip to Whistler.

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If you enjoyed this article, you might also like to read about our other culinary adventures sharing our gluten-free and dairy-free experiences such as Earnest Ice Cream in Olympic Village, Folie Crepes French Food Truck, and Craft Beer Market English Bay.