Phenomenal preparation, delightfully unpretentious atmosphere. Great wine selection, great service. We typically go into the city for post-Thanksgiving meals but took a chance on this restaurant. We will certainly be back - and the saffron plantain avocado appetizer is one of the most flavorful and innovative dishes I have ever had.
Jennifer
It has been a few years since we visited Black Bear, due to having little children. They are old enough to join us at a nicer place like this now. It was even better than we remembered, and we remembered it being amazing! From the appetizers to desserts, nothing disappointed us. Our daughters said it is amazing too and can't wait to go back. The street corn ribs were unique and are something we hope they have again. They were a special side for the week with the duck (which my husband said was the best duck he has ever had). There are kid friendly options and a lot of vegetarian options as well. Out server, Sarah, was top notch! She was friendly and on top of everything. We annot wait to visit again!! Black Bear is a must if you are in the Algonquin area!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melanie Masi
My husband I decided to do a last minute Friday night out and we started at Whiskey and Wine and then went next door to The Black Bear. Can I just say that it’s one of the best meals I’ve ever had! The grilled calamari was the best I’ve ever had and I’ve had a lot of calamari! I had the seafood paella and I asked them to make it gluten free and not spicy and they did! My husband had scallops with goat cheese and it was to die for! We will definitely be back!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Raquel Oliveros
I ordered the Mixed grill with bison, elk and wild boar and my partner ordered the stuffed poblano with lobster and scallops and I have to say that presentation is absolutely beautiful. The meat was cooked to perfection and the blueberry merlot wine reduction was a great pair with my meat. I love the variety and creative menu. It was a unique experience. Will come again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jami Firek
Amazing place for seasonal dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lisa L
We dined on a Friday night. You definitely should make reservations as the restaurant is in a small/cozy building. They have a separate vegetarian menu for those interested. Our appetizers were delicious..forgot to take pictures of them. Ahi and the fried pickles. Dinner was yummy. I had the lobster and scallops special. Others had the pork belly and the 3 meat platter. There may only be one chef..but he does an outstanding job. Enjoy a leisurely meal at this charming restaurant. I would have done 5 stars for atmosphere but our table was by an air conditioning vent so it went on and off during the meal. Needed a sweater.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Natalia Rocha
Tres bon 👌🏽 highly recommend!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thomas Murphey
Unbelievably good food. Absolute gem in the area. Chef is hard at work and to me is a master of his craft and his wife was incredibly kind and hospitable. Came two times. Once with my brother and once with my wife and left both times extremely full and delighted. Ill be coming back a lot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sky H
Staff was sooooo friendly, and the food was amazing. It was such a nice and comforting environment. Definitely recommend going
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vince Virzi
OMG THIS PLACE IS THE HIDDEN GEM OF ALGONQUIN!!!
The food was amazing and to find a restaurant like this in Algonquin, I mean wow!
The food has a ton of flavors that will make you feel like you’re at a Michelin 3 Star restaurant.
Chef takes his time and you can tell how much he cares. Take your best girl, wife or significant other and have an unbelievable meal.
This hole in the wall was empty (we arrived at 5pm) and filled up between 6 and 6:30. The food was creative and delightful, portions were generous, service was attentive without being overbearing. The cost was higher than our average, but worth it. I don't recommend sitting at the window table even with the shades pulled. It appears that there was no A/C and it got quite warm. I see this as a special occasion stop in cooler months. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
ken cubala
As a longtime vegan, it can still be tough to get a meal at some places, but these fine folks took care of me quite nicely. The chef even fixed me a desert that should be added to the menu, for my dining partners liked it as much as what they had ordered. Aside from the excellent dishes served, the staff are very courteous and personable. We had the fortune of having Olenna assigned to our table. She is a cheerful and intelligent part of an already cool place. She got answers to questions about menu items and made things work for us. Budmo (Cheers) to Olenna.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
mimi Lu
The environment was very cozy and the waitress was super friendly! I really loved the food especially the deserts.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
nubia bonilla
We had such a wonderful experience here , the food was amazing and so unique can’t wait to be back !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pat Dunn
My husband and I decided to try a new (to us) restaurant last night and found The Black Bear Bistro to be a wonderful choice. We started off with mocktails that our helpful waitress offered to modify any drink for us from the cocktail menu. We appreciated this accommodation and the drink was a handcrafted version of a spicy Margarita that was great. The menu had a unique and large variety of items and specials. Trip of soups was a great appetizer choice and the squash with crab was the best and a “must try”. I loved the wide variety of yummy veggies in my vegetarian jambalaya and my husband’s lamb was delicious with just a touch of sweet date sauce. He raved about the cheesy mushroom risotto on mixed veggies side. The waitress and owner were helpful and added both a personal and professional touch to our dinner. I will be back to try more interesting dishes. Thanks.
