Vail's restaurants are concentrated in two walkable areas, Vail Village and Lionshead, with a few just off the pedestrian streets on Meadow Drive and Gore Creek Drive. This guide covers 23 of them, sorted by what kind of meal you want. Hours are as each business posts them and change by season; several places below are dinner-only, closed on certain days or open seasonally. For a day's worth of planning, pair this with the guides to lunch in Vail and how late Vail stays open.
Restaurant hours at a glance
| Restaurant | Style | Posted hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet Basil | New American | Dinner Sun to Thu 5 to 9, Fri and Sat 5 to 10; lunch Wed to Sun |
| Mountain Standard | Wood-fire tavern | Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. |
| Chasing Rabbits | Mediterranean | Tue to Thu 5 to 9, Fri and Sat 5 to 10; closed Sun and Mon |
| Elway's | Steakhouse | Dinner nightly |
| Lancelot | Prime rib | Tue to Sat 5 p.m. to close |
| La Tour | Restaurant and bar | Daily 5 to 9:30 p.m. |
| Matsuhisa | Japanese and sushi | Call or see its reservation page |
| Osaki's | Sushi and Japanese | Opens 5:30 p.m. until close |
| Montauk Seafood Grill | Seafood, Lionshead | 5 to 9 p.m. daily |
| Vail Chophouse | Steak and seafood, Lionshead | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily on its site |
| Slope Room | Alpine bistro | Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. daily |
| Tavernetta | Italian | Dinner 4 to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| La Nonna | Italian | Mon to Sat 5 p.m. to close; closed Sun |
| La Bottega | Northern Italian | Reservations via OpenTable or phone |
| Alpenrose | Alpine and European | Summer 2026: Tue to Fri 11:30 to 10; Fri to Sun from 10 a.m.; closed Mon |
| Almresi | Alpine | Seasonal; call ahead |
| Pepi's | Austrian and Continental | Call for hours |
| The Red Lion | Bar and restaurant | Call for hours |
| Bully Ranch | American and Southwestern | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily |
| El Segundo | Tacos and tequila | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day |
| Pazzo's Pizzeria | Pizza and Italian | Call for hours |
| Up the Creek | Creekside dining | Lunch and dinner daily |
| Deca + Bol | American, with bowling | Mon and Wed 4 to 10 p.m., Tue closed, Thu 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Fri to Sun noon to 10 |
Sites often post a single schedule with no season, and Discover Vail notes that some restaurants and nightlife spots close for part of the spring and fall shoulder seasons. Confirm by phone if you visit between ski season and summer.
Dinner and special occasions
Sweet Basil
Sweet Basil at 193 Gore Creek Drive has been a Vail landmark since 1977, with Michelin Guide recognition for 2023, 2024 and 2025. It serves New American cooking, with lunch Wednesday to Sunday, an in-between service from 3 to 5 p.m., and dinner nightly.
Mountain Standard
From the creators of Sweet Basil and at the same address, Mountain Standard is described as a rustic creekside tavern where most of the menu is cooked over a live wood fire. Dinner runs 5 to 9 p.m., with reservations available online.
Chasing Rabbits
The Restaurant at Chasing Rabbits, at 141 E Meadow Drive Suite 104, describes modern Mediterranean cooking with Colorado influences. Its site mentions salmon crudo, whole grilled branzino and braised rabbit bolognese. It is open Tuesday to Saturday only, and the site asks for a valid ID for alcohol.
Elway's
Elway's Vail, at 174 East Gore Creek Drive inside The Lodge at Vail, is open for dinner nightly and for après ski during the season, serving USDA hand-cut prime steaks. Reserve on its website or call 970-754-7818.
Lancelot
Lancelot has served slow-roasted prime rib since 1969. It posts hours of Tuesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to close and a phone number of 970-476-5828 for reservations, so it is a dinner-only stop and closed early in the week.
La Tour
La Tour keeps a daily 5 to 9:30 p.m. schedule and recommends reservations. Its site names Chef Paul Ferzacca as the chef-owner and offers a happy hour menu.
Matsuhisa
Matsuhisa's Vail page describes a Japanese and sushi restaurant at 141 E Meadow Drive and links to reservations (970-476-6628). Check the reservation page for current times.
