Lunch in Vail splits into two kinds of places: sit-down restaurants in Vail Village that open at 11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m., and casual counters and cafes that start earlier and close by mid-afternoon. Eleven spots in Vail Village and Lionshead publish a lunch-friendly schedule on their own site or on Vail Resorts' dining page. For on-mountain lunch, see where to eat on Vail Mountain.
Lunch hours at a glance
| Restaurant | Area | Lunch hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet Basil | Vail Village, 193 Gore Creek Dr | Lunch Wed to Sun 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Mountain Standard | Vail Village, 193 Gore Creek Dr | Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
| Bully Ranch | Sonnenalp hotel | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily |
| Vendetta's | Vail Village, 291 Bridge St | Sun to Thu 11 a.m. to midnight; Fri and Sat 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. |
| The Remedy Bar | Four Seasons, Vail Village | All-day dining daily 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
| Big Bear Bistro | 297 Hanson Ranch Rd | Summer season 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day; winter hours not shown |
| The Little Diner | Lionshead, 616 W Lionshead Circle | Daily 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., last call 1:45 p.m. |
| Vail Blue Moose Pizza | Lionshead, 675 Lionshead Pl #170 | Daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; lunch specials 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Les Délices de France | Lionshead, 531 E Lionshead Circle | 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Garfinkel's | Lionshead, 536 E Lionshead Circle | Kitchen Mon to Thu noon to 8 p.m., Fri noon to 9 p.m., Sat and Sun 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Tavern on the Square | Arrabelle, Lionshead | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily |
Hours change with the season and on holidays, and most of these sites give one schedule without dates. Discover Vail warns that some Vail restaurants and bars close for part of spring and fall, so phone ahead in the shoulder seasons.
Sit-down lunch in Vail Village
Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard
The two restaurants share 193 Gore Creek Drive. Sweet Basil has operated since 1977, and the Michelin Guide highlights it; it serves lunch Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., then an in-between service from 3 to 5 p.m. before dinner. Mountain Standard, a rustic creekside tavern from the creators of Sweet Basil, cooks most of its menu over a live wood fire and serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Both sites link to online reservations. Sweet Basil skips lunch on Monday and Tuesday; Mountain Standard’s lunch hours aren’t broken out by day, so call ahead if you’re planning around a specific one.
Bully Ranch at the Sonnenalp
Inside the Sonnenalp hotel, Bully Ranch serves hearty American and Southwestern food, craft cocktails and a patio, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Reservations are recommended, and the restaurant can be reached at 970-479-5460. Because it never closes between lunch and dinner, it works for a late lunch after the lifts.
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Vendetta's
Established in 1983 at 291 Bridge Street, Vendetta's is an Italian restaurant and pizza bar with Rocky Mountain views from its tables, and it recommends the pizza bar side specifically for lunch. It opens at 11 a.m. every day and stays open well past dinner, so it also works for a late meal.
The Remedy Bar at the Four Seasons
The Remedy Bar, at the Four Seasons, serves all-day dining daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.: modern mountain cuisine with seasonal ingredients, craft cocktails, and what the hotel calls the best patio views in Vail. The lounge is also an après stop, and late-night service runs Thursday to Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Quick and casual lunches
Big Bear Bistro
At 297 Hanson Ranch Road, Big Bear Bistro's Square-hosted online menu is organized into breakfast, coffee and tea, sandwiches (most with mixed greens, tomato and shaved red onion), soups and salads, sides and snacks, cold drinks, beer and wine, and an après menu available after 1 p.m. Its published hours cover summer only, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day; winter hours aren't posted, so call ahead for a winter visit.
The Little Diner
Down in Lionshead at 616 West Lionshead Circle, The Little Diner serves breakfast all day and lunch after 11:30 a.m., daily 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. with last call at 1:45 p.m., and dinner service is discontinued for the summer season. It's Vail's only full-service diner. Its building, Concert Hall Plaza, is slated for demolition starting May 1, 2027, and the diner is running a crowdfunding campaign to reopen in the new building.
Blue Moose, Garfinkel's, Les Délices and Tavern on the Square
Vail Blue Moose Pizza has served New York-style pizza in the Vail Valley since 1995, sits just steps from the ice rink and lists lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a daily après window. Garfinkel's, locally owned since 1992 with a sunny deck overlooking the gondola, is a lunch stop for casual food and a drink. Les Délices de France is a deli near the Eagle Bahn Gondola serving Lavazza coffee, pastries, smoothies and crêpes, and is the earliest to close. Tavern on the Square, inside the Arrabelle, pairs a quick-service walk-up bar with a reservations-only à la carte dining option on the mountain side. For more Lionshead detail see where to eat in Lionshead.
Left off this list
La Nonna at 100 E Meadow Drive lists Monday to Saturday from 5 p.m. and is closed Sundays, so it is a dinner restaurant, not a lunch one. Almresi at 298 Hanson Ranch Road publishes only a dinner menu, and posted a seasonal closure from April 6, 2026 with a planned mid-July reopening; confirm current hours on its site before planning a lunch there. Its sister restaurant, Alpenrose, is said to be open May through mid-October.
