Colorado’s extensive range of ski resorts offer some of the best dining experiences in the US. From world-class restaurants, cozy alpine taverns, cheap and fun eats to fine mountain-top dining and award winning menus, there’s something for everyone in our top picks. There’s still time to book your winter vacation in Colorado, and sample the delights of the beautiful Rockies.
Sundeck – Aspen Mountain
Best for – mountain-top dining
The original mountain town is charming; once a silver-mining hub seeped in history, it has a lively atmosphere and many fantastic restaurants, bars and shops. At 11,200 feet, the Sundeck Restaurant offers breathtaking panoramic views over the surrounding mountain ranges. Located at the top of the Silver Queen Gondola, guests enjoy traditional hearty American cuisine set in rustic mountain splendor. Designed like a quaint bistro, the lunch menu offers fresh and inexpensive sandwiches, grills, vegetarian dishes, soups, salads, desserts and beverages. Sit out on the sundeck with a view to the snowcapped peaks or, if the weather’s snowy, stay indoors under 30-foot vaulted ceilings and relax by the open fire. Don’t miss starlight evenings under the full moon, with dinner, drinks and live music on selected nights – buy your tickets at Aspen Mountain Ticket office.
SaddleRidge – Beaver Creek
Best for – atmosphere
North America’s World Cup Mountain doesn’t disappoint when it comes to world class cooking. SaddleRidge restaurant, set at the base of the Eastern slopes of Beaver Creek, serves regional Colorado cuisine in a glamorous setting. The BBQ glazed quail served with creamy sweet potato is an amazing appetizer, or try the tiger shrimp wrapped in Serrano ham, roasted tomato and pesto. Entrees include smoked Angus tenderloin with homemade steak sauce, grilled venison chop, and a selection of seafood. All the food is complimented by an award-winning wine list, and should lead to an evening to remember. For the kids there’s a dedicated menu which offers a three-course meal for an affordable $15. The décor pays homage to the heritage of the town and the mountain with 40-foot vaulted ceilings, open fires, cast-iron chandeliers and spacious, dark wood dining rooms. It is also a living museum of frontier artifacts; be sure to check out one of the original George Washington portraits used for the dollar bill.
Big Hoss Grill – Snowmass
Best for – budget eats
Work up an appetite on the challenging chutes, secret powder stashes and narrow tree-lined slopes of High Alpine – then be sure to head down to Big Hoss Grill in Snowmass Village, a buzzing restaurant specializing in burgers, beer and BBQ. Decent prices and large portions make it a Snowmass favorite. The breakfast menu is particularly good to kick-start a day full of skiing; the portions of eggs Benedict on English muffin and Canadian bacon with hollandaise sauce or berry pancakes made with the fresh berry of the day are wonderfully filling. A selection of fresh sandwiches, salads, grills and BBQ head up the lunch and dinner menus. Sports fans can catch the latest games on the five flat screen TVs or wind down in the bar with a brewski at the end of a long day. Big Hoss Grill is a great place to kick back and relax after a hard day on the slopes.
La Marmotte – Telluride
Best for – fine dining
Telluride is an old-fashioned mountain town, built in the 1890s, that has retained the turn-of-the-last century clapperboard housing. Elegant and laid-back, Telluride is home to La Marmotte, widely seen as the best restaurant in the resort. With a traditional approach to gourmet cuisine that is mirrored in the building it is housed in, the town’s old icehouse. The interior features a quaint dining room, private chef’s table and ample sunny patios that make it both romantic and exquisite. Serving fine French cuisine that sources local, fresh produce, the three-course set menu changes according to what is in season, such as red wine braised coq au vin with bacon mash potatoes and melted red cabbage, or pear glazed pork tenderloin with butternut squash risotto and golden raisin sauce. Be sure to make room for the warm molten chocolate cake with espresso ice cream drizzled with five-year Madeira.
Sevens – Breckenridge
Best for – the whole family
Breckenridge town has a charming rustic vibe; 19th-century clapboard buildings lining much of the main street adding to the frontier feel. A family friendly resort, there are plenty of affordable restaurants to suit everyone’s pocket. Sevens is found in the new Grand Lodge at the base of Peak 7, and serves a primarily American menu with a range of steaks, burgers, fresh salads, homemade soups and pizza from their own stone hearth oven. The real selling point of Sevens is the awesome mountain views through floor-to-ceiling windows. For those lazy sunny days, there is sizeable deck for diners to watch the world tumble by as skiers and riders meander down the slopes just feet from the tables.