Osaki's
Osaki's is a sushi and Japanese restaurant that opens at 5:30 p.m. and stays open until close. It asks callers to phone after 5:30 p.m. and says reservations are taken only 24 hours in advance, and it mentions an omakase (chef's choice) option that needs to be requested ahead. The phone number is (970) 476-0977.
Lionshead: seafood and steak
Montauk Seafood Grill
At 549 E Lionshead Circle, Montauk is marking its 37th year in Lionshead Village. It serves dinner only, 5 to 9 p.m. every day, with a 120-plus bottle wine list, and takes reservations through OpenTable or by phone for parties of seven or more at 970.476.2601.
Vail Chophouse
The Vail Chophouse at 675 Lionshead Place serves lunch, après and dinner, with steaks and seafood and a mountainside patio with live après music in the afternoons, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Slope Room
Slope Room, inside Gravity Haus Vail at 352 E Meadow Drive, is an alpine bistro built around Rocky Mountain farmers and ranchers, with pasture-raised proteins. It posts dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. daily and mentions brunch and happy hour.
Italian and alpine tables
Tavernetta
Tavernetta is the Four Seasons' Italian restaurant, described as inspired by regional Italy, with handmade pasta nightly, the pastas of Tuscany and dishes from Sicily and Alto Adige. Dinner runs 4 to 9:30 p.m., with a Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a Spritz Window for cocktails.
La Nonna
La Nonna at 100 E Meadow Drive Suite 24 says it makes fresh pasta daily and is open Monday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to close. It is closed on Sundays, and it takes reservation calls after 3 p.m. Mountain time.
La Bottega
La Bottega says it opened in November 1997 and serves Northern Italian food in a dining room, a wine bar and on a sunny patio on Meadow Drive. Reservations for parties of up to six are made through OpenTable up to six months ahead, and larger groups call 970-476-0280. Call for current hours.
Alpenrose
Alpenrose at 100 E Meadow Drive Suite 25 is a family-run restaurant with lunch and dinner menus and a raclette and fondue option, and it is open seasonally. Its summer 2026 season hours are Tuesday to Friday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m., closed Mondays, with lunch served until 5 p.m. Almresi lists its sister restaurant, Alpenrose, as open May through mid-October.
Almresi
Almresi at 298 Hanson Ranch Road is a family-owned Alpine restaurant with a dinner menu. It runs on a seasonal schedule, closing for the off season and reopening in mid-July, so call (970) 470-4174 to check it is serving before you go.
Pepi's
Pepi's restaurant and bar is part of the Gasthof Gramshammer hotel at 231 E Gore Creek Drive and is open to the public. Its main dining room is known for Continental and American food specializing in Austrian dishes; it also has a bar with live entertainment, a covered patio and, in winter, the Antlers Room, known for wild game dinners. Call 970-476-5626 for hours.
Casual and après
The Red Lion
The Red Lion's doors opened in mid-February 1963. Its site advertises a food and drink menu and live entertainment, and says lunch and dinner seating is first come, first served. During live entertainment two bar-area tables can be reserved for adult groups of 8 to 12 with a food and beverage minimum. Call for hours.
Bully Ranch
Inside the Sonnenalp hotel, Bully Ranch serves American and Southwestern food with craft cocktails and patio seating, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The hotel recommends reservations at 970-479-5460.
El Segundo
El Segundo is a tacos and tequila restaurant in Vail Village, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day for lunch, après and dinner. It has a happy hour; call 970.763.5470.
Pazzo's Pizzeria
Pazzo's says the Vail restaurant is at the west end of the Vail Village parking structure, across from the bowling alley, the Cinémovie theater and the Solaris skating rink. The pizzeria has served Vail, Avon and Eagle for more than 25 years. Call 970-476-9026 for hours.
Up the Creek
Up the Creek is family owned, has operated since 1988 and serves lunch and dinner daily on the banks of Gore Creek.
Deca + Bol
At Solaris Plaza, 141 E Meadow Drive Suite 113, Deca is an elevated American restaurant and Bol is a bowling alley with 10 custom lanes. The bowling menu comes from Deca (the site mentions flatbreads and sliders). Bol's winter rate is $60 per person for 1.5 hours, shoes included, and the alley is 21 and over after 10 p.m. Both restaurants keep the same hours, including Thursday until 1 a.m. and no service on Tuesdays. Phone 970.476.5300.
More places to eat
For a Lionshead-only list, see where to eat in Lionshead Village. To browse everything in the directory, see Vail restaurants.
