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Ajax Tavern
Under the direction of the Little Nell team, this perennial favorite for burgers, truffle fries and some heartier dishes (the veal schnitzel cassoulet has a cult following). Those who care more about the atmosphere than the food are rewarded with...
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Bosq
Opened by Aspen native and renowned chef Barclay Dodge, Bosq brings fresh, eclectic gastronomy to the glamorous mountain town. With minimalist interiors and a seasonal alfresco patio, the restaurant offers a menu combining familiar flavors and surprising twists. Dishes reflect...
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Brunelleschi’s Pizza
This cheery pizza restaurant, located in the mall behind Louis Vuitton and J. Crew, specializes in thin-crust pizza and is popular with families who can even have the kids partake in pizza making parties. They do deliver as well though...
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Cache Cache
This restaurant consistently serves among the best meals in town on its large patio, a favorite summer gathering spot. The French bistro food is just what you need after a concert or a play, and owner Jodi Larner handles crowds...
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Campo de Fiori
A cozy yet hip restaurant serving delicious Italian cuisine. It is very popular with locals and visitors, so is usually packed.
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Casa Tua
Like its sister restaurant of the same name in Miami, this spot offers great Italian cuisine in an elegant setting.
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Chef’s Club by Food & Wine
When the Chef’s Club opened for Aspen’s 2012 Food & Wine Festival, it changed Aspen from a town of good food to a town of interesting food. The concept, created in partnership with Food & Wine, was to provide a...
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Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro
Ski to Aspen Highland’s Cloud Nine around 2 pm on a sunny powder day, and you’ll find a more celebratory lunch experience than the standard mountain fare. Sure, some patrons will be tucked into pots of steaming fondue, but others...
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Element 47
Aspenites looking for an urban vibe flock to Element 47, which opened in the Little Nell in December 2012. Designed by the same team as Manhattan’s Craft and 11 Madison, the restaurant has a sleek, modern look that transports diners...
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Ellina
Located just next door to the Moncler boutique, Ellina lures a loyal clientele with delicious Italian fare. Ellina is an abbreviation of the Italian valley Valtellina and the menu’s emphasis is on slow food, organic produce and Italian staples like...
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French Alpine Bistro: Creperie du Village
Not your average creperie, this spot serves interesting savory variations including chicken curry crepes and the delicious tiramisu crepe. For dinner, the chalet-inspired restaurant is a popular spot for excellent fondue, raclette and steak.
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Ink! Coffee
This fabulous coffee shop’s motto is, “Not on every corner,” but skiers are delighted there’s one at the base of the gondola on E. Durant St. A member recently returned with this rave review: “We found the best place for...
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J-Bar
An après-ski staple since 1880, J-Bar is a cozy gathering place located in the handsome Hotel Jerome. With rustic décor and glass chandeliers, the retreat evokes a Wild Western saloon; patrons sip drafts at the bar, which maintains its original...
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Jour de Fête
The product of a French owner and El Salvadorian chef, Jour de Fête offers a tasty selection of sandwiches, salads and breakfast dishes. With a quaint dining room and outdoor patio, the family-run eatery is perfect for a quick lunch.
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Kenichi
Kenichi is now considered the rock’n’roll sushi spot in Aspen with its hip redesign, larger space and, of course, the Tanuki’s Magic Daigino Sake. Reservations recommended.
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Matsuhisa
Nobu Matsuhisa brings his notable sushi cuisine to Aspen in this basement restaurant. But why hide downstairs when there’s now patio dining right on Main Street, complete with space heaters to keep you comfortable even in cooler temperatures.
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Meat & Cheese
Offering farm-to-table cuisine and a well-priced wine list, meat and Cheese was opened in 2014 by an artisan cheese monger to be a part gourmet grocer, part rustic eatery. The ‘farm shop’ sells local produce, cured meats, fresh bread and...
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Mezzaluna Aspen
No relation to the restaurants of the same name in Manhattan, Mezzaluna Aspen has been a town standby for Italian food and delicious wood-fired pizzas for more than two decades.
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Oasis Pop-Up Champagne Bar
When Aspen’s weather warms to outdoor dining levels, one of the mountain’s most fun new traditions begins. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the Little Nell hosts a champagne bar that pops up at various locations around the mountain. Follow the Nell...
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Paradise Bakery
Stop in to Paradise Bakery and pick up some of the best cookies you’ll ever have. The best part is the gooey center, so don’t waste your time with the mini-cookies, which can be more crunchy than chewy.
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Poppycock’s Café
This greasy spoon diner is especially great for breakfast (try the oatmeal pancakes).
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Prospect
While every Auberge Resort property has a distinct look, there’s one string that ties them all together – the food. Prospect, the fine dining restaurant at the Hotel Jerome, is no different. There are few restaurants I’d dine at for...
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Red Onion
The historic red tavern, which first opened to serve miners in 1892, still features its old Victorian details with brick walls, wood floors and antique lanterns, and yes, the carved wooden bar, but it has been spruced up by brother-and-sister...
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Steakhouse No. 316
Proof that steakhouses can be sexy sits in a tiny A-frame cottage in the center of Aspen. It’s called Steakhouse No. 316. Diners cozy up in the curvy red leather banquettes, slicing into locally raised beef beneath the exposed beam...
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The Wild Fig
In summer, this tiny eatery opposite the Wheeler Opera House has a very pretty covered patio set just above sidewalk level for ultimate people-viewing pleasure. The food is Mediterranean/American: hummus, fresh seafood and pasta. I like to go here before...
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Woody Creek Tavern
The former watering hole of literary great Hunter S. Thompson and his cronies makes a great stop along the Rio Grande hiking and biking trail, but it’s also a popular destination in its own right for great food and a...
Aspen

Courtesy of Little Nell
Aspen has more than eighty restaurants crammed within its borders, an astounding number for such a small community. Even more surprising is that many of these eateries rank with those in the world’s biggest cities. Ingredients are sourced locally and menus tend to feature healthy, organic dishes rather than greasy, ski-town pub fare (although the truffle fries at Ajax should not be missed). When Aspen regulars don’t feel like fighting for a table in high season, they turn to the insider’s gourmet secret weapon, A La Car (www.544food.com). This food delivery service allows you to browse the menus of more than a dozen of the top restaurants, including Kenichi, Ute City, Brunelleschi’s Pizza and Mezzaluna and then order your meal to be brought straight to you in high-tech heating packages. Plan ahead because though the delivery should take only an hour, with traffic and weather, during high season, it can take a lot longer (and PS, they also deliver groceries with twenty-four hour notice).