12 Best Restaurants in Vail, Vail Valley

The huge, seasonal menu includes highlights like a high-end Colorado Kobe steak served with asparagus spears and bleu cheese fritters, a crispy pork shank with a sherry-apricot glaze, and a variety of delicious sandwiches, pizzas, and lighter, tapas-style plates. Meals are rounded out with expert wine and beer pairings that make this somewhat out-of-the-way restaurant well worth the free shuttle from the village.

Elevated pub food, rotisserie meats, duck-fat fries, and creative craft cocktails somehow marry perfectly on this modern menu. Warm wood paneling and vibrant ski photography decorate the cozy dining room centrally located in Vail Village.

Getting to this restaurant is certainly half the fun, as you must catch a gondola up the mountain, then hop on a snow cat to get across Game Creek Bowl during the winter, or shuttle or walk in the summer. The Bavarian-style lodge is members-only for lunch, but open to the public for dinner all year and for an outstanding Sunday brunch in summer. Be prepared to linger over a multicourse meal as you enjoy spectacular views of the slopes and the mountains beyond. Park at the Lionshead parking garage to catch the gondola.

In the heart of Vail Village, this contemporary French restaurant has been a local favorite for years and shouldn't be missed. Chef and owner Paul Ferzacca demonstrates his modern take on French cuisine with dishes like succulent bacon-wrapped pork with roasted cauliflower and a black-fig mostarda and chicken paillard with a beurre blanc sauce, crème fraîche potato puree, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and capers. For dessert, try the chef-original peanut butter mousse with peanut brittle and grape sorbet. The service is top-notch, and the behemoth wine list is dominated by French and Californian labels. When the restaurant is busy in the summer, grab a seat on the patio for a quieter, breezier meal.

Grilled portobello-mushroom sandwiches, spicy southwestern green chile, and Mulrooney's Irish stew are among the choices at this laid-back, rustic restaurant. If you want a full meal, try the most popular entrée, barbecued baby back ribs. The deck is a gathering spot in warm weather. The place is in Lionshead, just north of the Eagle Bahn Gondola.

Combining an upscale atmosphere with cozy Italian charm, this Vail Village spot makes its pasta daily using real Pivetti flour from Italy. The flavors are bold and authentic, complemented best by a bottle of wine from the restaurant's expansive cellar. Try the Ravioli Tre Funghi, made with fresh pasta and coated in a light cream sauce featuring the perfect hint of truffle oil. 

This casual lunch and dinner stop prepares its meat and fish with a deft hand and the age-old way—over an open wood fire. The menu changes often, but usually includes popular dishes such as the spring pea bruschetta, a fall-off-the-bone pork chop with charred okra succotash and cornbread crumble, and a whole Rocky Mountain trout with grilled pole bean salad and smoked almond milk. For dessert, splurge on a s'mores pie. From the dining room, you can watch chefs prepare your food in the open kitchen, but summer has the better view, with foodies and families alike congregating on the patio overlooking Gore Creek.

With spacious glass windows, this sleek, sophisticated space in Gravity Haus looks as if it belongs in a big city, with only the fireplace reminding you that this is Vail. The menu puts a modern spin on the classic steak house, featuring food from Rocky Mountain ranchers and farmers.

The freshest seasonal ingredients available are used here, so the menu changes about once a month. You might find grilled Muscovy duck breast with pistachio salsa verde and smoked-cherry gastrique, or Berkshire pork rib eye with tapioca corn pudding and chanterelle mushrooms. Pair these entrées with one of the thousands of wines from the restaurant's expansive cellar, which you can view from the dining room. Tables also overlook Gore Creek. Leave room for the luscious desserts.

The large sunny patio in the center of Lionshead Village is the perfect slope-side location for people-watching while enjoying stellar Bloody Marys and poutine, or heartier après-ski fare like the coffee-cured elk, Colorado striped bass, or the Cubano sandwich. Ingredients are locally sourced and the menu aims for an elevated take on comfort food.

Find respite from the usual mountain fare at this high-end, high-up restaurant at the base of Look Ma run. A favorite lunch spot for skiers, there are spectacular views of the Gore Range, a cozy bar and lounge with fireplace, a south-facing outdoor deck with heated tables, and hearty pasta and popular meat dishes.