Phenomenal preparation, delightfully unpretentious atmosphere. Great wine selection, great service. We typically go into the city for post-Thanksgiving meals but took a chance on this restaurant. We will certainly be back - and the saffron plantain avocado appetizer is one of the most flavorful and innovative dishes I have ever had.
It has been a few years since we visited Black Bear, due to having little children. They are old enough to join us at a nicer place like this now. It was even better than we remembered, and we remembered it being amazing! From the appetizers to desserts, nothing disappointed us. Our daughters said it is amazing too and can't wait to go back. The street corn ribs were unique and are something we hope they have again. They were a special side for the week with the duck (which my husband said was the best duck he has ever had). There are kid friendly options and a lot of vegetarian options as well. Out server, Sarah, was top notch! She was friendly and on top of everything. We annot wait to visit again!! Black Bear is a must if you are in the Algonquin area!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My husband I decided to do a last minute Friday night out and we started at Whiskey and Wine and then went next door to The Black Bear. Can I just say that it’s one of the best meals I’ve ever had! The grilled calamari was the best I’ve ever had and I’ve had a lot of calamari! I had the seafood paella and I asked them to make it gluten free and not spicy and they did! My husband had scallops with goat cheese and it was to die for! We will definitely be back!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I ordered the Mixed grill with bison, elk and wild boar and my partner ordered the stuffed poblano with lobster and scallops and I have to say that presentation is absolutely beautiful. The meat was cooked to perfection and the blueberry merlot wine reduction was a great pair with my meat. I love the variety and creative menu. It was a unique experience.
Will come again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing place for seasonal dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We dined on a Friday night. You definitely should make reservations as the restaurant is in a small/cozy building. They have a separate vegetarian menu for those interested. Our appetizers were delicious..forgot to take pictures of them. Ahi and the fried pickles. Dinner was yummy. I had the lobster and scallops special. Others had the pork belly and the 3 meat platter. There may only be one chef..but he does an outstanding job. Enjoy a leisurely meal at this charming restaurant. I would have done 5 stars for atmosphere but our table was by an air conditioning vent so it went on and off during the meal. Needed a sweater.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tres bon 👌🏽 highly recommend!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Unbelievably good food. Absolute gem in the area. Chef is hard at work and to me is a master of his craft and his wife was incredibly kind and hospitable. Came two times. Once with my brother and once with my wife and left both times extremely full and delighted. Ill be coming back a lot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Staff was sooooo friendly, and the food was amazing. It was such a nice and comforting environment. Definitely recommend going
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
OMG THIS PLACE IS THE HIDDEN GEM OF ALGONQUIN!!!
The food was amazing and to find a restaurant like this in Algonquin, I mean wow!
The food has a ton of flavors that will make you feel like you’re at a Michelin 3 Star restaurant.
Chef takes his time and you can tell how much he cares. Take your best girl, wife or significant other and have an unbelievable meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This hole in the wall was empty (we arrived at 5pm) and filled up between 6 and 6:30. The food was creative and delightful, portions were generous, service was attentive without being overbearing. The cost was higher than our average, but worth it. I don't recommend sitting at the window table even with the shades pulled. It appears that there was no A/C and it got quite warm. I see this as a special occasion stop in cooler months. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
As a longtime vegan, it can still be tough to get a meal at some places, but these fine folks took care of me quite nicely. The chef even fixed me a desert that should be added to the menu, for my dining partners liked it as much as what they had ordered. Aside from the excellent dishes served, the staff are very courteous and personable. We had the fortune of having Olenna assigned to our table. She is a cheerful and intelligent part of an already cool place. She got answers to questions about menu items and made things work for us. Budmo (Cheers) to Olenna.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The environment was very cozy and the waitress was super friendly! I really loved the food especially the deserts.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had such a wonderful experience here , the food was amazing and so unique can’t wait to be back !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My husband and I decided to try a new (to us) restaurant last night and found The Black Bear Bistro to be a wonderful choice. We started off with mocktails that our helpful waitress offered to modify any drink for us from the cocktail menu. We appreciated this accommodation and the drink was a handcrafted version of a spicy Margarita that was great. The menu had a unique and large variety of items and specials. Trip of soups was a great appetizer choice and the squash with crab was the best and a “must try”. I loved the wide variety of yummy veggies in my vegetarian jambalaya and my husband’s lamb was delicious with just a touch of sweet date sauce. He raved about the cheesy mushroom risotto on mixed veggies side. The waitress and owner were helpful and added both a personal and professional touch to our dinner. I will be back to try more interesting dishes. Thanks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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